Green Turtle Bay Resort and Marina: Top Kentucky Family Resort

The beautiful weather we’ve been enjoying the past few days has everyone thinking about grilling out, baseball, and summer fun in the sun. Fortunately, we have plenty of places to choose from here in Kentucky to enjoy all the fun we can handle. Green Turtle Bay in Grand Rivers, Kentucky is a great option. Resorts and Lodges.com didn’t just rank Green Turtle Bay in their Top 10 Kentucky Family Resorts, they ranked them #1.

If you’ve never had the opportunity to visit Green Turtle Bay, watch the video above to get an idea about what you’ve been missing.

Lake Barkley Lodge’s Amazing Windows on the Water Restaurant

As you know, we absolutely love Kentucky Lake, Lake Barkley, Grand Rivers, Aurora, the Willow Pond restaurants and all things that fall under the heading Land Between the Lakes. (Especially when they fall under the heading and answer to the name catfish.)

A while back, I wrote a review about the Aurora Landing Restaurant at Kenlake Lodge.  Everything about it was beyond spectacular and I couldn’t wait to share the experience with our readers.

Not long ago, we found ourselves in the area again.  When it came time to eat, we nearly drove to Aurora Landing without even discussing it.  However, we hadn’t eaten in the beautiful restaurant in the Lake Barkley Lodge – very appropriately named Windows on the Water Restaurant - in a while and we were anxious to visit Lake Barkley Lodge.  Besides, variety is the spice of life, right?  The windows in this gorgeous restaurant afford you a breathtaking view of Lake Barkley with an endless parade of sailboats and beautiful birds.  The restaurant is a real beauty, itself. Windows on the Water is always decorated spectacularly, celebrating whatever season or holiday the calendar shows.

Naturally, if the food or service didn’t back up the beautiful surroundings, this would be a short review… something to the tune of, “Go, take a look around, then go eat somewhere else.”  Fortunately, I won’t have to say anything like that because the food was out of this world and the server couldn’t have treated us any better if we were her family.

I actually ventured away from my beloved catfish to try something new:  a Kentucky Hot Brown.  Here’s how it was described in the menu:  Toast points with baked country ham, roasted turkey, smothered in cheese sauce, topped with tomato, bacon and cheddar cheese. Baked until steaming hot…

Here’s how I personally describe this Kentucky Hot Brown:  Good, gracious God in Heaven, when’s the soonest I can have a Kentucky Hot Brown from the Windows on the Water Restaurant again?!?!  My dear reader friend, I am at a loss for words here.  This was one of the most remarkable dishes I’ve ever enjoyed – it was spectacular.  When I took my first bite, I was stupified.  My husband saw the stupification and simply (without saying a word) visited my plate with his fork….   His and Her stupification!

I’d tell you what Michael ordered, but I can’t for the life of me recall.  All I remember is the delicious bread, the perfect sweet tea, the outstanding onion rings and the Kentucky Hot Brown that I’ve been fantasizing about since.

The next time you’re around the Land Between the Lakes, promise me you’ll eat at the Windows on the Water Restaurant.  Oh, scratch that… don’t wait for the next time you’re in the area – just go!   Kentucky State Parks.gov has all the information you’ll need about the Lake Barkley Lodge and I have all the information you’ll need about the Windows on the Water Restaurant… 20 stupifying stars out of 10.

Grand Rivers: Marina Day 2009 Revisited in Video

I still can’t believe what a beautiful day it was in Grand Rivers, Kentucky on Marina Day. Enjoy the pictures and highlights of Grand River’s Marina Day 2009.

Green Turtle Bay is, without a doubt, one of the most beautifully scenic places you could ever hope to be.

Friendly people, too!

Lake Barkley: Things You Should Know About This Kentucky Lake

Lake Barkley

Lake Barkley is, without a doubt, one of Kentucky’s crown jewels. If you want to see a Kentuckian sit a little taller, just mention Lake Barkley.  Like UK Basketball, Mammoth Cave, and Kentucky Lake – we’re understandably proud.

Below are some bits and pieces of Lake Barkley trivia that you might not have known.

  • Lake Barkley has 57,900 acres of water and 1,004 miles of shoreline.
  • Lake Barkley was named for the 35th Vice-President, Alben Barkley.Barkley, Roosevelt, and Truman campaign button Prior to the Vice Presidency, Barkley served in the U. S. Senate from Kentucky for over twenty years. Alben Barkley was born in a log cabin near Lowes, Graves County, Kentucky.  He worked his way through college as a janitor.  After passing the bar, he practiced law in Paducah, Kentucky.
  • Alben Barkley coined the term “Give ‘em hell, Harry” as President Truman was leaving Washington on his “whistle-stop” train across the country.  Barkley was popularly known as “the Veep” thanks to his young grandson, Stephen M. Truitt.  Stephen preferred the shortened name to “Mr. Vice President.”  When Alben Barkley told the press about his grandson’s phrasing, the newspapers printed it, and the title stuck. Alben Barkley’s successor as vice president, Richard Nixon, declined the nickname, saying that it had been bestowed on Barkley affectionately and, therefore, belonged to him. However, the term didn’t die, and it’s used to this day.
  • Construction of Barkley Dam began in 1959 on the Cumberland River.
  • Lake Barkley’s Maximum depth is 68 feet.
  • Lake Barkley’s Minimum depth is 12 feet.
  • Lake Barkley is known for its Stripers as well as its Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass.  Other fish in Lake Barkley include Crappie (Black and White), Redear Sunfish, Sauger, Blue Catfish, Channel Catfish, Striped Bass, and White Bass.

For more information about Lake Barkley:

Download Lake Barkley Vacation Guide (PDF)

The Village Between the Lakes (Grand Rivers)

Green Turtle Bay (Resort and Marina on Lake Barkley)

Aurora Bar-B-Que in Aurora, Kentucky (Updated!)

On a recent trip to Land Between the Lakes, we ate at Aurora Bar-B-Que in Aurora, Kentucky – Home of the Winking Pig!  Sure enough, the pig on the sign? He’s a total flirt.

Three members of our family (my husband, myself, and our youngest daughter – Stephany) are all about Barbecue.  Whatever town we find ourselves in, we love to check out their barbecue.  That, and Onion Rings.  Aurora offered both, so we anxiously waited to dive in.  I say “waited,” but actually there wasn’t any wait at all.  We got our drinks, sat down…admired the comfortable, overall feel of the restaurant, then here they came with our food.

I’ll get the tiny little “Not so perfect” out of the way first.  The drinks from the fountain were watery – downright tasteless.  Next time, I’ll take advantage of the cold bottled sodas they sell. (Should have been a sign, right?!)  Actually, the last 3 restaurants I’ve eaten at have had bad drinks from the soda fountain, and the tea wasn’t much better.  I’m sure it’s something that’s easy to overlook in a restaurant, but from the customer’s standpoint, it’s very, very important.

Now, onto the perfects, a.k.a. everything else!

My daughter Stephany could have eaten all of the fried mushrooms all by herself and then asked for more.  They were smaller in size than most fried mushrooms and less game-y tasting than others, if you know what I mean.  They’re really unique and very good.

The star of the show, the Bar-B-Q, was amazing!  (I wish I had some more right now – I’d actually make a round trip venture just for their BBQ alone.)  It had a smoke-y flavor that’s worth driving 5,000 miles for…at least.  You can order it on buns (like I did) or on Texas Toast (like my husband and daughter did).  The sauce comes hot or mild – and is absolutely perfect…sweet enough without being too sweet.

Like I said before, we always check out a restaurant’s onion rings – again, Aurora Bar-B-Que didn’t let us down. Sometimes I’ve been known to put an onion ring, if it’s really good on the sandwich I’m having, but in this case I wasn’t about to intrude upon the greatness the BBQ had going on.  Plus, it left more onion rings for ketchup to mouth trip I love so much!  If you’re brave, you could dip one in the hot sauce, but my rings prefer ketchup – they’re pretty picky…delicious, but picky.

Speaking of hot, the hot wings are just that – hot!  Michael’s as big a fan of hot wings as he is Bar-B-Que, and he gave them a big thumbs up….a big hot-wing-covered thumbs up.

The onion rings were really good, but the Baked Beans were really, really, really, really good.  A lot of people only care about the meat in a meal – what they consider the Main Event.  I’m very much into the sides….just as much as the “Main Event.”  Too many restaurants neglect the sides – sometimes you get the impression they’ll serve absolutely anything along with the meat, thinking “No one’s going to really care, anyway…”  These beans didn’t have that attitude at all.

Sides are just as important as the main attraction (One of the reasons I love Applebee’s – they totally get that) – and I can’t wait to try Aurora’s other sides to see if they live up to the standard set by the baked beans.

If you find yourself anywhere within striking distance of Aurora, Kentucky, look for the winking pig – you won’t be sorry.  Just remember to grab a bottle for your drink…and if you have the hot wings, you might want two bottles!

***How cool is this? – They’ve taken care of the drink’s dilemma and now even serve AMAZING iced tea.  So now their drinks are nearly as good as the food.  I say nearly because no drink can keep up with this barbecue.  As I’m typing this, I’m miles away from the winking pig, snow is on the ground with more coming down…and I’m positively dying for some of their barbecue, hot wings, and onion rings.

        St Louis Cardinals 2011 World Series Champion Fans