Cave Run Lake

One of my favorite things to do in Kentucky is to visit just about any of of the nearly 30 lakes and rivers in our state.

My dad has always been a big fisherman, and from as early as I can remember, he always took my family and I fishing whenever we had the chance. I'm not positive, but I'm fairly certain that at this point in my life I have been to at least all but maybe one or two of the lakes in Kentucky (not to mention plenty in bordering states).

So, when I realized that Morehead State University was only 20 minutes from a major lake, needless to say I was pretty excited about it.

It may not be the biggest or the best fishing lake in Kentucky, but Cave Run is one of my favorite lakes due to the fact that it's so convenient (and I have a lot of good memories here).

Plus, I almost always manage to catch something here, even if it's just a small bass like the one in this picture from earlier this year.

Cave Run is known for being one of the best lakes for catching muskies (although I have yet to catch one), and a lot of people supposedly come here just to try their hand at catching a record-breaking muskie.

I think going to the lake is almost always more fun on a boat, but Cave Run has plenty of places on the bank to enjoy it if you don't have that luxury.

This picture to the left is of Kameron fishing at Muskie Point (I believe that's the name) on one of our first dates. It's a fairly good place to fish from the bank, although be careful because it's easy to lose a lure in the shallow water near the bank.

If you're not into fishing, Billy's Branch picnic area is probably the most popular place to go to swim, layout, or just hang out on the rocks with some friends. Cave Run is a man-made lake, and the rocks that were put in here are really flat.

My soccer team actually visits Billy's Branch as a team every year as part of pre-season bonding. Our coach usually gets us a pontoon or two, and we float and just enjoy the lake for a few hours. Pontoon rentals are fairly cheap through the marina here (as long as you split the cost a few ways between friends), so that's another option if you don't have a boat of your own.

Both Billy's Branch and Muskie Point are free to visit, but if you'd like to be able to lay out/swim at the lake's beach, it costs $7 or $8 dollars per carful to go to Twin Knobs. I've only been there once though, because I prefer Billy's.

Anyway, I think that's about all I have to say about Cave Run for now... There are a lot of good local restaurants on the way to/near the lake as well, but I'll make a different blog post about those one of these days.

So I'll leave you with one more picture of the lake from Billy's Branch at sunset. Enjoy!


For more information on Cave Run, or a map to some of the best spots on the lake, click this link or visit caverun.org.

The Fuzzy Duck

This is probably my absolute favorite local business in Morehead, KY. Built into an old fashioned movie theater on Main Street and connected to Coffeetree Books (also locally owned), The Fuzzy Duck is unique and awesome.

My favorites from The Fuzzy Duck: Hearty Southwest Grilled Chicken Wrap and Peach Smoothie.

They also sell all kinds of coffee and tea, and plenty of sandwiches, wraps, soups, etc. Click this link to visit their website and see a full menu.

Anyway, besides the food, I love this place because of the other stuff they sell. Last night I biked over from my dorm just to get a smoothie and look through the books, mugs, and other items around the store.

I ended up finding a new book I'd like to read, The Rosie Project (once I finish the one I'm currently reading: It's Kind of a Funny Story), as well as some really cool, locally made coffee mugs.

Since last fall, I have developed a great love of coffee, and every morning now I like to have a cup before I do just about anything else.

Unfortunately, I forgot to bring any mugs from home, so I'd been drinking out of a travel thermos for the past few days, which really just isn't the same as drinking out of a mug and being able to see and enjoy your coffee while you drink it.

So, while making my morning coffee and after seeing these awesome handmade mugs at The Fuzzy Duck last night, I decided I was officially going to get one. I hopped on my bike, rode straight there, and purchased the two mugs you can see in the picture below.

I think my roommate thought I was a little crazy considering I left mid-brew just to buy a couple of coffee mugs, but once I got the idea, I had to do it. 

Anyway, I'm not positive whether the Kentucky mug was made by the same person who made the blue mug behind it because it didn't come with a little info card like the blue one did, although I believe he probably did. 

A little about the coffee mug crafter, borrowed from the tag and this website: his name is Melvin D. Rowe and he's been a full-time pottery maker since 1981. He has a website featuring his products and more information about his work (click the link above), and a retail gallery and studio located in Louisville, KY.

I drank out of one of the mugs as soon as I got back to my dorm, and I love them both. Best impulse buying choice I could've made. But, back to the point real quick: If you're ever in Morehead and have the chance, check out The Fuzzy Duck and all its uniqueness.

Kentucky Life

Before I post anything else, I want to introduce myself real quick... So, here goes. 

This is me, on a horse:

I personally don't own any horses, but I'm lucky enough to have a best friend who does and who lets me come over and ride them just about whenever. Someday I'd like to live on a farm in Kentucky and have a few horses of my own. 

This is my lovely boyfriend and I. We've been dating for four months as of now. He's from Louisville, and he puts up with me pretty well so far. 

He plays football for our college, and I play soccer. Both of us just started preseason for our sports last week, so life is a little crazy (and especially sore) right now, but I love it.

Last year, my team won our conference and got to go to the NCAA tournament. We're D1, so this was pretty exciting. Just to give photo credits real quick, I borrowed this photo from the OVC website. The rest of the photos are my own.

A few of my favorites besides soccer: photography, food, baking, cooking, getting dressed up, animals, kids, crafting, working out (depending on the day), sunsets, sunrises, coffee, journaling, fishing, hiking, biking, and especially adventures and road trips.

Speaking of road trips (and Kentucky!) this is a photo I took out the window of Kameron's (the boyfriend) big old blue Ford F-250 this summer on the way to Rough River Lake for the weekend. The white-fenced farms and the sunset were gorgeous.

This summer I also flew on a plane for the first time in my life. I visited my aunt and uncle in Arizona, and they took me hiking in the Grand Canyon as well as around Tempe, horseback riding in Sedona, and kayaking down the Salt River.

It was a pretty awesome vacation and a pretty amazing place to see, although it also made me realize that I don't think I could live anywhere else except Kentucky.

Anyway, I think that's enough about me for now... it's almost time for practice again (soccer is my life right now). Hope you like my blog!

Getting Started

So, I've had a couple of (fairly unsuccessful) blogs in the past, but I'm giving it one more shot.

I started this blog today to highlight the beauty and uniqueness of the state I call my home. I've lived in Kentucky for my entire life, and although I haven't visited as many places as I wish I could claim, I believe Kentucky is just about the best place in the entire world that you could possibly live.

What we're most known for: horses, bourbon, basketball, and KFC.

Some consider us southern while others don't... I personally consider myself southern, but think what you will. 

What I hope to feature (specifically) on this blog: Kentucky farms, traditions, products, local shops, horse racing, people, and just the general beauty of the bluegrass. I love my state, and I'd like to share it.