Golfing in the Land Between the Lakes Region of Kentucky
May 25, 2008
There are some really amazing golf courses in the Land Between the Lakes Region of Kentucky. The ones below will give your golf game all it can handle! Click each Golf Course to visit its website (when applicable) and/or call the number for more information.
Kenlake SRP in Aurora, Kentucky (If you go, be sure to eat at Willow Pond!) - 9 hole/par 30 (270-474-2211)
Benton Country Club in Benton, Kentucky - 18 hole/par 72 (270-527-9673)
Marvel Golf Club in Benton, Kentucky - 18 hole/par 71 (270-354-9050)
Lake Barkley State Resort Park in Cadiz, Kentucky - 18 hole/par 72 (800-295-1878)
Calvert Country Club in Calvert City, Kentucky - 18 hole/par 72 (270-395-5831)
Mineral Mound State Park in Eddyville, Kentucky - 18 hole/par 72 (866-904-7888)
Kentucky Dam Village State Resort Park in Gilbertsville, Kentucky - 18 hole/par72 (800-295-1877)
Drake Creek Golf Club in Ledbetter, Kentucky - 18 hole/par ? (270-898-4653)
Mayfield Country Club in Mayfield, Kentucky - 18 hole/par 70 (270-247-1862)
South Highland Country Club in Mayfield, Kentucky - 18 hole/par 71 (270-247-2918)
Miller Memorial Golf Course in Murray, Kentucky - 18 hole/par 71 (888-313-9862)
Oaks Country Club in Murray, Kentucky - 18 hole/par72 (270-753-6454)
Edwin J. Paxton Park in Paducah, Kentucky - 18 hole/par 71 (270-444-9514)
Deer Lakes Golf Course in Salem, Kentucky - 18 hole/par 72 (270-988-4653)
The following Golf Clubs/Golf Courses have websites you can visit for additional information. (60 Second Rant: A Golf Club, Restaurant, Store, any business of any kind without a website and/or blog in the year 2008 is just nuts. They’re shooting themself in the foot with a loaded gun. It’s honestly equivalent to NOT being listed in the phone book. Granted, not everyone knows how to design or “put up” a website. There are people who do, though. In fact, there are people who will do every second of the work for you. You simply have to tell them what you want and write them a check. Within a week (on average), you can have a website or blog you can be proud of! When I Google a business and discover that they don’t have a website, my opinion of them drops just a little. A lot of times, I move on to the next one on my list. If you’re a Kentucky business of any kind, e-mail us and we’ll help get you on the web! If you have any questions at all, we’ll be more than happy to answer them for you.)
More information can be found on these and other courses HERE.
Click HERE for free, gorgeous Kentucky screensavers and wallpapers from Kentucky State parks.gov.
Willow Pond Southern Catfish, As Good as It Gets
May 25, 2008
I had the sublime pleasure of eating at Willow Pond in Aurora, Kentucky last night. It was the first time for me, but you can be certain that it won’t be my last. When we were leaving, our very friendly waitress told us to “Come back soon,” I nearly fell over myself assuring her that we would do just that.
Before moving on to the food, I want to give a little more credit to the waitress. Although she was very young, she was actually one of the best servers I’ve had in a while. She couldn’t have been older than 18 but she did her profession proud. She was personable, sweet, checked on us often, and had an amazing knowledge of the menu and food. A great restaurant wants their staff to represent them well. After all, the service is as associated with a restaurant nearly as much as the food is.
If this young lady was an indication of the other servers, the owners of Willow Pond “get” that.
The Kentucky Lake Bluegrass Festival 2008
March 11, 2008
The Bluegrass Blog has a great post about The 2008 Kentucky Lake Bluegrass Festival. You’ll want to read every word so you can get as excited and worked up as we are.
June 13th and 14th are marked on my calendar and it’d take two acts of God to keep me from this festival. No, God, that wasn’t a challenge….just a comment. Just a small, little observation as it were.
Kenlake State Resort Park in Kentucky’s Beautiful Lakes Region
October 4, 2007
Kenlake Hotel
One of my favorite spots in the Kentucky Lakes Region is Kenlake State Resort Park. Same gorgeous surroundings, breathtaking views, and ridiculously friendly people as the other Parks, but with a quieter feel.
Truth be told, the entire gorgeous Land Between the Lakes area gives you a sense of having found a paradise that the rest of the world hasn’t been let in on yet, but no place drives that feeling home quite like Kenlake.
If you’ve ever been to the beautiful Gulf Shores region in Florida (specifically Pensacola Beach and Navarre Beach), you’ll have an idea what I’m talking about. Navarre has the same amazing white sandy beaches and emerald waters, but about half the people that flock to Pensacola Beach.
Granted, it’s great, great fun to go to the busier places from time to time - but there’s A LOT to be said for losing yourself in the quieter spots. Spots where it seems like the only ones in the world are you and those you love enough to take with you.
Kenlake Hotel, Pictured Above (click for a larger view) is a family-friendly 48 room lodge, surrounded by pampered, beautiful flower gardens. Kenlake has two nature trails: The Cherokee Trail (.7-mile) and The Chickasaw Trail (1-mile). The beautifully-named trails give you a fun workout while enjoying scenery that you’ll never forget. You’ll want to bring your camera!
You won’t want to spend all your time on land, though, will you? The marina boasts 21 open slips, 127 covered slips, and a launching ramp. Rental fishing boats, aluminum bass boats, pontoon boats, jet skis, and ski boats are also available. And don’t forget, Kentucky Lake is also a great place to bring your sailboat. Open March 1-October 31, (depending on height of lake water level) and there is, of course, a fee charged for rentals.
For those of you who are golf fanatics, the 9 hole golf course is open year round, weather permitting.
Bonus Points:
- Kenlake has a beautiful gift shop that’s open all year round. It features a lot of products that are pure Kentucky, from candies to jewelry and from cookbooks to mugs, Kenlake’s is one of the funner gift shops. The souvenirs and handcrafts will blow you away.
- Fishermen/Fisherwomen will love the fishing opportunities on Kentucky Lake. There’s, literally, and endless population of largemouth, smallmouth, white and Kentucky bass, bluegill, channel and blue catfish, crappie, and sauger - just waiting for you.
- Kenlake is a member of the American Association of Botanical Gardens and Arborea. The grounds are honestly gorgeous. When you take your eyes off of the water and trees long enough to really look at the beautifully-manicured gardens, your heart will skip a beat. And so many butterflies!
- Picnic and playground facilities are available in the camping and cottage areas and throughout the park. One shelter, near the tennis courts, is available for rental.
Click HERE to learn more about Kenlake State Resort Park. It’s a beautiful and peaceful experience that will do you a world of good. Be sure to read about the Aurora Landing Restaurant. If your mouth doesn’t water you simply weren’t paying attention!
Kenlake Marina
Aurora Bar-B-Que in Aurora, Kentucky (Updated!)
September 25, 2007
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!
***Click the picture above for a larger view.
***How cool is this? - They’ve taken care of the drink’s dilemna 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!
Country Store in Kentucky’s Land Between the Lakes
September 7, 2007
One of my husband’s many talents is photography. It isn’t a hobby he actively pursues…… so his golf clubs needn’t get jealous. But when he does get behind the camera the results are every bit as impressive as those when he’s behind a putter.
We recently went to Kentucky’s Land Between the Lakes with our youngest daughter, Stephany. The picture above is one of my favorite pictures that Michael took on the trip. It’s a little Country Store beside The Hitching Post in Aurora, Kentucky. Fortunately, we live in Owensboro, Kentucky, so we’re albe to trek to the Lakes several times a month. The Hitching Post is one of our “Must Sees” on each trip. If the St. Louis Cardinals are playing, they’ll be doing so on the radio in the store. We all bleed St. Louis red (except in the fall/winter when it’s UK Blue), so this is just one of the things we get a kick out of. If they’re winning, it’s a high kick…if they’re losing, not so much.
There’s a gorgeous selection of jewelry, hats, knick knacks, t-shirts - each with a strong, distinctive Taste of Kentucky. Speaking of Taste, I never leave without a couple of jars of jams, jellies, preserves, and/or honey. Steph always leaves with a smile on her face and ridiculously delicious candy carried in each hand….which, of course accounts for the smile. Michael? He’s just glad if he can leave with any money left in his pocket.
I have the Country Store picture set on my computer as the wallpaper - it looks amazing. I made it black and white because I liked the effect. If you’d like to try it out, click the size of your monitor below. The picture will open in another window. Right click the picture and click “Set as Wallpaper.” Easy Peasy.
If you have a smaller or larger monitor size, e-mail me (the address is to the right) and I’ll customize the picture to fit your’s.
Below is a picture of the Country Store in Color. Click the thumbnail to see the larger version.
Land Between the Lakes Rodeo and Wranglers Grand Jubilee
July 2, 2007
When and Where!
Fri. & Sat., July 20 & 21
8pm (Rodeo)
LBL Primitive Rodeo and Wranglers Grand Jubilee
WRANGLERS CAMPGROUND. Enjoy the action of a professional rodeo! J-N Rodeo Company comes to Wranglers Campground with saddle-bronc, bareback riding, calf roping, barrel racing, and bull riding. Bring your own lawn chair and have a time you won’t soon forget.
An added benefit this year: The rodeo and Grand Jubilee bill be combined to include half price camping, door prizes, a watermelon feast, and more.
Land Between the Lakes Activity Calendar for June
May 10, 2007
The Land Between the Lakes is THE place to be for lovers of nature and wildlife. This is never more true than in the month of June. In addition to ongoing activities and year-round splendor, the Land Between the Lakes region offers the following special events for the month of June:
June 1-3 Friday, Saturday, and Sunday (10 am-5 pm). Drag Boat Races at Pisgah Bay. Blown alcohol, hydros, jets, and flat bottom boats go in excess of 150 miles per hour! Test and tune on Friday, with time trials on Saturday and racing on Sunday. For more information, contact George or Chris Onnybecker. Kentucky Drag Boat Association at 1-800-732-0088 or www.kdba.net. Pre-registration and medical release require for racers.
June 2 Saturday (9 am-4 pm). National Trails Day. All across the country, people 
will celebrate the great outdoors on National Trails Day, America’s largest annual single-day trails and outdoor celebration. At LBL, celebrating the great outdoors takes on a whole new meaning! Contact Kristy Jobe at 270-924-2007 for more information.
In honor of National Trails Day, The Nature Station will offer a staff-led, 1-mile hike on one of the park’s favorite nature trails. Program free to all LBL visitors. Meet at Nature Station.
June 2 Saturday (10 am-12 pm; 1-4 pm). The Blacksmith visits the Farm at The Homeplace. Invited Artist: Layne Hendrickson - Blacksmith. From the LBL website: At a time when most things were made from iron, blacksmiths were one of the most important tradesmen in the community. In the 1850s, blacksmiths made everything from fireplace tools to plow shares to horseshoes, many specializing in specific products. Although iron is rarely used in modern products, the art of blacksmithing is kept alive by modern blacksmiths like Layne Hendrickson. Visit with Mr. Hendrickson as he demonstrates age-old blacksmithing techniques. Mr. Hendrickson’s handmade iron creations will be available for purchase. Program free with Homeplace admission.
June 9 - 10 Saturday, Sunday (9:30 am -5 pm). Pickin’ Party at The Homeplace! A weekend that all music lovers will want to circle on the calendar, the Pickin’ Party offers workshops, pickin’ sessions, and performances of old-time fiddle, banjo, and bluegrass music. Musicians can even bring their own banjo, guitar, fiddle, or harmonica and join in on the fun during open mic sessions. Everyone will enjoy the weekend performances of Mark Dvorak, specializing in banjo, guitar and timeless folk songs, and The Dixie Volunteers, a traditional string band.
On Saturday, enjoy the bluegrass band Carefree Highway and the always exciting and entertaining Dan Knowles. Sunday’s line up features bluegrass band, The McKendrees and Celtic band, Red River Breeze. The weekend includes demonstrations of handmade hammered and mountain dulcimers and psalteries by Amsden Handcrafted Instruments. These handcrafted instruments will be available for purchase. You can realize a life-long dream by learning to play a traditional instrument during one of the mini workshops: Saturday, Banjo and Sunday, the mountain dulcimer.
Join in the fun and we’ll all make beautiful (mountain) music together!
Of course, during the hours when music isn’t being made, you can stroll through the historic buildings, fields and gardens, and talk with the 1850 farm family as they go about their daily chores. We’ve learned so much about this particular time in history simply by talking to the actors/actresses playing these roles. 1850-themed children’s activities will be provided throughout the weekend, meaning they’ll learn while thinking they’re just having a great time! Amazing Festival food and ice-cold drinks will be available for purchase. $4/$5.50. Includes same day HP admission. For more information, call 931-232-6457.
Pack your lawn chairs, picnic blankets and come make some beautiful memories….all set to music!
June 9 Saturday (7:30 - 9:30 pm). A Night to “Hoot” About at the Nature Station. Get up close and personal with one of the Nature Station’s most mysterious residents, a gorgeous owl. Discover the secret night world of owls and go for a guided night walk to listen for owls and other nocturnal wildlife. Bring a flashlight! $2/$3. Evening program only. Reservations and full deposits required. Call 270-924-2020 to reserve your space.
June 12 Tuesday (2 pm). Creature Feature: Deer at the Nature Station. Get to know the two types of deer found in Land Between the Lakes. Discover how the exotic fallow deer came to live in LBL and why hardly any whitetails lived here when the fallows first arrived. Program free with NS admission.
June 16 Saturday (1:30 pm). Slithery Snakes at the Nature Station! Even people 
who are scared senseless of snakes can’t help being fascinated with them. Take it from me, I should know!
On June 16th, you can get to know these mysterious creatures much better by meeting a few of LBL’s resident slippery sliders. Program free with Nature Station admission.
June 19 Saturday (10:00 - 11:30 am). Shoreline Birding Walk at the Nature Station. How does a morning walk along the water’s edge as you watch for birds sound? It sounds like a Bird Lover’s paradise, right?! Visit a beautiful scenic shoreline area that offers countless opportunities to see an amazing variety of birds. Dress for getting off the beaten path and, by all means, bring your binoculars. $3 per person. Program only. Reservations requested because space is limited. Call 270-924-2020 to reserve your space.
June 23 Saturday (6:00 - 8:00 pm). Hundreds of Herons Canoe Trip at Kuttawa Landing. You’ll never forget the sights and sounds of the night herons and cattle 
egrets. You’ll see these birds as well as other wildlife as you paddle down beautiful Lake Barkley. Bring binoculars, cameras, and drinking water! Needless to say, this activity goes under the heading, Weather permitting. $25 per canoe. Includes same day Nature Station admission. (Fortunately, this day also happens to be Nature Arts Day at the Nature Station. See Below.) Registration limited. Reservations and full deposits required. Call 270-924-2020 to reserve your space. Meet at Kuttawa Landing Lake Access Area.
June 23 Saturday (10:00 am - 4:00 pm). Nature Arts Day at the Nature Station. Come join in the backyard fun at this very popular annual event, Nature Arts Day. You’ll see how local artists and craftspeople use nature as inspiration for their unique creations. Visit with local artists and craftspeople as they display, demonstrate, and discuss their work. Art and crafts will be available for purchase. Program free with Nature Station admission.
June 24 Sunday (11:00 am - 2:00 pm). Puttin’ by the Garden at The Homeplace. Visit The Homeplace as we “put-by” summer’s harvest. You’ll see fruits and vegetables you won’t believe! Program free with Homeplace admission.
June 24 Sunday (4:00 pm). Busy as Bees at The Nature Station. Learn all about bees, their life cycle, and how a hive works through activities and games. Also check out an impressive honey bee colony and see if you can find the Queen. Program free with Nature Station admission.
June 26 Tuesday (10:30 am). Woodland Walk at The Nature Station. Enjoy a 1-mile guided hike as you take in the breathtaking beauty of this part of Kentucky. Program free to all Land Between the Lake’s visitors. Meet at Nature Station.
June 26 Tuesday (2:00 pm). Creature Feature: Red Wolf at The Nature Station. The beautiful red wolf - an endagered animal that we all hope is on its way to recovery. This viewing opportunity will allow you to get a good look at these elusive animals. Learn how these animals are fighting back from the brink of extinction! Program free with Nature Station admission.
Useful Links:
Land Between the Lakes - http://www.lbl.org
Kentucky Drag Boat Association - www.kdba.net
Layne Hendrickson, Blacksmith - http://oaklevelforge.com/
The Dixie Volunteers - http://turtleservices.com/The%20Dixie%20Volunteers.htm
Carefree Highway Bluegrass Band - http://www.carefreehighwayband.net/
Mark Dvorak - http://www.markdvorak.com/
Dan Knowles - http://www.danknowles.net/
The McKendrees - http://www.themckendrees.com/
Red River Breeze - http://www.redriverbreeze.com/
Trails and Hiking - http://www.trails.com/
Patti’s 1880’s Settlement in Grand Rivers, Kentucky
May 5, 2007
One of Kentucky’s greatest culinary treasures lies at the Northern entrance to Land Between the Lakes. What we know fondly as Patti’s 1880’s Settlement actually started as “Hamburger Patti’s Ice Cream Parlor.” It opened in 1977 with a seating capacity of 20 people. Today, the restaurant is known throughout Kentucky as Patti’s 1880’s Settlement and warmly welcomes and seats over 225 people!
Why are they so famous? Maybe it has something to do with their 2″ thick pork chops, their mile-high meringue pies, or their unforgettable flower pot bread! These are just three of the reasons they’veve won awards from Southern Living magazine, the State of Kentucky, and the National Small Business Administration.
Patti’s was voted #1 by Southern Living Magazine’s Reader’s Choice Award for Best Small Town Restaurant in Southeast Untied States.
The next time you’re in the beautiful Land Between the Lakes region, stop into Patti’s. The restaurant is open every day from 10:30 a.m - 8:00 p.m. (January - March) or 10:30 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. (April - December).
Also worth Noting:
- In addition to eating, Patti’s has plenty to offer, such as: a large collection of live animals, full miniature golf course, an arcade, many gift shops, a playground, and beautiful gardens and fountains.
- The Restaurant is closed three to four days at Christmas, New Year’s Day, and the first Sunday in January.
- Groups and Bus Tours warmly welcomed.
- Gift Shops are open from 11:00 a.m. to close.
- Patti’s exclusive sauces and spices can be ordered on their website (see below).
- Patti’s offers full service catering. Call toll free: 888-736-2515 (Local) 270-362-8844 or 270-362-7446.
- Patti’s provide Courtesy transportation to and from the Kentucky Dam State Park Airport, Kentucky Dam State Park Lodge, Kentucky Dam State Park Marina, and Green Turtle Bay Marina.
- Patti’s Iron Kettle Restaurant opened in 1998. It boasts a Sunday brunch that has become a huge hit, featuring made-to-order Omeletes and Belgium waffles.
- Features a Kids Menu.
- Credit cards accepted.
Directions:
Patti’s is located in Grand Rivers, Kentucky, at the Northern entrance to Land Between the Lakes. Take I-24 to Exit 31. Go South for three miles on 453. Then take the first left, go a 1/4 mile to the stop sign. Patti’s 1880’s Settlement will be on your left, The Iron Kettle on your right.
For More Information:
Contact
Contact Information
www.pattis-settlement.com
(270) 362-8844
(888) 736-2515
e-mail: pattis 1880s @ ccol.net (without spaces)
