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On the following pages find the newest updates, restaurant reviews, Kentucky events and attractions, and more.

Picture of the Day: Deer at Woodlands Nature Station (Land Between the Lakes)

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Deer at the Nature Station

Woodlands Nature Station opened early this month, so you know where I was early this month…. where any other animal and bird-obsessed person would be – right there with the animals!

I have a lot of pictures my husband and I took to add to Genuine Kentucky tomorrow, but I wanted to go ahead and post this one today. I don’t know why, but there’s just something about this picture that I love.  The contentment on the faces of these beautiful animals tells me that they were as joyful about feeling the sunshine on their faces as I was on mine.

The Nature Station, in the amazing Land Between the Lakes is one of my favorite places in the world – if you’ve never been, GO! If it’s been a while since you’ve visited them, GO AGAIN!

I’ll add the rest of the pictures tomorrow. If you follow (or even just visit) our Twitter account, @GenuineKentucky, you can see the other pictures and videos we took on this trip – as well as countless pictures from around our beautiful state.

Plus a little Kentucky basketball… okay, a lot of Kentucky basketball….  – Joi (“Joy”)

Lake Barkley State Resort Park’s Dinner Theater Presents “Death by Disco”

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Lake Barkley at Sunset
Lake Barkley at Sunset: Always Beautiful!
When Lake Barkley State Resort Park’ has one of their Dinner Theaters, there’s only one thing you need to do… clear your calendar. They are, without exception, outstanding. Great food, lots of laughs, and memories you’ll chuckle at for years to come.

From Lake Barkley State Resort Park:

Lake Barkley State Resort Park’’s dinner theater series is presenting another “murder mystery” where you, the audience, try to figure out “who done it!”

Make plans to enjoy “Death by Disco” on Oct. 3 at 7 p.m. This murder mystery – about a new club opening — will be performed by Wild Card Productions of Nashville.

This dinner theater will take place at Lake Barkley State Resort Park’s convention center. Reservations are required. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

While piecing the clues together you will also enjoy a special buffet. Tickets are on sale for $45 per person. Limited seating is available, so get your tickets now!  For tickets or additional information call the lodge at 1-800-325-1708 or email nick.edmonds@ky.gov

Also See:

Lake Barkley State Resort Park features a lodge, cottages, the Windows on the Water Restaurant, 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. 

Summer Events in Kentucky Trail Towns

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Carter Caves State Resort Park

Gem Mining at Carter Caves State Resort Park!

Although beautiful Autumn isn’t all that far off, there’s still quite a bit of summer left. Kentucky’s Trail Towns want to celebrate this fact and they’re doing so with a great variety of outdoor events for you and your family.

Kentucky’s certified Trail Towns are some of the friendliest and charming communities you could ever hope to visit.  What’s more, they’re filled with great adventure and endless things to see and do:

  • hike
  • bike
  • paddle
  • ride horses
  • fish
  • camp
  • walk
  • take photographs
  • and more!

You’ll also enjoy my favorite activities – learning all about that particular Trail Town’s unique history and culture. These events include live music, theatrical performances, farmers markets, Kentucky Proud restaurants and food.

Upcoming Events at the Six Trail Towns:

Dawson Springs
Dawson Springs in western Kentucky provides access to the Pennyrile Forest State Resort Park and Tradewater River.

July 24 – Annual Barbecue and Homecoming Festival
July 25 – Barbecue 5K Run/Walk
Aug. 15 – Forget Me Not 5K Run/Walk for Alzheimer’s

For more information, visit: www.dawsonspringsky.com

Livingston
Livingston, an hour south of Lexington, serves the Daniel Boone National Forest, the Sheltowee Trace National Recreation Trail and the Rockcastle River.

Sept. 5-6 – Homecoming Festival
For more information, click here.

London
London, located along Interstate 75, serves the Daniel Boone National Forest and Sheltowee Trace and offers several quality cycling routes.

Aug. 14-16 – Laurel County Homecoming
Sept. 24-27 – World Chicken Festival
Oct. 10 – Kentucky Adventure Games Thriller Ride Bicycle Tour

For more information, visit: www.laurelkytourism.com

Morehead
The city of Morehead, in Rowan County, provides access to the northern region of the Daniel Boone National Forest and the Sheltowee Trace, as well as Cave Run Lake.

July 26 – 4th Sunday Bike Ride
Aug. 9 – 2nd Sunday Hike
Aug. 23 – 4th Sunday Bike Ride

For more information, visit: www.moreheadtourism.com

Stearns
Stearns is near the Kentucky-Tennessee border just south of Somerset and provides access to both the southern section of the Daniel Boone National Forest and the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area.

July 26 – Join a Ranger Hike at Yahoo Falls, Big South Fork
Aug. 1 – Moonshine Limited dinner and scenic train ride at Big South Fork Scenic Railway
Aug. 15 – Banjo Boogie at Big South Fork Scenic Railway

For more information, visit: www.mccrearytourism.com.

Olive Hill
Olive Hill in northeast Kentucky connects visitors to Carter Caves State Resort Park and Tygart’s Creek.

July 20-26 – Pioneer Life Week at Carter Caves State Resort Park

For more information, click here.

Gem Mining at Carter Caves!

If you visit Carter Caves during Pioneer Life Week (or any other week!). be sure to check out the  Carter Caves Gem Mine (Pictured at the Top)? This VERY cool attraction is located at Carter Caves State Park Welcome Center Gift Shop.

From Kentucky State Parks’ Website: You can buy bags for $6.00, $8.00 and $10.00 (fossils) and begin your discoveries of real, colorful gemstones and fossils at the gemstone flume. Just place a scoop of rough material on the screen…then rinse with clean water. The gem stones, when wet, will reveal colors and crystal shapes!

There are lots of different gemstones to discover! Anything from locally-found Pyrite, Fluorite and Quartz, to Ruby, Moonstone, Topaz, Crystal Points, Sapphire, Emerald, Amethyst, Garnett, Citrine, Aventurine, Obsidian, Sodalite, Calcite and Raspberry Quartz could be found.

Sharing the experience of mining at the flume mine is a lot of fun. You can compare finds and help each other to identify what you’ve found. We invite individuals, families, and groups of all sizes. Mining is available during regular business hours of the Welcome Center Gift Shop, April through October. – Read More About Carter Caves State Resort Park on the official website.

 

To find information about all of the outdoor opportunities in Kentucky, as well as a calendar of events happening all across the state, visit the Office of Adventure Tourism’s website at www.getoutky.com.

See more pictures of Carter Caves State Resort Park.

Quilting Bee at The Homeplace 1850’s Farm April 25 – 26, 2015

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The Homeplace (Land Between the Lakes)
One of the coolest places in the world is The Homeplace 1850’s Farm in Land Between the Lakes. As I’ve said before (and will probably say at least 5,000 more times this year alone), when you walk through the back of the Welcome Center/Gift Shop and onto the farm, it’s as though you’ve stepped into another world.

While I love this world, I have to say it’s a trip I enjoy with every ounce of my being.

If you’ve never visited The Homeplace, I hope you’ll go as soon as possible. Go SOON and go OFTEN… I’ll probably see you there!

Coming up on April 25th and April 26th (2015), there are extra special reasons to visit The Homeplace 1850’s Farm.

First of all (leave it to an animal lover like me to mention this first), there are new adorable baby pigs on the farm!  I know you won’t want to miss seeing them. Heck, the adult pigs are too cute for their own good too. The animals on the farm are very well cared for and a lot of fun to watch and photograph.

As if the pigs weren’t reason enough, The Homeplace will hold a Quilting Bee on Saturday and Sunday, April 25 and 26. Visitors will learn more about quilting and help complete a hand-made quilt started by the farm family.

You can also visit with the blacksmith on the farm at 1 pm both days.

From 1-3pm, visit the Homeplace kitchen for sweet treats made on a wood stove. All activities will be held at the Homeplace 1850’s Farm in the Tennessee portion of Land Between The Lakes National Recreation Area.

“We will be piecing a replica Triple Irish Chain quilt. Everyone can add a stich or two,” says Cindy Earls, Lead Interpreter at the Homeplace. “Children can learn to quilt on a smaller frame. On Saturday, we’ll demonstrate how a quilt is put on a frame. On Sunday, visitors can help us hang a quilt in the Single Pen House.”

Visitors are encouraged to meet the new baby pigs (!!!) and wander the farm with its period animals, crops, and gardens. Historic interpreters are available to answer any questions.

Land Between The Lakes National Recreation Area manages more than 170,000 acres in western Kentucky and Tennessee as part of the U.S. Forest Service and the Department of Agriculture’s public lands program. Land Between The Lakes offers outdoor recreation, lake access, land management, and environmental education to over 1.4 million visitors annually.  The Friends of Land Between The Lakes works in partnership with the Forest Service providing program services, funds development, and volunteer support.

To find more information about Land Between The Lakes, log on to the official website at www.landbetweenthelakes.us or call toll-free at 1-800-LBL-7077 or local at 270-924-2000.

For more information on the Friends of Land Between The Lakes, log on to www.friendsoflbl.org. To subscribe to the official electronic newsletter, send an email to LBLinfo@fs.fed.us. Land Between The Lakes official Twitter accounts include @LBLScreechOwl, @LBLNature, @LBLHomeplace, and @LandBtwnLakes, and Pinterest www.pinterest.com/lblnra.

More Land Between the Lakes on Genuine Kentucky:

Pigs at the Homeplace, Land Between the Lakes

Hummingbird Festival 2014 at Woodlands Nature Station (August 2-3)

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Hummingbird Festival Woodlands Nature Station 2014
Although this festival has expired, there is always something to see and do in the Woodlands Nature Station, as well as in the Land Between the Lakes. Visit our Kentucky Events  page for up to the minute happenings and be sure to check out our Things to Do in Kentucky  page.

 

I can actually remember the very first hummingbird I ever saw. My dad (where I got both my insane love of birds AND coffee from) pointed out a tiny little ball of motion that was hovering near one of his rose beds. When he asked if I knew what it was, I said it looked like the world’s largest dragonfly moving really, really, really fast. When he said it was a “hummingbird,” I thought he was pulling my leg – since it happened to be his favorite sport, it was never out of the question.

My mom backed up his story and a lifelong infatuation with these tiny beauties was born.

If you have an ongoing fascination with hummingbirds, you’ll want to be in the Land Between the Lakes in early August. The Hummingbird Festival will take place on Saturday and Sunday (August 2-3, 2014) from 10am to 4pm.

From Woodlands Nature Station and LBL.org:

On-Going Activities:

  • Observe and learn as scientists band hummingbirds for migratory research.
  • Visit with local artists as they demonstrate their craft; buy some art to take home with you.
  • Talk with a local beekeeper as you check out our honeybee observation hive; purchase local bee products.
  • Find out how to attract bluebirds and other wildlife into your backyard; buy some native plants at our sale.
  • Visit the Hummingbird Gift Store to purchase feeders and more.
  • Discover our resident wildlife such as a bald eagle, bobcat, owls, snakes, and our new, red wolf pup.
  • Bring the kids for crafts, games, face painting, and scavenger hunt.

If you like Ruby-Throated hummingbirds, this is the weekend for you! Delight in watching more of these flying gems in one place than you can count! This year, discover “The Art of Hummingbirds,” featuring the artwork of local nature artists, inspired by the tiny hummingbirds and their outdoor neighbors. View a gallery of wildlife art, get tips from the experts, and even try your hand at wildlife photography and illustration. As always, you can also view our ongoing hummingbird banding demonstrations by licensed banders, as well as participate in a variety of programs and activities going on throughout the weekend. Bring the whole family, there will be plenty for kids to do too! Be sure to check back for further updates about the weekend’s schedule of programs and activities.$6 for adults; $4 for kids ages 5-12; Free for ages 4 and under. Event will take place rain or shine.

Click HERE for more information (the PDF will open in a new window).

See Also: How to Attract Hummingbirds to Your Yard

"When reading about a Kentucky event, please be sure you check the date. Old events are not always deleted from the website. If you have an event you'd like to see on Genuine Kentucky or a 'Made in Kentucky' food or product you'd like reviewed, please contact us! " ~ Joi ("Joy")

Fraley Music Festival
Maddox
Pennyrile Forest State Resort Park Trail Through the Forest