What a super cool idea for all of you mad hatters! Kentucky Derby hats is one of Kentucky’s most beautiful and popular traditions, dating back over 100 years!
Now, thanks to Dee’s in Louisville, you can wax creative and create your very own, highly unique and original Kentucky Derby hat. By taking a “Derby Hat Decorating Class” at Dee’s Crafts in Louisville, Kentucky, you can ensure that your hat turns out exactly how you want it to.
Dee’s own designers will help participants create awe-inspiring and head-turning hats for Oaks, Derby, Easter, and other special spring occasions.
Apparently these hat decorating classes were so popular last year that the Shelbyville Road store (5045 Shelbyville Road) is holding three classes this month. Future hat designers can choose from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. March 13th, or 6 to 8 p.m. March 17th or March 24th.
There will be unadorned hats in many shapes and sizes to choose from or you can bring one of your own. The decorations, of course, must be purchased at Dee’s and will include a gorgeous selection of feathers, ribbon, and flowers.
The fee is $20, plus the cost of materials. Class size is limited, so call to register asap. Call (502) 896-6755.
Dee’s is at 5045 Shelbyville Road – Louisville, Kentucky.
Lake Barkley State Resort Park is geared up and ready for Spring. After Old Man Winter’s especially cantankerous mood, aren’t we all?!
Lake Barkely SRP is throwing out the welcome mat to welcome spring’s arrival in southwestern Kentucky with a celebration of nature and nurture for every member of the family on March 19-21.
This celebration is an ideal time for a weekend getaway to enjoy and celebrate one of the most beautiful spectacles in the world: Springtime in Kentucky.
The celebration begins Friday evening (March 19, 2010) at 6:30 with the “owl prowl.” A guide will lead you to prime owl habitats, allowing participants to listen and learn more about these beautiful birds. The hike is $1 per person but children 5 years and younger prowl free.
Saturday marks the official beginning of a full day of spring. Lake Barkley SRP will continue the spring celebration with an 8 a.m. lap swim at the park’s fitness center. At 9 a.m. the park naturalist will lead a leisurely hike in search of the first signs of spring along the ground, in the trees and other surroundings.
The archery range is open from 1 – 2:30 p.m. with an instructor available for beginners.
Learn tips on attracting birds to your own backyard beginning at 3 p.m. and you’ll even learn how to construct your own recycled hummingbird feeder. Birdwatching and recycling are two things near and dear to my own heart – so kudos to Lake Barkley State Resort Park for this activity.
On Sunday morning, you can join the naturalist for a migratory bird hike.
More About Lake Barkley State Resort Park
Lake Barkley State Resort Park is the largest state resort park in Kentucky and visitors will find that there is something for everyone to do and enjoy. The park features a lodge, cottages, the Windows on the Water Restaurant (an exceptional restaurant – click the link for my own review), a seasonal campground, 18-hole golf course, fitness center with indoor pool, marina, fishing, tennis courts, hiking trails, gift shop, and recreational and nature programming. See? Everything you could hope for!
The park is located at 3500 State Park Road in Cadiz. From I-24, take the Highway 68 exit west toward Cadiz.
For more information about the Spring weekend celebration of other amenities at the park, contact Mary at mary.schmidt@ky.gov or Nick at nick.edmonds@ky.gov.
You can call the lodge at call 1-800-325-1708.
The Kentucky State Park System is composed of 52 state parks plus an interstate park shared with Virginia. The Department of Parks, an agency of the Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet, operates 17 resort parks with lodges — more than any other state! For more information on Kentucky parks, visit http://www.parks.ky.gov/
It’s a girl!
The first baby gorilla born in North America this year was at the Louisville Zoo. The adorable bouncing baby is a girl.
She was born February 6, 2010, to Louisville Zoo’s 20-year-old western lowland gorilla Mia Moja. While the baby continues to cling tightly to mom nearly all the time, ZooKeepers have been able to get several close looks to determine and verify the baby is a girl.
A naming contest for the baby is being planned and I’ll post more about the contest when I get more information.
Below is an excerpt from the Louisville Zoo’s press release:
“I’m excited, either way—boy or girl,” Gorilla Forest Keeper Michelle Wise said. “On the night the baby was born, Mia Moja made a big fluffy nest out of hay and a soft, pink blanket and settled herself and the baby into it. I think maybe she was giving us a hint at the time with the pink blanket!”
This is the second gorilla ever born in the Zoo’s 41-year history. (The first was male Azizi born to Makari on December 4, 2003, a year after Gorilla Forest opened in May of 2002.) The father is 22-year-old silverback Mshindi. It is Mshindi’s first offspring and Mia Moja’s second. She proved herself a good mother with the birth and subsequent raising of Olympia, who was born in 1996 at Zoo Atlanta and still resides there.
Mia Moja and baby are continuing to bond and baby is staying awake longer, looking around and being very observant with her big, brown eyes.
Since there are only 354 western lowland gorillas in 52 zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, each birth is a celebration of life and a step toward preserving the species.
“We hope the community will come and see the precious baby,” Louisville Zoo Director John Walczak said. “This remarkable baby girl is engaging and inspiring—a true ambassador for her relatives in the remnant wild. Because of her, we hope visitors will be motivated to learn more about conservation and preservation, which are at the core of our mission to better the bond between people and our planet.”
Western lowland gorillas are a critically endangered species and the wild population has declined rapidly over the past decade. According to the World Wildlife Fund, there are approximately 100,000 western lowland gorillas in the wild. However, there is no truly accurate census as these elusive apes inhabit some of Africa’s densest and most remote rainforests.
Mia Moja became pregnant as part of a recommendation from the Gorilla Species Survival Plan (SSP), a collaborative effort of North American zoos designed to encourage a healthy gorilla population in captivity and to ensure that the population remains viable, genetically-diverse and self-sustaining.
Female western lowland gorilla Kweli (pronounced “quay lee”) is also housed with the baby, Mia Moja and Mshindi. She arrived at the Louisville Zoo in 2008 from Cincinnati.
This birth brings the total gorilla population at the Louisville Zoo to 12. For more information on the Louisville Zoo’s gorillas in Gorilla Forest, visit www.louisvillezoo.org/collection/exhibits/gforest/gf-meet.htm.
Even during cold weather, visitors can view the gorillas inside Gorilla Forest’s comfortable, climate-controlled sanctuary. But note, in Gorilla Forest the animals rotate through the exhibit spaces on a daily basis so baby, mom Mia Moja, father Mshindi and Kweli will not always be visible.
Starting Monday, March 1, the Zoo will be operating on its spring and summer schedule. You will be able enter the Zoo daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (exit by 6 p.m.) For more information, visit www.louisvillezoo.org.
GORILLA BIRTH INFORMATION
* A gorilla’s gestation period is about 8-1/2 months
* Labor can range anywhere from 20 minutes to 2.5 hours
* Gorilla babies usually weigh at least 4 pounds and are about the size of human babies
* Nursing usually occurs in the first 24 hours
* The baby will begin eating solids at 2 months of age
* The mother may first put her baby down for extended times at 3 months of age
* The baby may begin weaning as early as 4 months of age
* A baby begins to crawl away from mom and starts exploring at 4-5 months of age
Michael and I went to the beautiful Lake Barkley Lodge last night for the Lake Barkley State Resort Park Presents Comedy Dinner Theater featuring Marty Pollio. The food was delicious and the laughs were constant.
Marty Pollio is a tremendously talented Louisville comedian. You can read more about him in my previous post and learn even more by visiting his website. In fact, I insist that you visit Marty Pollio’s website. Not only is he a total riot – he apparently shares one of my own great passions: cooking! He has tons of delicious-sounding recipes on his website. I’ve actually been saving a lot of them this morning to print out and try. Italian food… come on, it doesn’t get any better.
I am so grateful to the Lake Barkley State Resort Park for putting together this Dinner and a Show evening. What a brainstorm! I’d love to see more of Kentucky’s wonderful state parks doing the same. And if they bring in Marty Pollio, I’ll want a ticket to each and every show.
As you know, I’m a huge fan of the Variety! Music, Memories, and More shows in Grand Rivers, Kentucky. On the way home last night, I thought how amazing it would be if they’d bring Marty to the Badgett Playhouse. I nearly laughed out loud at the thought of him interacting with Bill Minihan and Steve Sherling. I’d give up 6 months of Starbucks to see the three of them on stage together. If you know me, you know that’s as good as offering up your first born.
Marty Pollio has “it” – that certain something that a comedian either has or doesn’t have…. they own it or fake it. He’s like a cleaner, Italian, juggling Dane Cook. Let’s see Mr. Cook juggle 4 balls at once!
As luck would have it, my husband was one of the faces in the crowd that Marty interacted with. My husband, who is as big a ham and character as anyone, played along beautifully. As a mother who loves her daughters more than her next breath, I do have to clear something up. When he asked Michael how many children he had and if he was proud of the way they turned out- he shook his head NO! For anyone there, know that he was (of course) playing around.
He also said he wasn’t there for their births – he was there (and green) for all three. Liar.
Anyway, aside from getting my husband into all kinds of trouble, Marty was just spectacular. He had everyone laughing hysterically and his juggling and miming were simply unreal. How does anyone juggle like that? I’d struggle with 1 ball, let alone 4.
If you are reading this article and are looking for a hilarious clean comedian for an event or show – here’s your guy. Just promise me one thing: Let me know when he’ll be there because I’ll be headed that way. I might even let “you know who” come along. And sit in the back.
A few links you’ll love:
How to Juggle and Other Cheap Tricks (Marty’s How To)
Marty Pollio’s Italian Recipes
Friday night, my Husband (Michael) and I took his brother and his wife to Badgett Playhouse in Grand Rivers, Kentucky. We see shows at Badgett on a regular basis and wanted them to see what they were missing out on. Some of our favorite Badgett Playhouse shows have been (you can click each title for my review)…..
- The Fabulous 50’s Show
- Bus Stop (I still smile when I think about this one – outrageously good)
- The Variety! Show Christmas Spectacular
- The Greater Tuna Shows (only for people who want to laugh so much their sides ache)
- The Variety! Music, Memories & More Show
- It’s a Wonderful Life (loved it!)
I’m certain I have other reviews floating around the site (along with the standard praises for catfish at Willow Pond and our State Park system). What can I say, we love to smile, laugh, and have a great time. We also love (make that LOVE) the concept of supporting fellow Kentuckians and businesses in our beautiful state. Why take our hard-earned money to other states on a regular basis?
Outrageous!
The fact that there are so many wonderful places to eat, smile, and laugh within the Bluegrass helps our cause considerably. The men and women at Badgett Playhouse 
take a great deal of pride in the shows they produce and the building in which they perform them. You can tell in each and every detail that there is a great level of pride and integrity. From the musicians, singers and dancers to the uncommonly friendly women at the ticket office, the usher, and concession stand workers… each individual obviously has one goal: To make this particular night one that each guest will remember with a smile on his or her face.
Like my car driving to Starbucks, they hit their mark every time.
Here’s just a tiny illustration. After the four of us sat down Friday night, we were looking around – taking in the beauty of the theater and the decorations. An older (I mean, older, older, older) gentleman came through a side door. The usher went directly to him to help him find his seat. That might be kind of expected, but then he offered to let the little guy hold onto his arm. I thought that was very considerate, very friendly, very Kentucky.
I have to tell you this quick little story: As the usher and the little old (old, old, old) man were passing in front of us, I caught the older gentleman’s’ eye and gave him my biggest, “By gosh, you’re cute!” smile. He returned it. Then, he stopped in front of me and my husband and said in a voice that started off faint, then rose at the end, “Whoever said these were the golden years…. didn’t know what the hell he was talking about!”
Some things, I’m convinced, only happen within the state borders of Kentucky.
Something else I’m convinced of – If you have never been to a show at Badgett Playhouse, you MUST head directly to their website, view their schedule and order your tickets right away. If the trip is one you can make in a day, go early and eat at one of the spectacular nearby restaurants. Another one of my favorite things about having Genuine Kentucky is that I get do a lot of restaurant reviews. If you click the link, you can find plenty of restaurants in the vicinity – I have pages of restaurants reviewed, so you’re sure to find one you’ll love.
If you can make it to one of the Always, Patsy Cline shows, you won’t be disappointed. The story is a beautiful and emotional one and the two ladies (Erica Delkou as Patsy Cline and Sara Minihan as Louise) who make up the cast do a wonderful job – they’ll make you sing along, laugh, smile, cry, and leave with a heart filled with wonderful memories.
You can read my original review of the Always, Patsy Cline show at Badgett Playhouse in Grand Rivers, Kentucky. The only things that have changed between that particular show and this one was the singer portraying Patsy Cline (Patsy is now brought to life by Erica Delkou – pictured on the left) and the wonderful addition of Eddie Dunlap on the steel guitar (he did an outstanding job and I hope he’ll be featured in many upcoming shows).
Sara Minihan (pictured above – on the right) was outrageously hilarious, as always, but don’t let her comic talents take attention away from her voice. She has an outstanding singing voice. In Always, Patsy Cline you only get a hint of this talent, so you’ll have to grab tickets for some of the other shows as well! She’ll blow you away in the Variety! Music, Memories, and More Show, Pickin’ and Grinnin’, as well as The Fabulous 50’s Show with her singing and dancing. If you ever get a chance to see her in Bus Stop, you won’t want to miss that either. I know there are only so many shows they can put on at the Badgett Playhouse, so I’ll try to ease up with my campaigns for more Greater Tuna shows and the return of Bus Stop. (Do you think the airplane banners, megaphones, and Goodyear blimp were overkill?) One of my other absolute favorites, The Fabulous 50’s Show, is featured prominently on the schedule. You can’t miss this one.
Something else that’s fascinating about Sara…get this, the lady makes the gorgeous costumes that you see in these shows. No wonder she dances as well as she does, with that much talent coursing through your body, it must be hard to stand still.
I was also very impressed with the singer portraying Patsy Cline – native Texan Erica Delkou. Erica has a beautiful voice and I would absolutely love to hear her sing more. She made the Patsy Cline classics seem contemporary, like you could hear them on the radio today. Walkin’ After Midnight and Stupid Cupid were a few of my favorites, though they were all memorable and beautiful.
The band -Thomas Michael, Eddie Hall, Scott Durham, and Eddie Dunlap – made the evening complete. I wish I had a cd of the evening right now to listen to, actually!
Always Patsy Cline will be running through March 20. Pickin’ and Grinnin’ will run from March 27 – May 1. Click the link for more information on Pickin’ and Grinnin’.
I’ll keep you informed on upcoming shows and announcements. I do know there are upcoming dates for The Big Band Show, The Fabulous 50’s Show, Pickin’ and Grinnin’, and the Variety! Memories, & More Show. Smoke on the Mountain will be back in September. Also, at the risk of getting way ahead of myself, It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play will return in November and, yes as a matter of fact, I’m already looking forward to it. It’s another CAN’T MISS show.
A few of my favorite actors are Johnny Depp and George Clooney – they would be EVEN if they weren’t born in Kentucky, but I do love that little fact. I got an e-mail a few days ago from a woman who currently lives in Manhattan but was born in Clay County (Manchester) and raised in Butler, Kentucky. Her name is Lisa Ashe and she’s apparently a George Clooney fan as well.
She passed along this video she’d like to share with the readers of Genuine Kentucky and I’m SO glad she did – it’s a lot of fun! I love the bluegrass sound of her voice and music – they’re a great fit. The UK grad has a degree in theatre and wrote the song she sings in the video below. You can learn more about Lisa by visiting her website, http://www.LisaAsher.com.
Thanks Lisa!
Check out the cool old pic of George Clooney I found. My oldest daughter said he looked like Velma on Scooby Doo… and, sadly I must agree. But a very cute Velma, right… right?… Am I right?
If you’ve never had the privilege of seeing Always, Patsy Cline performed at Badgett Playhouse in Grand Rivers, Kentucky, here’s your chance. Always Patsy Cline returns to the Badgett Playhouse February 26 through March 20.
Always Patsy Cline is an outstanding and very touching story that the talented performers of Grand Rivers Variety turn into an outstanding and very touching show. I strongly urge you to go – more than that, I strongly urge you to fill your car up with others and give them a night they’ll long remember as well. You can read my own personal review of Always Patsy Cline by clicking the link. I wrote this review on July 4, 2008 and titled it “Always Patsy Cline Will Never Be Forgotten!” Two things stand out to me about the title of the review:
- I seldom ever use exclamation points in the title of my articles or posts. I use them freely in my writing (lots, actually!) but hardly ever in titles. I just rarely, rarely, rarely ever do it. However, there’s a big old exclamation mark at the end of this article’s title. I was… as we say in Kentucky… worked up when I wrote it. Great food, great coffee, and/or great entertainment work me up and the exclamation points fly like arrows from an bow.
- I was right. It’s been nearly a year and 7 months and I still recall what a wonderful experience it was. We go to Grand Rivers Variety Shows often enough to know that the music, the costumes, the singing, the dancing, the popcorn, the coffee, the performances…. everything… will surpass our hopes and expectations every single time. Everyone associated with Grand Rivers Variety seems to subscribe to the concept of giving their guests more than they paid for. They do it each and every time and no one ever leaves thinking otherwise. We expected that, but we didn’t expect for the show to be so funny! It’s hilarious – in addition to being very moving. And the singing… exceptional.
Visit Grand Rivers Variety for more information. You can launch your own exclamation points!
In between football games yesterday I read the Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer. There was a story that especially caught my eye (and stomach). A retro ’50s diner is coming to downtown Owensboro and plans to open in time for Barbecue Fest (May 7-8). Is anything cooler than ’50s decor or the type of delicious food served in these types of diners?!
There’s a real buzz of excitement about our downtown area here in Owensboro, Kentucky. While we’re all still emotionally smarting over the Executive Inn, we have plenty to look forward to on our beautiful waterfront and downtown area. Bee Bops is the latest in a string of promising good times headed our way.
According to the story, Bee Bops will have a 32-foot counter with stools and counter service in addition to booths and table service. You can expect to see a lot of the colors and decor of the ’50s including walls decorated with James Dean, Marilyn Monroe, and Elvis Presley (for an example of how much I love these stars and others of their time, check out my Hollywood Yesterday blog). The floors will apparently be like something right out of Happy Days – black and white.
As for the main event… the food…. Bee Bops will serve old fashioned milk shakes, malts, root beer floats, limeade, and burgers.
I love the quote from the director of downtown development, Fred Reeves: “The downtown restaurants are anxious to have more places to eat down here. A rising tide lifts all boats.” The tide of anticipation is certainly rising in downtown Owensboro and the residents can’t wait to see it all play out.
Bee Bops will be located at 122 W. Second Street and I’ll be there drinking chocolate milkshakes as fast as they can make them.
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.
Mark your calendars: Pre-historic creatures are set to invade the Louisville Zoo in March 2010.
A new adventure will be stomping into the city of Louisville and heading straight for the Louisville Zoo in March. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, we’re very lucky here in Kentucky for a great number of reasons and one of them is the outstanding Louisville Zoo. There’s always something extra-special going on at this amazing zoo. Just check out what’s coming in a few months!
From the Louisville Zoo:
Precautions are being taken as the Zoo prepares Dinosaurs Alive!, a temporary dwelling for a herd of 16 robotic dinosaurs never before seen at the Zoo—including the giant Brachiosaurus, the menacing Tyrannosaurus rex, the fierce Deinonychus whose name means “Terrible Claw,” and the Cryolophosaurus which is often referred to as the “Elvisaurus” because the large crest atop its skull resembles the iconic hair of Elvis Presley.
Through the magic of incredible, futuristic technology, the mammoth, life-like animatronic creatures that roar, snarl and move will offer a full-blown dino-reality experience to visitors as they travel back in time along a lush, winding pathway where these enormous primeval creatures lurk at every turn. There, guests will encounter adult dinosaurs, youngsters and even a nest with eggs and hatchlings.
The robotic dinosaurs are built on steel frames by Billings Productions of McKinney, Texas, and high-tech electronics and air pistons power the dinosaurs’ menacing claws and gnashing teeth while a booming sound system gives them their distinctive roars and chirps. One of the animatronic creatures can even be operated by visitors using a remote control box.
In addition, kids can excavate dinosaur fossils at a paleontologist dig site using brushes and sifters to search for clues about the lives of dinosaurs.
“Guests of all ages will be transported back in time as the world’s largest and most advanced collection of high-tech, life-size animatronic dinosaurs come to life here in Louisville,” Zoo Director John Walczak said. “This Dinosaur exhibit will be a fun and educational learning adventure for the entire family. We’ve lost many animals from this planet over the course of history, and unfortunately animals are still becoming extinct today. Conservation and preservation are at the heart of the Zoo’s mission and it is our hope that visitors will come away from this exhibit both excited and more aware of the need to conserve animal species living today.”
In a revenue-sharing partnership with Billings Productions, Dinosaurs Alive!, is similar to other new attraction partnerships at the Zoo like Sky Trail High Adventure Course and the 4-D Ride Theater.
Dinosaurs Alive! will open mid to late March and will continue through the end of September. A special attraction fee of $5 applies for non-members in addition to regular Zoo admission and $4 for Louisville Zoo members. Children age 2 and under are free. Groups of 15 or more may call (502) 238-5348 in advance for group discounts.
Shopasaurus—a new gift shop at the exhibit’s exit—will be fully stocked with “dinorrific” toys, games and souvenirs to help visitors take home a reminder of their amazing experience.
***
The Louisville Zoo, a non-profit organization and state zoo of Kentucky, is dedicated to bettering the bond between people and our planet by providing excellent care for animals, a great experience for visitors, and leadership in scientific research and conservation education. The Zoo is accredited by the American Association of Museums (AAM) and by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).
*** Get up-to-date information about the Zoo’s upcoming Glacier Run exhibit by checking out our new Glacier Run blog. You can also show your love for the Louisville Zoo by becoming a fan on Facebook.
