Cold weather need not put a damper on adventures during winter months.  Head for the great outdoors and work up some heat and excitement while ATV-ing, caving, hiking, elk viewing, hunting and horseback riding. Kentucky scenery provides a beautiful backdrop for exploring its natural beauty.

The most temperate discoveries are to be made in underground exploration of miles and miles of caves where temperatures remain nearly constant in the mid-50s year-round. Diamond Caverns in Park City has halls lined with cascading calcite and many other visual jewels.  Winter tours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., seven days a week. Admission is $16 for adults, $8 for children 4-12, and ages three and under enter free.  The caves are closed Christmas and New Year’s Day. Call 270-749-2233 or visit www.diamondcaverns.com.

Several Kentucky venues provide the thrill of spotting American Bald Eagles in their natural winter habitat. There are several trips and packages to choose from across the southern parts of the state.  The Ballard County Wildlife Management Area in La Center, about 25 miles west of Paducah, has two tours in January that are organized by Kentucky Dam Village State Resort Park (800-325-0146).   Or board the yacht CQ Princess to spy majestic birds from the water.   Cruises are scheduled at Kentucky Dam Village Jan. 15-17, Lake Barkley State Resort Park Jan. 29-31 (800-325-1708), and Kenlake State Resort Park Feb. 5-7 (800-325-0143). At Dale Hollow Lake State Resort Park, you can view the birds from custom barges Jan. 15-16, Jan. 22-23 and Feb. 5-6 (800-325-2282). Tickets cost $20 to $55 per person. Van tours are also offered. More info is available at www.parks.ky.gov.

Gear up and zip off on an off-road ATV for some four-wheel action.   Black Mountain Off-Road Adventure Park in Harlan has a year-round schedule but the views are unique during colder months.   Make repeat treks with a 30-day permit for $20 or $35 gets you a pass for a full year of roaring action. The park has 7,000 acres and trails that range from easy for beginners to moderate and extreme for the more adventuresome. Find out more by calling 606-573-9156 or visit www.harlancountytrails.com.

Elk viewing is the fastest growing tourism attraction in the nation and the impressive Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area is a spectacular way to view elk and bison in the wild.  Drive your own vehicle for a self-guided tour of the prairie lands being restored to their natural state on a 3.5 mile paved loop that’s open dawn to dusk. With leaves gone in winter, spotting these wild animals in an area where they once roamed freely gets a bit easier.  You’ll pay $5 per car at LBL’s Golden Pond visitor center or call for information about van tours. You can enter via U.S. 68 from Cadiz on the east or Aurora on the west. Call 270-924-2000 or check out www.lbl.org.

Hike long or short trails and you just may catch native wildlife in their habitat as well as incredible vistas at any number of Kentucky’s more than 50 state parks.  Some of the most beautiful scenery in the country is along miles of trails that wind through any part of the state.  Venture to Pine Mountain State Resort Park (800-325-1712) in southeastern Kentucky near Cumberland Gap and take your pick as to how far you want to venture and how strenuous you want to be along wooded areas where deer, rabbits, squirrels and many types of birds can be spotted. Kentucky’s 17 resort parks located throughout the state have lodges with stunning views of the natural world and cozy accommodations in lodges and cabins.  Lodge dining rooms serve three meals so leave the food prep and clean up to others after a day in the great outdoors. Special activities and programs run through the winter and into early spring.  Visit www.parks.ky.gov for a rundown on what’s available at each park and which special room rates apply.

Whether you’re a novice or experienced rider, saddle up and take in winter landscapes from horseback.  Holly Creek Farms in Campton (www.hollycreekfarms.com) provides the horse and guidance for trail rides along wooded terrain in the foothills of the Appalachians just off the Daniel Boone Parkway.  They also offer guided ATV rides and hiking around the farm.  Call to reserve a spot (606-668-3180) and to choose how long you want to sit in the saddle.  In the Bluegrass, Big Red Stables near Harrodsburg offers riding on spotted saddle horses or Tennessee walking horses all year round.  Riding lessons and trail rides are great winter time adventures.  Make it a weekend getaway to nearby Shaker Village at Pleasant Hill or Beaumont Inn in Harrodsburg and kick back in historic surroundings with modern amenities. Group rates at Big Red are available.  Make an appointment and check fees by calling 859-734-3118.

Hunters can find plenty of winter time game in portions of the more than 700,000 acre Daniel Boone National Forest where hunting is permitted.   For seasons and restrictions, consult www.fs.fed.us/r8/boone/recreation/hunting.shtml or go to the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Web site at www.kdfwr.state.ky.us and click on Hunting and Trapping. Licenses may be purchased at the site, too. Regulations in some cases vary by county.  Natural Bridge State Resort Park is in the forest and has spectacular overlooks throughout.

Hunting options are available at the John A. Kleber Wildlife Management Area between Owenton and Frankfort, including deer, wild turkey, rabbit, squirrel, raccoon, quail and waterfowl.  Hiking, fishing and wildlife viewing are also popular at the 2,600 acre preserve.  Call 502-535-6335 or check htttp://fw.ky.gov/kfwis/viewable/kleber_map.pdf for more information.

Brave the elements, get in gear and head outside to generate some heat of your own on winter time adventures.  For more ideas about Kentucky’s many outdoor options during the season, visit www.kentuckytourism.com and click on Things to Do, then Great Outdoors.

The Waverly Hills Sanatorium in Louisville, Kentucky

The original Waverly Hills Sanatorium was a two-story wooden structure which was opened in 1910.

The larger brick and concrete structure you see today was built in 1926.  The hospital has always been dedicated to the treatment of tuberculosis patients, a disease that was fairly common in the early 20th Century.

Reports estimate that as many as 63,000 people have died in this sanatorium. Furthermore, there have been many reports or patients being horribly mistreated.  Oh, it gets worse… there were (again reportedly) highly questionable experiments and procedures conducted.

If these occurences don’t set the stage for a haunted  location, nothing does!

Get this:  Ghost and paranormal experts and investigators who have ventured into Waverly have reported a host of strange paranormal phenomena, including voices of unknown origin, isolated cold spots and unexplained shadows. Screams have been heard echoing in its now abandoned hallways, and fleeting apparitions have been encountered.

Screams, isolated cold spots (indicating a paranormal being….oh, Lord, I’m sleeping with the lights on tonight…), voices of unknown origin, shadows!?!?  I could not be more creeped out right now.

Click HERE for more information… if you dare.

Music Born in Kentucky is Center Stage this Fall

There’s a profusion of bluegrass music festivals throughout the state of Kentucky this autumn. Seems appropriate, since this is its birthplace, after all.   Make it a point to get out and enjoy the music we should all be proud of.  Choose from the events highlighted below, courtesy of  http://www.kytourism.com/

The sixth annual Franklin Music Festival will be held the following weekend near I-65 close to the Tennessee border. Set for Sept. 11-12, the Franklin fest will feature the Lonesome River Band, Rhonda Vincent & the Rage and many more outstanding performers. For info, check www.franklinkymusicfestival.com.

Bluegrass faithful will be making an annual pilgrimage to Jerusalem Ridge at Rosine, Ky. near Owensboro the first weekend in October. From Oct. 1-4, the home place of the “Father of Bluegrass,” Bill Monroe, will resound with music by some of the genre’s leading artists. Visitors can tour the Monroe family’s carefully restored 1918 home filled with mementoes from Monroe’s illustrious 70-year music career. More information about campgrounds and other accommodations nearby can be found at www.jerusalemridgefestival.org.

Combine attendance at Jerusalem Ridge with a visit to the nearby International Bluegrass Music Museum (www.bluegrass-museum.org), a fascinating institution in Owensboro devoted to preserving all things bluegrass. The IBMM is also home to the International Bluegrass Music Association’s Hall of Fame, recognizing noteworthy individuals for outstanding contributions to bluegrass music. New members are inducted each year.

The IBMM hosts its own annual mega-festival, the River of Music Party (ROMP), each June in Owensboro. This festival includes stellar bands from North America, Europe and the Far East, the Bluegrass Masters Film Festival, instrument workshops, juried arts and crafts, clogging and camping. For more info, visit www.www.bluegrass-museum.org/riverofmusic.

Many other smaller festivals provide opportunities to experience bluegrass music outdoors while enjoying Kentucky’s beautiful scenery. For more info, consult the Kentucky Department of Travel’s web site, www.kytourism.com, and click on “Festivals and Events.”

Be sure to check out Owensboro’s Bluegrass Musuem’s Web Site.  Lots of fun!

White Hall State Historic Site, in Richmond, Kentucky, will be unveiling a new exhibit that highlights Abraham Lincoln memorabilia as well as the important role that enslaved African Americans played at the historic home.

White Hall served as the home of Cassius Marcellus Clay, an emancipationist who was a friend of Abraham Lincoln’s and served as his ambassador to Russia.

The home near Richmond was built in 1798-99 and was renovated in the mid-1860s.

The new exhibit is funded from a grant from the Kentucky Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission. A ceremony opening the exhibit will be Aug. 20 at 10 a.m. at the site’s welcome center.

Among the items featured will be the document Abraham Lincoln signed appointing Clay ambassador, a page from Harpers Weekly about Lincoln as a candidate for president and a dress worn by Clay’s wife, Mary Jane Clay, which she wore when she was presented to the Czar of Russia. These items will be featured at the welcome center and the mansion.

The portion of the exhibit on the slaves, called “…Lest you forget my name,” will include excerpts from Clay’s father, Green Clay, on what was to be done with 105 slaves.

The exhibit features a tree with an outline of Africa at the base. Hanging from the tree’s branches are torn pieces of paper with the Green Clay slaves listed on them–symbolizing the fact that these people were torn from their families.

The exhibit will also provide details of the life of one slave named Mary who lived at the estate and reportedly worked with Cassius Clay in the garden. The discovery of the foundation of a two-room outbuilding in 2006 spurred interest in the life of slaves at the home.

White Hall is located in Richmond, off I-75 at exit 95. For more information about this site and other Kentucky State Parks, visit www.parks.ky.gov

Abbey of Gethsemani, Photo Credit: Steve Shaffer/KET

KET’s new special, Our Kentucky, reveals the natural splendor, manmade masterpieces and diverse wildlife of the Commonwealth in vivid high-definition. Narrated by Nick Clooney, the program premieres Saturday, Feb. 28 at 8/7 p.m. CT on KET1 and KET HD and Sunday, March 1 at 7/6 p.m. CT on KET1 as part of TeleFund 2009, KET’s major annual on-air fundraising event.

Our Kentucky begins in the east, with the vibrant colors and soaring heights of Red River Gorge and Cumberland Gap, the powerful whitewater rapids of Breaks Interstate Park and the pristine scenery of Bad Branch Falls State Nature Preserve.

Then, it’s up to Northern Kentucky, where the City of Augusta reveals why Dr. Thomas Clark included it on his list of 11 places every Kentuckian should visit; the Newport Aquarium brings the splendor of the deep seas to the Commonwealth; and St . Mary’s Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption and Mother of God Church, both in Covington, inspire and amaze.

Next, the program moves to Central Kentucky, presenting the picturesque horse farms of the Bluegrass region, historic Shakertown, the peaceful Lexington Cemetery and other notable sites in and around Lexington, Louisville and Frankfort.

Big South Fork River Photo Credit: Steve Shaffer/KET

In Southern Kentucky, viewers take in the fascinating scenery of the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area; plunge into Kentucky’s “Little Niagara,” Cumberland Falls; and explore the depths of Mammoth Cave.

Finally, Our Kentucky completes its journey in the west, capturing the diverse animal life at the Land Between the Lakes and Ballard Wildlife Management Area and taking in the view at John James Audubon State Park, where the famous ornithologist studied Henderson’s birds.

“What’s so exciting about this program is that it is the first time many of these incredible Kentucky landmarks have been captured in high-definition,” said KET producer Paul Smith. “KET has spent many years capturing the beauty of Kentucky, but never quite like this.”

Our Kentucky is a KET production, produced by Rob Elliott, Erin Lowry and Smith. More information about KET programming and education services, as well as how to support KET, can be found at www.ket.org.

Credit: Steve Shaffer/KET

More places featured in Our Kentucky:

Eastern Kentucky Highlights

Bell County — Chained Rock

Floyd County — Jenny Wiley State Resort Park

Johnson County — Mountain HomePlace

Letcher County — High Rock, Kingdom Come State Park

Powell County — Natural Bridge

Northern Kentucky Highlights

Kenton County — Covington, MainStrasse Village, Devou Park

Mason County — Maysville

Central Kentucky Highlights

Boyle County — Danville

Fayette County — Ashland: The Henry Clay Estate

Franklin County — Frankfort Cemetery, Capitol building

Jefferson County — Locust Grove, Wolf Pen Branch Mill, Iroquois Park, Churchill Downs

Jessamine County — Arch Bridge

Mercer County — Harrodsburg

Nelson County — My Old Kentucky Home, Abbey of Gethsemani

Oldham County — Yew Dell Gardens

Woodford County — Woodford Reserve

Southern Kentucky Highlights

Christian County — Pennyrile Forest State Resort Park

Western Kentucky Highlights

Livingston County — Lighthouse Landing

McCracken County — Paducah

There are some things in life that I’m so wrapped up in, I can’t even see my own arms.   My family, animals, cooking, coffee, chocolate, history, movies, music, catfish – the list goes on.  It’s the history wrap up that leads me to this post.  I love ALL history and ALL historical figures, but Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War era are especially fascinating to me.

How could I not be wrapped up in President Abraham Lincoln – he was one of us!

The History Channel will launch a new series beginning Monday night,  Stealing Lincoln’s Body.

From their Website:

Before Lincoln finally came to rest in a steel-and-concrete-reinforced underground vault in Springfield, the president’s body was repeatedly exhumed and moved, his coffin frequently opened. In 1876, eleven years after Abraham Lincoln’s assassination, a band of Chicago counterfeiters plotted to steal Lincoln’s body and hold it for ransom. Their plan was to demand $200,000 and the release of the gang’s master engraver, who was in prison in Illinois. The Secret Service–recently formed to deal with the country’s ballooning counterfeiting problem–infiltrated the gang with an informer. It also set in motion a cringe-inducing chain of events in which a group of well-intentioned, self-appointed guardians took it upon themselves to protect Lincoln’s remains by any means necessary. This strange story of Lincoln at un-rest reveals how important this man was to so many, and our reluctance to let such a beloved and visionary leader go.

Mark your calendar, this should be interesting.

Amish Children with Spare Christmas Tree Art Print
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We lived in beautiful Washington, Indiana for nearly a year when our girls were younger. It was an Amish community and I loved nothing more than seeing an Amish buggy parked in the Wal-Mart parking lot or driving past a horse pulled Amish family. Their peacefulness always, always touched my heart.

I happened to be Googling for information about Hickory Heaven in Marion, Kentucky (DELICIOUS!!!) this morning when I came across a Marion Kentucky website. I got sidetracked for about an hour after I found the address for this unbelievably wonderful BBQ restaurant. I’ll be posting about them in an upcoming post (which is why I needed their address – normally, we just follow our noses).

The website in question is Marion Kentucky: Kentucky’s Hidden Treasure. Their page on Native Americans is particularly interesting – as is their page dedicated to the Amish Community.

I’d always wondered where the Amish and Mennonite communities differed, and their article cleared that up for me.

You have to visit this website (so festive and fun!) and, while you’re there read and learn about the beautifully peaceful Kentucky Amish community. As the website states, being in their presence is like taking a step back in time.

That can be a beautiful and rewarding thing.

Speaking of rewarding! You have to try this Amish Egg Nog Pie. Delicious!

“Soon after, I returned home to my family, with a determination to bring them as soon as possible to live in Kentucky, which I esteemed a second paradise, at the risk of my life and fortune.” – Daniel Boone

Photo Credit: The pictures in this post are of the beautiful Bison and Elk at the Elk and Bison Prairie in Land Between the Lakes. I can’t even tell you how much I love this prairie. Each time we leave, I want to turn right around and go back.

Michael took the pictures as I sat in the seat beside him “Oooooh-ing and Ahhhhh-ing.” Ooooh-ing and Ahhhh-ing used to be an Olympic sport, you know. Until, that is, my expertise made a mockery out of the competition. Just as well, I was running out of places for the medals.

True story.

Cat Playing with Goldenrod Photographic Print

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I‘m one of those people who’s obsessed with all animals and birds: cats, polar bears, dogs, bison, moose, ducks, possum, raccoons, robins, hummingbirds, butterflies, dolphins, whales, stingrays, pelicans, herons, foxes, wolves…yep, love wolves.. etc. If it has fur and feathers, it melts my heart. A few without fur and feathers do the same – dolphins, whales, and stingrays get a pass to the heart even though they haven’t either.

So, this morning I was outside throwing bread crumbs and sunflower seeds to the birds and I started thinking about the birds (and butterflies) who are migrating south. I read a few days ago, in a column in the Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer, about butterlies making their way to the warmer climates. The columnist (Tom Ford) wrote:

It seems the Lord has prepared for this trip by causing many plants to begin flowering at this time. We usually think of spring as the time flowers are most colorful, but stop and think for a moment. Have you noticed the robin egg blue that decorates many open fields? It is the flower known as mistflower (Eupatortium coelsestinum) Locally, it is better known simply as Ageratum.

An even more beautiful and useful flower is Kentucky’s state flower. Most schoolchildren know our floral symbol, but very few realize that within our state, 31 species may be found.

He, of course, was talking about goldenrod – and I had absolutely no idea that 31 species of goldenrod even existed. I love flowers and herbs almost as much as animals, and thought I’d done my homework, but I never knew there were that many.  I’ve always loved goldenrod.  When it covers a field, it looks just like a bright beautiful afghan or blanket spread out.

At any rate, I found that pretty fascinating, so I thought I’d round up a slew of other cool facts about our state symbols. After all, knowledge isn’t only “Power,” as they say – it’s fun!

Kentucky’s State Flower: The Goldenrod

• It’s hard to imagine that the Goldenrod wasn’t always our state flower, but before the goldenrod, there was bluegrass. 
•  The trumpet vine was assigned by the United States War Department as the official symbol for the Kentucky militia.
• The Goldenrod found a publicity team in 1921 in the form of the Kentucky Federation of Women’s Clubs.  They argued that Goldenrod grew all over the state and that it was even put on the state flag in 1918.
• In the late 40s and early 50s the goldenrod’s distinction as state flower was threatened by the dogwood blossom and the redbud. The redbud was actually approved in the House but defeated in the Senate in 1953!
• Goldenrod does not cause hay fever.  Those of us who suffer from pollen allergies have ragweed to thank for that.
• Bees use the goldenrod’s nectar to make an autumn honey.

The Kentucky State Flag

• Our original state flag is preserved in Frankfort in the Kentucky History Museum.
• The Kentucky state flag is apparently longer than other state flags.

The Kentucky State Bird: Cardinal

• The Kentucky cardinal was officially selected as the state bird of Kentucky on February 26, 1926. This beautiful bird was given the honor because it is a Kentucky native.



• Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, North Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia have also named the cardinal as their state bird.  Kentucky was the first to do so (1926), followed by Illinois in 1929.
• The Cardinal is the most popular state bird (with 7 states), followed closely by the Western Meadowlark, with 6 states listing it as their state bird (Kansas, Oregon, North Dakota, Nebraska,  Montana, and Wyoming.)

State Song – My Old Kentucky Home

• “My Old Kentucky Home,” was written by Stephen Foster (words and music)

• It was adopted by the Kentucky Legislature as the Kentucky state song on March 19, 1928.

• In March, 1986, Representative Carl Hines (a Democrat from Louisville, who happened to be the only black member of the House, pointed out that the lyrics “convey connotations of racial descrimination that are not acceptable.”  He sponsored a bill that sought to change ‘Tis summer the darkies are gay to ‘Tis summer, the people are gay.”  The House, fortunately, passed the bill and our state song became one every Kentuckian can be proud of.

• My Old Kentucky Home in Bardstown, Kentucky is one of the most breathtakingly beautiful places you could ever hope to visit (the town also boasts a spectacular Golden Corral!).  If you’ve never attended the Stephen Foster Story, you should do that as soon as you possibly can.  As soon as I get my eyes and hands on their 2009 schedule, I’ll plaster it all over the website. The show runs in the summer months because it’s an outdoor production. I can’t say enough about the show they put on – the costumes, the singing, the dancing – it’s beyond gorgeous.

From Stephen Foster.com:

Breathtaking costumes, lively dance & the timeless music of America’s 1st great composer.

Nestled in My Old Kentucky Home State Park, where music fills the night air, go back in time to the 1850’s. Experience the sights and sounds of an era when America’s first great composer wrote timeless classics like “Oh! Susanna,” “Camptown Races,” “Beautiful Dreamer” and “My Old Kentucky Home.”

We invite you and your family for an evening to remember outdoors on the grounds of the beautiful My Old Kentucky Home State Park, in our beautiful state-of-the-art amphitheatre.

A few more interesting State Symbols:
State Wild Animal Game Species – the gray squirrel
State Horse – Thoroughbred
State Fish – Kentucky Spotted Bass
State Rock – Kentucky Agate
State Music – Bluegrass Music
State Drink – Milk

Milk??? Not coffee? Are you serious? Kentucky, sigh, I don’t even know you anymore.

Kentucky will kick off the national Lincoln Bicentennial in February. Below is a partial list of events. The exact dates for some haven’t been released.

For details on each event as well as a full calendar, visit http://www.kylincoln.org/events.

Feb. 10: Lexington’s Abraham Lincoln Gala, Singletary Center for the Arts on the University of Kentucky campus

Feb. 11: National Lincoln Bicentennial Celebration, Kentucky Center, Louisville

Feb. 12: National Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Kickoff, Hodgenville

Feb. 12: Unveiling of the Lincoln Heritage Trail, Hodgenville

Feb. 12: Debut of the Historical Society HistoryMobile, outfitted with a Lincoln exhibit, Hodgenville

Source: Kentucky Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission