New Welcome Center

Early this week, Pickett County (on Dale Hollow Lake) broke ground on the location of a new Welcome Center on Hwy. 111 just a few miles from the TN/KY border. It's been almost 10 years since a group of local citizens sat down in August of 2000 to discuss the importance of preserving our rich heritage (particularly of the Civil War) and providing a place for people visiting the area to stop in and learn more about all the area has to offer. Many volunteer hours have gone into making this project a reality over the years, but soon, everyone will be able to enjoy the new facility which will house among other things, the Borderland Exhibit (currently housed in the Byrdstown Town Hall), the local Chamber of Commerce, and a Welcome Center. You can learn more about The Borderlands by visiting their website: www.TheBorderlands.org.

School's Out & Summer is Here!

School's Out! Wow! My sons are so excited. They've been looking forward to the added freedom that comes with being out of school. Summer 2010 is off to a hot, hot start. All the more reason to head to the woods to explore or get out on one of the area lakes and enjoy the abundant water. We've been on a little outing at the Cordell Hull Birthplace State Park to hike down to Bunkum Cave. That spot is so refreshing in the summertime. The shade from the woodlands makes it a nice outing. We also had the opportunity to take a pontoon ride out on the lake. There's just something special about water recreation in the summertime! The water is warm and so inviting. (If you've ever set foot in the water before it warms up, you'll appreciate this bit of info. The water from the mountain/underground springs makes the water chilly for quite sometime in the spring at Dale Hollow.) There is plenty of water all around - no drought this year so far. Everything is lush and green. So, if you haven't taken the time to "enjoy the water", come on out and see what you're missing. Happy Summer! For more ideas, visit the links on www.VisitTheCumberlandPlateau.com.

Hangin It Up in the Big South Fork with Laurel Fork Rustic Retreat

The Burckhard family had a wonderful time in the Big South Fork this past weekend!

Spring has sprung and everything was beautiful, including our accommodations at Hangin it Up cabin at Laurel Fork Rustic Retreat and our hike in the Big South Fork park. The boys brought along a couple of friends. As you can see they took advantage of the surroundings to enjoy their picnic. There are so many wonderful vistas in the BSF. This spot offers a magnificient view.

Our accommodations were wonderful. Everything was well stocked and a home away from home. We would highly recommend it to anyone. Great location! The boys found the game tables to their liking and it kept them entertained while the adults took a relaxing break. The game room also had a selection of board games and movies to watch as an extra bonus. The jetted tub is wonderful and the fireplace perfect to chase the chill away in the cool of the morning.

Our family loves to hike and it was perfect weather for it. We met several folks out on the trails. Saw folks kayaking down the river. Others were out on their motorcycles taking advantage of the great day. It looks like this weekend is going to be great too. We hope folks take advantage of this beautiful weather (even if there is an occassional shower that passes by). Happy Trails!

Weekend Getaway at Fall Creek Falls

What a treat! We had a fabulous time in at the beautiful and luxurious Red Roof Cabin this past weekend. The owners have paid so much attention to detail it was very noticeable. I feel that this cabin for rent in the Fall Creek Falls and Center Hill Lake region really is quite special.

I love to cook and was pleasantly surprised at the fully stocked kitchen, with the high-end cutlery, plates and cookware. Our guest, Dr. Michael Tabor and his wife of Nashville were very impressed and we had several lovely meals around the hand-crafted pine dining table.

The boys had a great time playing outside near the creek and the game room was superb. It allowed Terry and I to sleep in a bit, while they played ping-pong and air hockey downstairs.

Our trip to Fall Creek Falls State Park was excellent. It felt so great to be able to get out and soak up some fresh air and sunshine. The falls were gorgeous! The picture is worth more than a thousand words. We weren’t the only ones ready to get out and hit the trails. We meet many people out and about enjoying the fantastic day. I encourage you to get out and enjoy all that the Cumberland Plateau and Highland Rim have to offer. It’s spectacular!

Spring is on it's way!

Wow! It's finally warming up. The giant icecicles that we have seen way to much of this winter will soon be just a memory. It won't be long until new growth springs forth across the middle Tennessee and southcentral Kentucky area. The wildlife is appearing more frequently too. While on a short drive late in the day this past weekend, I saw deer, a skunk (WAYYY TOOO CLOSE!), 2 racoons, rabbits, and throughout the day - loads of birds that appeared to believe spring was already here. They seemed so excited! In a couple of weeks, scenes such as this in the picture will be the norm. Easter is the first weekend in April this year. Often, the redbuds are blooming the week or so before and the dogwoods follow close behind and generally last for at least a couple of weekends. So many of the local highways are lined with these gorgeous views. Its a great time to get out and enjoy a drive (or preferrably a ride if you can talk someone else into driving so you can better enjoy the views) through the countryside. We are coming up on the final days of the season where we can get out and see the superb vistas offered from the many overlooks that are obscured during the growing season. They are truly amazing. Be sure to stop in at some of the local "Mom and Pop" shops and diners. They aren't as busy this time of year and would love to take the time to slow down and visit with you a while. Hiking and trail riding are also excellent, especially for those of us that don't particularly enjoy all the "little friends" that come out when it is warmer. Fishing will also improve greatly in the next few weeks with several fishing tournaments on the horizon. Happy Spring!

Winter Getaway for Canadians

We have had a winter to remember this year, but to put it all in perspective, I would like to share this. The Hamilton Hunt and Tintern Hare Bassets of Caledonia Ontario, Canada traveled 15 hours to enjoy a ten day joint meet with the Cumberland Mountain Hounds and Upper Bay Bassets of Jamestown, TN February 2010. (Their version of a winter/spring break. Read about their adventure last year at this link.) This was their third annual visit to East Fork Stables which consists of 12,000 acres perfectly suited for hunting with hounds.

For those of you that don't know what fox hunting is - fox hunting is an activity involving the tracking, and chase of fox and coyote in their natural habitat (no killing), by trained foxhounds, and a group of followers led by the huntsman, who follow the hounds on horseback. Non-riders are welcome to join the hunt on foot, bicycle or vehicle. In the United States, hunting is not intended to harm the animal, but rather watching and listening to a pack of hounds work together following the scent of a line. The deep voiced Penmarydel Foxhounds sound like a symphony when they speak in unison. Fox hunting originated in its current form in the United Kingdom in the 16th century, but occurs all over the world, including Australia, Canada, France, Ireland, Italy, Russia, and the United States.

The basset is perfected to hunt rabbits in very heavy ground cover. The shortness of its legs allows it to keep its head to the scent with a minimum of difficulty. The hunts are on foot and last for hours with many Tally-ho, which is said upon viewing the rabbit, fox, or coyote.

For anyone that is interested in more information about the hunts or how you can get involved in the sport, please contact Phil Hopson at East Fork Stables - 800.978.7245 0r 931.879.1176. To learn more about East Fork Stables, visit them on the web at http://www.eastforkstables.com/. (Photos and information courtesy of Janet Hopson)

A Big Snow at Last!

Wow! What a beautiful snow we had to enjoy for the weekend. We didn't get much before Friday night. We woke up Saturday morning to around 6"-8" of snow. Some areas had more, some less. It's not often we get a snow good enough to really enjoy sledding, but this was one for the scrapbook. Lots of folks took the opportunity to grab a sled (or some adaptation thereof) to hit the local "slopes". Annie donned her famous red snow suit that she hadn't worn since a skiing trip in France in 1997 and hit a local hill in Brydstown along with family and friends. Grant's purple sled from the pontoon boat he had created summer before last served it's original purpose well once again. Needless to say, everyone had a blast. As is usually the case, the snow won't last long and road crews have done a good job here. Life is pretty much back to normal for most folks by today (Monday). Schools are closed, but that is for the safety of the children. They will probably have another day (or two) of fun in the snow before it all melts away and school is back in session.