The Official (only!) Newspaper of The Red River Gorge Vol. 6 No. 8 Adventure ~ Relaxation ~ Accommodations ~ Awe Inspiring Natural Beauty ~ Friendly People
October 2026
October Symphony
Red River Gorge Petting Zoo is a fam i l y-fri en d l y destination where visitors can get up close with a variety of lovable and exotic animals. Located in the beautiful Red River Gorge area, the zoo offers handson animal experiences, a train ride, bounce houses, seasonal activities, and more. From camels and kangaroos to farmyard favorites, there’s something for every animal lover. Whether you’re planning a family outing, field trip, or birthday celebration, Red River Gorge Petting Zoo offers a fun and memorable experience for all ages! Located in the heart of Red River Gorge. at 11238 Campton Rd, Stanton, KY. This interactive attraction features animals like goats, cows, alpacas, pigs, zebras, and even a kangaroo. Admission: $17 for adults (13+), $15 for children (3-12), and free for kids 2 and under. Hours: Open Wed - Sun 10 AM to 6 PM (Closed Mon & Tues) 606.945.4003
We are fortunate to be here where we can experience four different seasons each with it’s own beautiful theme. The crisp, glittering cold of winter. The airy pastels of a fresh green spring. The fullness and deep green of summer. The glorious display that is autumn. For many of us, however, autumn is the season we most appreciate. Cool, comfortable evenings and a more gentle, softer glow from the sun. Autumn is the canvas for nature's most brilliant brush strokes. The yellows and golds of the buckeye and cottonwoods. The silver, purple and red of the sweet gum. Countless shades of red, running from barely orange sassafras leaves, through the brownish rust of oaks and sycamores, to the brilliant scarlet of sugar maples and dogwoods. This colorful display is not only for trees, many other plants get in on the act. Some grasses turn beautiful shades of yellow and gold. Poison ivy leaves develop reds so vibrant, they sometimes appear metallic. What causes this marvelous transformation? How are the colors of the different plants and trees determined? Scientists, botanist and biologists have many answers and logical reasons as to why all the colorization takes places. They talk of loss of chlorophyll - the green stuff in plants. There's mention of the yellow agents, carotene and xanthophyll. They bring up the cooler nights and bright sunshine of autumn days as causes for chemical changes which result in color changes. There's usually mention of the red pigments, anthocyanins, formed when natural sugar, glucose, is trapped in a dying leaf. Oh yes, no scientific discussion of the leaves of autumn would be complete without mention of abscission. This is what gives the term "fall" meaning. Abscission is the process which causes trees to lose their leaves. Or at least, so say those scientists. I have a completely different version. In my version, the coloring and eventual dropping of the leaves is a carefully orchestrated performance. Much like the fireworks finale at one of the many Fall Festivals. It's the Creator's way, and so obviously so, of topping off His magnificent performance the preceding season - summer. That was a tough act to follow but to me, autumn is the cymbal at the Jenny Ison end of summer's crescendo.
HELPFUL WEBSITES & PHONE NUMBERS State, County & City Facilities The official Red River Gorge Newsletter
Publisher Jenny Ison Editor Jerry Ison Contributors Sally Cox Jerry Ison Nancy Hamann
Graphics Ingrid Miller Red River Gorge Earth Shop
We gratefully acknowledge the information and assistance by the State of Kentucky Parks Department and the staff of the Natural Bridge State Park. The Gorge Gazette is published monthly except January and February for entertainment of Red River Gorge Guests, Owners, Visitors, Staff, Tourists and Friends. All contents including ads are copyrighted by Jerry Ison/Jay Eye Communications Talbott, TN 37877 Distributed free of charge
courtesy of our advertisers!
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
Let Us Build the Log Home of Your Dreams! We Have Cabins & Lots For Sale. We Offer Project Management From the Ground Up
Lunch & Adult Beverages
Call: Jim 606.362.2615 Brendan 513.628.1295
769 Natural Bridge Rd. KY Hwy 11
redrivergorgevacations.com
606-663-2549
Nutritious Smoothies Homemade Bakery Goods Just off Slade Exit 33 South
Things To Do, Places To Visit, Where To Eat In The Red River Gorge • • • • • •
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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.
The Ghosts of Abbott’s Bridge by Jerry Ison
Jenny and Jerrod’s love was doomed from the start. Jerry was a motorcycle riding ne’er do well and Jenny’s father hated him and his family. He forbade her to see Jerrod, promising “He’ll be one sorry boy if I ever catch him round you!” Jenny and Jerrod however did see each other whenever possible, stealing away for short, secret rendezvous. As Halloween approached, Jerrod was getting more and more insistent that they run away somewhere so they could always be together. Jenny pleaded for him to be patient; their day would come soon enough. This year, the big Halloween party was being held just above Abbott’s Bridge. The bridge over the river was under construction so the road was closed. The perfect place for a party. As the crowd began to gather, Jenny was apprehensive. What if her father and Jerrod both showed up! Her fears were well-founded when just about midnight, sure enough, her father drove up in his old truck. Almost at the same time, she heard the sound of Jerrod’s Harley coming up the road.. Jerrod pulled up to Jenny, leaned down and kissed her saying, "I had a hard time finding this place. I ain’t never been here before ." “I warned you to stay away from my daughter!" her father screamed just as he fired a shotgun blast into the air. "Now I’m gonna end this once and fer all!"
He charged toward Jerrod who gunned his bike and peeled out in the direction of the river. Jenny went running after him screaming for him to stop. Screaming that the bridge was out. Jerrod couldn’t hear her and just before the bike shot under the steel cable stretched across the road, he looked back and smiled as he saw Jenny’s reflection in his mirror. The steel cable across the road cut through his neck like a razor. The bike went sailing out over the river for several yards, almost reaching the other side with the headless body still clutching the handlebars in a deathly grip. Jerrod’s head spun high into the air before arcing down into the stream below. Jenny, now running at full speed, she too didn’t see the cable until it was too late. She tried to scream, but her voice was cut off as the cable cut into her chest and throat. With merely a slight whimper, Jenny went sailing off into the darkness and plunged down into the same stream that now held her love. Neither body nor motorcycle was ever recovered. Now, every Halloween at almost exactly midnight, if you stand at the west end of the rebuilt Abbott’s Bridge you can here the faint rumble of a Harley come across towards you. But the sound suddenly stops just before it reaches the near side and from the far side the muffled scream of a young girl is as clear as the raging waters below. "No Jerrod! Stop, stop! I love you! Please, please stop!!"
Rentals Available for 1 to 15 Scenic Lots And Vacation Homes for Sale
606.663.0000
Stranger than Fiction "I vant to suck your blood" provokes a mix of fear and a smirky chuckle. The famous misquote was never spoken in Bram Stoker's 1897 Gothic horror book "Dracula" but is attributed to a parody of actor Bela Lugosi's Hungarian accent in the 1931 movie. Lugosi intentionally kept his eyes wide open and never blinked during his scenes to create a creepy, hypnotic vampire persona. He loved the role so much that when he passed in 1956, his family buried him in the signature black cape he wore on set. However, the burial cape was not the original that he wore in the film. The original was eventually donated in 2020 and is displayed in the prestigious Golden Age of Hollywood artifacts collection. For the 1992 movie version, actor Gary Oldman worked with a singing coach to drop his natural speaking voice a full octave in preparation of his Dracula role. Oldman admitted he mainly took the role to feel what it would be like to say the legendary quote, "I have crossed oceans of time to find you". Bram Stoker was highly influenced by author John Polidori's 1819 short story "The Vampyre". By eerie coincidence in 1816, Polidori's friend Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, fiancée Percy Bysshe Shelley, and Lord Byron vacationed at a villa near Lake Geneva, Switzerland but were shut in due to bad weather. To entertain themselves, an impromptu contest to write a horror tale resulted in Polidori's "Vampyre" and Mary's immortalized "Frankenstein". Both "Frankenstein" and "Dracula" were epistolary (letter writing form) novels. Letter writing style was in vogue during the 1800s.
It was thought to create a more intimate connection between characters and readers. The 1818 story of "Frankenstein" begins and ends with several letters written by naval Captain Walton from an ice-bound ship in the Arctic. Rescued from the ice, Victor Frankenstein recounts his life story and the tragedies of the creature Frankenstein-albeit a misnomer - that Victor resurrected while driven by deranged and deluded motives. The creature itself takes over the narrative creating a story within a story. Mary Shelley, "mother of Science Fiction" was only 18 when she began writing "Frankenstein". Her mother died 11 days after giving birth to Mary. To atone for her loss, Mary often read by her mother's grave. Her work was shaped by heartbreak due to the death of her two young children from the plague and an older half-sister's suicide by laudanum overdose. Tragically, followed by the accidental death of her husband leaving Mary a widower at the age of 24. Her real-life macabre inspired her to be a horror writer. She died at the age of 53 in 1851 and was laid to rest by her husband's heart's ashes. A grizzly thought comes to mind. Where were her husband's other body parts? Donated to science for human reconstruction?
Spookilicious Sally Life imitating art is stranger than fiction. Note: All creepy characters afore mentioned are figments of fanciful fiction. But, just in case, watch your back while hiking in the Gorge!! (Followed by maniacal laughter!) Peaceful Living Natural Beauty Lots Now Available Model Homes Opening Soon
Lazenbypreserve.com info@Lazenbypreserve.com
Bluegrass Bits
Wolfe CountyTourism Restaurants & Coffee Shops Mi Finca- 318 Main St, Campton, ~ Kel's Patriot Pizza- 133 KY-15, Campton Dixie Freeze II-194 Main St, Campton ~ Shebrews Coffee Shop-569 KY-15, Campton 145 Roadhouse- 148 Main St, Campton ~ Sky Bridge Station- 8 KY-715, Pine Ridge Hop's- 2613 KY-11, Campton ~ The Wicked Wolfe- 301 Mtn Pkway Spur, Campton Subway- 30 KY-15, Campton ~ Sweet Art by Stephanie- 110 Main St, Campton Dairy Queen- 690 KY-15, Campton ~ Red River Rockhouse- 4000 KY-11, Campton Bites & Bargains- 658 KY-205N, Campton ~ Spanks Franks- 1008 KY-191, Campton The Brick- 5412 KY-15 N, Pine Ridge ~ RedPoint Barbeque- 356 Smith Rd, Campton
Okay, Let’s get to the bottom of this. The Well is the one and only liquor store in Beattyville selling beer, wine and liquor. Located in Beattyville on KY Rte 52 in the Boneyard Building at River’s Edge. Enjoy a peaceful, relaxing eve on the patio sipping a glass of wine watching the river flow.
bryan@theboneyardwell.com