Stay & Play, Lake Cumberland Region, Summer 2014 by Stay and Play Lake Cumberland

Stay&Play FREE TAKE ONE!

Summer 2014

LAKE CUMBERLAND REGION

n o n u F e k La d n a l r e b m u C Published by the

Commonwealth Journal

4311 S. Hwy 27, Suite 1 Between Lights 23 & 24 Somerset, KY 42501

Phone: (606) 679-4316 Fax: (606) 678-0149

www.MyEagleRealty.com

LET US PUT OUR 75+ YEARS OF EXPERIENCE TO WORK FOR YOU

Lake View and Vacation Homes Residential Sales & Leasing Commercial Sales, Leasing & Development

Commercial & Residential Property Management

Mike Whitaker Broker Linda Skaarup Realtor Cell: (606) 305-2699 Phillip Hatfield Realtor Cell: (606) 872-3535 Phyllis Rasnick Realtor Cell: (606) 271-1783

Warehousing Services Stay & Play

July 2014

Stay&Play

INDEX Master Musicians Festival Brings WIde Variety of Entertainment to the Stage

Volume 2 Issue 4 July 2014

By Edgar Spitzke...............................6

Explore Kentucky’s Mining History PUBLISHER Rob McCullough EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Ken Shmidheiser

By Edgar Spitzke...............................9

Somernites Cruisin’

Edgar Spitzke

By Edgar Spitzke.............................27

Pam Popplewell

Go Cart Racing: A Must Do Activity for Any Vacation

ADVERTISING

Mike Hornback/Advertising Director

By Edgar Spitzke.............................36

Mary Ann Flynn

What’s New? Somerset’s Newest Restaurants

Kathy M. Lee

By Edgar Spitzke.............................50

Mike McCollom Amanda McIntosh

McCreary County: The Best in Outdoor Adventures

By Janie Slaven. ..............................52

Janie Gumm-Wright Craig Wesley

Stay & Play Lake Cumberland Region P.O. Box 859 Somerset, KY 42502 Email:

Canoeing: The Best Way to See the Lower Cumberland

A Host of Choices in Area Bed and Breakfasts

LAYOUT & DESIGN

Stay & Play Lake Cumberland Region is a publication of and is distributed by Newspaper Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or stored for retrieval by any means without written permission from the publisher. Stay & Play Lake Cumberland Region is not responsible for unsolicited materials and the publisher accepts no responsibility for the contents or accuracy of claims in any advertisement in any issue. Stay & Play Lake Cumberland Region is not responsible or liable for any errors, omissions, or changes in information. The opinions of contributing writers do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the magazine and its publisher.

By Edgar Spitzke.............................12

By Edgar Spitzke.............................18

CONTRIBUTING WRITER Janie Slaven

Come on in! Pontooning on Lake Cumberland

Extreme Sightseeing with OHV Trails

End of Summer Closings

By Edgar Spitzke.............................57

Floating Lake Cumberland

By Edgar Spitzke.............................60

Lake Cumberland Fishing Report

By Edgar Spitzke.............................62

Experience the Beautiful Wilds of River Country

mhornback@somerset-kentucky.com

Stay & Play

SomerBlast at SomerSplash! July 5, 2014 SomerSplash: Hours of Operation :10:00 a.m.-12:00 a.m. Parking: General Parking Available. Admission: Regular admission prices apply 10:00a.m.-4:00p.m. After 4:00p.m.- $10.00+tax/person *Ages 2 and under are free.

*No Outside Food or Drink, No Lawn chairs, No coolers will be permitted INSIDE the Waterpark. SomerBlast: Celebration Station (located in the Front Lawn of SomerSplash, before entering into the Waterpark) Event Lineup: 4:00p.m.-6:00 p.m. Various Gospel Artist will kick off Fourth of July @ Celebration Station 6:00p.m.-9:45p.m. Various Regional Artists performing from a wide range of multiple genres. 10:00p.m. Firework Show Begins! Lawn will close after firework show. (All times are approximates) *Lawn Chairs are welcome in Front lawn area in Celebration Station. Admission: Free entry anywhere outside the Waterpark; Celebration Station, lawns, parking lots. Food: Food will be available for purchase at Celebration Station located on the Front Lawn. Parking: In SomerSplash Parking lot. Overflow Parking with Shuttle Service (4:00 p.m.-12:00a.m.) **Pulaski Elementary **Pulaski County High School * For more information go to SomerSplash.com

July 2014

Master Musicians Festival brings wide variety of entertainment to the stage

By Edgar Spitzke It is time to plan to attend the Somerset Master Musicians Festival, Friday and Saturday, July 11 and 12. The Master Musicians Festival was named the Southeast Tourism Society’s ”Festival of the Year” for 2013 and has

been featured in numerous publications and web reviews. It also has been the recipient of the Governor’s Awards for the Arts as the Outstanding Community Arts Organization. The Festival endeavors each year to bring a wide variety of multi-cultural, multi-generational and multi-racial

music to their eclectic stages. The musical entertainment ranges from the blues to bluegrass, from celtic to Haitian roots, from rock ‘n’ roll to jazz to progressive newgrass, to county, to Americana, and everything in between for the best ticket price around. As to the cost of a ticket, you can

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listen to 13 different artists and groups over two days for less than it would cost to go to just one show in some places. If you can’t go two days, you can select whatever day you like and whatever presentations you might like to attend. Thanks to the continued support of many area sponsors, the Master Musicians Festival has been bringing quality arts programming to South Central Kentucky since 1994 at an affordable ticket price. At the same time, according to the Kentucky Tourism office it is estimated that the Master Musicians Festival brings approximately $3 million new dollars into the Somerset-Pulaski County economy. Ticket types are Friday only for $25, Saturday only for $50 and weekend pass for $70 with credit cards accepted in payment. Children under 12 are free. The festival is held rain or shine. Last year’s festival saw a record attendance with Willie Nelson headlining the festival. It is estimated 6,000 people attended his show alone. Past performances have included Mark

O’Conner, “Pigmeat” Jarrett, Doc Watson, Nickel Creek, Richie Haven, JD Crowe, Punch Brothers, Robert Lockwood, Jean Ritchie, The Avett Brothers, Steve Earle, and Old Crow Medicine Show. This year’s festival schedule is Friday starting at 5:30 p.m., Kelly Rae Burton, The Seas, The Little Ship, Willie Watson and Sundy Best, finishing around 11 p.m. Saturday’s program begins at noon with Songwriter Social, Tyler Childers, Coralee & the Townies, Fifth on the Floor, Stoll Vaughan, The Apache Relay, St. Paul & the Broken Bones and the headliner, Counting Crows starting at 9:30 p.m. For a detailed description of each act, you can click on “Lineup” on the home page of their website, www. mastermusiciansfestival.com. For some acts, you can click on their pictures and even watch and hear them perform. The Master Musicians Festival is located on Festival Field on the Campus of Somerset Community College, 808 Monticello Street in Somerset.

Parking is free. Beer and wine will be available for purchase with a valid ID for those 21 and over. No outside alcohol will be permitted and coolers are subject to inspection. No pets are allowed except for service dogs. All show times are approximate, No shade tents or umbrellas are permitted; onsite shade tents are provided. A variety of concessions will be available or you can bring a picnic. Arts & crafts will be for sale by The Sheltowee Artisans and other independent artists. One of the special features of the festival is that in addition to the performances, audience members can attend great meet-and-greet workshops hosted by some of the musicians who tell the stories of their careers. Where else can you sit and talk with musicians who have toured with the likes of the great Muddy Waters? Pictured at right: Blue Grass and country music is part of the entertainment regularly enjoyed at the Master Musician’s Festival as shown from last year’s event.

Voted #1 “Best Bar & Grill” five years in a row in the annual Readers Choice awards.

July 2014

Beautiful Lake View Dining

Family Owned and Operated

• Seafood • Burgers • Pizza •Hand Cut USDA Choice Steaks

#1 Restaurant #1 Steaks #1 Dining Atmosphere Reservations Always Welcome

606-802-2922 6075 S. Highway 27

Full menu and hours available at www.Guthriesriverhouse.com MENU 8

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Explore Kentucky’s mining history By Edgar Spitzke Words such as “Interesting”, “Entertaining”, “Educational”, or “Enjoyable”, might all be words we could use to describe a trip back through time to explore Kentucky’s mining history. Two mining communities in McCreary County, very close to one another, give you two totally different approaches at telling their historical story. Perhaps the better known presentation is so because of its being in the Big South Fork National Park and also a train ride on the Big South Fork Railroad can take you there. The railroad takes almost daily trips from Stearns (Once the headquarters of the Stearns Coal and Lumber Company, which owned the Blue Heron Mine) and on some days, two trips, with the Blue Heron Mine as its destination. The train ride is fun and filled with beautiful scenery as the train

winds down to the level of the Big South Fork River along the Roaring Paunch Creek. The train stops at a station designed to explain fully the story of the mining town, along with exhibits, a gift shop, and more. Train personnel double to supply country music entertainment for the stopover before heading back up the hill to the Stearns station. There is time while the train is stopped to visit the large restored coal loading tipple, an entrance to a mine and see and listen to features of the town. In the early 70’s before the park was developed, the only way you could see the Big South Fork gorge was to start at Station Camp and canoe the river over two days, primitive camping along the way.(This was a trip made by Commonwealth-Journal staff members, the Corps of Engineers and others once a year) At that time, remnants of the structures of the Blue Heron mining

camp were still standing and I took pictures of the town buildings along with the tattered tipple as we canoed our way to our take out at the Yamacraw bri dge. . When the Park Service was planning their town restoration, they were interested in my negatives. Instead of rebuilding the town structures out of original materials,(perishable), the park service decided to build steel framed “ghost” structures which were durable and gave an essence of the shape and size of the structures. They also took advantage of the fact there were still people alive who lived in the mining camp before it was abandoned and who could describe what life was like. Their interviews were recorded and their stories were made part of each of the “ghost” structure audio presentations. The structures include homes, church and school houses, the changing and shower house, etc. It is well worth the time to listen to all the presentations to get a real feel for what life was like in a company mining town in the early 20th century. Instead of taking the railroad trip, if you want to spend more time at the mine, and perhaps taking some short trails from that location, you can easily drive there, Top right: The railroad station at the Blue Heron Mining Camp is a museum of pictures and illustrations of the camp. Pictured left: The buildings of the Barthell Mining Camp have been authentically restored.

July 2014

The restored coal loading tipple at Blue Heron Mining Camp is one of the outstanding features of the restored camp.

leaving Stearns and taking Ky 742 into the park. Along that route you will pass overlooks of the Big South Fork gorge and river, a modern campgrounds and a natural arch. One of my favorite short hiking trails leaves the mining town and goes up the river to Devil’s Jump rapids. On the way down to Blue Heron Mining Camp, you will pass a sign directing you to the Barthell Mining Camp. A stop over to visit that mining camp is well worth the time and it will take

time to take it all in.. Privately owned, and charging a fee for tours, this is an altogether different presentation and a very interesting one. Original structures were authentically restored and are filled with artifacts and memorabilia. Actually, the Barthell mine was the first of 18 mines opened by the Stearns Coal and Lumber Company. Miner’s homes were restored and furnished with simple furnishings of those times, decorated as the structures were originally, such as

using newspapers for wall paper. You can even stay at the camp and rent one of the homes for an overnight stay. They have 12 restored houses, 9 two bedroom and 3 one bedroom units. While the miner’s homes are scattered along a hillside above the railroad tracks used by the Big South Fork Railroad, the main part of the town consists of several structures near a railroad station. There is a barber shop, doctor’s office, company store, machine shop, motor shop, a church and a school. A large nearby building houses a museum with scattered mining equipment outside and old unrestored cars and trucks in a downstairs garage. There are 23 cars and trucks in the building and on the property.The museum displays mining helmets and other mining equipment used as hand tools in days gone by. Tours of the camp are $15 per person and $10 extra if you want to go into the mine. There are senior rates and group rates. For information and reservations you can call 1-888-550-5748 or locally, 606-376-8749. Their website is www. barthellcoalcamp.com.

311 W. Mt. Vernon, Somerset, KY 42501

606-677-0311

Hours: Mon. - Thurs. 5-11; Fri. & Sat. 5 - 12

• Tuesday - Karaoke • 8-11 p.m. • Wednesday - Open Mic Night • 7:30 - 10:30 • Friday & Saturday - Live Music • 8 til Midnight

Purchase Any Appetizer and Receive Another Appetizer at 1/2 Price! NOW OFFERING OUR 10 OZ. RIBEYE STEAK DURING NORMAL LUNCH HOURS

NOW OPEN FOR LUNCH TUESDAY - FRIDAY 11 AM - 2 PM Must be 21 or over. 10

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4 1 0 2 & 12TH

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F T IANS CF E S I C S I S U U M STER TERM S A A M M #

July 2014

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Come On In!

Jumping off a double decker pontoon boat can even be group fun as seen here.

Stay & Play

Pontooning on Lake Cumberland By Edgar Spitzke Don’t know if “Pontooning” is actually a word, but it fits having fun with a very special water craft. In an article in last year’s Stay & Play magazine, entitled “In a Pontoon—Not Your Grandpa’s Pontoon Boat”, the new breed of pontoon boats were described. The article stated: “Historically, pontoon boats have served boaters that wanted to entertain on the water. They are perfect for lake tours to look at budding blossoms, fall foliage or waterfront homes and Grandpa can take the grandkids swimming in a cove. They are easy to board, hold a lot of people, and the tall rails along the edge are ideal for young passengers.” They have not been known for the speeds some boaters like to enjoy. Much has changed over the years with

the development of the “TriToons”, (three logged boats), special lifters for higher speeds (even competing with v-bottom boats) in mph. All kinds of refinements in seating and design such as pop-up changing rooms, lounges, camper covers, etc. have made many models truly luxury boats. But, then, the prices have gone up with all these refinements. So, you would enjoy boating on a pontoon boat while visiting Lake Cumberland but cannot afford to buy one or handle it’s upkeep. The answer is simply renting one. Even at peak season, an all-day rental costing $325 (typical) for a 12 person double decker pontoon with second floor slide is only $27 per person(fuel cost is added). The boats are nicely equipped with gas grills for cooking, large cooler for all your drinks and food, seating for twelve, trash can

and AM/FM Stereo radio. You generally can take out the boats as early as 8 and have them back at the dock by 7 p.m.— that’s 11 hours of lake fun, at only $2.50 per person per hour. Now what can you do for $2.50 per hour? We had a group of friends from Georgia visit this area. They had 20 in their group and so rented two 12 passenger double decker boats and they had a blast. Some enjoyed sunning on the second floor deck, others the slide and the braver of the bunch kept jumping into the water from the second floor. They also fished. They motored to the dock at Mill Springs and toured the mill and took in the falls and enjoyed swimming on the lake for most of the day. That is surely an enjoyable way for a group to spend the day. Our group was staying at Golden Pond Resort and so getting the watercraft

Uncork Your Weekend! We offer a broad selection of red and white wines from some of Kentucky’s best Small Farm Wineries Retail Sales and Tasting Room • Winery Hours: Thursday through Saturday 11 am to 6 pm • Other times by appointment are welcome!

• Visit The Winery! • Picnic on the Grounds!• Take a guided tour of the vineyard! • Yes, You Can Visit the Winery by Boat 360 56’ 39”N 840 51’ 29”W! e r v i ng N ow S i c a n d t Domes rted o p Im y the Beer b s! Glas

L iv e M T his S usic u Chec mmer! k ou we b s i t t o u r u p d a t e e fo r d and tim dates es!

For directions visit our website: www.lakecumberlandwinery.com, click directions or Take Hwy 90 to Hwy 1275 North to Hwy 2393 turn North; 1.5 miles on the left.

July 2014

at Conley Bottom Resort was handy. Other marinas have similar equipment and it doesn’t hurt to shop. Many groups using the bigger pontoons have also added spice to their day by renting a Personal Water Craft, PWC, or as some would call them “wave runners”, using their pontoon as a floating dock while persons in the group take turns on the PWC. If you wanted to add that to part of your day, some marinas have hourly rates. Some give hourly rates only if the crafts are not already rented, otherwise they must be rented for the day. The same can be said of renting a ski boat for the same purpose. Again, several marinas offer day and part day rentals of these boats and so you may want to check around. If available, you might also read our review of marina facilities in our spring magazine, “Discover Lake Cumberland” published in early May.

Double decker pontoon boats are a lot of fun. Seen here are swimmers jumping off the top of the boat while another takes to the slide.

Gifts, clothing, accessories, home decor and so much more! There is something for everyone at Downtown Diva!! Some of our most popular lines include....Happy Everything •Tyler Candles •Lindsey Phillips Shoes •Missy Robertson•Lolia Fragrance •Pacifica Fragrance•Mud Pie.

Free Gift Wrapping Follow Us On Facebook

E. Mt. Vernon St. Somerset, Ky 42501 606-416-5500 14

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LAKE CUMBERLAND

WATERSPORTS HEADQUARTERS Paul’s Discount offers a wide variety of Inflatable water toys and tubes from H.O., O’Brien and Airhead. We also carry a large selection of ski, wake and knee boards.

• Huge Selection of Fishing Tackle • Boat Maintenance Supplies and Accessories Available for the Weekend Warrior to the Advanced Tournament Angler.

Lifejackets from infant to extra sizes for adults. • Hunting Accessories • PAint BAll equiPment •sPorting goods • Knives & sHooting suPPlies & mucH, mucH more!

1616 Highway 2227 • Somerset, KY

606-678-4405

Turn Right at Light 1 on 2227, Just North of SomerSplash Water Park

Hours: Monday-Saturday 8am-8pm

Find Us On

Paul’s Discount is a family owned business located on North US 2227 in Somerset, Ky. Located on 5 miles from beautiful Lake Cumberland. Paul’s offers merchandise for the outdoors sportsman, mechanic, contractor or quilter! Phone orders welcomed!

Visit Us Online at www.PaulsDiscount.com

July 2014

Southeastern Kentucky’s first and only taproom

Lake Cumberland has always been a destination for hundreds of thousands of tourists who enjoy the beautiful waters of the lake. With the addition of Tap On Main in Somerset, Kentucky, we now have the perfect formula to make your trip to Lake Cumberland area complete. Tap On Main is the first and only taproom in Southeastern Kentucky and offers a warm, inviting

atmosphere that explores different craft beers from the Bluegrass State and around the world. You will instantly feel at home when you walk through the door as our friendly bar staff welcomes you with some good old-fashioned southern hospitality. The ambiance of the place can best be described as “country class blended with brew culture mentality”. Our menu offers 20 taps of craft beers and ciders accompanied with 50 more bottles of malt beverages to satisfy the pallets of eager beer enthusiasts. We have room for about 70 people inside or you can go outside to enjoy the evening on our patio. We also have a humidor full of cigars for your enjoyment. Enjoy your favorite brew while watching your favorite sports event on one of our four widescreen TVs. Hungry after a day on the lake or the gold course? Tap On Main can

help you out there also. We are located right next to Main Streets Deli and Catering, which offers a wide variety of choices to satisfy your hunger. In business for 25 years, “Main Streets Deli” must be doing something right so you don’t have to worry about the quality of their food. We proudly invite you to come visit us at Tap On Main, located at 601A North Main Street, just up the hill from downtown Somerset. Check us out on our website: www.taponmainst.com, where our beer selection is updated daily. Also check out our Facebook page, “Tap On Main”, or you can follow us on Twitter: @tapmain. Our hours of serving are from 4pm to midnight, Monday through Saturday. Stop in, say hello and taste the freshest, coldest craft beer on tap anywhere around!

Come In Today...Enjoy the Fun!

Tap On Main 16

601 N. Main Street • 606-451-1525

Monday - Saturday 4:00 - 12:00 • www.taponmainst.com Stay & Play

25% off

SELECT OPEN AND COVERED SLIPS

There is no better time than now to join us at Jamestown Resort & Marina! Offers expire 12/31/2014

3677 South Hwy. 92 Jamestown, KY 42629 www.jamestown-marina.com

Houseboat Special - Save up to $400:

Various Sizes Of Open & Covered Slip Rentals Available Cabin & Lodge Rentals • Restaurant • Cafe And Retail For All Your Dining & Shopping Needs

• Save $200 on “The Deluxe” • Save $300 on “The Presidential” • Save $400 on “The First Lady”

Call for Reservations!

1-800-830-5131 or 270-343-5253 Reservations are Subject to Availability. Call for Reservations; Must mention Houseboat Special at time of booking. Not Valid for Damage. Deposit. Tax Not Included. Discount does not apply to July 4th weekend or Poker Run weekend. July 2014

g n i e o n Ca By Edgar Spitzke

A new canoe livery has just begun operating on the lower Cumberland River just south of Burkesville... 18

Stay & Play

The best way to see the lower Cumberland Called “HO4 Canoes”, the name is a take off from the name of the owner of the business, H. O. Johnson. While not a part of the boat storage and upholstery business, “Traces on the Cumberland,” H. O. is using that facility to store his canoes and run his canoe rental business. “Traces on the Cumberland”, being just 2.5 miles south of Burkesville and having its own boat launching ramp, is a convenient place for launching canoe trips down river or for shuttling the canoes up river to the Burkesville public dock for a five mile float downstream to the Traces on the Cumberland ramp. According to Johnson, his location allows him to serve house boaters on Dale Hollow Lake who might like to pull a canoe along for the fun of traveling up creeks, streams, or deep lake pockets where the house boat can’t go, or just for paddling fun around the house boat.

He said he would be renting the canoes for that purpose for $40 for 24 hours. Canoe trips on the river will be just $7 an hour per canoe. If you took the five mile float trip downstream from Burkesville, a straight shot with good flow could get you to the take out ramp in just two to three hours. On the other hand, if you wanted to do some fishing around Bear Creek Island, or explore Bear Creek itself that would take you more time. Bear Creek has enough water and slow enough flow to allow you to paddle up the creek where you can enjoy beautiful scenery and some serious fishing. The trip from Burkesville to the ramp will treat you to sightings of wild turkey, deer and even a bald eagle, since the eagle has a visible nest along the way. At the present time, just starting out with his business, Johnson’s main run will be from Burkesville to the ramp.

His vision for the future is to expand to longer runs, either starting farther upstream or doing downstream runs. Going downstream would be going from the ramp at Traces on The Cumberland to the first possible take out at Cloyd’s Ferry ramp—a distance of 12 miles, and that could be an all day trip. The length of the road shuttles both farther up stream and downstream can be very long and Johnson has yet to work out a cost structure for these longer runs. But, his goal is to eventually expand his runs as he gets the business going. You can call him for more information, or to make reservations for canoeing on the lake or river at 1-270-433-1106.

Pictured left: Brand new canoes are shown here on HO’s hauler, ready to be used as rentals either on Dale Hollow Lake or the Lower Cumberland River.

At Hampton Inn Somerset, “We love having you here”.

4141 S. Highway 27, Somerset, KY 42501

606-676-8855 1-800-HAMPTON

www.somersetky.hamptoninn.com • Newly Renovated • 100% Hampton® Guarantee • Complimentary Hot Breakfast • Outdoor Pool & Spa, with spacious patio area July 2014

• Free Hi Speed Internet • Exercise Facility • All rooms have 32” Flat Panel HDTV, microwave, and minifridge

To say the tremendous success of the Don Franklin dealership in Somerset is Heaven-sent would not be much of an exaggeration. “Business has exploded, and most of the credit goes to the Franklin family for their Christian beliefs and strong ethics. Eddie Franklin (son of Don) stresses the hiring of people who share his value system of always putting the customer first,” says Joe D. Cummins, general sales manager. “Good things come to people with strong faith, and we are thankful and blessed to be able to offer our customers a new facility that will be second to none in this part of the state,” adds Chris McWilliams, sales manager. It’s impossible not to notice work that has been done at the dealership on U.S. 27, across from Tradewind Shopping Center. Every inch of the property is being excavated and buildings demolished to make way for a state-of-the art facility that will see the number of vehicles offered for sale nearly doubled. The new building will include one of the largest retail showrooms in the area. Service space will also more than double and include 18 service bays with inground lifts. Four detail bays will be added; two service drives that will

allow for customers to remain in their vehicle while talking with the service manager; customer lounge with all the comforts of home, including Internet access; and play area for children. Upset with slow service when you go for an oil change? That won’t be happening at the all new Don Franklin Somerset facility. There will be two oil change lanes, and if work isn’t completed in 30 minutes or less, you don’t pay. One of the most popular features is likely to be an automatic on-site car wash with a free vacuum open to the public 24/7. “This is a major investment in the local economy and something that’s being done for the ease of use for our customers,” says Eddie Thompson, general manager. Don Franklin is the second largest dealer group in Kentucky, with locations all around Somerset. Many Somerset residents had been customers of Don Franklin for years, traveling to places like Columbia and Russell Springs before the local store opened. In just four years, brisk business at the Somerset location has earned the opportunity for it to be the crown jewel of all 12 dealerships. Plans call for the updating of one additional store each year. Employees of Don Franklin appreciate their employer’s stressing putting family in the forefront. “If you don’t see the vehicle you’re looking for, just ask,” says McWilliams, noting that Don Franklin has one of the largest variety of used vehicles in the state. The entire inventory can be seen by viewing the company’s Web site, www.donfranklinauto.com “We encourage potential customers to review the vehicles on the Web site and then contact their local dealer,” says Cummins. We, the Franklin family, look forward to many more years of serving our loyal and faithful customers. We invite you to just stop by and say “hello” any time.

Stay & Play

July 2014

The Center for Rural Development By Elizabeth Burton The

Center for Rural Development is

the premier entertainment venue in the Appalachian region, providing year-round activities, theatrical performances, musical concerts, art exhibits and more. Long recognized for its performing arts focus, The Center partners with Lake Cumberland Performing Arts to bring extraordinary performances to the stage as part of Center Stage and School Time Theatre performances. Recently voted as 2014 Best Local Performing Arts venue by readers of Kentucky Living Magazine, The Center attracts national touring groups for off-Broadway performances at half the ticket prices of other performing arts venues. School Time Theatre provides educational and entertaining performances that delight students, while at the same time aligning with thematic learning content and common core standards. During the summer months, residents and vacationers from all over the U.S. enjoy many community and musical events at The Center. Whether it’s performances from country music stars like Bryan White,

Let Us Entertain You

Big Band musicians Young at Heart or bluegrass legend Ralph Stanley, there’s something for everyone. The Center also hosts free community events during the summer months like KidsFest, where the whole family can play games, take a slide down an inflatable, and watch fish and wildlife demonstrations. Or, kids ages 6-11 can attend the Virginia Murrell Summer Art Camp for fun workshops in art, music, theatre, and dance. If you’re a sports or health enthusiast, sign up for the Rogers Scholars 5K Glow th Walk/Run that will be held on August 16 . Proceeds will help provide leadership and college scholarship opportunities for youth. For a fun night out after a day at the lake, take a class as part of Cuisine Couture– Cooking at The Center, where you learn new techniques for cooking and you get to taste the food too! For a complete listing of activities at The Center, call 606-677-6000 or email news@centertech.com to be added to the

events email distribution list.

July  Art Exhibit by Somerset photographer Gary Compton, July 3-Oct. 3  KidsFest “Green Means Go!”, July 12  Virginia Murrell Summer Art Camp, July 14-17  Daryle Singletary “Rockin’ in the Country” benefit concert with special guests Blue Collar Rebels, July 25  Cuisine Couture – Cooking at The Center, cooking classes, demonstrations and tastings, July-Nov.

August  Benefit concert featuring Barbara Fairchild and Roy Morris, with special guests Maryann Callarman and Junior Smith, Aug. 7  KidsFest Back to School Bash!, Aug. 9  SPG Concerts present gospel music concert featuring Jeff and Sheri Easter, The Nelons and Risen, Aug. 29  Rogers Scholars 5K Walk/Run, Aug. 16

September  KidsFest Harvest Time!, Sept. 13  Ralph Stanley & the Clinch Mountain Boys, Sept. 19  Tom Siple Foundation Benefit Concert featuring Nashville recording artists Randy Paul and Chloe Goss, Sept. 26

We Change People’s Lives

The Center brings people together from across the Appalachian region and beyond. As the premier performing arts and event venue in Southern and Eastern Kentucky, The Center is a year-round hub of activity, hosting off-Broadway performing arts series, special concerts, and events that enrich, entertain, and inspire the imagination of people of all ages. Some of entertainment’s biggest names like musical greats Ralph Stanley, Merle Haggard, Riders in the Sky, Bryan White and Percy Sledge have performed to thousands in The Center’s exhibit halls and 760-seat theatre. The Center also offers comprehensive, professional event management services for conferences, trade shows, special events, weddings, luncheons, training programs and board meetings.

The Center’s mission is to provide leadership that stimulates innovative and sustainable economic development solutions and a better way of life for the citizens we serve.

We help people feel safer through public safety initiatives Let people tap into their creative spirit through the arts Empower people through leadership education opportunities Give people access through

advanced technology

2292 South Highway 27 | Somerset, KY 42501 | Phone: (606) 677-6000 | Fax: (606) 677-6010 | Email: info@centertech.com 22

Stay & Play

Relief from the Heat The warm weather is here finally and so now is the time to head for SomerSplash Water Park north of Somerset. SomerSplash is outstanding in its many features you can enjoy. SomerSplash features include 20 acres of family fun, with one of the longest lazy rivers in Kentucky, a 20,000 square foot wave pool, forty-foot single and double rider tube slides and three forty-foot tall waterslides. The kiddie play pool has several water spouts and a tipping bucket. In 2010 a bowl slide, a speed slide and a wading pool were added to the park. The water park is located at 1030 Ky. Hwy 2227 (Old U.S. 27) just south of Paul’s Discount Sporting Store. The park is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Sundays from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. There are several admission and ticket options. The “Ride ‘N’ Slide” price of $14.95 admits you to everything in the park— all the slides, wave pool, kiddie play and lay river. You must be at least 48” tall to qualify for that ticket. The “Half” Splash” admission of $12.95 is for guests under 48” tall or who wish not to ride the large slides. It allows entry to the wave pool, kiddie play and lazy river. “Dry Dock” price is $3 and is for those who wish to enter the park, but not get into the water and just sit pool side. Children two and under are free with an adult purchasing park admission (not including an adult Dry Dock). A half price admission to the park is available for the

July 2014

By Edgar Spitzke

“Ride ‘N’ Slide” and the “Half Splash” if you enter the park after 4 p.m. and that admission is $10 (Except on SomerBlast day). SomerBlast is the park’s celebration of Independence day, July 5, when there will be fireworks and special live-entertainment and the park doesn’t close until midnight. Season passes are available with different rates during the year. Passes begin to be sold in November and the price is $49.95 through March. From April through May 15 season passes are $59.95 and from May 16 season passes are $69.95. Season passes can be purchased anytime after May 16 for $69.95. Payment plans are available for the earlier purchased passes. All admissions and passes are sold plus tax. Groups and birthday parties can be arranged also. The outdoor pool located outside the Somerset Family Fitness Center (old YMCA), has been open and is also being operated by the City of Somerset and SomerSplash Waterpark. Hours are Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m. for June and July. Admission is $5 per person and it is $2 per person if you own a SomerSplash season pass. Children two and under are free. This outdoor pool will be closed during the SomerBlast festivities. Phone 606-679-7946 for more information or to purchase advance passes.

Discover Eagle’s Nest Golf Course By Edgar Spitzke This issue’s advertisement and accompanying story announces that the Eagle’s Nest Golf Course is open to the public 7 days a week Being a premier golf course, that is great news. But there is also great news in that the board of directors of the Eagle’s Nest Country Club has opened it’s memberships to persons who live outside of the resort property! For almost 40 years Eagle’s Nest has operated as a private club, with private club facilities. With advancing age of the facilities, need for renovations, etc., the board of directors of the club saw the fiscal advantages of opening up memberships to a wider audience to bring in the revenues they needed to accomplish renovation and modernization goals. Talking to Dave Weddle, a resident at

Eagles Nest and a new board member of the Club, he outlined the changes to memberships. It appears that over the years all kinds of membership promotions were offered—some badly outdated— and, really, the board needed to look at streamlining memberships for the benefit of everyone. Dave illustrated the problem with the old system as causing a situation where a single membership, with auxiliary charges, could cost more than a family membership. So, basically, memberships have been streamlined to four, Platinum, Gold, Silver and Junior Silver. There are other variations we’ll explain. The big news is that non residents can buy into any of these memberships, with their specific benefits and privileges. Let’s talk about “Junior Memberships”. This is for heads of households 35 or younger. It is in the category of the Silver

Membership. This is a family plan which includes unlimited golf, pool, tennis and fitness equipment use. The yearly membership is $1,200 or $100 a month. Billing is done on a monthly basis. Just think, you can have a club membership at Eagle’s Nest for only $100 a month, billed monthly! Those older than 35 can still get the Silver category of membership at $1400 a year, or $117 billed monthly. The Silver category allows you to schedule a private party use of the club facilities once during the year too. The Platinum membership, also open to anyone, even a non-resident, is the ultimate of membership plans. For new members it costs $2650 a year or $221 a month It is called the ”everything plan” since it covers all club charges, unlimited golf, unlimited range, unlimited Cart which includes rental, rolling fees and

Stay & Play

storage, if needed, pool, tennis, fitness center and one clubhouse rental, one pool rental and a friends golf package of 6 rounds of golf, including cart fees for non-members. The Gold membership plan is $1750 yearly, or $146 month and includes unlimited golf, unlimited range, pool, tennis, fitness and one clubhouse rental. For this year, the Board of Directors has worked diligently to create a new, simplified dues structure. Their goal has been to create value in each level of membership and to open the membership to persons living outside The large beautiful pool at Eagle’s Nest Country Club, shown here with a diver, is one of the amenities the resort area. that can be enjoyed with club membership.

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La Fiesta Grande offers wide variety of menu choices By Edgar Spitzke Pioneering into the Mexican Scene for Somerset restaurants is the now newly remodeled La Fiesta Grande, located between lights 9 and 10 along U.S. 27 and beside the northside Pizza Hut. Owner and Chef, El Pidio Escabar, has a long history in the restaurant business, working with his cousins as early as the l950’s in the Los Angeles area. El Pidio struck out on his own, opening restaurants in Tennessee, and Frankfort, Ky. He looked at Lexington and Morehead as possibilities, but settled on Somerset instead. He opened his restaurant in Somerset in 2001. Since then, the restaurant has undergone a complete remodeling, from a modest décor, to a heavily Mexican style restaurant with a bar. A newly added outdoor deck beckons visitors who want the freedom to smoke, which they can do outdoors. The outdoor deck also offers patrons a dinner atmosphere with music and on occasion, a mariochee band. Mariochee bands are popular in Mexico at dinner places and La Fiesta Grande promises to have them entertain on every other weekend starting on June 5. Since our publication date is June 26, you would be able to dine and enjoy a live band on July 3. El Pidio, in an interview,

Owner and chef at LaFiesta, El Pidio Escabar, is shown here in front of his restaurant at the entrance to the newly completed outside deck eating area.

stressed that La Fiesta Grande does not preprepare its food, but offers all its entrees as fresh, with the preparation starting at the time of order. Even so, it offers a wide variety of menu choices from a host of appetizers, to selections from steaks and seafood in abundance. Daily specials start at only $6.60 including drinks plus tax. The menu offers a

wide variety of appetizers from guacamole dip from $3.75 to skin potatoes at 8.99. Soups are in the $5 range and salads go from a fresh tossed salad at $3.25 to seafood and fajita taco salads to $9. Really a full meal, a Fajita Taco Salad with a 12 inch flour tortilla fried and filled with grilled chicken or steak, mixed with grilled peppers and onions, garnished with lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream and cheddar cheese, at $7.75 is a meal! With seafood the Salad includes shrimp, scallops and fish for only $8.99. Lunch entrees are even less! For Steak food lovers La Casa specialties include Acapulco Steak, Fiesta T-bone Steak Mexicano and other offerings There are several chicken dinner offerings. Pork dinners and a host of sea food offerings including Fish Tacos, Grilled Tilapia with Shrimp & spinach, grilled salmon for only $10.99 and their Camarones al Mojo de Ajo with grilled jumbo shrimp marinated in special garlic and cooked to perfection, garnished with lettuce, tomatoes an garlic butter, served with mexican rice, for only $11.25. A popular fish specialty is their Fiesta Grilled Fish which is grilled mahi, mahi, with mixed vegetables and choice of fries or Parmesan-bacon mashed potatoes.

La Fiesta Grande MEXICAN GRILL AND BAR Owner & Chef El Pidio Escobar

Daily Lunch & Dinner Specials DAILY DRINK SPECIALS FULL SERVICE BAR

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918 S. Hwy 27 • Somerset, KY

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Located next to Pizza Hut North • Turn left at Light #10

Open: Mon.-Thurs. 11 am - 10 pm; Fri. & Sat. 11 am - 11 pm Sunday 11 am - 9 pm

made to order great food! 26

Stay & Play

A host of choices in area bed and breakfasts By Edgar Spitzke The Lake Cumberland area has a host of choices for accommodations for visitors. There are high-end and middle class hotel and motel offerings, resorts, cabins, camping areas, (both primitive and modern). There is one kind of accommodation that is unique and might even be tried on a one-time basis, just to have the experience. We are talking about choosing a “bed and breakfast” location for an evening or more stay. When I was traveling with my family from Chicago to New York City in the early 50’s there were no

Fairchild’s Bed and Breakfast, LLC

July 2014

Acorn and Fox Inn interstates (all two lane highways) and very few motels. “Tourist Homes” as they were then called, were, perhaps, the beginnings of the bed and breakfast type accommodations. Tourist homes were large houses that could accommodate several guests in separate bedrooms, but sharing a common bathroom. Today’s “bed and breakfasts” depart from that scenario by offering more luxurious accommodations with private baths and with an emphasis on the family-type breakfast offered all the guests. Researching the Bed and Breakfasts in the Lake Cumberland Area, brings us to several very different types and offerings. Let us list them for you with each of their unique appeals. Acorn and Fox Inn: This is an upscale inn, with an amazing view, on the cliffs above the South Fork of beautiful Lake 27

fast

ed and Break

Raven’s Nest B

Cumberland. It is located on seven acres of wooded lake front just outside of Somerset and Burnside, Kentucky. Acorn and Fox Inn offers a Romantic Hideaway, king size beds, fireplaces and private jucuzzi tubs. Phone calls for reservations are preferred and you can call toll-free at 888-561-7755. E-mail is www.acornandfoxinn.com. Al Noble is the owner, Nancy Bigelow the Inn Keeper and Michelle Harmon the event planner. Bed and breakfasts often put a lot of emphasis on their breakfasts and the Acorn and Fox Inn is no exception. They boast a “lavish breakfast offered in their large and lovely dining room, or if you prefer, their outside deck. Breakfast is served at 9 each morning. A typical breakfast 28

table would include biscuits and bacon, homemade breakfast cake, quiche, greens and fresh fruit with delectable crème fraiche topping. Imagine: you can also start your morning with breakfast served to you in bed. Also, at Acorn and Fox Inn, a wonderful selection of teas and cookies are served all day. Fairchild’s Bed and Breakfast, LLC: Located at 295 South Main Street in Monticello, the emphasis at this bed and breakfast might be it’s historical connection with Monticello. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2008, the Fairchild House is a low Queen Anne Victorian house custom built for the prominent Monticello merchant, W. F. Fairchild. Renovated and turned

into a bed & breakfast, it features beautiful woodwork, seven original fireplaces, numerous Victorian furnishings and antiques, a wraparound porch and sections of original wall papering. Accommodations include three upstairs rooms, each with individual fireplaces and each with it’s own private bath. One room has a king bed, another a queen and the third a full-sized iron bed. Room rates are $115 single or double occupancy and includes a full Southern breakfast. Contact number is 606-348-5555 and web site is www.fairchildsbb.com. DRaven’s Nest Bed and Breakfast: Raven’s Nest Bed and Breakfast is located at 364 Eagle Creek Drive in Wayne County. This Stay & Play

beautiful log cabin nestled in the woods offers accommodations in three suites, perfect for married couples. Two suites are equipped with an efficiency kitchen (stove, refrigerator, and a microwave oven), queen sized bed, a Jacuzzi and other fine amenities. They also feature a covered, screened-in front porch…a picnic setting with table and comfortable chairs, plus a barbecue grill. A third suite with a small bathroom is available as needed. They can host retreats for small groups (8-10 people). Innkeeper Ranny Grady is a licensed marriage and family therapist and offers the “Romancing the Stone” spiritual

communications retreat. Their rate is $110 a night including a full breakfast. For reservations you can phone 606-343-0018 or Email: rmgrady@windstream.net. Eagles View Bed and Breakfast: Eagles View Bed and Breakfast is located at 45 Glen Eagle Drive, Burnside. This very large rustic looking home features three rooms, their Majestic Retreat Suite, Eagles View Room and Angel Room. All three have queen beds and private bath with access to the home’s hot tub. The first has a refrigerator, microwave oven and table and chairs for private dining. They all have flat screen TVs and

private outdoor patios where people can sit and enjoy the views. They offer several special packages such as wedding, honey moon, etc., and it is best to get on their website to see all that is offered there. In fact, to get the best view of how they operate and to view the rooms and amenities, including the kinds of breakfasts they serve, Eagles View’s website has a video presentation that is excellent and inviting. Phone Deborah or Gary Denhoft, innkeepers, at 606-561-7834, toll free 1-877-767-9966. Website is www.eaglesviewbnb.com.

fast ed and Break

Eagle’s Nest B

July 2014

• Daily Green Fees • Memberships Available • Out of County Memberships • Bunkers Grille Open Daily (Lunch/Dinner)

• Tournaments / Outings • Weddings • Senior Events (Monday Mornings)

• Weekly Scrambles (Tuesday Evenings)

• Junior Golf 500 Lily Creek Resort Road • Jamestown, KY 42629 • 270.343.GOLF (4653) Pro Shop • 270.343.4898 (Fax)

www.lakecumberlandgolfclub.com • Follow us on Facebook 30

Stay & Play

Let Our Realtors Work For You! Phone: (606) 679-4316 Fax: (606) 678-0149 4311 S. Hwy 27, Suite 1 Somerset, KY 42501 Mike Whitaker Broker

Visit us online at:

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Eagle Realty is your one stop for all your Real Estate needs! Lakeview and Vacation homes, Residential Sales & Leasing, Commercial Sales & Leasing, Commercial Development, Property Management, and Warehouse Services.

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110 Stillwater Boulevard

Lakefront lot on Lake Cumberland located in Stillwater Subdivision. Features underground utilities, putting green, and mini parks. $26,000 MLS #17372

July 2014

1123 Lewis Bray Road

Unique home built in 2007, feels like you are on the water! Tons of deck space to enjoy the view and entertain guests! $199,900 MLS #16818

559 Shimmering Moon

Stunningly beautiful lake view home with some truly amazing touches! 6 bedrooms, including 2 master suites, and 3 patios to relax and enjoy the view! $660,000 MLS #18666

Stay & Play

July 2014

Check out our happenings on Facebook!

The Lake Level is up ... and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re waiting on you!

Stay & Play

CC’s Furniture... Lots in store behind the red door

By Edgar Spitzke

Located at the intersection of U.S. 27 and Oak Hill Road, Light #11, furniture shoppers will be impressed with the tastefully arranged furniture groups. Owned and operated by Danny and Charlie Crawford of Somerset, this husband and wife team have been in business in the Somerset area since l999. Striking out at a new venture in 2011 they opened CC’s Furniture. While not having been in the furniture business before, according to Danny, Charlie has really found her nitch in that field. Company reps have been amazed at Charlie’s talents in buying and selling, as though she has been doing that for years. Charlie asserts it is really a team effort for she and her husband as well as the sales staff they have assembled. CC’s inventory includes lots and lots of area rugs starting with 5x8 to whole room size. Mattresses start at $199 for a queen set. A new lighting gallery is in

the making since they recognize that the right lighting can completely change the looks of a room. As to the furniture floor displays, they want to keep things small to make it easier for customers to choose. Danny also attributes their successes to how they treat their customers. He said

they value every customer that comes in and treat them that way. Easy financing is available for all their customers, even for those who have had credit problems. If you haven’t visited this new store, do it. You’ll be impressed at what’s behind the red door!

The front entrance to CC’s Furniture store is stylish and sets the tone for what you will see inside.

NOW OFFERING: Living Room Suites, Bedroom Suites, Rugs, Lamps, Tables, Unique Wall Art, Chandeliers, Designer Floral Arrangements, In-House Floral Designer, Custom Floral Arrangements, TV’s, & More!

COME IN AND SEE OUR LIGHTING GALLERY! July 2014

Go Cart

Racing

Looking for something new to do while in the Lake Cumberland Area? Do you like racing competition? If so, there is a new racetrack in Wayne County. It features go-kart racing and is called Spring Water Kart Way. A sign at the intersection of Ky. 90 and Ky. 1806 (Wright Hollow Road) alerts passersby to the fact that there are races every Friday night...

By Edgar Spitzke

There offâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;as the go carts hit the track at the new Spring Water Kartway in Wayne County.

Stay & Play

A must do activity for any vacation

Located at 1040 Wright Hollow Road, you continue on Ky. 1806 past the end of State Maintenance, go over a small bridge and you are there. Actually there are two tracks there, the original and first one is for the Wright Hollow Horse Park. It features monthly horse shows from April through October on the 3rd Saturday each month, with gates opening at 4 and show beginning at 7 p.m. There is bleacher seating and a refreshment stand and lights for after dark. The horse show features 18 events including pole and barrel competitions. There are entry fees for those participating and an admission fee of $10 for spectators. Using the same entrance as for the Horse Park, the kart raceway is located just beyond the horse track. There are also bleachers for spectators and the admission fee is the same for viewers of the kart races as for the horse show, $10. The refreshment stand at the horse track is open for the kart races.

Gate opens at 4 p.m. and races start at 7. While this is the 1st year for having races at the Spring Water Kart Way, according to owner, Carter Gregory, attendance is steadily improving as well as number of participants. There are several classes and the racing goes on from 7 until all classes have had their runs with races run under lights after dark and up to Midnight. There are several Rookie classes for junior drivers from ages 5 to 15 for both “Clone” and “Flathead” classes. Other classes are divided into Lite, Medium and Heavy according to the weight of the driver and kart combined. While I have ridden go-karts at amusement places like Pigeon Forge, and they are fun to ride, the karts used in the races are different. They are not two passenger and their speed is not governed. The racing karts are smaller, very low to the ground and rely on special back wheels for grip and traction to run on a dirt track. The track is also

wet down to help with traction. It appears the amusement of watching these races and participating in them is growing with several tracks being opened in south-central Kentucky. Another track west of Monticello, off Ky 90 and before the Otter Creek bridge has races on Saturday nights with races starting at 8 p.m. At Spring Water Kart Way, cash prizes are awarded winners of the races from the entry fees and according to the number of participants. There are sponsors for race tracks and Conley Bottom Resort is a sponsor of the Spring Water Track. Many tracks have special races with large prizes, some guaranteeing as much as a $500 prize or more. For more information you can call “Mary” at 606-307-1072 or “Brandon” at 606-307-4944. And you are invited to check them out on their website, www. springwaterkartway.com and facebook @springwaterkartway.

C&P MARINE Since 1963

606-561-4949 Sandy Hancock

2988 Hwy 90 Bronston, KY 42518 - Owner • Dewight Baker - Certified Technician

If you are looking for quality then look no further than C&P Marine

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Paradise Buyer’s

FURNITURE

5210 South Hwy 27, Stop Light #28 Somerset, KY 42501

(606) 679-8051

Hours: Monday-Saturday 10-6 buyersparadise.biz

Great Style Doesn’t Have To Be Expensive!

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Paradise Buyer’s

CLEARANCE CENTER

Light #28 on South Hwy. 27, Somerset Located in the Old Sharpe Houseboat Building Open Wednesday - Saturday 10-6

50-80

% OFF

Stay & Play

Bernetta Walker, home furnishing specialist, and Michelle Bachmann, design professional, are shown here in the store’s design center with manager and CEO, Brian Wilson.

Buyers Paradise makes buying a pleasant experience

Buyers Paradise, was voted Best of the Best, Furniture Store, in the Commonwealth-Journal Reader’s Choice awards, for 2014. There are lots of reasons for having that distinction— something that brings customers to the Somerset/Burnside store from several counties around Pulaski County and from as far away as 200 miles. According to Brian Wilson, store manager and company CEO, for the 20 plus years they have been in business, their motto and policy has been “the customer is #1”. With 30,000 square feet of showroom space, Buyers Paradise is well stocked to give the customer a large selection and many ideas for decorating their homes. Their wide selection has been carefully displayed to appeal to all tastes and budgets They also carry the top brands for the best values in the region. In addition,, they have on hand knowledgeable staff to help customers, including a professional decorator and a professional designer. A section of the store is devoted to help customers with their choices and they will do free “in-house” consultations. Much of their sales come from custom design and ordering. According to Wilson, they also have the largest selection of the latest mattress technology, giving another reason for being Southeastern Kentucky’s premium destination for both furniture and mattresses. They offer all the new mattress styles, from memory foam to gels and hybrid technology that combines different features. Buyers Paradise makes buying pleasant and easy with 0 percent financing and without credit checks. Buyers Paradise has continued to grow and expand, opening a store in Corbin, Kentucky and also opening a “Clearance Center”, across from their flagship location in what used to be the Sharpe Houseboat manufacturing facility on South U.S. 27. The Clearance Center adds another 20,000 square feet of furniture and mattress displays with clearance prices of 50% off retail. If you haven’t visited the Buyers Paradise Store or the new clearance center, you are invited to come and browse. July 2014

The perfect pontoons to get family and friends together for endless excitement or pure relaxation.

• Sales (New & Pre-owned) • Parts • Service (Marina Pickup & Delivery Available) • Boat Butler Service (Launch/Fuel/Dock & Store) 2624 S. Highway 127, Russell Springs, KY 39

Burnside Marina and Woodson Bend Resort partner for the Perfect Vacation Getaway on Lake Cumberland! Burnside Resort and Marina is a full-service marina that provides several ways to indulge in the great outdoor activities Lake Cumberland has to offer with houseboat, ski boat, pontoon boat, and boat slip rentals as well as a full calendar of exciting social events. Burnside is the perfect home away from home and place to be for social events on the lake. Woodson Bend Resort is located on a scenic 455 acre peninsula high above and surrounded by Lake Cumberland in southeastern Kentucky. Your view of heavily wooded foothills, the emerald green lake and limestone palisades rising over 300 feet above the water makes for a delightful setting for your vacation. We have over 480 privately owned condos on the resort with many available for rent throughout the year. Woodson Bend Resort and Burnside Marina are the perfect combination to ensure your vacation is everything you dreamed it could be.

Play & Stay on Lake Cumberland! www.woodsonbendresort.com

(800) 872-9825 or (606) 561-5300 (Rentals/Reservations) (606) 561-5311 (General Information)

Like us on FaceBook for specials and events at Burnside Marina and Woodson Bend Resort!

www.burnsidemarina.com (855) 974-5545 or (606) 561-4223 (Rentals/Reservations)

Stay & Play

Lakeway Storage

Exceeding clients needs Howard Flynn, owner of Lakeway Storage, located on Hwy. 90, Bronston, Kentucky, started his business 29 years ago. Lakeway Storage has 407 storage units, mini storage, boat storage and R.V. storage. The business offers 24-hour access service, gated entry and camera surveillance. Office hours for Lakeway Storage are 9-5 Monday thru Friday and 9-2 Saturday. They are on call 24 hours and can be reached at 606-561-6345. U-Haul services are also available. Lakeway Storage not only wants to meet, but exceed, our clients needs.

Howard and Brenda Shelton Flynn, owners

Low Rates • Security Entrance Gate • 24/7 Access Super Location 1 1/2 Mikes from Hwy 90/27 Intersection

2266 W. Hwy. 90 • Bronston, KY 42518 1-888-561-6345 • 606-561-6345

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s e t i n r e m o S ’ n i s i Cru By Edgar Spitzke With the Somernites cruise this year starting with a record attendance in April and high numbers again for May, this weekend’s cruise is promising to be a big one too. May attendance was 1064 showcars and trucks, with l67 first time cruisers from 11 states. So, what can we look forward to for the rest of the season? Always on the fourth weekend of the month, the remaining Somernites Cruises will be on July 26, August 23, September 27 and October 25. Some features are the same for each month.

Each cruise weekend starts with a “Tune Up” on Thursday evening from 7 p.m. on to ?? at the new Steak and Shake on U.S. 278 at light 16B. Described as a time to just relax, swap tales of other cruises, it is also a time to treat yourself to ice cream sodas and shakes. The Friday regular “Meet and Greet/Q97” is scheduled from noon to 2 p.m. at Danny’s Rod Shop north of Somerset on U.S. 27 each month. The Friday night Thunder, the name of the new Friday Night Block Party will continue to be held each month at the parking lot of the Somerset Mall, with hundreds of showcars and trucks,

refreshments, live entertainment and a kid’s zone with rides. The Saturday fun runs have different destinations each month with July’s run being to the Gator Made Trailer manufacturing facility. August’s destination is yet to be arranged, however the September Fun Run is scheduled and that is going to Haney’s Appledale Farm. The season’s final trip will be to Cumberland Fall’s State Resort Park. Each Somernites Cruise for the rest of the season will feature different showcases, actually being like a show within a show. July’s special showcase

Stay & Play

is called “Corvette Summer” and all kinds of models of Corvettes will be on display for that weekend. Clubs are encouraged to use the cruise as an opportunity to have a miniclub meet or group outing. For clubs who do so, arrangements can be made to group their club participants together in the same area. This year’s August showcase promises to be special. With this year being the 50th anniversary of the mustang, Mustang Alley promises to be big! Last year’s Mustang Alley was huge with 643 mustangs in the show case area—a record. So, with this being the 50th anniversary of the Mustang, show sponsors are shooting for a record 1000 or more mustangs. Special collector’s posters will be given out at the entrance gate to the first 1000 mustangs that enter the special VIP gate.

233 Parkers Mill Way, Somerset, KY

606-802-2800

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Turn Right At Light No. 22

The Friday night block party is gaining in popularity with more than 400 show cars regularly attend the festivities ahead of the Saturday Show and Shine portion of the Somernites Cruise.

September is this year’s month for the Power Cruise. The Power Cruise has groups of cars leaving Chattanooga, Cincinnati, Bowling Green, Louisville, Nashville, Pikeville and places in between with the goal of rolling into the Show and Shine around noon. The record attendance for past Power Cruises was 1,843 showcars and trucks back in 2007. With this being the 9th annual Power Cruise, the cruise promoters are hoping for a new record year. October will be the last month of Somernites Cruises for the season with the specialty area being Tri-Fives, Bel-Airs, Nomads, 210 coupes, wagons and more. The red carpet will be rolled out for 1955, 56 and 57 chevys who will join this show within a show. Of course, the big give aways are left for this last show. At 6 p.m. Saturday there will a drawing at the square for the Gator Made car hauling trailer. Then shortly thereafter, no later than 6:30, the 2014 raffle car drawing will be held. Some lucky person will win this year’s 1967 Chevy Camaro, sponsored by Don Franklin, tires and wheels by Coker Tires, and engine by Holly Performance. Tickets for the drawing have been available for purchase at each cruise through the season with the October drawing being the season’s special event. Winners do not have to be present to win. July 2014

New merchandise arriving weekly! Designer Clothing, Jewelery, Hats, Scarves and Sunglasses at Deeply Discounted Prices!

111 West Hwy. 80, Suite E, Somerset, Ky. 42503 Corner of West 80 & Langdon Street 43

Todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Quality Furniture... Tomorrowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Family Heirloom By Edgar Spitzke South Fork Furniture is a family owned business in Casey County in the beautiful and picturesque Amish and Old-Order Mennonite country where horses are still used for farming and for pulling the buggies and wagons used for transportation. The business of over 25 years started in an old barn, but now is contained in a very neat and beautiful store with 7,000 square feet of space. Located at 2644 South Fork Creek Road, directions from Somerset would take you west on the Cumberland Parkway to Exit #78 (Nancy Exit), Turn right at the end of the ramp onto Ky 80, go 7.3 miles and turn right on Ky 910. From there continue another 6 miles and turn right on South Fork Creek Road. The furniture store is located 2.5 miles on the right. The first thing you will see is a large

The inviting and beautifully landscaped entrance to the South Fork Furniture store near Liberty shows an Amish buggy on the front porch along with a selection of wooded swings of various kinds of wood and a large selection of outdoor porch rockers.

606.787.9568

Stay & Play

porch with swings and outdoor furniture ready to load. Inside, you will be taken aback by the many displays of hand-crafted, solid wood furniture for every room in your house. The furniture is made in small family operated Amish wood shops having from 2 to 8 craftsmen. The furnishings are not mass produced, but ordered and custom made for the South Fork Furniture store. All furniture is Amish made in the USA. The solid wood furniture is made from many different woods, walnut, maple, cherry, oak, elm, hickory, pine, and quarter-sawn white oak. There are bedroom, dining room, and living room sets, kitchen furniture, office furniture, including roll top desks, coffee and end table sets, old style Hoosier furniture and breakfast nooks, even some items in “Rustic Cedar”. You can buy off the showroom floor or have any style of furniture custom made based on a drawing or picture. You can also buy a set of furniture in a style on the showroom floor, but in a different wood or stain. South Fork Furniture has a selection of clocks, games, handcrafted canes and walking sticks, wind chimes, rugs, kerosene lamps, baskets, and other small gifts. Their stated goal is to have the best quality merchandise at unbeatable prices. South Fork Furniture is closed Sundays and Tuesdays and open the other days of the week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Their motto is “Today’s quality furniture becomes tomorrow’s family heirloom.” You are invited to check out their website, www.SouthForkFurniture.com.

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Inside the South Fork Furniture store is display living room groups with Amish made wooden accessories, full dining room sets of tables and chairs, hutches, book shelves, cabinets and more. The heirloom quality of their Amish wood products is a real display of craftsmanship.

July 2014

he N t Are Ride T anagemen ground M p e f m li a d C Wil End Trails

Coffee & Bicycles... Somerset’s Newest Addition Ugly Mugz and Southern Performance Center are the newest addition to Somerset for the coffee lover and/or bicycle enthusiast. Open Mon-Thurs from 6am-8pm and Fri-Sat 6am11pm getting your fix – whether for caffeine or bicycle, just got easier. The convenient location at 520 Monticello Street allows for easy access without all the headache of traffic. Ugly Mugz offers a full menu of high quality coffee products produced from coffee beans roasted in Kentucky, as well as smoothies, frappes, bakery items, and paninis. The baristas are friendly and many will liven up your drink with some latte art. The drive thru allows for an easy caffeine fix for anyone in a hurry. While you are here, make sure you check out the Pay It Forward board. Helping to spread some love, the Pay It Forward board allows customers to buy a drink for someone in the future. You determine who the drink is for, and what drink

they get. And who knows, you may have a free drink waiting for you! Southern Performance Center offers the bicyclist a place to come, relax, and pick up any items they may need for their bike – or even a new bike. Offering cycling kits, helmets, gloves, sunglasses, nutritional items, and bicycles, you are sure to find all your needs at Southern Performance Center. And while you are here, schedule a bike fit on the Retul system. This system turns your comfort on your bicycle into a mathematic equation, allowing the Retul fit specialists to transform you and your bicycle. You determine if you prefer to ride for comfort or aggressively, and the fit specialists will adjust your bicycle for a better fit. Does your bicycle need some tuning up? On staff mechanics will be happy to help with any repairs or mechanical adjustments you may require.

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We service all of Lake Cumberland 24 Hours a Day • All Year Long We are fully insured, employ only licensed captains and have the proper equipment to provide service to any boat on the lake. Marine Assist is also a fully equipped marine salvage service provider. We raise sunken boats and work with all insurance companies on those claims. Marine salvage is not covered by the membership program.

Visit www.marineassistky.com or call 877-662-2555 (877 ON CALL LC) for more details or to sign up for service today. July 2014

Extreme sightseeing with OHV trails By Edgar Spitzke Some of the pictures accompanying this article show some of the extremes in four-wheeling, but it is not all that. I talked with Curtis and Heather Smith, who actively associate with a group of four-wheelers and bikers. While they personally go for the more extreme challenges of four-wheeling (steep grades, mud holes, boulder fields, etc.), they also enjoy the relaxation of stopping to view beautiful vistas and other scenic splendors that only four-wheeling or dirt biking could bring you to. In this article, we will try to give an overview of various kinds of trails that are open to OHV’s (Off Highway Vehicles) provided by Federal and local agencies, but also other trails in open forest lands that can be accessed and used for OHV fun not managed by government agencies. In hiking you expend a lot of energy in walking the trails and, let’s face it, you just can’t get around to all the scenic splendors in this area. This is where motor vehicles excel in getting you there. With a dirt bike or four wheeler you can traverse miles and miles of

Some like it muddy and challenging as we see in this picture.

trails and peruse streams, water falls, rock houses, arches, small lakes in the woods, and much more you could not do on foot. For example, let’s look at a map provided by Travis Smith. (show map).

OHV riders take a break below a rock house cliff that is part of the beautiful scenery you can see in off road exploring.

If you have a four-wheeler you can stop at the old Hancock Store on Ky 200 in Wayne County near the Wayne, Clinton and Tennessee lines. The store in front is closed, but the Hancock Sandwich shop in back of the store caters to fourwheelers, provides parking and security and maps of the area. They charge $6 for the map and $5 per buggy for parking. The map you can purchase outlines all the trails in the mountainous area in the Powersburg and Slick Ford areas of Wayne County that are very mountainous and remote. Trails outlined in light green are for moderate and easy traffic. The trails in blue are for intermediate skills, while those shown in red are the most challenging and for only experienced riders. You can see from this map of the Slick Ford area, that there are numerous areas of fun and enjoyment in dirt biking and four-wheeling. There are many other areas not described in federal lands that fourwheelers like to go. A popular trail takes off from Ky. 90 in Clinton County above the Country Store. There are old logging Stay & Play

roads and paths over the ridge top that connect with the Slick Ford trails Other popular trails in Wayne County are located at the end of Strawberry Road at Frazier, Ky. Near the end of the road there are two trails. One goes up the hill and travels along the ridge line with several views of the valleys below and toward Monticello. Another road takes you through the woods and then down into a valley to a water fall and stream that leads back to what once was Buffalo Springs Livery for horse and trail rides. One of the trails described by Curtis and Heather Smith that started at Slick Ford took them all the way into Tennessee and to an overlook of Pall Mall (Pictured). While you may not want to go through trails that feature extreme adventure, dirt biking and four wheeling can get you into areas and scenic places you might not otherwise be able to get to. That might be a reason to look into getting off the foot trail and into the motorized trails. Plus, there is the fun of group of activity associated with trail riding as described above.

What about trails in the Daniel Boone Forest that are specifically sanctioned for four wheel and dirt bike use? There are several and we will outline where

With a dirt bike or four wheeler you can traverse miles and miles of trails and peruse streams, water falls, rock houses, arches, small lakes in the woods, and much more you could not do on foot. some of them are below: In Pulaski County there are three routes, Goodwater, #504, Ano, #505 and

Gulf Ridge , #507. In McCreary County there is the Straight Creek Route #501 and #501a, and Rock Ridge #506 and #506a. Straight Creek is the only trail posted as easy and recommended for persons accustomed to riding on relatively level terrain. The others are listed for intermediate drivers experienced in sharp turns, hills, uneven terrain, and general forest hazards. The Stearns Forest Service Ranger Station north of Whitley City has material giving maps, detailed description of trail features and directions to the trailheads for each of these trails. Forest service roads leading to the trailheads are for licensed vehicles only. However, the office of the Judge/Executive of McCreary County has published a list of county roads that are open to All Terrain Vehicles, dividing it into 4 separate districts. For a complete description of these roads you can contact the McCreary County Judge/Executiveâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Office at 606376-2413.

This map shows many of the trails used by OHV and dirt bike riders in a remote part of Wayne County near the Hancock store.

July 2014

Texas Roadhouse

Steak ‘n Shake

What’s New

Somerset’s newest restaurants By Edgar Spitzke Second in our series on “What’s New”, we have to say that new restaurant choices are proliferating in the Lake Cumberland and Somerset area. Just this past fall saw the opening of two restaurants right on U.S. 27 in the new Stonegate Center between the Grand Central shopping Center and the Center for Rural Development. The opening of the Texas Roadhouse had customers flocking to it in large numbers. After several months, there

Snappy Tomato Pizza 50

continues to be times when you have to wait for a table because of the restaurant’s popularity. The Texas Roadhouse, like some other chains, caters to informal dining with peanuts on the floor and a lively crowd. They advertise their specials as “handcut steaks”, “fall-off-the-bone ribs”, “made from scratch sides” and fresh baked bread. The menu is varied with lots of choices in appetizers and salads. Steak choices range from chopped steak to Prime Rib and everything in between (10 steak entrees). There

are seven chicken specialty dinners, what is called “Country Dinners” and “Dockside Favorites” from salmon to shrimp. You can add a “sidekick” of shrimp or ribs to any meal or combine different entrees for what they call Texas Size Combos. Their “Early Dine” Monday through Thursday until 6 p.m. feature 11 entrees for $8.99. They also have a “to go” menu. As to the next opening, the Steak and Shake chain restaurant, almost next door to Texas Roadhouse, it was just as successful, with cars lining up

Indian Palace Stay & Play

around the building for take out orders and waits for tables inside. Since it’s opening, Steak and Shake has continued to serve large crowds. Their popularity in Somerset and elsewhere lies in their burgers being a cut above others, being “steak” burgers. They have fast service and offer a large variety of different kinds of steak burgers. You can get steak burgers with seasoned fries and get several combos for only $4. An example might be their Royale Steak burger ‘n Fries being a double steak burger combined with eggs, melted cheese, hickory smoked bacon, lettuce, vine-ripened tomato and mayo. They have taco salads and breakfast tacos. The breakfast tacos are only $.99. Their milkshake varieties include peanut butter & banana, chocolate covered strawberry, butterfingers, brownie, etc. etc., and they have two happy hours on drinks and milkshakes, ½ price between 2 and 4 p.m. and between 2 and 4 a.m. While our last issue of Stay and Play introduced Snappy Tomato Pizza as a new restaurant, this edition announces the addition and opening of their very large electronic game room next to the restaurant. All games work off of tokens and you can purchase them for a dollar each, but $20 will buy you 25 tokens. Many games can be played with only one token, some two and one game takes four tokens. Prizes from the games may include a raft of tokens which can be used for more games or to purchase prizes they have displayed. You can save the tokens you win over time to get some pretty expensive prizes. The franchise that supplies the games, changes them out from time to time to keep the games and challenges of them fresh. Another new restaurant in the Somerset area is Indian Palace. Indian Palace offers a combination of Indian and American cuisine. It is located between Two Tails Market and First-Stop Liquors on south U.S. 27. It is interesting that Somerset’s appetite for frequenting new restaurants hasn’t diminished their old time favorites such as the Harbor, Sully’s, Guthries, and the several Mexican, Chinese and Japanese restaurants. And, of course, the tourists no doubt love the new variety of choices that have been added. What’s new should also include two river run concessions on the lower Cumberland River below the dam. Bobby’s Outdoor Adventures offers kayaking float trips down the Cumberland as well as trips above Green River Lake and below the lake. His contact number is 270-566-1353. The newest river trip concession is “HO4 Canoes”, a canoe livery that just opened on the lower Cumberland just below Burkesville. His contact number is 270-433-1106. Separate articles in this issue discuss these new businesses in more detail.

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July 2014

! e r u t Na

It’s Our

McCreary County:

The Best in By JANIE SLAVEN

There are a lot of things which set scenic McCreary County apart from other Kentucky counties. It’s the Commonwealth’s youngest — having celebrated its Centennial in March 2012. And it’s Kentucky’s only county not to have an incorporated city. But who needs the city when you’re in an outdoor paradise? Located on the Tennessee line, McCreary County is at the heart of southern Kentucky’s most popular outdoor attractions. With easy access to Lake Cumberland (now fully restored to 723 feet), Daniel Boone National Forest and the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area, visitors can experience the best in hiking, horseback riding, fishing, canoeing and kayaking. Don’t worry if you don’t have your own equipment; rentals are available. The county is laced with a network of trails, including 54 miles of the famed Sheltowee Trace. Large portions of the Trace are open to horses and mountain bikes but the only way to complete the trail — spanning from Pickett State Park in Tennessee to Rowan County, Kentucky — is on foot. For those needing a slower but no less breathtaking experience, McCreary County is home to 25 documented waterfalls and 40 arches, such as the spectacular 90-foot Natural Arch. This summer offers free guided hikes to Yahoo Falls — Kentucky’s tallest waterfall — each Sunday morning at 10 a.m. Of course, a visit to the area is not complete without a trip to Cumberland Falls State Resort Park. The 125-foot wide waterfall — known as the Niagara of the South — and its surrounding trails 52

www.mccrearytourism.com

606.376.3008

Outdoor Adventures

comprise an attraction so big its spills from Whitley County into McCreary County much like its namesake spans two nations. Cumberland Falls is also home to the Moonbow, a full-moon phenomenon which can’t be found anywhere else in the Western Hemisphere. Come morning, head down to historic Stearns where the McCreary County Museum and Big South Fork Scenic Railway wait to bring history alive for you. The railway has launched several special evening excursions this season. Music lovers are sure to enjoy the Banjo Boogie Express July 19 and July 26. In addition to the rhythm of the rails, passengers can tap their toes to local Bluegrass music as they travel through the river gorge. Bring the kids for the Ice Cream Social, July 5 and August 2, or embark on the more spirited Moonshine Limited, starting July 12. Day excursions are still the best portal back in time to the Blue Heron Mining Camp, with its coal tipple and 13 ghost structures conjuring what life was like during the coal and lumber boom of the early 20th century. History buffs cannot pass up a trip to

tara@mccrearycounty.com

nearby Barthell, where you can walk some 300 feet back into an original mine shaft. This mining camp, restored in meticulous detail, also offers guests the chance to stay in authentically decorated cabins. Modern adventure awaits on the It’s Our Nature – Geocache Tour with coordinates for eight unique McCreary locations. Hunting for the perfect souvenir? You’ll find traveling along scenic McCreary County’s Unique and Antique Trail. Shops such as the Mountain Craft Center and Tower Crafts General Store are stocked with the wares of local artisans dedicated to celebrating Appalachian tradition. You can find charming antiques at Straight From the Estate and Papaw Sid’s, and just about anything else at Bobby Duncan’s General Store which has served the community for seven decades. When meal time comes, you’ll find several distinctive alternatives to familiar national chains (though they’re here too). Two spots specializing in local fare can be found right on Main Street in Whitley City. The Dairy Bar — home to the Dixie Whopper — is a genuine drive-in which has garnered national attention while Kristina’s Kitchen serves up delectable vegetarian fare. With all this to do (and more!), visitors will need several days to take it all in. Luckily there are accommodations here to suit all tastes — from convenient motels located just off the highway to the quaint Farmhouse Inn Bed and Breakfast as well as cabins off the beaten path. Both primitive and RV campsites are plentiful, too. For more information about your new favorite family mountain getaway, visit www.mccrearytourism.com or call tollfree 1-606-376-3008. Stay & Play

July 2014

Big South Fork Scenic Railway By Edgar Spitzke No trip to Lake Cumberland would be complete without visiting the Big South Fork National Park. And it can be said that no trip to the park would be complete without visiting the Blue Heron Mine and taking a train ride to it. The Big South Fork Scenic Railway operates out of Stearns, Ky., and starting this month operates trains five days a week, with two rides scheduled

The Perfect Way to Complete YourTrip for Saturdays. Just go south on U.S. 27 and follow the signs to get there. The railway operates operates out of the restored freight depot across from the McCreary County Museum. The McCreary County Heritage Foundation operates a tourist information and welcome center there on the days the railway operates. During the week trains leave the station at 11 a.m. On Saturdays, the train makes two runs. The Saturday run

VISIT HISTORIC STEARNS, KY

NEW SPECIAL EVENTS

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2014

starts at 11 a.m. and the second run is at 2:30 p.m. The Sunday train starts at 12:30 p.m. June through August 1 there are two trains on Fridays in addition to Saturday. There are two runs on the Sundays of Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day weekend, along with an additional run at 11 a.m. on Monday. If you want to spend more time at the mine, and perhaps walk some of the trails around the river, you can leave on the morning train and come back on the

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afternoon train. Adult tickets start at $22.75, Seniors $21.25 and children, $13. There are group rates and a number of special rates, depending on whether or not you want them to supply a lunch for you when you arrive at the mine. You will want to visit their web site to see their whole listing of rates which include being able to ride in the cab of the engine or even a group caboose rental. A new ticket package is now offered that also combines the train ride with dinner and a show at Renfro Valley for groups of 10 or more. The train ride is in open cars for a full view of the scenic forest, hills, cliffs and streams. The route drops 600 feet from Stearns to the South Fork of the Cumberland River. The route travels along Roaring Paunch Creek with its many boulders and rapids. It also passes by the Barthel Mining Camp, a privately owned historic mining camp you can also visit while in the area. Once at the mine you can visit the

many “ghost” structures of the houses and buildings that were at the mining camp and listen to stories about each as told by recordings of persons who lived there. You can see the main entrance to the mine and cross the large coal tipple over the river and to the other side where several mine openings used to be. Musical entertainment is provided before the train trip and at the train station at the mine. There are many pictures and a diorama of the mining town to see at the station. One of the more unusual ways to take the trip to Blue Heron Mine via the railroad is to take it one way down to the river and then take a 5 mile canoe trip to Yamacraw Bridge where a shuttle will take you back to Stearns. There are five special train theme rides this year, a Banjo Boogie Express, Ice Cream Social, Moonshine Limited, Trick or Treat for Tots, Haunted Ghost Train, and Santa Express. The Ice Cream Social is run in conjunction with the McCreary County Homecoming

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Celebration on July 5, while the Moonshine Limited ride is set for a date for a full moon, allowing visitors to plan trips to view the “Moonbow” at the State Resort Park after their ride. October runs treat riders to changing forest colors while the special runs in November treat riders to new vistas of cliff lines and rock formations after the leaves have fallen.. The McCreary County Heritage Foundation promotes the scenic railway excursions and other McCreary County features and events such as the Homecoming Celebration which will feature a Car and Truck Show, special activities at the Museum and a Fireworks display. It also promotes use of the Stearns Heritage Golf Course, and its Invitational Tournament held on June 7 & 8. The Stearns Course was listed in Kentucky Living Magazine’s April issue of Reader Choice Awards. For more information and advance ticket sales you can contact their website at www.bsfsry.com.

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SALES RENTALS 606-561-5335 • 800-688-5737 55

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Stay & Play

End of Summer Closings

By Edgar Spitzke

Summer is rapidly slipping away from us and so is the swimming season. To look at the swimming pool options that remain and when they will close, we outline the following: Somersplash water park hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday. The park will close after Labor Day, Monday, September 1. The Somerset Pool outside of the Family Fitness Center hours are 11a.m. to 5 p.m. and they will also close on Labor Day. The Aspire Center pool in Monticello is open Monday through Saturday from 12 to 6 p.m. and from 1 to 6 p.m. on Sunday. They will also close on Labor Day. The large outdoor Olympic size pool at Lake Cumberland State Resort park has been closed for repairs so far this season with the hopes the work will be completed by August 1 and a possible closing after Labor Day. The same size pool at Cumberland Falls State Resort Park has been open this season and will continue it’s operation through Labor Day. It’s hours of operation are from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. seven days a week.

MILL SPRINGS BATTLEFIELD • First significiant Union victory in KY • Civil War Museum • Over 800 acres of preserved battlefield • Driving Tour and walking Trails • Living History Events Mill Springs Battlefield Visitor Center & Museum 9020 West Hwy 80 Nancy, KY 42544 606-636-4045 www.millsprings.net info@millsprings.net

Summer is Here! Get Your Grills READY!!! Dont worry about your meat any longer, or what it has put in it. You can purchase a beef or hog from us raised locally grain fed with no hormones or antibiotics. Come by Sano Meats to purchase fresh meat by the package. We offer beef, pork, chicken, cured bacon, seafood, lamb, homemade sausage, deli meats, cheeses, and more! PRE-ORDER FOR SPECIAL EVENTS! Let us cut you a fresh steak for the grill! Don’t forget to pick up some of Bill’s Famous Cheese and Mac’s Coleslaw. Great for ANYTIME!

Sano Meats • 9241 Hwy 80 • Mill Springs Plaza • Nancy, KY 42544 • (606) 636-5725 Sano Meat Processing Inc.• 3864 Sano Rd., Hwy 1729 • Columbia, KY 42728 • (270) 384-6068 MAKE YOUR APPOINTMENT NOW FOR ALL YOUR CUSTOM NEEDS! Thanks for buying locally Like and share us on Facebook at facebook.com/sanomeats&deli

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Experience the beautiful wilds of river country By Edgar Spitzke We have given a lot of “press” to the Sheltowee Trace Outfitters, with their rafting concession on the upper Cumberlands. And rightly so, since they offer so many options in recreational opportunities that would interest visitors to Lake Cumberland. So, it is good to see that tourists have another option, that of doing a kayaking trip below Wolf

C r e e k Dam, on the tail waters of the Cumberland River. Filling the bill to provide for that activity is Bobby’s Outdoor Adventures. Their promo card invites you to explore the beautiful Lake Cumberland area with daily or weekend trips on the tail waters of the Cumberland River. They also have kayaking runs above the Green River, having recently booked a two day trip with camping overnight starting around Liberty and getting out at private land above the lake. Bobby’s Outdoor Adventures is owned and operated by Bobby Williams. He invites families to enjoy a relaxing experience or something just a little more exciting in kayaking in area rivers. There you can experience the beautiful wilds of our river country. His services include guided kayaking trips, camping, hunting, 58

fishing, hiking or combination trips with several additional seasonal activities available. His guided outdoor adventures might involve mushroom and ginsing hunting and more. For details you can call his cell number, 270-566-1353. Scoping his operation, we joined a group of eight kayakers who took off from the Kendall Recreation Area just below the dam. After Bobby

gave the group general instructions on kayaking, they took off for their destination, which in this instance, was the home of one of the Kayakers located on the river across from Creelsboro. Stopping at Helm’s Landing, Bobby’s concession provided a lunch for the group before continuing to their destination. While at Helm’s Landing, the river rose noticeably after the Dam did

two releases of water from the lake, one at 1 p.m. and the other at two. Actually these were welcomed by the group since as the river waters rose, they also increased in flow, making the paddling easier. At the same time, however, fishermen who had wade out into the river to fly fish for trout had to make a retreat to shore as the water rose from knee high to waist high and getting higher. While the group could have continued to some public take out down river after lunch, they continued another three miles to a private ramp on the other side of river known as Campbells Landing since one of the group lives on the river there and that was their planned destination. According to Bobby Williams, the remaining trip after lunch was much faster since the water came up at least four feet and there was a swift current that allowed the group to float with very little paddling. He said they

enjoyed the trip so much, they already did another booking. Picture 1:Kayakers with Bobby’s Outdoor Adventures take off down the lower Cumberland River below the dam, starting from the Kendall Recreation Area ramp. Picture 2: Heading for a break at Helm’s Landing, kayakers enjoy beautiful scenery as they paddle downstream on the lower Cumberland River.

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» COME JUDGE

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GOLFERS FROM AROUND THE WORLD COME TO CHALLENGE THE JUDGE and the two other golf courses in Prattville at RTJ Capitol Hill. Bring your clubs and come take on Judge hole number 1, voted the favorite hole on the Trail. Complete your day in luxury at the Marriott and enjoy dining, firepits and guest rooms overlooking the Senator golf course. With the Marriott’s 20,000 square feet of meeting space, 96 guest rooms and luxurious Presidential Cottage combined with three world-class golf courses, business and pleasure can definitely interact in Prattville.

THE ROBERT TRENT JONES GOLF TRAIL AT CAPITOL HILL is home of the Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic on the Senator Course September 18 to 24, 2014. The Marriott Prattville is part of the Resort Collection on Alabama’s Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail. Visit www.rtjgolf.com or call 800.949.4444 to learn more.

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July 2014

3/28/14 12:17 PM

When it comes to enjoying the water up close and personal, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nothing like

Floating Lake Cumberland

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By Edgar Spitzke In a paper, without author, “Blue Water Trail: Cumberland River Tailwater” is the title of a very interesting description of floating the Cumberland River below Wolf Creek Dam. The emphasis is on trout fishing, especially since the tail waters of the Cumberland have yielded the state record for both brown trout and rainbow trout. With guided kayaking tours and a canoe rental livery springing up this year on the river, we are encouraged to research information for our readers on the possibilities of adding this to what to do in the Lake Cumberland area. I have had friends who have floated the river all the way to Burkesville, camping overnight along the way and this is something I always wanted to try. But looking at the options, between the paper I mentioned and looking at a very interesting book “Fishing the lower Cumberland River”, by Captain Gar Whicker, I see there are several shorter options for paddling trips or float trips down the river rather than taking the 30+ mile “marathon” trip from the dam to Burkesville. Captain Gar Whicker’s book ($18.95) describes the river in sections with a detailed map of each section, showing put in and take out places as well as a description of special scenic features of the river from the dam to the Tennessee State line—a distance of 80 miles. He includes cautions about the changing river conditions due to TVA generation schedules that could either be a help or a hazard to paddlers and how to get day to day schedules to guide you. He gives advice on how to fish for trout, cook it and how to catch and release in a way that saves the fish, if you choose to do that. Putting his book together with the paper mentioned above, showed me how you could try several July 2014

different short trips either with a johnboat as a simple float trip to fish, or with canoe or kayak for the fun and scenery. As a canoe or kayak stream, the river is a class 1 stream with a few shoals, perfect for beginning paddlers and families. Floaters who want to fish hard without a lengthy shuttle may launch at the Kendall Recreation Area ramp, located off U.S. 127 below the dam. The take out is the old Kendall Ferry landing located at the end of Ray Mann Road, just off the road to the recreation area. This makes for a float of approximately l.75 miles with a shuttle of just a few minutes. This section includes the hatchery creek outflow, a good place to fish. Boyd’s Bar, a productive wading shoal for rainbow and brown trout, lies at the end of Ray Mann Road. Paddlers, wanting a bit longer trip, but relatively short could start at the dam and go 4.5 miles to Helm’s Landing Boat Ramp. If taking out at that point, you would have to arrange a shuttle and pickup by going north on U.S. 127 to Ky. 55, taking that to Ky. 1058 to Ky. 379. Reaching the bottom of the hill and at the sharp right curve you want to turn left to go to Helm’s Landing. There are signs to direct you. The entire 4.5 mile distance to Helm’s landing gives you excellent rainbow trout fishing. Toward the end of this float you will also see two rock walls on each side of the river. It is thought that people removed rocks and piled them near the riverbank to help steamboats power over a shoal in the river. Anglers should know this shoal is one of the most productive rainbow trout fishing spots on the Cumberland River. From Helm’s Landing it is a 5.8mile float or paddle to the next takeout at the Rockhouse Natural Bridge, located off Ky. 379. In this section, the river is a series of shoals and long

pools. Anglers working the rocky edge of the flowing shoals and pools score on a mixture of rainbow and brown trout. You can take this as an almost 6 mile run from Helm’s Landing or combine it with the 4.5 miles from the dam to give you a longer trip with take out at the Rockhouse Natural Bridge. In this section you go past Snow Island, which the Dept. of Fish and Wildlife purchased recently. This has one of the better wading shoals on this section of the river. Anglers can beach their boats on the island to fish this area. Near the end of this section, floaters and paddlers will see the river take a hard left turn at a high bluff. This is the Rockhouse Hole. The take out here requires you to carry your boat through the arch and up a steep incline to the parking area and so is not the best for anglers in johnboats. For paddlers, the Rockhouse also serves as the put-in for the next section of river. Although the float from the Rockhouse to the next take-out at Winfrey’s Ferry is 5.5 miles on the water, the shuttle is just l.5 miles. This is because the road connects the neck of a large bend in the river. That means a single paddler could drop off a boat in the Rockhouse parking area, drive down Ky. 379 to Winfrey’s Ferry, then walk back, leaving the vehicle parked at the end of the float. For now, this is as far as we are going to take you. In future issues of our magazines we will explore and describe for our readers other interesting portions of the river down to the State line.

Pictured: Boating anglers wade out on the shoals at Helm’s Landing to fly fish for trout as seen here.

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Fishing

Lake Cumberland

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As the water temperature rises, bass fishing is going to get better at night than day time since the fish will be going deeper for the cooler water temperatures during the day. At night they will be moving up to feed along the banks. Night fishing should be good using 10” worms, brush hogs, jigs and spinner baits. Smallmouth bass will be better in the main lake, while largemouth bass will be halfway up in the big creeks. What is going to get good, according to Greg Pullen of Lake Cumberland Pro Bass, is striper fishing during the day. The best bet is using an umbrella rig or trolling with live bait on creek channel banks. Walleye fishing should be good. Anglers have been catching them in shallow water around the power plant, but they will be going deeper into 15 to 18 feet of water. Greg suggests bottom bouncing with night crawler harnesses and pulling Bagley walleye crank bait. Crappie fishing should be good for those who know where the submerged trees are in about 20 feet of water. Blue Gill and Catfish are being caught in large numbers at this time.

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Many trout fishermen crowd the banks below the hatchery taking advantage of the many trout released earlier for the Kids Catch a Rainbow Derby.

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