The New Explorers
Americans have always been explorers, adventure seekers. That spirit seems to have recently been re-ignited. For many, their bucket list has been changed from a To Do List, to a To Do Right Now! list.
The Red River Gorge Area is the perfect place to set out on your own quest and do some fun-filled family exploring. Here, we have adventures; areas just perfect for the explorers that go beyond the expected. There are places to be alone as well as places to be among other enthusiastic adventurers just like yourselves.
In addition to the hundreds of trails ranging from easy and handicapped accessible to experienced and challenging, the Gorge Area has hundreds of sandstone cliffs for climbers of every skill level. There are so many arches for viewing and experiencing you’ll have to return many times to see them all.
The forests in the area are home to an incredible variety of plant and animal life such as hundred year old trees, more wildflowers than seems possible; some unique to the Gorge Area.
In these forests dwell bears, deer, foxes, raccoons, squirrels, wild turkey, hundreds of bird species, reptiles and amphibians.
The Red River Gorge has Ziplines, horseback riding, ATV areas, kayak and canoe rentals, rock climbing, hiking, fishing, camping, even an underground water-borne tour.
There is lodging from primitive camp sites to motel rooms, homelike rental cabins, luxury yurts, and Resort Lodges.
Spectacular wedding venues, delis, taverns, souvenir shops, outfitters and stores that put the “general’ back into shopping place abound.
No matter your dining preferences, the Gorge is home to restaurants, delis and cafes for every style of dining and menu.
Great specialty hot dogs, Mexican dishes at La Cabana, steaks, sea foods, gourmet and BBQ, Daniel Boone offers delicatessen foods and adult drinks. There are many places serving home style meals that are actually home style.
The Gorge has it’s own craft beer houses, and there’s The Well, a Pleasant, riverside locale where one can enjoy a glass of wine while watching the river flow!
You and your family are gonna love it here!
Publisher
Jenny Ison
Editor
Jerry Ison
Contributors
Jerry Ison
Miranda Fallen
Nancy Hamann
Sally Cox
Graphics
Ingrid Miller Red River Gorge Earth Shop
State, County & City Facilities
Natural Bridge State Resort Park General Information 606.663-2214 or 1-800-325-1710 (reservations) 2135 Natural Bridge Rd. Slade, KY 40376 Trail map & descriptions, park laws and regulations, lodging, camping, group meeting facilities, group programs "Natural Bridge State Resort Park is hiking, arches, exploring, scenery, reflection, and making memories." www.parks.ky.gov/findparks/resortparks/nb
Kentucky State Nature Preserve Commission www.naturepreserves.ky.gov
Red River Gorge National Geological Area 606) 663-8100
www.fs.fed.us/r8/boone/districts/cumberland/redriver_gorge.shtml Gladie Cultural-Environmental Learning Center 606.663-8100 www.fs.fed.us/r8/boone/districts/cumberland/gladie.shtml
Red River Gorge Trail Crew (Volunteers) www.RRGTC.com Leave No Trace – Outdoor Ethics www.lnt.org
Kentucky State Parks - Create your own Experience. www.parks.ky.gov Become a KYSP fan at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kentucky-State-Parks/152588316577
Lee County Tourism Commision Dedra Brandenburg Director 606.464.5038 www.visitleecountyky.com
Private Facilities
Cliffview Resort & Cliffview Retreat 606.668.6222 www.cliffviewresort.com 455 Cliff View Road, Campton, KY 41031
The Lodge, The Retreat and Lakeside Lodges are available for groups, weddings and retreats. Also available is the 8,000 sq foot Reception Hall Red River Gorge Zip Lines 855.ZIP.TOUR 855.947.8687 606.668.6222 www.redrivergorgezipline.com
Scenic Cabin Rentals 606.663.0000 www.sceniccabin.com
Black Bear Lodge Motel 606.663.0061
Red River Gorge Cabin Rentals 844.692.2246 www.redrivergorgecabinrentals.com The Gorge Underground 844.254.6244 Thrillsville.org The Red River Inn On Parkway, Campton
The Gorge Gazette Jenny or Jerry Ison 865.674.6740 Email stories, ideas, suggestions, news to: jerrywrison@gmail.com
T TT Things To Do, Places To Visit, hings To Do, Places To Visit, hings Do, Places hings Do, Places Where To Eat In
The Red River Gorge Where The River Gorge
• Red River Gorge Earth Shop Local Art gallery & Gift Shop 606.668.5228 Nat Bridge Rd. Slade
• Red River Climbing Guides where “Your Adventure Awaits!” Catering to all ages and experience levels. Visit: RedRiverClimbingGuides.com or call 629.207.0697
• HillTop Pizza: Pizza, Salads, Subs, Spaghetti, Lasagna. Delivery to Cliffview available. 606.464.9990 2034 Hwy 11N Beattyville.
• Daniel Boone Coffee Shoppe & Deli: Gourmet Coffees, Deli Foods, Camping Supplies 606-663-2549 Natural Bridge Road (KY Rt. 11) near Slade Exit 33
• Gorge Underground: A Unique Waterborne Family Adventure On The Water, Underground! Kayak and Pontoon Boat Tours 844-254-6244 Thegorgeunderground.com
• Natural Bridge State Park, Lodge & Sky Lift: Camping, Hiking, Rooms, Fine Dining parks.ky.gov/resortparks/nb/index.htm
• Mill Creek Lake: Kayak & SUP Rentals 859.300.1330
• Red River General Store: Hand Dipped Ice Cream, Hoodies, Gifts, Camping Supplies, T-Shirts Fudge, Local Artisan Crafts 1321 Natural Bridge Road (KY Rt. 11) Slade, KY 606.663.885
• Daniel Boone Liquor: 606-663-2549; Natural Bridge Rd (KY Rt 11)
• Red River Gorge Hiking, Rock Climbing: fs.fed.us/r8/boone/
• Red River Adventure: Kayaking and Canoeing redriveradventure.net 606-663-1012
• Via Ferrata Rock Climbing Park: Great for beginners 606-668-6441 torrentfalls.com
• Mr. Ed’s Hot Dogs Great Hot Dogs smothered with Famous Chili Sauce 209 N. Main Stanton, KY 606.569.8170 Check us on Facebook
• The Well Beattyville’s only liquor store selling Liquor, Beer & Wine Come down and sip a glass sitting on the patio watching the Kentucky River flow. On rte 52 Beattyville 606.208.8017 tony@theboneyardwell.com
• Beech Fork Golf Club: In Clay City - 606-663-9479
• Sag Hollow Golf Course: In Booneville 606-593-4653
• Beattyville Public Golf Course: Off Rt. 52 in Beattyville, KY 606.356.4199
If a Holiday Party, any Party, Family Reunion, Corporate Meeting, Church Retreat or Wedding is on your to-do list, go ahead and check it off. We have the perfect solution to party planning from catering to lodging to activities. The Lodge at Cliffview will sleep 64. The 7000 square foot Reception/Activity Center seats up to 250 and has a fully equipped commercial grade kitchen. Our newest Lodges, the Retreat and Lakeside will each sleep up to 50. Both have double appliances kitchens and technically compatible theater style media rooms Call: 606.668.6222 for details.
T TT To Grill a Moc o Grill a Moc o a Moc Mock kk kingbird ingbird
Ah, c’mon. I was just kidding. We just chose that name for the sensationalism you know, to catch your attention so you would read this article. The Mocking bird is my all-time most favorite bird.! By Buck Thorn from his Blue Collar Cookbook
Note: Read this entire article before you begin grillin’. The side dish and sauce take longer to prepare than does the main course. Okay, there’s nothing like the feeling of power a man gets from firing up the old Weber. Or campfire, flames. From the earliest of times, mastery of fire has been one of man’s greatest achievements, humankind’s ultimate separation from the beasts. And it let us cook those darn beasts. For several thousand, maybe hundreds of thousands of years, the control and care of the fire and its use as a means to cook food has been held by the female of the species. While, most of the quest for fire is still a woman’s quest and it is usually she who decides when and how the fire or other means of heat is used, (Honey, turn the heat up! Are you trying to freeze me to death!) men do have claim to the grill. Grilling in the backyard, at the lake or campgrounds, even on a picnic is 99.99% male dominated. And rightly so. I mean the control of an open fire, fire outdoors, has always been the responsibility of men. The control of the briquettes is thusly and properly left to the male. We are going to begin with what I consider the easiest food to grill. A hot dog you say? No, this is even easier than those compacted bits of viscera. This is the easiest and quickest thing a man can grill - shrimp! Yes sir, shrimp. There is virtually no fat, so they never catch fire. They have a built-in cook timer—they turn pink when done– usually in about 5 minutes and they even taste great when over cooked. The bigger they are, the easier they are to grill. Unfortunately, size also dictates price, so jumbo shrimp (isn’t that a contradiction?) come with a jumbo cost. But these huge decidedly delicious babies look truly impressive on the grill and are a good deal easier to cook. The only thing that adds to the degree of difficulty is peeling them. If you like, just leave the peels on, let the eaters peel em! After all, you have just provided those folks with one of the best grilled treats available.
Here’s how I do shrimp: First, start your grill fire. It really doesn’t matter if it’s propane or charcoal, but if it’s propane, don’t fire it up till you’re ready to grill. Position the rack at least four, maybe five inches from the heat source. Now, prepare a sauce the day before or while you’re waiting for the charcoal to get to grilling temp. This is fairly easy.
The perfect complement to grilled shrimp is grilled corn on the cob and here’s how: This should be started before the shrimp since corn takes almost 1/2 hour. Peel back, but don’t remove the husks. Remove the “silk”, dip the corn in water and smooth the husks back in place, cook for 10 - 15 minutes, turning occasionally. When the husks begin to turn brown, remove them. Coat the corn with butter - no, absolutely not margarine! - and return to the grill. Turn occasionally until they are nicely browned, about 5 - 10 minutes.
Clean out the margarita blender and add in 1 cup chopped cilantro leaves, 1 tablespoon or more peeled and diced ginger, 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil or canola oil, 1 small habanera pepper that has been seeded and diced. Warning! Habaneras are extremely hot, go easy! You may wish to use a jalapeño instead. Maybe you should try dried red pepper flakes the first time out; .
Puree till smooth and pour into a bowl. Add a little salt & pepper and thin with some fresh lime juice.
If you make this the day before, let it come to room temp before serving.
Now is the time to put the shrimp on!
Grill the shrimp about two - three minutes then turn when the shells are too hot to touch or the shrimp has turned a bright pink or even a tad brown. Serve immediately with the sauce and very cold beers. Corona or MGD seems to go best.
Squeeze lime juice on the corn, serve immediately with salt, pepper and chili powder handy. Allow each person to season the ears per their taste. Smack a portion of cold potato or macaroni salad, and some hot and spicy baked beans on the plate pop open a couple of those ice cold beers (This ain’t England, boy!) and you are gonna be worshiped!
Mimus polyglottos
The scientific name means the Mockingbird can mimic or imitate many bird songs and human created sounds.
Now that you are here, a little about the Red River Gorge.
The Gorge history dates back more than four hundred million years to when Africa slammed into North America creating the Appalachian Mountains. Millions of years later sediment washed down from Pennsylvania and formed the sandstone that is the defining feature of the gorge cliffs. These cliffs are unique and are the reason the Gorge is one of the most highly regarded areas for climbing with 3,000+ clifflines in the Daniel Boone National Forest alone.
Just after the Glacier retreated about 12,000 years ago, people moved into the Gorge. Those people are known to archeologists as the Paleo Indians. At that time, the weather was cooler and the gorge was mostly covered with evergreens. Wooly mammoths, giant bison and mastodons were plentiful and hunted by these early people using only spears tipped with stone points. It is believed they hunted by stampeding those large beasts over cliffs. These and later groups of ancient people had the gorge to themselves for about ten thousand years. Around four hundred years ago, they began trading with Europeans and 100 years later the area became the state of Kentucky. Three hundred years later, here you are! So, get out there and experience the joy of the Gorge. Take a hike, climb a cliff, Zip through the beautiful forests, catch a fish (but be sure to release it unharmed), grill some burgers, whatever. Don’t let this opportunity to appreciate one of Nature’s finest examples of her best work pass by.
While you and your family are enjoying this handiwork, remember there will be others to follow and they too would love to experience the Gorge in it’s natural and as pristine state as did you. The rule is simple, leave nothing behind except footprints (And please, leave those only on designated trails), take nothing but photographs and pleasant memories
“If you’re lucky enough to be in the mountains, you’re lucky enough!”
That’s a phrase you hear a lot around the Red River Gorge Area. Not only is that the absolute truth, but it gets even better if you’re an “outdoorsy person”.
Yessir it does. Not only do we have the most beautiful scenery in existence, we also have great weather which makes all outdoors enjoyable year round. We have some of the best and most diverse hunting, fishing, hiking and water sports opportunities in America; everything from whitewater rafting to lazy evenings listening to the crickets and mockingbirds.
The rivers and streams are teeming with trout and bluegill, maybe the two tastiest game fish to be found. Since you pull ‘em from the fast running cold mountain waters, they are original “organic” food.
We have wild turkeys and deer so plentiful you may spot either or both almost anywhere.
If you’re a birder, this is definitely the place to be. Here in Eastern Kentucky, there are at least 200 species of birds.
An afternoon of sippin’ sweet tea out on one of the verandas of the Lodge, Retreat or Lakeside is an opportunity to enjoy 30 or more without getting up from the swings
Take a quick drive up into the Natural Bridge Resort Park and there’s a chance to glimpse 100 or more additional species in one afternoon. Many can be observed while enjoying fine dining in the Sandstone Arches Restaurant.
When you decide to ditch the car or bicycle, we have the best trails for hiking you’ve ever, well, ever hiked!
Stop in the office for a map of some of the hundreds of hiking trails in the Gorge.
Wolfe County Tourism Local Activities
Trivia every Tuesday starting @7 at Skybridge Station
Karaoke every Thursday @6 at 145 Roadhouse
Dart nights every Wednesday @7 at 145 Roadhouse Music on the Green at Hazel Green Academy every Thursday @6 -Seasonal Music in Campton City Park every Thursday @6 -Seasonal 191 Speedway- 7991 KY-191, Campton, KY
The Gorge Underground- 2478 Glencairn Rd, Rogers, KY Red River Gorge Ziplines-455 Cliffview Rd, Campton, KY RedPoint Disk Golf- 356 Smith Rd, Campton, KY Cable's Riding Stables- 632 Little Bend Rd, Zachariah, KY
Okay,Let’sgetto thebottomofthis. TheWellistheone andonlyliquor storeinBeattyville sellingbeer,wine andliquor
