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You are here: Home / Archives for Rough River Dam State Resort Park

Rough River Dam State Resort Park’s 50th Anniversary

September 25, 2012 by Joi Sigers Leave a Comment

Rough River Lake in the Autumn

A few days ago I told you about Rough River Dam State Resort Park’s 50th Anniversary celebration (click the link for lodge specials for September and October, 2012). I gave you the dates (September 21 & 22, 2012) along with details of the buffet and boat tours of the lake.  I did all but grab you by the hand and lead the way.  If you went, good for you! If you didn’t make it… where were you?!

We enjoyed the buffet before the AWESOME boat tour, then returned to the lodge for pie and coffee after the boat tour. The food was delicious, as always.

Before heading home, we chatted a while with the lovely and friendly young woman, Dana, at the front desk.  I love the state parks we’re so fortunate to have here in Kentucky and, personally, I wish there were a Dana at each of them.

I also wish the coconut pie at Grayson’s Landing (the restaurant in Rough River’s lodge) was in each of the Kentucky State Resort Park restaurants.  No… wait… maybe I don’t. I’d soon be unable to fit into my Dodge.

Lady of the Lake II Boat Tour

We’ve taken the boat tour of Rough River Lake before, so I knew it’d be as wonderful as always. The colorful “Captain Bill” is a lot of fun. He’s been at Rough River for over 20 years, so he knows the lake like he knows his own name. The knowledge he shares about old caves, the dam, the “winter pool” (when they let a significant amount of water in the lake out for winter), birds, and the area in general is fascinating.  As we listened to him talk about “Snake Head Point” (named for the shape of a rock formation), I realized that this would be great conversation around a dinner table – the fact that it was taking place while taking a relaxing boat trip only added to the moment.

I also realized that with Autumn right upon us, the scenery would be extra special. Some trees were beginning to turn, as you’ll see in the pictures, and the views were breathtaking.

We also so a lot of Osprey activity.  They were all over the place, doing a little evening fishing.

In an earlier boat tour, “Captain Bill” said his group saw eagles!  I wouldn’t have missed the evening tour (trust me, a sunset over a lake is something it’ll make you weak in your knees), but I wish we’d taken both trips.

Several times I thought, “If I had a thermos filled with coffee, they’d have to drag me off this lake.” At one point I even thought that boat tours must be what Heaven’s like.

Buffet at Rough River Dam State Resort Park

Dinner Buffet at Grayson’s Landing, Rough River’s Restaurant

In celebration of the 50th Anniversary, the buffet was half price.  Actually, it may have been even less than half price. Truth be told, I never pay attention to the cost of meals… I’m just there for the food. And what food it was!

Let’s do this with bullet points, okay? They usually keep from rambling.  Usually.

  • I’ve told you before how much I love Rough River’s salad bar. If you’re familiar with salad bars, you know that, somehow, some are just better than others.  The options are always fantastic, and I’m all kinds of wild about their beets.
  • Baked chicken. YUM!  I’m a fried chicken kind of girl and, I have to admit, when I saw that the chicken was baked instead of fried, my bottom lip may have pooched out. Okay, it DID pooch out.  But, since the catfish on the buffet wasn’t filleted, I had to go with the chicken. (Years ago, I once choked so badly on a fish bone that I’ve sworn off non-filleted fish for life.) I threw a few baked chicken leg on my plate, mumbling something to them along the lines of, “Why aren’t you fried like good little chicken legs?”  Little did I know they’d be go darn good! The baked chicken was delicious – juicy and ridiculously flavorful. They tasted wonderful and were actually healthier than their fried counterparts.
  • Fried clams with seafood sauce. Let’s just say I could have eaten every fried clam in the entire place all by myself.  These little guys are so delicious it isn’t even fair.
  • Barbecued pork.  Again, I didn’t know what to expect.  Barbecued pork isn’t something you see on a lot of buffets, so my hopes weren’t exactly soaring.  But it was amazing!  If I’d had some bread, I’d have had a BBQ sandwich worth writing home about.  Then again, the bread would have been calories that were best saved for dessert… which I know I’ll always, always, always have at Rough River.
  • Rounding out the pork and chicken were scalloped potatoes, Lima beans, clam chowder, and other vegetables. Everything I had was great.
  • Dessert. Grayson’s Landing knows their dessert. The pies are always just incredible, as are the cobblers and banana pudding.  It leaves you kind of in a dilemma, where do you start?! I had a suspicion that we’d be returning to the restaurant after the boat tour – and that suspicion had coconut pie written all over it.  So I decided to have their delicious blackberry cobbler and ice cream.  It’s always just perfect. There’s really no more to say – how do you “flesh out” the word perfect?!
  • The coffee and coconut pie we returned for were also perfect. Excellent perfection.

The autumn leaves, the gorgeous lake, the birds, the coconut pie, the coffee, the ospreys, Dana, Captain Bill, the gracious park manager Mike, our adorable and sweet server, the wonderful women who work in the restaurant, “Snake Head Point. the boats, sunset on the lake….” everything was wonderful, wonderful, wonderful.

While the boat tour was “extra” special with the turning of the leaves and the beautiful sunset that God painted in the sky (its reflection on the lake was something that caused me to put my camera down and just stare) – I have to admit, the feeling I had wasn’t really so different from the feeling I get any time I’m at Rough River.  The feeling is summed up with 10 words: I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else in the world.

—-> See the pictures from the beautiful day:  Rough River Lake – Pictures can never compare to seeing Rough River Lake or Rough River Dam State Resort Park in person… so plan your trip immediately after seeing the pictures.  Act fast, you simply can’t miss the Autumn colors on the lake!

 

Rough River Lake

Rough River is on KY 79 near Leitchfield. From the Western Kentucky Parkway, exit on KY 79 north from Caneyville or exit on KY 259 N at Leitchfield and travel to the park via KY 54 from Leitchfield. Driving south, take KY 79 south from Hardinsburg and U.S. 60.

Filed Under: Rough River Dam State Resort Park, Rough River Lake Tagged With: Rough River Dam State Resort Park, Rough River Lake

Picture of the Day: Breakfast at Rough River Dam State Resort Park!

September 20, 2012 by Joi Sigers 2 Comments

Breakfast at Rough River Dam State Resort Park

Rough River Dam State Resort Park‘s lodge has a wonderful restaurant called Grayson’s Landing. Their breakfasts, alone, are worth staying overnight at the lodge (or in their cottages).Ã?  However, you don’t have to be a guest of the lodge or cottages to enjoy any of the great meals served at Grayson’s Landing.

All you have to do is show up!

I don’t care where you live, getting up early and driving to Grayson’s Landing for breakfast is MORE than worth it. The wooded, scenic lake view from the windows, the best coffee in the state, and food that is so good it should come with a warning label.Ã?  The aroma, alone, brings you to your knees when you walkÃ?  into the restaurant in the morning.

Rough River Dam State Resort Park is celebrating their lodge’s 50th anniversary this weekend, so what better time to show up hungry?! Whether it’s for breakfast, lunch, or dinner – you’ll find the food to be better than excellent and the coffee???Ã?  Let’s just say you won’t turn down a single refill.Ã?  Kentucky State Parks have better coffee than Starbucks or any restaurant you can name. Take it from this coffee addict, I know my coffee like Cookie Monster knows cookies.Ã?  It has a similar effect now that I think about it.

To celebrate the anniversary, Rough River is offering a special lodge room rate of $62 a night (Sunday Sept. 23, 2012Ã?  through Thursday Sept. 27, 2012).Ã?  Think about it, you can stay in a beautiful lodge room, then walk to Grayson’s Landing and have a breakfast you’ll be talking about for months.

Pancakes at Rough River Dam State Resort Park Breakfast at Rough River Dam State Resort Park Rough River Dam State Resort Park's Grayson's Landing Restaurant

Filed Under: Kentucky Picture of the Day, Rough River Dam State Resort Park Tagged With: Kentucky State Resort Park Restaurants, Kentucky State Resort Parks, Rough River Dam State Resort Park

Rough River Dam State Resort Park Celebrates it’s 50th Anniversary

September 20, 2012 by Joi Sigers Leave a Comment

� Rough River Dam State Resort Park

Rough River Lake: This beautiful spot is behind Rough River Dam State Resort Park’s Lodge

Well, you’d better believe we’ll be there.

Rough River Dam State Resort Park is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its lodge during the weekend of Sept. 21-22.Ã?  I don’t care if it’s raining, storming, hailing, or snowing, I’ll be there!

The park will hold a ceremony at 11 a.m. Friday in the Terrace Room inside the lodge, to commemorate the 1962 opening of the lodge. Friday evening, the park will offer its buffet dinner for two for $19.62 plus tax.

The Lady of the Lake will provide twilight cruises Friday and Saturday at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are $8 for adults and $4 for children ages 12 and under.

The park will also have a memory board in the lobby so people can post photos and stories about the park in the 1960s. Rough River also has a special lodge room rate of $62 a night (Sunday through Thursday) during September and October.� �  Click here for more information about the lodge and my review of the lodge rooms (can you say ridiculously spotless???)

Call 1-800-325-1713 for reservations and information.

Rough River Dam State Resort Park has a lodge, cottages, campground, Grayson�s Landing Restaurant, fishing, boating, mini-golf and a gift shop. For more information about Rough River and other state parks, visit www.parks.ky.gov

Rough River is on KY 79 near Leitchfield. From the Western Kentucky Parkway, exit on KY 79 north from Caneyville or exit on KY 259 N at Leitchfield and travel to the park via KY 54 from Leitchfield. Driving south, take KY 79 south from Hardinsburg and U.S. 60.

When you visit (and be sure you go this weekend!), be sure to take your camera. With the beautiful lake, trees, herons, birds, squirrels, sailboats, Coconut Cream pie (yes, Coconut Cream Pie…) etc – you’ll want your camera locked and loaded.Ã?  I began a “Picture of the Day” feature here on Genuine Kentucky just a few months ago and Rough River has already found it’s way into 4 of them! I honestly had to slow my roll a little and give everyone else a chance.

For now…

Please visit this uncommonly friendly and beautiful state park soon and often.Ã?  You’ll thank me later.Ã?  Everyone does. 🙂

See pictures of Rough River Dam State Resort Park.

Coconut Cream Pie Grayson's Landing Restaurant

The AMAZING Coconut Cream Pie I spoke of.. and dream of.

Filed Under: Rough River Dam State Resort Park Tagged With: Rough River Dam State Resort Park, Rough River Dam State Resort Park's 50th Anniversary

Fishing at Rough River Dam State Resort Park

September 7, 2012 by Joi Sigers Leave a Comment

Fishing on Rough River Lake

As you know, one of our favorite Kentucky State Parks is Rough River Dam State Resort Park. Beautiful park, ridiculously friendly people, and Coconut Cream Pie that’ll make you lick the silver off of your fork (I speak from experience!).

One of the ridiculously friendly people at Rough River is Geoff Roberts. He’s the naturalist and recreation director.Ã?  Pretty much, when it comes to fun at Rough River, Geoff knows where and how to hook you up.

In a recent blog post, Geoff answered a few questions about fishing at Rough River Lake, the lake’s water levels, and confusion about a “no fishing zone.”Ã?  Read all about Rough River Lake Fishing on Geoff’s blog, then pack up your poles and go see him face to face!

Filed Under: Fishing, Rough River Dam State Resort Park, Rough River Lake Tagged With: Fishing on Rough River Lake, Rough River, Rough River Dam State Resort Park, Rough River Lake

Special Night at Rough River Dam State Resort Park

August 14, 2012 by Joi Sigers Leave a Comment

Grayson�s Landing Restaurant

Rough River Dam State Resort Park will host its Buffalo and Wild Game Buffet (I’ll just pretend I don’t see buffalo in the title) along with a Chautauqua program about frontiersman Simon Kenton on Sept. 8, 2012.Ã?  Wild game will be available on the buffet with… here’s the best part…. Southern Fried Catfish! Let the buffalo keep roaming with the deer and antelope- let’s just eat catfish!

Buffet seating times will be 4:30, 6 and 7:30 p.m. CDT, and reservations are recommended. The menu will feature carved steamship rounds of buffalo, buffalo chili, duck and dumplings, southern fried catfish, frog legs, and other regional favorites. The price is $18.95 plus tax for adults, $9.95 for children ages 6-12, and children 5 and under eat free (prices include beverage).

We’ve eaten (many times) at Rough River Dam State Resort Park’s Grayson’s Landing Restaurant. The breakfasts are completely out of this world!Ã?  You’ll love their buffets, desserts, menu items… everything including their wonderful tea and coffee.Ã?  For some reason, they have the best beets in the world on their salad bar. I’m not sure where they get them, but they’ll curl your toes. In a good way.Ã?  If you ever get a chance to eat their Coconut Cream Pie or Banana Pudding, do so. They’re the stuff legends are made of.

The park will also host a free Kentucky Chautauqua performance in which Mel Hankla delivers a compelling living history portrayal of Simon Kenton, one of Kentuckyâ��s greatest frontiersmen.� 

Thinking he had killed a boy in a fight over a girl, Kenton fled West Virginia at the age of 16.Ã?  He was wrong ââ?¬â?? he had only knocked his rival unconscious ââ?¬â?? but the incident launched him on a life of high adventure during which time he would become a legendary explorer, Indian fighter, and Kentuckyââ?¬â?¢s self-appointed welcome-in-chief of what was considered the Wild West.Ã?  The performance begins at 6:30 p.m. in the Terrace Room at the lodge.

Call 1-800-325-1713 for reservations and information.

Rough River Dam State Resort Park has a lodge, cottages, campground, Grayson�s Landing Restaurant, fishing, boating, mini-golf and a gift shop. For more information about Rough River and other state parks, visit www.parks.ky.gov.

Rough River is on KY 79 near Leitchfield. From the Western Kentucky Parkway, exit on KY 79 north from Caneyville or exit on KY 259 N at Leitchfield and travel to the park via KY 54 from Leitchfield. Driving south, take KY 79 south from Hardinsburg and U.S. 60.

See Also: More pictures of Rough River Dam State Resort Park

Filed Under: Rough River Dam State Resort Park Tagged With: Rough River Dam State Resort Park

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