Winter at Kentucky State Parks

UPDATED Jan. 4, Jan. 9, Jan. 18, Jan. 19, Jan. 21, Jan. 23, Feb. 1, Feb. 10, Feb. 13, Feb. 20, Feb. 21

This year I have neglected to post my occasional lists of activities and events at Kentucky State Parks, which remain - despite severe budget cuts - the finest in the nation.

And winter is perhaps the best season to discover them. Kentucky's State Resort Parks are open and offering discount prices for lodging along with special events.

• Wilderness Survival Program "John James Audubon State Park Naturalist Julie McDonald will lead a three-hour program on wilderness survival for young people, ages 10-16, on March 17 from noon-3 p.m., departing from the Audubon Museum in Henderson."

• Frontier Heritage Day "Kentucky Dam Village will host its Elk and Bison Buffet and Kentucky Frontier Heritage Day on March 24. The event will feature a special buffet from noon until 8 p.m. including homemade elk meatloaf, Italian elk sausage, slow-roasted steamship of buffalo, bison cubed steaks, bison chili and more. The buffet will also feature fresh fried chicken, fried catfish, Cajun stew, vegetables, assorted cobblers and pies."

• Mining Show at Carter Caves "The Eastern Mining Collectors Association will hold its Spring Meet and Show at Carter Caves State Resort Park on March 24.Vendors from across the country will be at the show to sell, buy and trade mining artifacts used in the mining of coal, gold, silver and copper. The artifacts include lamps, mine signs, photos, posters and other items.The show is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The show is free and open to the public."

• Johnny Cash tribute at Lake Barkley "Lake Barkley State Resort Park will be host to another edition of its popular dinner theater series on March 10 with “A Tribute to Johnny Cash.” Ralph Curtis & The Tennessee Three will perform 6:30-9 p.m. as you enjoy the buffet."

• Arches and Waterfalls "Cumberland Falls State Resort Park will host its Arches and Waterfall Weekend March 3-4. The Cumberland Plateau is home to numerous waterfalls and arches. The park has planned a special weekend to showcase these unique natural features. Moderate hiking is required on most trips."

• Race for the Points "The 8th Annual Kentucky State Park Race Series, including a 5K Family Fun Walk, will start April 14 with the Goose Creek 5K at E.P. “Tom” Sawyer State Park in Louisville. The Goose Creek 5K is the first of five state park footraces scheduled for 2012. Runners of all ages can take part in all five races to capture the overall championship based on a point system."

• Mystery Dinner Theater at Greenbo "Greenbo Lake State Resort Park, in partnership with the Greenup County Extension Arts Council, will host the mystery dinner theater “Silent Night Deadly Night,” starring the Murder & Merriment Acting Troupe, on March 3. Guests will spend the evening dining and playing detective as they try to solve a “murder” by gathering clues and mingling with “suspects.” Prizes will be awarded."

• Discount for April Camping "Kentucky State Parks are offering a 20 percent discount on camping reservations made for April 1-26. To get the discount, campers need to make online reservations at www.parks.ky.gov (look for the “reservations” tab at the top of the page). Use the promotion code APR12. The Kentucky State Parks will also be offering two nights’ camping for the price of one during Camper Appreciation Weekend, April 27-28. Many parks will be holding special events for campers that weekend."

• Tracking and Woodslore Weekend at Carter Caves "Carter Caves State Resort Park invites you to step back in time when Native Americans and European colonists lived closer to nature. The park’s Tracking and Woodslore Weekend, March 2-4, will allow guests to learn about the skills that were needed for survival in the wilderness. You’ll learn about animal tracking, hunting, nature, native plants and more. The program begins Friday evening and will continue through Sunday morning. Both indoor and outdoor sessions are planned – including some hikes – so guests should bring appropriate clothing and shoes."

• Storytelling Weekend at Pine Mountain "Everyone enjoys a good story, especially from someone who really knows how to tell it. Master storytellers will converge on Pine Mountain State Resort Park for Storytelling Weekend, March 16-17. This first meeting of what is expected to become an annual event will be a two-day spectacular of stories, workshops, and entertaining showcases."

• First Hike at Cumberland Falls "Cumberland Falls State Resort Park is hosting a “First Saturday of the Month Hike” starting Feb. 4. The 10 a.m. trek will be a guided, interpretive hike on the Blue Bend Trail, a 4.5-mile loop. The first 3 miles of trail follow the Cumberland River along a hemlock grove and then ascend the hill leading to a “surprise” at the top. Participants should bring a lunch and drinking water and should dress appropriately for the weather. This event is free. Participants should meet in the Great Room of Dupont Lodge at 10 a.m."

• Art Classes at Audubon "The Audubon Adult Art Series offers a great experience for any artist, beginning to advanced. Whether you are starting from scratch or just need a refresher course, don’t miss the grand opportunities in 2012 at the John James Audubon State Park Museum. Exhilarate your creative side by taking any or all of the classes designed just for you."

• Painting at Pennyrile "Pennyrile Forest State Resort Park will offer its Landscape Oil Painting Weekend Feb. 24-26. If you've always wanted to learn how to paint, this is the weekend event for you!"

• Buffalo Night and Tour of America "If the cold winter weather really makes you hungry, visit the Driftwood Restaurant at Barren River Lake State Resort Park to satisfy your appetite with some comfort food. Travel back in time with a taste of the past during Buffalo Night on Feb. 4. Enjoy a variety of buffalo dishes prepared by the park’s chef. Take a culinary “tour of America” without ever leaving Kentucky. Visit the park on the following dates to let your taste buds experience some of our great American cultures: Miami Cuban cuisine – Feb. 2; New Orleans Creole and Cajun foods – Feb. 16; American Indian foods from across the Plains - March 1; and traditional American foods of Boston - March 22."

• Special Meals at Rough River "Rough River Dam State Resort Park is preparing some good food for hungry guests in January and February. The state park near Leitchfield will host some monthly specials for prime rib and seafood lovers, as well as a Mardi Gras buffet on Feb. 21."

• Valentine's Day at the Parks "Looking for that perfect place to celebrate Valentine’s Day? Consider a Kentucky State Park. Resort parks are offering special events and packages in February to help celebrate Valentine’s Day. State parks provide a great place for a getaway weekend along with excellent food, entertainment, natural beauty and scenery. Listed (at the link) are the parks with Valentine’s packages and programs, and the park phone number.

• Fireside Chats "Fort Boonesborough State Park and the Fort Boonesborough Foundation will be holding a series of “Fireside Chats” with famous characters from Kentucky history each Saturday evening in February. The programs will feature Daniel Boone (played by Scott New) on Feb. 4; a frontier musician portrayed by E.L. Kurtz on Feb. 11; Simon Kenton (played by Mel Hankla) on Feb. 18; and Jenny Wiley (played by Octavia Sexton) on Feb. 25. The Boone and Kenton programs are presentations by the Kentucky Humanities Council."

• Bison Dinners "Three Kentucky State Resort Parks are offering special bison meals during the month of January. Natural Bridge, Jenny Wiley and Lake Cumberland will have buffets featuring bison, along with other favorites. The Kentucky State Parks have 17 resorts that include full-service restaurants that serve breakfast, lunch and dinner. For more information about these restaurants and their hours, visit www.parks.ky.gov." Bison or buffalo is delicious - leaner yet tastier than beef. If you haven't had it, you're in for a treat.

• Eagle Watch Weekends "Nature lovers should be making plans for a unique Kentucky State Park tradition – Eagle Watch Weekends in January and February 2012. The park system will sponsor this wildlife-watching opportunity as bald eagles gather around the major lakes of western Kentucky looking for food. The park tours allow you to observe and learn about these beautiful birds of prey. For four decades, the Kentucky State Parks have offered Eagle Watch Weekends, a chance to view the eagles from land and water and learn about the national symbol and other wildlife. The tours take place at three resort parks during weekends in January and February, on an excursion yacht and by van. They are led by state park naturalists and Department of Fish and Wildlife biologists."

• Songwriting Seminar "Greenbo Lake State Resort Park, in partnership with the Greenup County Extension Arts Council, presents a weekend seminar, “Become A Better Songwriter,” on Jan. 27-28. The seminar will include workshops, jam sessions and a dinner concert on Saturday night, Jan. 28. The special guest for the seminar will be singer-songwriter Rick Ferrell, writer of Tim McGraw’s “Something Like That” and Martina McBride’s “Where Would You Be.” "

• Sandhill Crane Weekends "Each year thousands of sandhill cranes make Barren River Lake a stop on their journey back home. Join Barren River Lake State Resort Park during its Nature Watch Weekends to get up close to these beautiful cranes as they migrate through the area. The weekends, Jan. 20-21 and Feb. 17-18, 2012, will consist of educational sessions conducted by Wayne Tamminga, a wildlife biologist with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, on Friday evenings at 7 p.m. CST."

• Winter Adventure Weekend "Carter Caves State Resort Park will present a weekend of hiking, canoeing, recreational tree climbing, cave tours, winter survival, rappelling and other adventures with its third annual Winter Adventure Weekend, Jan. 27-29, 2012. Guests will be able to select from a list of trips they want to take – for beginners and advanced winter adventurers alike. All of the trips and events are led by guides."

• Rook Tournaments "Two Kentucky State Parks will host Rook tournaments in January. Pennyrile Forest State Resort Park in Dawson Springs will hold its Winter Rook Tournament Jan. 6-7. The round-robin rook tournament begins at 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 6, and runs through Saturday evening. House rules apply. Registration fee is $25 per team and a new deck of rook cards. Register at least one week prior to the event to receive a $5 discount on registration. Prizes will be given to the top three teams. A lodging discount is available for participants – buy one night and get the second night at 50 percent off. For information, contact Rebecca Clark at 1-800-325-1711 or rebeccae.clark@ky.gov. The other Rook tournament will be Jan. 20 at Rough River Dam State Resort Park. The tournament will begin at 6 p.m. The entry fee is $20 per team plus a new deck of Rook cards. A lodging package that includes two nights (double occupancy) and four meals is available for $85 per person plus tax. For more information, call Geoffrey Roberts at 1-800-325-1713."

• Kentucky Guild Exhibit "The John James Audubon State Park Museum will present the Kentucky Guild of Artists and Craftsmen group exhibition, a unique mixed-media showcase of talent highlighting 2-D and 3-D work created by more than 25 guild members. The exhibit, open Jan. 20-March 11, will feature paintings, jewelry, photography, textiles and mixed-media pieces, most of which are for sale. Among the works will be the photography of Henderson photographer Fred Reaves and the glasswork of Henderson native Dan Neil Barnes."

• Adventure Events "If you’re looking for some winter adventure, the Kentucky State Parks have numerous outdoor events planned in January and February to get you outdoors and moving. They include elk viewing tours, hikes, looking for eagles at the Land Between the Lakes and watching sandhill cranes as they migrate through Kentucky."