Archive for April, 2011
Wild Columbine
Now, as spring approaches its fever pitch, there’s perhaps no better time to take to the mountainous woodlands of southeastern Kentucky in search of flowers and feathers. Ample seasonal warmth and abundant rainfall have conspired to adorn the craggy slopes and cryptic hollows with a flourish of blossoms and a variety of avian dynamos.
An assortment of field trips, pilgrimmages, and special events celebrating birds and blooms will be hosted across eastern Kentucky in the days to come. Why not pick one, make a short drive, and get back in touch with your wild side while having a passel of fun?
Glorious spring annually adorns the vaulted slopes of Kentucky’s Pine Mountain in a cloak of green and the lush forest enters an enchanting period of flowerings. By late April, the blooming of wildflowers is nearing its peak, and an assortment of warblers can be observed migrating through Kentucky. This year, Pine Mountain State Resort Park will host an adventurous weekend opportunity to celebrate the occurrence of both on April 29-30, 2011.
Enjoy guided outings that will include seek-n-find wildflower hikes, a misty morning bird walk, and a how-to wildflower photography field trip. Enjoy breakfast with the birds by the enourmous dining room windows as the park’s Naturalist directs observation and build your own take-home bluebird box in a hands-on workshop session. Feature evening programs will showcase spectacular wildflower photography, lovely native wildflowers and shrubs, and an up-close live birds of prey show featuring barn owl, great horned owl, peregrine falcon, Mississippi kite, and a golden eagle. Don’t miss this outdoor celebration of the arrival of spring to the mountains.
You can request additional program information or make a reservation by phoning the park’s Guest Services Desk at (800) 325-1712. Look into it; it just might be your best outdoor experience of the spring!
Owensboro is a destination you can’t get to unless you’re going there. In other words since there’s no major interstate passing through the city, Owensboro has relied on its ingenuity and creativeness in keeping itself on the map. For example, Owensboro is the national hub of bluegrass music, has three Daytona 500 winners, maker of Red Man chewing tobacco and is the birth town of movie star, Johnny Depp. As interesting as those facts may be, it’s Owensboro’s International Bar-B-Q Festival that keeps folks coming back year after year.
BBQ Festival Crowds
May 13-14 (Friday-Saturday) are the dates for this year’s festival. Owensboro’s downtown waterfront will be transformed from its usual peaceful and tranquil setting to a lively and bustling venue with a crowd of over 60,000 hungry people coming from not only surrounding states but from foreign countries as well. While the festival goers enjoy the flavors of local cooking teams and food vendors, they will also have opportunity to experience a true festival-style event including pageants, carnival rides, face painting, pie and mutton eating contests, shopping, classic car show, not to mention the Festival’s Family Pavilion.
1,500 gallons sold in two days
The International Bar-B-Q Festival is one of the places that non-Kentuckians can attend and enjoy the atmosphere of the south and experience local dishes such as burgoo. Invented in Western Kentucky, burgoo is a hearty stew-like soup that relatively simple to prepare. The recipe is simple: Start with vegetable choices like potatoes, corn, lima beans, tomatoes or leftovers in the refrigerator; next add in your spices like salt, pepper or anything else interesting in your spice inventory; finally add meat, using chicken, beef, pork or mutton (sheep/lamb). Mutton can hold its own against pepper and vegetables and gives burgoo that oomph which squirrel and other wild game otherwise provides.
5000 Bar-B-Q Chickens sold in two days
These ingredients are cooked and stirred in a 75 gallon iron kettle for 12 hours or longer . . . likely depending on how much spirits the teams have enjoyed. But once the burgoo becomes thickened into a texture of soup, there will be 1,500 gallons sold in two days, and there isn’t a person in these parts who doesn’t love it!
In addition to selling burgoo, the International Bar-B-Q Festival will sell 10 tons of bar-b-q mutton and 5,000 bar-b-q chickens in two days. Neighboring Hoosiers usually show up in groves after smelling the hickory smoke bellowing across the Ohio River into Indiana.
The Catholic Churches always win "Best Overall Cooking Team"
Regarding the cooking competition, the local Catholic Churches have generally had the monopoly on winning each year’s overall title of Best Overall bar-b-q Cooking Team . . . why wouldn’t they? Every Catholic Church in Owensboro has bar-b-q picnics which everyone attends to buy their bar-b-q and take it back to their own church potlucks.
Once you’ve had your fill of bar-b-q, you can enjoy a variety of live entertainment from rock, bluegrass to gospel music. Walk to the beer garden or take a stroll pass hundreds of vendors selling anything from simple novelty items to hand crafted products found and made only in Western Kentucky. During the day its family time with road races, pie eating contest, mutton glutton, burgoo relays, balloon toss and carnival rides. Other states may argue they have the best bar-b-q, but it’s the consensus ‘round our state that Owensboro and its restaurants are known for the best bar-b-q in the world. Visit www.bbqfest.com for more information on the event or http://www.visitowensboro.com/ on the great city of Owensboro.
Even though I was able to convince my wife of the need for a new vehicle, one that will get me to the crag and back without breaking my wallet, the relentless rain and thunderstorms have ruined every chance that I may have had to hit my favorite, beloved climbing spot. The continuous thunderstorms and tornado sightings don’t make for the greatest climbing weather, not to mention the safest. But while cruising through the internet the other day I came across a video that somehow made me miss the crag more, but quenched my thirst for it at the same time.
The photographer is Colin Delehanty, a fellow climber from San Fransisco. He recently made a trip to the Red River Gorge and decided to film his exploits in Muir Valley Nature Preserve and Climbing Area. The film quality is amazing and the soundtrack really reflects the mood of climbing in Kentucky (it’s from a group called Memoryhouse out of Ontario). He may not be a native, but he has done an exceptional job at capturing the Kentucky Climbing culture. There really isn’t anything else I can say about this video…just watch it and see for yourself. Check out Colin on Vimeo for some of his other great videos.
Posted in Eastern |
My Ebenezer? Nah.
“Kentucky rain keeps pouring down, and up ahead’s another town that I’ll go walking through, with the rain in my shoe…”
-Elvis
My right eyeball sat three inches from the roaring water rushing down the mountain stream. I had gone from standing to flat on my side in less than a second. I was just lucky to have landed on the rock instead of in the water. My right arm was now throbbing, scuffed, and I feared it might be broken. Meanwhile, I took stock of my situation. A little wet. Still had my camera, my wallet, my keys, but my pride had floated downstream somewhere…
* * *
The picture perfect day at Greenbo Lake had been a Technicolor dream, much like Dorothy’s in the Wizard of Oz. Back to the black and white reality of storm clouds on Friday and the last smidgen of the tour. The radar on the morning TV weather updates showed a big blob of rainy reflection covering the entire state. I was used to it by now. Back onto route one and south to I-64, then west for the first time in days.
Carter Caves State Resort is so close to Greenbo Lake that I had barely finished my coffee before pulling into the park. I was curious to see how the karst environment here compared to the caves around my base camp in Bowling Green. Carter County has some 200 caverns around the park, and two are open to the public. It used to be more before White Nose Syndrome and its fungus started to destroy bat populations on the east coast.
A hike was first before the cave tour, and I got advice from Kacie Bledsoe at the front desk. She suggested the 3 bridges trail, and I had the mental image of picturesque wooden structures over mountain cascades. It would rather be more like the natural bridges I had seen a couple of days earlier. I filled my water bottle, jerked my head around to the front desk, and said “If I’m not back in three hours, then I’m having too much fun!” I was off.
The forest had a misty ruggedness associated with a springtime rain. Though it was not falling from the sky, water did drip continuously from the vegetation. And calm were the woods on this day. I jumped several turkey and deer on the way to the rock formations, and was pleased with yet another scenic hike for the week. The area around the lake’s dam was the most enjoyed, as a “fake” bridge crossed over a spillway and gave reason to watch the rushing water for several minutes.
After the hike and fried green tomatoes for lunch, it was time for a cave tour. I showed up to the visitor’s center down the hill from the lodge and missed the tour by five minutes. The next wouldn’t be for two hours. So I bought a few things in the gift shop and drove to a nearby pull off that overlooked a stream. It was loud and white and in a hurry, and I was curious to see what was in a nearby cave across the way. It looked like a waterfall! I surveyed the stream. Rocks were available to cross without getting submerged, at least for 75 percent of the span. The other 25 percent was going to have to be that fated hop, skip, or jump. I looked and looked, but no other way around it. Either get wet, or jump across. I found my rock. The water still rushing, I skipped (why not?). The rock was slick. I wasn’t so slick. Down I went (see kids, this is why you stay on bridges…).
Ouch!
Though my life didn’t flash before my eyes, the water sure did. I came within a foot of going in the drink! You should have seen it! I went from upright to downright in less time than it took to gasp. I got myself back up and checked on my arm. Then the inevitable happened. The sky burst asunder in further punishment. A mountain sized downpour. All I could do was drop my shoulders and mumble. I made it back to my car and shut the door, laughing. It could have been worse.
X-Cave
To the long awaited X-Cave at that point and a tour led by park naturalist Sam Plummer. Several were on the tour this day from a multi-state area including as far as Wisconsin. The cave really did form an “X” in the center, a result of two caves becoming one after several years of getting closer and closer together. Kind of like me and the Kentucky State Parks this week.
I am heading back to Bowling Green and bringing the tour to a close. A reflection on the trip in a few days. Stay tuned…
“Write so
mething to suit yourself and many people will like it; write something to suit everybody and scarcely anyone will care for it.”
-Jessie Stuart of Greenup County
It’s a shame you couldn’t bottle and sell a day like this. But it seems they used to do plenty of bottling and selling here anyway. I’m at Greenbo Lake State Resort Park in Greenup County, on the far edges yet of the bluegrass. Park Manager Cary Lyle is historically speaking to me about the area, and tells me of this spring a half-mile from the lodge that used to be tapped for making, well, (can I say “Unbridled Spirit” without getting fired?) moonshine! In the “spirit” of the moment I buy a package of Ruth Hunt Bourbon Balls and head for the trail.
John Fitzpatrick's Catch
Greenbo Lake was the idea of a guy named George Collins, owner of a local hardware store in Russell a half century ago. He had a hankering for fishing and wanted a place for him and the local anglers to play in, and some sixty years later I find myself in one of the prettiest state parks I’ve ever been to. Pine trees line the road to the Jessie Stuart Lodge. History surrounds, from the one-room schoolhouse on site to the remains of an iron furnace once used by the Union Army. Trails a plenty, and fishing a plenty, too. In fact, while I was in the woods, an Ohio man caught a whopper 8 pound bass! I was temped to get on the water in a canoe, but a seven mile hike beckoned me.
Several big trails are offered here, up to 10 miles in length. I chose the Tygart Trail on the recommendation of 30 year park veteran Paul Verespy. He didn’t let me down. Blue skies, cool breezes, and sunshine made for perfect conditions, a recess from the grey skies of the past few days. Four miles in I encountered the Pruitt Fork Creek, and the hike was relegated to a stroll. I was taken back to my youth and a small creek that ran beside my boyhood home in Hickman. I stopped and listened to the trickle. And listened some more.
A day like this makes you just want to take it and store it away so you can pull it out when having the blues. Flowers were in full bloomer mode. Clear waters cascaded to their lake destinations. And a hiker was satisfied once more. But not before an adrenaline rush. I paused to take yet another picture of the lakefront and startled a black snake as big around as my arm! It shot off into the water sooner than I could shoot off at my mouth. I don’t know who had been scared more! An eventful end to an otherwise tranquil hike for the day.
Once back at the lodge, fish was the fare. Catfish and hushpuppies with tarter sauce and I was again wishing I could have this kind of day all the time. And then thinking of the dreamers years ago that made the environment possible. Kind of makes me want to dream big, too.
To Carter Caves tomorrow and the last day of the tour. Stay tuned…
Morning has broken
The prognosis is not good. It’s the middle of the night and I get on my computer, which has come in handy on this tour. It’s allowed me to upload pictures and blogs on the go. Tonight it’s logged onto my Facebook newsfeed. Reports out of Bowling Green and Lexington don’t look promising. Tornado Warning, Warren County. Tornado Warning, Lexington. Tornado Watch, Slade. I’m surrounded by hemlocks towering several feet above me on cliff lines and surely one of them will be in my car when I leave the room in a few hours. I watch as the green patch moves closer to my dot on the radar map, red following close behind. It’s the red patch on the radar that scares me. But red dissolves and green is kind, allowing for only some wind and thunder to pass over the Natural Bridge State Resort Park for the wee hours of the AM. I slumber back to sleep.
Trickle at Grayson Lake
I awake to find a cloud hung in the mountain outside my window, trying to get away but held in by the scenery. I can relate. It was time for me to leave the gorge and all its bridges, but the mountain had me held in its grasp. Alas, I stop by the front desk and get directions for my next stop on the tour and head for Mt. Sterling. From there onto I-64 east towards Grayson Lake State Park. For the next few days, a triangle of parks, as Carter Caves, Grayson, and Greenbo are all relatively close together, but with far different appeal from each other.
Grayson was once a favorite camping spot of Indian tribes traveling through the area. Now, centuries later, I travel through on a three-mile trail that leads to an attractive series of waterfalls. Hemlock and Beech grow in tandem here, an unusual combination. And more
Lick Falls
of the mountain environment I’ve grown to love the past several days. I think of the early settlers and the life they must have had before convenience set in and brought things to a faster pace. I look at the green of the leaves flavored by the pinks and whites of surrounding bloom. I listen to water trickle over rocks covered in moss. I hear birds chirp and leaves rustle under squirrel foot. And pause to enjoy more of my Kentucky home in a way everyone should.
Grayson is known more for the exceptional golf course on site, and I did find a ball in the woods as I hiked. So a great locale if you golf and hike and have a desire to camp near a lake. Glad I got to include this park in the tour.
To Greenbo tomorrow and morel hunting! Stay tuned.
A combination pizza joint and campground? I must be near the gorge. Pulling out of Natural Bridge State Resort Park and driving on highway 11, several little tents sit outside Miguel’s Pizza, which has been a headquarters for climbers since the 1980s. I was heading to the geological area for the day to drive the American Scenic Byway that runs through it.
What if I could promise you Smoky Mountain type scenery without the Smoky Mountain type crowds? You know the feeling. Taking an awesome picture, but a million people are standing behind the camera to dilute the experience. Not the case here. Get ready to feel like you’re outdoors. Words on a blog won’t do justice to what you’ll see in the Red River Gorge. Neither will pictures. It’s truly one of the country’s most scenic areas. You get that feeling the moment you pass through the tight one-lane Nada Tunnel into the wilderness. Just look around and you’ll see giant cliffs towering several feet above you. The Red welcomes you to the right. And if you have a sporty car, it will be happy to play with the curves for the next several hours. And hours it will take. I spent the next five hours to go 40 miles. That’s because you’ll want to pull off at every parking spot along the way for short walks to the attractions nearby. Each short hike is no more than a mile in length to get to what is on 
display, whether it be an arch or overlook. Or waterfall. I rubbernecked at Angel Falls, which sits off the side of the road past the Gladie Learning Center. Finding the nearest pull off, I ran down the road to the falls, and when I climbed up to take a close picture, I saw where someone had already written my name on the rock! Guess I had a reservation…
Princess Arch
I stopped at Sky Bridge. I stopped at Angel Windows. Princess Arch and Chimney Top Rock. Driving up and down one lane forest service roads, smiling as I slid through some of the curves kicking up gravel dust. Rock Bridge in the nearby Clifty Wilderness was the last stop of the day, and features the only bridge with water still running underneath. Creation Falls is close by and put a fine cap on the day. There’s a bagillion other sights in the gorge that you can hike to on longer trails, and I suspect a hiker could spend years in there and not fill their tank up with experiences.
Rock Bridge
I had done so much hiking by the end of the day that I stopped and ate a whole large pizza at a local Marathon in Wolfe County. Searching for a drink and Ale-8-One dominated the sales case. In bottles, no less. The sales girl asked if I had a bottle to return for deposit, and I felt like I had suddenly stepped back in time. I had to look for a bottle opener and found one mounted on the counter. Back to the lodge and a night watching the rain possibly come and soak the rest of the tour. To the other trails at the Natural Bridge State Resort Park today!
Morning on the Hal Rogers
I pull out of London and head east for the mountains. I can tell I’m not in my native Fulton County anymore. There, it’s all farmland and bottomland and river land and well, flat. A few bluffs near the Mississippi, but nothing like this. It’s day two of my 2011 Unbridled Adventure Tour presented by the Kentucky State Parks and Department of Adventure Tourism. Six state parks and the Red River Gorge in seven days. Green River Lake was the first stop the day before, meeting up with good friend Rob Collins for a wet hike on a horse trail (and a steak dinner). Now, I was off to find Buckhorn Lake, but would have to go through Mr. Rogers neighborhood first.
Road Trippin
East of London begins the Hal Rogers Parkway, named after the longtime Representative of the Kentucky 5th. Most of it is two lane, running 40 or so miles to Hazard, but has all the easy signage and exit ramps that four lane parkways have. Its main draw: it takes you straight through the mountainous Daniel Boone National Forest. For a moment, I thought I had gotten lost in West Virginia. My jaw dropped as I saw redbud and dogwood come together like biscuit and gravy. Giant mountain views around every bend. I got somewhat emotional as I found a renewed pride in the beauty of my state. Here is a drive every Kentuckian must take, as it’s comparable with the Skyline Drive in Virginia.
Once in Hazard, you realize Kentucky has a rugged side to it. It’s Kentucky with a two day beard. A side you won’t find in Louisville. An adventurous side that’s not recreational as much as just a way of life for the people that call this part of the state home. I pull up to a stoplight and “Mountain Ford” is on my right. I tune the dial to “Mountain Hits” on the radio. I feel like going into a store and suddenly buying a new fleece jacket or hiking boots. Or both. I’m in my zone here.
Buckhorn Lake Moonshine Trail
Up highway 15 north of Hazard for a bit, then highway 28 which winds its way to Buckhorn. At one point, the road makes a hairpin so tight, mirrors have been installed on trees to see around the mountain. My hair still looked good, too. Buckhorn Lake State Resort Park is like a diamond tucked away in a safe deposit box. It’s tough to get to from anywhere, but once you arrive, you’re glad you came. A beautiful mountain view with a lake you can play on. A trail that takes you beside a stream flowing with rapids. The true feeling that you’re really away from everything (because you are…really). Tesa Turner greeted me at the desk and let me have full reign for the day, including use of a cool office overlooking the lake to do some internet uploading. That was after the hike in the woods, mind you. I’ll definitely be back to this location, if I can ever find it again…
After lunch, it was time to hit highway 15 once more and take it towards the Mountain Parkway in north Kentucky. Along the way, I pass through several small mountain towns with storefronts in the foreground of a postcard view. Just amazing. I was reminded of the region around Keystone in South Dakota, and the little towns hidden away there. In this day, we sometimes get the feeling that if it’s not five miles from an Interstate then it doesn’t exist. That’s just not the case. If I had enough money to cover the gas, I would try to visit every little city in the state. I’ll bet there’s something unique in every one of them.
The Natural Bridge
Once on the Mountain Parkway, I travel west for a bit until reaching signage for the Natural Bridge State Resort Park near Slade. Down highway 11 to the park and more jaw dropping at the beauty of the bluegrass. I check into the lodge and meet with Naturalist Tyler Morgan, who takes me on a quick tour of the park with some history along the way. Folks have been coming to see the Natural Bridge since 1889. Back then, the only way in or out was by railroad. In fact, it was the Kentucky Union Railway that build the first park facilities. It became one of the original state parks in 1927. And still ranks as one of the most popular in the parks system, and it’s not hard to see why.
After some trail advice from Tyler, I headed out for a hike to see the bridge. I had been to the Natural Arch around the Big South Fork, so wanted to see how this compared. Indeed, it has it’s own unique charm, plus I am partial to hemlock trees. One of the cool things about this bridge is that you can actually walk on top of it. Just watch your step. You can either take a sky lift up or hike the half mile Original Trail to get the full view of hemlocks and other trees along the way. It should be on your bucket list for sure. Like Buckhorn, I have that feeling of being at ease and away from it all, the goal of any park to provide the visitor.
Patron of Green River Lake
Hard to believe, but I’m just a couple days into the tour! Coming up are stops at the Red River Gorge, Grayson Lake, Greenbo Lake, and Carter Caves State Resort Park. More blogs to come for sure! To see the 200 or so pictures I’ve already taken, Friend me on Facebook!
Stay tuned!
Dewey
March 19, 2011
For months now I’ve had a bad case of cabin fever. I’ve stared longingly out my windows watching the freezing rain, snow & ice pile up while the temperature plummeted. I’ve filled the void studying up with magazines, online articles, watching TV shows, keeping up with the most recent reports, restocking supplies and purchasing new weapons for my arsenal. Finally, it seems spring has sprung and its time to fish…
Fishing is good in Kentucky year round, no doubt about it. During the spring months though, it kicks into high gear. As dogwoods bloom and bull frogs croak, all of the underwater creatures in Kentucky shake off the cob webs and come to life. A few weeks ago I found myself home in Pikeville and was excited about seeing what kind of state the fish were in. After some debate and a little bit of study, my two friends and I settled on Dewey Lake as the location and bass as the target. Our vessels that day were boats in the technical sense, but were by no means what
The Armada
you’d see in a big time money tournament. One was a plastic outfit called a Pelican boat, available at numerous outfitters and sporting goods stores, and the other a flat bottom 16 footer. We were powering both with 40 lb thrust trolling motors and prayer.
The weather was supposed to reach the 60s and there was a chance for some wind. With this in mind we figured that the main lake would be crowded, and that it might be hard to get around in and position our boats with the traffic and wind. I suggested fishing the headwaters of the lake at a place called German Bridge. German Bridge campground sits adjacent to the Dewey Lake WMA and the 22 miles of horse trails that were just opened up in the fall of 2010. It is much more secluded and better suited for our fleet. We arrived at the ramp around 7:45 in the morning and realized we had a big problem. The water was down, and down significantly. There had been weeks of rain and snow leading up to this and I couldn’t imagine that the water would be this low, but there I stood in the muddy bank looking at a trickle of lake water.
With Plan A scrapped, we regrouped and decided to try our luck on the main lake. We were already there, and frankly we’ve had worse ideas. We decided to drive around the lake shore and eventually found a bank where we carried our small craft down to launch. There are quite a few spots along the shoreline at Dewey that allow for this if you have a smaller boat. Of course, there are two boat ramps available for fishermen and boaters with larger boats. Once out on the water, my main concern was simply staying dry. The fish had nothing to worry about for the better part of the morning as I tried desperately to get my balance and not end up in the water.
High Class Boat Launch
I wish that I could offer you some insight into how the fishing was, and what was catching them. As busy as the lake was, I’m sure somebody had figured them out, unfortunately it wasn’t us. At the end of the day we had only boated two bass, both of which were small. It looked as though there were a lot of people crappie fishing on this particular Saturday, and the banks were lined with anglers as well.
None the less, it was a great day to be on the water. We saw a gentleman enjoying a float in a kayak, and it was a great day for it. Kayaks are available for rent at the state park if you don’t own your own, and Dewey Lake makes a great location for some flat water paddling. We took out at the same bank where we launched, and fortunately the trip up the bank was almost as smooth as our trip down that morning had been.
As the weather continues to warm and water temperatures rise look for fishing for all species to pick up. This is an exciting time of year, and a great time to get outside no matter what your outdoor pursuits are.
Last year Sotheby’s Auction sold a collection of John James Audubon’s Birds of America for $11,500.00.00. Today, that same collection and many just as rare can be found at the John James Audubon State Park Museum, in Henderson Kentucky. If you’ve never heard of John James Audubon, shame on you, because he’s considered the father of
John James Audubon Museum
conservation. The pride our country has in preserving wildlife and protecting habitat and the impact he had and continues to have on our country can be traced back to the early 1800′s and Audubon’s paintings. Until his arrival from France, no one in America had ever seen nature painted in such splendid and impressive detail. His paintings were so motivating that people, for the first time in our nation’s history, starting going out into the woods and identifying birds and mammals using Audubon’s drawings.
Alan Gehart, curator of the Audubon Museum
How good was he? His paintings became the standards for bird identification, and it wasn’t until Roger Troy Peterson published his bird identifying book in 1938, that people finally moved away from the actual Audubon paintings. This makes James John Audubon (1785-1851) the foremost expert on birds in America for over 100 years.
Today, bird watching is a billion dollar industry and it evolved in Henderson Kentucky. The park, where John James Audubon actually researched the birds, is beyond words in describing its splender and beauty. The main focus of the park concentrates on the historic museum which was built in 1938, designed from French architecture honoring Audubon’s French heritage. The museum’s landscape is encased by 700 plus acres (which includes old growth forest) in making this state park a true haven for birds.
Museum's bird watching observatory room
Not only do toursit visit the museum from all over the world to view the most collective works, paintings and writings of John James Audubon, but they also come to rent a cabin, golf, fish in their 27 acre lake, or camp in their 69 camp sites with showers and rest rooms. The museum’s bird feeding observation room is what keeps me coming back year after year. Upon entering this semi-circular glass room enclosed, you can use the Museum’s binoculars to view birds you or I would probably never see on our own. During one recent visit, I saw two Warblers, the Northern Parula and the Black and White. The museum uses more than (1/2) tons of bird seed each year in providing the visiting public this magnificant display.
John James Audubon's paintings and life in Kentucky
Did you know Kentucky is a major flyway for migrating birds? All of the rarest birds traveling from South America and Mexico while migrating to Canada will pass through Kentucky. This gives Kentuckians the unique opportunity to sight the utmost variety of birds found anywhere in the world during spring time. If you come to Audubon State Park in the next month, you’ll have a really good chance of seeing some of the rarest Warblers in the world. From April 28th to May 1st you can attend the Ohio Valley Birding Festival, with the best birders gathering at John James Audubon State Park. Hope to see you there!
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