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Land Between the Lakes

Kentucky's Land Between the Lakes (LBL) has so many things to do, see, and photograph. On the following pages, you'll find the proof!

Fort Henry Anniversary Program at The Homeplace in the Land Between the Lakes

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Fort Henry

We were at this event last year and loved every minute of it. Few things history buffs love more than sitting and talking about history with fellow buffs!

From The Land Between the Lakes:

The Homeplace 1850s Working Farm and Living History Museum in Land Between the Lakes remembers the 156th Anniversary of the Battle at Fort Henry with a program and walk on Saturday, February 10. Registration and full deposit for the day is required: $5/adults and $3/children. Call 270-924-2020 to make your reservation.

At 1:00pm in the Homeplace theatre, invited historian, Susan “Ski” Witzofsky, sets the stage for war “Between the Rivers.” In February of 1862, Confederate forces occupied Fort Henry as federal forces moved up the Tennessee River. The program will cover Fort Henry’s construction, battle, and legacy 156 years later.

Individuals can relive the siege with a guided walk along the Fort Henry Trails and Confederate fortifications, at 3pm. Participants will drive and meet at the Fort Henry Trail. The program and walk are weather dependent.

Interpretive Center will be open for this program; farm site will be closed. Doors open at 12:30pm.

Read more on the Land Between the Lakes Official Website by clicking here.

Cedar Pond: Showing Off Its Autumn Beauty….

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Cedar Pond, Land Between the Lakes in Autumn

Cedar Pond, Land Between the Lakes

When we’re in the beautiful Land Between the Lakes (and, if you read Genuine Kentucky regularly, you know that’s often), we have a routine that my husband has come to expect. I MUST be driven to Cedar Pond where I can get out and have fun with my camera. If there are people (how dare they visit my pond??!) at the pond, we simply drive around until they’ve vamoosed.

Like the Homeplace 1850s Working Farm, Cedar Pond is just across the Tennessee state line in the LBL.  Like the entire LBL, this is an absolutely gorgeous little spot. Winter, spring, summer, fall – it doesn’t matter, Cedar Pond never fails to take my breath away. It’s the very definition of peacefulness and, let’s face it, in the world today we need all of that we can get.

I love the way the trees along the far side of the pond reflect in the water. The pictures in this post are from this autumn (just a few weeks ago), so the reflections were especially colorful.

When you get out of your vehicle (or off your bike!) and walk around, you’ll find even more to see and love… you may even find something that makes you say, “Eeeekkk!” and run like you’re in a race. On this particular trip, I saw a snake skin and before my brain could notify my feet that there was, in fact, no one home… my feet were already in motion.

I probably looked like one of those cartoon characters who actually come off of the ground as they start to motor.

Suffice to say this gal has an unreasonable, unhealthy, unequaled, and undeniable fear of snakes.

Next time you’re in the Land Between the Lakes, be sure to stop by Cedar Pond. I can’t say enough wonderful things about this quiet* little spot.

* Quiet – unless a certain Kentuckian is shrieking and running to her husband. When she isn’t around, it’s beautifully quiet.

Cedar Pond, Land Between the Lakes in Autumn

Pictures from Snap Apple Night at the Homeplace 1850s Working Farm October 14

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Snap Apple Night at the Homeplace

We make just about all of the special events in the Land Between the Lakes – especially the ones involving the Nature Station, the Elk & Bison Prairie, and The Homeplace, so you’d better believe we were at Snap Apple Night last Saturday night. Guests gathered around the bonfires and got all comfortable and cozy while storytellers Robert Valentine and Jamie Futrel told stories (a few that were in the spirit of Halloween).

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Snap Apple Night at the Homeplace 2017

Like any event the Homeplace takes part it, the night was absolutely wonderful. God helped with some extraordinary weather, too. They even had hot apple cider to drink – it doesn’t get much better than that!

The “Working Farm” was decorated beautifully – fortunately we got there before it got dark so we could see everything. They did an outstanding job – as they do with everything, if we’re being honest.

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Snap Apple Night at the Homeplace 2017

When the sun went down, the lanterns and bonfire added to the ambiance perfectly.  Everyone involved did an exceptional job of making the night extra fun and memorable for guests of all ages.

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Snap Apple Night at the Homeplace 2017

There’s just something relaxing, fun, and (very) memorable about a night like this. Sitting back, sipping apple cider, and listening to wonderful stories. The storytellers were absolutely excellent. Jamie Futrel and Robert Valentine were both VERY funny and beyond interesting. I love a good story, so I was completely in my element.

Robert Valentine had an extra, extra special gift that I’m not sure I even knew existed. Heck, maybe he invented it. He was superb – and I mean SUPERB – at telling wonderful stories that seemed to be written especially for children and especially for adults.

Seriously, you could have set him and his stories in a roomful of children and they’d have been a perfect match. You could have set him and his stories in a roomful of adults and they would have been a perfect match.

Now, while this is a great and commendable gift to have with ANY story…  it is an absolute GIFT (all caps) when it comes to “scary” stories.

When I saw all the kids at the event, I kind of wondered how everything would play out. As a mother, I know all too well that young people may “think” they want to be scared out of their wits, only to regret it terribly once their wits begin to get away from them! I have to admit, I sort of wondered how many kids would be having nightmares that night!

This would be a problem I’d soon realize didn’t exist because Robert Valentine, after all, has the GIFT.

The one he just may have invented.

He was able to tell two very interesting, colorful, and “edge of your seat” type scary stories that had all the kids and all the adults spellbound. Best of all, they ended just the way they should have – in a manner that ensured zero nightmares.

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Snap Apple Night at the Homeplace

Whenever you read about an event at the Homeplace, just go ahead and mark your calendar and go. They do not do anything second rate.

I’m not sure they’d even know how to go about it.

Snap Apple Night at the Homeplace 2017

Eclipse Viewing and Programs in the Land Between the Lakes

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Camping in the LBL at Sunset

Camping in the LBL at Sunset

The Great American Eclipse is almost here – it seems like just yesterday it was months away. Then again, Christmas is 4 months from today!

The Land Between the Lakes offers year-round events, educational programs, and entertainment for the whole family – so it’s no surprise that they have the eclipse covered as well.

From the Land Between the Lakes:

Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area will offer prime viewing locations for the Great American Eclipse on August 21 and “Sun and Moon Days” August 16-23, 2017, a series of programs throughout the 170,00 acre area to celebrate and educate about this amazing natural phenomenon.

“Visitors looking for a prime spot to watch the Great American Eclipse are invited to Land Between the Lakes,” says Customer Service Manager Jeff Laird. “Eye protection, free parking and food vendors will be available at Fenton, near the Eggner’s Ferry Bridge on US68/KY80 in western Kentucky.”

The duration of the total solar eclipse at this location will be two minutes, according to NASA (https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/eclipse-maps). Other viewing areas in Land Between the Lakes are listed at https://landbetweenthelakes.us/best-2017-eclipse-viewing-areas/.

Eye protection is vitally important during this event and viewing glasses are available now at Friends of Land Between the Lakes gift shops and campground outposts. Sunglasses are not adequate.

“Sun and Moon Days will feature eclipse related programming at three facilities,” according to Laird.

Golden Pond Planetarium and Observatory will show TOTALITY (which is already in the weekly schedule), at 11am and 2pm, August 16-23, to teach about eclipses. There will be an eclipse star party at 8:45 pm on August 19 and solar viewing from 10am – 4pm on August 20 and 21. A Pink Floyd laser extravaganza will be offered on August 18 and 19, at 5:30 and 7pm.

The Homeplace 1850s Working Farm will feature Life by the Sun, Moon and Stars, weekdays, 2-3pm, which will show how farm families looked for signs from celestial bodies. The Storytelling event will be August 19 from 6-7:30pm. Talented presenters will weave tales of the eclipses from the past. This special event is not included in the regular admission price. Cost is $5 for adults and $3 for children. Doors will open at 5:30pm. View the eclipse from the Homeplace on August 21 and be part of our watermelon social from 10am – 4pm.

Woodlands Nature Station will offer Daytime vs. Nighttime Animals, weekdays at 11:30 am, August 16-23. There will also be Mornings with the Hummingbirds, 10-11am on Thursday, August 17, and Tuesday, August 22. Reservations are required for the Sunset Canoe Trips, planned for August 18 and August 23, from 5:30-8pm; and the Hummingbird Café, planned for Saturday, August 19, 9-10am. Snakes of Land Between the Lakes will be discussed from 11:30am – 12 pm on Sunday, August 20.

For more information, visit https://landbetweenthelakes.us/solar-eclipse-2017/ and https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/.

To find more information about Land Between the Lakes, log on to the official website atwww.landbetweenthelakes.us or call 1.800.525.7077 or 270.924.2000.

Land Between the Lakes Red Raspberry Jam

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Land Between the Lakes Raspberry Jam
A while back, I wrote about the Land Between the Lakes Raspberry Jalapeno Jam (it is so good, you don’t even know). Like the jam I’m here to crow about today, I got it in the gift shop at The Homeplace in the LBL.

This past weekend, we took a trip to The Homeplace (it was as wonderful as always!) and, before leaving, I did what I always do…. I hit the gift shop and hit it hard. I intended on getting another jar of the Raspberry Jalapeno Jam – in addition to trying another flavor. Unfortunately, I didn’t see a jar of the Raspberry Jalapeno Jam, but I did spy this beauty – Red Raspberry Jam. Raspberries are one of my favorite things in life, so I snatched this jar up before it knew what hit it.

Before I start telling you about how delicious this jam is, I have to say how much I appreciate the completely reasonable price. Less than $4! I don’t have to tell you how it is in most gift shops, souvenir shops, and antique shops. They mark things up about as high as they conceivably can. Seems to me that it’s much cooler to make things affordable for your guests and visitors – allowing them to buy several things instead of popping on just one overpriced item.

I love that The Homeplace has these jams marked so well within reason – for one thing, I love a bargain… but most of all, the fact that they’re inexpensive means I can buy several different flavors instead of trying to decide on one!

I made cornbread to use for our first dive into this beautiful and delicious jam and it was a knock-out. A TOTAL knock-out. It was every bit as good as the Raspberry Jalapeno Jam and I will look for it as well on each trip to The Homeplace.

Shopping List for Our Next Visit:

  • Land Between the Lakes Raspberry Jalapeno Jam
  • Land Between the Lakes Red Raspberry Jam
  • The Next Lovely to Catch My Eye!

The next time you visit The Homeplace, be sure to visit their wonderful gift shop before you leave. Find the shelves of these jams and – whatever you do! – grab a jar of the Red Raspberry AND the Raspberry Jalapeno jams.

They are both out of this world.

Land Between the Lakes Raspberry Jam

"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")

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