You already know that I LOVE the Hitching Post Old Country Store in Aurora, Kentucky. The owner and workers couldn’t be any friendlier, the store’s a complete delight to look around, I always return home with great finds – such as jewelry, candles (there’s a Hershey’s chocolate candle that’ll drop you to your knees), t-shirts, hats, toys, cookbooks, figurines, and so on and on.
I’ve also told you how much I love the jams, jellies, and sauces they sell in their store. Deliciousness just looking for a mouth to happen in. Now, get this: They’ve stepped up their already yummy game and they’re nothing short of irresistible now.
My husband, our youngest daughter, and her boyfriend spent Saturday in the Land Between the Lakes region and…. OF COURSE… paid a visit to the Hitching Post Old Country Store. The kids had even more fun looking around that we did. Okay, well almost. Things looked better than ever. The porch is so pretty and decorated so charmingly that you almost hate to leave it. However, you know full well that spectacular shopping awaits you inside, so through the doors you go!
They’ve added quite a bit to the store, so the whole experience was even sweeter than before. Speaking of sweet – they now have homemade fudge available (pictured below). That fact, alone, had me smiling ear to ear all day – with a mouthful of happy sweet teeth. The fudge is remarkable, and I consider myself something of an expert.
We had the Tiger Butter Fudge this particular trip, but I have a date with the Peanut Butter fudge on my next trip. Peanut Butter Fudge has always been my favorite, but the Tiger Butter fudge is putting up an admirable battle for that top spot.
I’m thrilled that we can now enjoy homemade fudge in Aurora. Both ends of the Land Between the Lakes are now deliciously covered with fudge (The Fudge Factory in Grand Rivers is the other, of course.).
As you can see from the picture above, as well as the ones below, there are countless goodies for kids of all ages. Every single member of your family will have a ball and a half and the ridiculously warm and friendly owner and workers will treat you like a member of the family. Kentucky style.
I fell head over head in love with some Red Pepper Jelly they gave out as samples. Loved it so much, I bought a jar to bring home with us. It’s from Spring Valley Farms in Holland, Kentucky – and they know their stuff. Their sample had the Red Pepper Jelly mixed in with cream cheese. Oh. My. Gentle. God. Delicious! We promptly bought a jar of the Red Pepper Jelly and stopped by Kroger on the way home for some Cream Cheese and crackers.
It was so delicious I don’t even want to talk about it.
There are plans for the historically delightful general store next to The Hitching Post’s Country Store. Apparently they’ll soon feature work from local artists. I can’t wait to see the art and crafts that’ll be included. Can you even imagine how fantastic it’ll all be?!
The new owner of the Hitching Post will be reopening the country store for the Oct. 3-5 Fall festival. My husband and I were fortunate enough to get an early peek and I can’t possibly tell you how amazing this country store is. It’s, literally, a step back in time to an old general store. There are shoes, postcards, clothing, kitchen gadgets, farm gizmos, dishes, and so much more from years and years and years ago. They have put so much time and work into cleaning and restoring this gorgeous piece of history.
I can’t possibly tell you how amazing it is to walk around this amazing country store and transport yourself back so long ago. We history buffs are certain we’ve gone on to Heaven. If you have children, I know you’ll want them to experience this real life history lesson. It’s honestly something no one will want to miss.
You’ll be able to get a glimpse of what is coming next year. Apparently countless people have asked for the country store, which has been closed for 4 years, to reopen. I wish I had some pictures to post on the site for you, but quite frankly when this history buff was in the store, all she could do was stare in wide-eyed wonder.
I LOVE the energy and excitement that’s buzzing in the Land Between the Lakes region. No matter where you live, the smartest thing you’ll do all year will be to load up your family and head for the Lakes. Whether you’re there for a day, a weekend, or a week – you’ll never run out of things to do and things to see. The friendliest people, spectacular entertainment (Variety! in Grand Rivers), the world’s best fudge (Grand Rivers), the best catfish on earth (Willow Pond, Aurora), beautiful lakes, elk and bison, and of course, the Hitching Post are all waiting for you.
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Saturday was what I’d call a perfect day. I spent the first half of the day at home (in Owensboro) with my husband, 4 cats, 3 daughters and 2 of their boyfriends who were over. They’re like sons I never had, so I always love to see them coming up our drive!
After lunch, my husband and I headed to the place we go just about every weekend – Land Between the Lakes. Our first stop was the Hitching Post Country Store in Aurora. (Watch for an upcoming article about excitment buzzing around this one of a kind store. The new owner’s cooking up something very special and I’m getting giddy.)
After grabbing a few jars of jam, a bag of grits (more about them in the upcoming article!), and an AMAZING Cinnamon Roll candle that almost smells better than the real thing. I actually haven’t even lit it yet – I have it sitting on my desk here in our home office. It’s making my entire work area smell like Cinnamon Heaven. One of my cats is infatuated with it.
The next stop on the perfect day was Aurora’s Willow Pond restaurant (the best Willow Pond, if you ask my taste buds). The food was perfect, as always, and the server was as sweet and southern as the tea I drank.
After shopping in one of my favorite gift shops and eating in one of my favorite restaurants, we went to a place I could (literally) spend hours upon hours in: The Elk & Bison Prairie at Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area. This Prairie is truly a remarkable place, and if you love animals as much as I do, they’ll have to drag you away. These animals are so majestic and beautiful and the landscape is like something out of a National Geographic issue. It’s all breathtaking and I’m blown away on each visit.
In addition to elk and bison, the prairie is also home to wild turkeys, rabbits, raccoons, bobcats, bats, coyote, skunks, box turtles, redtail hawks, quail, snakes, and owls. (Sounds like our backyard, except we have possums instead of turkeys! I love possums, so it’s all good.)
Did You Know?
- The Shawnee Indian word for elk is wapiti, meaning “white rump.”
- Elk antlers can grow up to one inch a day in the summer.
- Bison once ranged from Florida to the Hudson Bay and from Appalachia to the Rockies.
- Elk spend most of the day in cover but may come out in late afternoon or evening to graze.
No Season is the Wrong Season to Enjoy the Elk & Bison Prairie
We made a special point of going to the Prairie this weekend because the elk begin their bugling in September and October. This is, of course, their mating call and once you’ve heard them bugling – you’ll never forget it. It was pouring down rain when we went through, so we were afraid we wouldn’t see any animals, let alone be treated to a bugling concert. Wrong! We saw 4 beautiful male elk and countless females. A very large elk was holding court with about 10 females when another, smaller, male approached. The larger (selfish!) elk gave chase and the smaller guy reconsidered.
Two years ago, we watched as two huge male elks went head to head – or antler to antler. They fought for about 15 minutes before one retreated. They put on a spectacular show that we felt privileged to watch.
Although the bugling makes autumn an unbelievable time to visit the prairie, the other seasons hold their own magic.
Spring - Spring means one thing: Babies! During May the first Bison calves begin to appear. They never get too far from “mom” and they are ridiculously cute. Elk calves are born in late May or June.
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Summer – The prairie grasses, flowers, and trees put on a wonderful show throughout the summer. During the hot days of summer, the elk and bison can be found seeking shade beneath the many, many trees and taking dips in one of the ponds.
The animals are pretty busy in the summer months, but you have to catch them in the late afternoon. Last summer, we drove through one evening with our youngest daughter. Countless bison were crossing the road just as we were inching along, so we sat watching as these beautiful animals walked, literally, right in front of us. They’re one of my favorite animals in the world, so I was transfixed – too overwhelmed with happy to even take pictures! Fortunately, Michael and Stephany snapped away as I sat there, teary-eyed and smiling.
Winter – This is a season you shouldn’t overlook! The bare landscape of winter increases your odds of seeing the animals, and when you do see them, they’ll be wearing their beautiful new winter coats. During the other seasons, the elk and bison can be seen most frequently in the very early morning hours and in the late afternoon hours. However, during winter, they can be seen just about any time as they feed throughout the day.
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The Elk & Bison Prairie is open to the public 365 days a year, dawn to dusk. The cost is only $5 per car. Not much to pay for memories that’ll last forever. You can begin your journey by touring the Elk & Bison Prairie Exhibit at the Golden Pond Visitor Center. It’s amazingly well done and very, very informative. The history of the region will fascinate even the wiggliest kids.
When you go, please keep in mind that these animals are beautiful but they are wild. This isn’t, of course, a petting zoo. We are merely guests, it’s the animals’ home. Never allow anyone you’re with to taunt, tease, or try to coax the animals toward you. Also, if you see a snake on the road (during cold months, they like to warm themselves on the blacktop), please don’t run him over! Simply admire his presence, then leave him where you found him.
Respecting the animals and their surroundings makes you a much cooler person.
Helpful Links:
Elk & Bison Prairie: The Story
All About Elk (You can even hear an audio of bugling.)
All About Bison (You can hear him as well!)
Two of my favorite towns to visit when we’re down around Kentucky Lake, Lake Barkley, and Land Between the Lakes are Aurora and Grand Rivers. Grand Rivers offers a great deal wit it’s Badgett Playhouse, Grand Rivers Fudge Factory, Patty’s, Lighthouse Landing, and Green Turtle Bay. It’s a beautiful little village with a lot going for it.
Aurora has a different “vibe,” yet I enjoy it every bit as much as I do Grand Rivers. Aurora, Kentucky seems to delight in being very laid back. This community is home to my favorite Willow Pond Restaurant, one of my all-time favorite BBQ Restaurants (Aurora BBQ – Home of the Winking Pig!), the Dinner Bell, and one of my favorite spots to unload cash that’s weighing down my purse – The Hitching Post Gifts and Country Store. I’ve never…never… gone into this charmingly fun store without exiting with loot that I can’t wait to take home.
In addition to an endless display of Kentucky memorabilia – from t-shirts, jewelery, and hats to candles, figurines, ornaments, and cookbooks – they carry a remarkable variety of Yoder’s Homestyle jams, jellies, etc. They also have BBQ sauces that’ll send you over the proverbial moon.
On our most recent trip, I got a jar of Yoder’s Homestyle Sweet Potato Butter. Have you ever had Sweet Potato Pie? Well, this Sweet Potato Butter pretty much lives in that delicious neighborhood. So, whether you put it on buttermilk biscuits, cornbread, or toast, you get that same amazing flavor. Frankly, I can’t say enough great things about it. Their Apple Butter is also ridiculously good. It’s great on toast, served alongside scrambled eggs and bacon.
The next time you’re in the Land Between the Lakes region, make a point of visiting the “down home” friendly people at the Hitching Post Gifts and Country Store in Aurora. If you time your day just right, you can work up an appetite at the Hitching Post, have lunch with the winking pig, explore the beautiful Kentucky Lake area, and then make an appointment with the best hush puppies on earth at the Aurora Willow Pond that evening.
It’ll be a day you won’t forget. Just be sure to remember the apple butter!
