Happy Labor Day

Summer's winding down once again and as we go into this Labor Day weekend I can't help but to be amazed at just how fast this season has gone. We've had some successful programming this season but unfortunately our canoe program suffered from the excess of rain we saw for the month of July. I can't recall a July 4th in recent memory that was as wet as this one was. August saw one of the more successful Blue Licks Commemoration in recent memory, with over 3,700 visitors throughout the course of the weekend. If you didn't get a chance to make it out for this years event, you missed a great weekend filled with fantastic weather and even more fantastic programs and entertainment.

I have to admit something, growing up on a state park and having a father who was a programmer, I never really understood what Labor Day meant. For my family, it was a day that my father always "labored" for the many visitors to our park. In doing a little bit further investigation on the subject, I have come to have a greater appreciation for the day. I would like to share a little bit of what I've found.

Labor Day was first observed on Tuesday September 5, 1882. It wasn't until 1884 that the first Monday in September was selected to celebrate a "workingmen's holiday" on that date. While its origins are still debated, I like what the co-founder of the American Federation of Labor, Peter J. McGuire said of this proposed day. A day to honor those "who from rude nature have delved and carved all the grandeur we behold." It was these first Labor Unions that ultimately began planning an entire day of demonstrations and....you guessed it....picnics.

Today, the Department of Labor defines Labor day as a "yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country." While celebrations across the country differ from state to state, the first proposed outline of the observance has something that I find interesting. According to that first outline, the celebration of Labor Day should include- a street parade to exhibit to the public "the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations" of the community, followed by a festival for the recreation and amusement of the workers and their families.

With that, I realized the importance Kentucky State Parks play in Labor Day. While we may not have "carved all the grandeur we behold" or created the skyscrapers from steel, for those hard workers who have, we serve as place to where those hard workers and their families can come and relax, and enjoy a day well deserved. So this Labor Day, take time to visit your state parks, relax and allow us to be part of your recreation and amusement! Check out this weekend's SCHEDULE to see how we can help you out!

Blazing Sabers at Blue Licks

My how time flies! It's unfortunate that this small break comes during what is typically one of our busiest weekends, July 4th. Torrential downpours have kept programming soggy but last night a break from the rain gave most families in the campground an opportunity to get out and enjoy the amazing Mr. B. Ron Baillargeon has been coming to our park for several years entertaining children of all ages with his unique brand of magic. To a packed audience, Mr. B awed everyone with illusions and all sorts of unbelievable tricks that he had up his sleeve.....pun intended. Ron is just one of the many performers you can catch through the summers here at Blue Licks. Later this month, you can come out to the campground and catch Scott Shupe and his World of Reptiles program. He'll be bringing all kinds of curious creatures with him Saturday July 20th at the campground shelter house at 8pm.

On a separate note, Wednesday July 17th and Thursday July 18th, marks one of the first murder mystery's that we've tried to do during our summer programming season. This is your chance to come out and enjoy Fantastical Theatricals BLAZING SABERS!!  Just imagine a Star Trek AND a Star Wars convention being booked in the same hotel at the same time and in the same room! Inevitably, an argument breaks out between the groups and one of our hero's, a scraggly smuggler from a galaxy far far away, lies on the floor....DEAD.  It seems he was struck on the head with some kind of silver tube thingie....Add a couple of bank robbers, and undercover FBI agents, and a genius geek girl and you've got one evening you'll not soon forget.

I'm really excited about this evening event. We've went to great lengths to make this a fun, and affordable evening for everyone. We're offering a dinner buffet and show for just $25.00. This is almost $15.00 OFF what our regular dinner theaters cost. You can also just come out for the show for just $15.00 without the buffet. We'll give you chance to enjoy the buffet at 6pm for the package deal and then start the show at 7:30pm.

Oh yeah, and don't forget to come out dressed as your favorite character from any sci-fi movie. We don't care what it is, just come out and watch the show dressed up. We may even give you a prize for coming out dressed up!!

For information and/or reservations, call the Worthington Lodge at 1-800-443-7008. For additional information on the show, just shoot me an email right HERE.

And remember....get out and enjoy your Kentucky State Parks!!!!

Summer Programming Begins at Blue Licks!

Tall tales on Grannies Roots & Herbs

With chilly temperatures all the way around, visitors didn't let it stop them from getting out and enjoying their local state parks. The summer programming season is in full swing at Blue Licks and visitors have their choice of a variety of programming to choose from. Even with temperatures hovering in the mid 40's yesterday morning, the canoe trip went out and aside from an unexpected dip, all returned safely. Well, safely in the sense that all returned with a smile on their face, but I think my staff may have been a bit soggy the rest of the day. Visitors had the chance to place themselves in the shoes of well known frontiersman such as Daniel Boone and John Todd on our signature program Battlefield Walk. Others heard folk tales and Appalachian remedies on Grannies Roots & Herbs as they strolled along the Licking River  Savannah Loop trails. Are skills or brain games more your style? You could have joined in on Trick Shot Mini Golf or gotten a team together to compete in Nature Jeopardy last night. By the way, congratulations to team "The Indestructibles" for their late round steal for the win over "No I Don't Have a Name." It was really great to see everyone working together and having fun at the same time.

Just remember you still have time to join us for more programs. As I write this Sunday morning, the clouds are parting, the temperatures are creeping upward and we'll be programming throughout Monday afternoon. You've still got time to come out for a Battlefield Walk this afternoon, or you come out and make a new experience as we pull out all things sharp and pointy tomorrow...Don't worry, it's not at scary as it sounds.) That's right, all things sharp and pointy with International Style Archery tomorrow morning, ATL Do It! at 1pm, (an ATL ATL throwing program...Don't know what a ATL ATL is? Come on out to find out.) or Tossin' the Hawk tomorrow afternoon at 3pm. Where else can you learn how to throw a tomahawk? While we'd love for you to run right over and join in on this weekends activities, don't worry, these are just a few of the programs we'll be offering throughout the entire summer season at Blue Licks. Also, be sure and check out our special events page RIGHT HERE, (just be sure and select Blue Licks from the pull down menu and VIEW ALL) because we'll be hosting a really great murder mystery in July that's sure to be a blast. For additional information on our programming and/or canoe trips, feel free to contact me HERE...And last but certainly not least, get out and enjoy our Kentucky State Parks!!!

Red Hatter's Unite!!

When Red Hatter's Attack!

Fun after fifty. I like this whole thought process. Now I'm not quite there yet but none-the-less I can really embrace this concept. Having grown up in the park system I had the great fortune of interacting with many, many senior groups over the years. Some of the most interesting, amusing and just plain fun people I have ever met have been part of my senior groups I've worked with over the years. As a child, I would accompany my father to his programs and watch him tell stories and socialize with his seniors.

Serious gaming

For anyone who runs around with this sort of crowd you will know what I'm talking about when I say "penny in the pot." A simple card game that I decided to participate in one time. I couldn't have been more than 8 or 9 years old at the time, but this group encouraged me to bring down my hard earned piggy bank and join in. So I brought down my giant green Crayola piggy bank that I had put every spare coin in that I could find during those early years of my childhood. It was full to the brim with penny's. I can remember sitting down at the table. Almost like some greenhorn cowpoke sitting down to his first real hand of poker as a slide my bank in to view. Now don't get me wrong, the group I began playing with were the kindest, most patient people one could hope for. However, after about an hour or so my filled to the brim Crayola piggy bank began to take quite a hit. So much so that I decided that if I wanted to keep what little silver I had in there, I should probably retreat while I had the chance. So retreat I did, along with the $1.37 that was left in my bank. They had cleaned me out. I still tell that story to what groups I work with now days. I don't think they believe me when I tell it but it's no matter.  I'll never forget the great penny-in-the-pot incident of 1984, that and the 1984 Summer Olympics. Mary Lou Retton stole my heart that year.

Anyway, I digress. The past several years we've had the privilege to host a Red Hat Day celebration for many of the Red Hat groups in our region. you want to see people have a good time, stick your head in the Arlington room during this event and you will see some fun loving ladies. We've had scavenger hunts, homemade hat competitions, and I think most enjoyably, a live band last year. It's a chance for these ladies to meet others in the area who like to get together and have some fun, as well as get dressed up and maybe even cut a rug. (Seeing a mamba line of 30 red hatter's all decked out is a sight to behold.) But at the heart of it is the most important thing....having fun, and more importantly for everyone, having fun at a Kentucky state park.

For more information on this years Red Hat Day April 25th, check out this LINK. or can email me HERE.

March 30th Easter Egg Hunt

Traditions. Whether it be something as simple as spending a little extra time in bed every Saturday morning or gathering for a huge family reunion, we all have them. My dad has a tradition that he's started over the past 10 years or so of collecting refrigerator magnets from the places he visits. He's gathered quite the collection that has not only filled the refrigerator but has spilled over into their entry way. He has magnets from nearly every state in the nation and even some from across the Atlantic. Another tradition that is one of my favorites is during Christmas. It lets me know how much my father and I are alike. It doesn't matter how old my brother and I get, but every year at Christmas my father gives us.....a toy....I know. It seems childish, but for me, its a way for my brother, my father and I to keep from having to be a grown-up for just a minute. Whether it's a nerf gun, radio controlled helicopter, or rubberband gun, (Just a few from the past few years,) It's a chance for my brother and I to bond with my father and just for a second, make it feel like we're all still "home."

Canoeing At Blue Licks

While we've had a canoeing program here at the park for over 10 years now, we've become an increasingly popular destination for paddling over the past two seasons. Blue Licks was even named one of the top 25 canoeing destination in Kentucky according to Reserve America. Last season, aside from 2 trips, every scheduled trip went out. We're in the process right now of expanding upon our program here the park. We're hoping that by May we'll have in place not only our standard 2 1/2 hour trip available to the public, but also 2 or 3 other trips to offer to our visitors.

Our basic trip that we offer to our visitors is designed for people with limited to no experience paddling. This trip leaves from the Blue Licks boat ramp, typically goes upstream for approximately 1 to 1.5 miles and then returns to the boat ramp. Several historical points of interest are discussed along the way. We also give basic paddling techniques and introduce you to the experience of canoeing. This trip normally takes approximately 2 to 2.5 hours and runs Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays at 9:30 am in the mornings from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend. If weather permits, we may even attempt to take several of these trips through April if the water levels permit.

Spring???

As the wind picks up here at Blue Licks today, I’m wondering what weather will be blown in to our area. It turned out Old Man Winters bark was much worse than his bite over the weekend with an original forecast of over 5 inches of snow, only to see sunny skies and relatively warm temperatures. I even headed out on the trails to see what early bloomers might be poking their heads up to greet us. In years past I’ve been amazed at the number of trout lilies that seem to infest the nature preserve over behind the campground. Unfortunately though, it appears to still be a bit too early even for those. While the wildflowers, at least for around here, are not quite ready to say hello, the daffodils in front of the museum are beginning to let us know that Easter is on its way. When I was young, my mother would always call them “Easter lilies,” because they were always an indication that I would very soon be able to stuff my face with all kinds of candy and maybe, just maybe, find that special golden egg my grandparents would put out in their backyard for all the grandchildren to find. I never had much luck finding that special egg, being the youngest of 7 grandchildren. I blame my older brother. But I could always count on Ms. Emma’s “Easter lilies” each year to let me know that Peter Cottontail would soon be visiting. Ms. Emma was our neighbor just down the road who always had a whole hillside of daffodils that my mother and I would stop by and pick a large bouquet of flowers for the house. Not sure if Ms. Emma ever knew we did that, but as far as I’m concerned, she was as much a part of that memory as the flowers were.