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In the spirit of true road trips, Becky and I (my FVR "road sister") headed off on an official road trip. Our destination; Grand Rivers, KY. I don't think there is enough space on this website to tell you about all we did and how much fun we had, but I'll give it a try.
Thanks to a BIG bunch of FVR fans and supporters, Grand Rivers invited us to their amazing little town to celebrate "FavoriteRoad.com Day". We were honored and floored that they would declare an actual day to commemorate our website as part of our "Great Roads Lead to Great Destinations" Tour. They were the first stop on the tour and let me tell you...what a party we had.
We arrived early Thursday to take in some sights.The moment we pulled on to 641, we knew it was going to be beautiful. Remember, we are in western Kentucky (no oceans here), but when we entered Grand Rivers, it seemed as if we had been transported to the Chesapeake Bay- huge sailboats, lighthouses, beach town attitude and fun shopping everywhere. Folks were riding around in golf carts and motorcycles.
Lighthouse Landing and Green Turtle Bay Resort hug the town on both sides of the lakes (Lake Barkley and Kentucky Lake) and LBL (Land Between the Lakes). Patti's Settlement welcomes you on the way in to town and as you drive towards Barkley, Badgett Playhouse centers the town along with So Cool Boutique, Pink Tractor, Four Rivers Harley Davidson and a host of other fun stores and small town eateries.
We started the weekend festivities by joining the town at the playhouse Thursday evening for a special fundraiser showing of "Avatar" to raise money for recent flood victims. Dinner at the Yacht Club and a nice cup of coffee back at the condo (lakeside) finished up our night.
In the morning we headed back in to town bright and early to get ready for the big event, the Declaration of FavoriteRoad.com.day, held to kick of the tourist season during National Travel and Tour week. Featured speakers included; FavoriteRoad.com Ambassador Mike OLeary, State Representative Mike Cherry, Livingston County Judge Executive Chris Lasher and Grand Rivers Town Mayor Tom Moodie.
On display for the event were classic cars, sports cars, motorcycles, and golf carts of every shape and fashion possible. Vulcan Materials, Smith Contracting and KinderMorgan sponosored our grill out, complete with hot dogs, hamburgers, drinks, chips, and cookies. Becky and I sat down at the FVR table and had a blast interviewing the community about their favorite roads to Grand Rivers. The folks from Grand Rivers even had their own FVR/Grand Rivers Day T-shirts specially made for the event. We unaminously voted the day a HUGE success.
We settled down in the evening with a nice boat ride, dinner at Patti's and a great show at Badgett Playhouse. The playhouse, run by Sara and Bill Minihan features Branson, Missouri style entertainment in a small town atmosphere. The talent in that room alone could burst the seams of any larger town establishment. It was so much fun.
As Becky and I pulled out of Grand Rivers and headed back home Saturday, we remarked that we should probably just stay there and not even come home. We asked our boss if we could have our families and belongings just shipped right on out next-day air to this fabulous place nestled right down in the middle of the Land Between the Lakes.
View our YouTube video of the event here....
Watch LauraKStyle Ustream interview here...
Visit GrandRivers website www.grandrivers.org here...
There are so many people to thank, so please forgive me if I miss some: Mike and Mary-Ann O'Leary (FVR Ambassadors), Kim Kraemer (Grand Rivers Tourism), David Caldwell (Preston-Osborne Marketing Firm), the Asphalt Institute, Vulcan Materials, Smith Contracting, Kinder-Morgan and LauraKstyle for your enthusiasm and support of such a wonderful event.
If you'd like to host a FavoriteRoad.Com day in your town, contact us at editor@favoriteroad.com or bclark@asphaltinstitute.org. You may also call us for a media kit at 859-288-4967.
In conjunction with National Travel and Tourism Week, which has been observed annually each May since 1984, FavoriteRoad.com Day will be celebrated in Grand Rivers, Kentucky on May 14.
Grand Rivers is a village filled with authentic charm, surrounded by lakes on two sides and the great outdoors. Lake Barkley was created in the mid-1960s, some 20 years after Kentucky Lake was completed. The two parallel lakes are separated by a body of land known as the "Land Between the Lakes" and are connected by a free-flowing canal at Grand Rivers. Together these two lakes make up over 215,000 acres of water, and offer over 3,000 miles of shoreline and scenic, secluded coves.
As the town's mayor, Tom Moodie, says, "Southern Living Readers recently called Grand Rivers one of the best small towns in the South. I call her home. This charming village is blessed with a rich history, two big lakes, an abundance of outdoor recreational opportunities, and an immeasurable amount of heart."
One of the distinctive features of Grand Rivers is the fact you cannot fly directly in the area. It is directly accessible only by automobile and boat. "This destination offers an element of driving adventure and family bonding time." says Brian Clark, publisher of Asphalt magazine. "Lake Barkely, Kentucky Lake and Grand Rivers offer some of the most interesting and unique attractions this region holds. From boating and water recreation, to arts and entertainment, this small, but ecclectic community is a must see driving destination for all Kentuckians and visitors from around the nation. No matter where you are coming from, FavoriteRoad.com would love to see your journey to Grand Rivers documented on our website." (David Caldwell, Contributing Writer).
Chicago
is a metropolitan hot spot with gorgeous architecture
and set with cultural and recreational gems, including the Art Institute,
Millennium Park, 250 theater companies, and 31 mi of shoreline. Beyond surface
grandeur, Chicago also offers many attractions for families to enjoy.
Conveniently
situated in scenic space along Chicago's lakefront, Lincoln Park Zoo is
one of the last free zoos in the country and home to more than 1,000 mammals,
reptiles and birds. If saving money is at the top of your list, the Chicago
CityPass is another family friendly option that saves 45% off regular
attraction admission prices to five major city attractions. The Shedd
Aquarium is the world’s largest indoor aquarium in which visitors can see
over 20,000 aquatic animals from around the world on display.
The Adler
Planetarium & Astronomy Museum — America's First Planetarium — was
founded in 1930 by Chicago business leader Max Adler. The museum is home to two
full-size planetarium theaters, including the world's first all-digital
projection StarRider Theater and one of the world's most important antique
instrument collections. At the Chicago Field Museum you can discover an
extensive exhibition of objects illustrating art, archaeology, natural science
and history. The Museum of Science and Industry allows you to learn
about science and technology with hands-on experiences at the largest science
museum in the Western Hemisphere, offering many classics as well as countless
new exhibits to explore.
Your final CityPass destination is a choice between
the Sears Tower Skydeck or the Hancock Observatory and SkyTour.
No matter your passions, Chicago has something spectacular to offer. (DiscoverAmerica.com)
Snuggled on a 46½-square-mile tip of land between San Francisco
Bay and the Pacific Ocean, San Francisco is a relatively small city of about
750,000 residents. San Franciscans cherish the city, partly for the same
reasons so many visitors do: the proximity of the bay and its pleasures, rows
of Victorian homes clinging precariously to the hillsides, the sun setting
behind the Golden Gate Bridge.
To experience multiple sights of the city, the San
Francisco CityPass is a wise and simple way to save 49% off regular attraction
admission prices. At the Aquarium of the Bay, see, touch, discover, and
learn about the fascinating marine life of the San Francisco Bay and its
surrounding waters. Walk through crystal clear tunnels of water filled with
over 20,000 aquatic animals.
Located in a spectacular new
building, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art offers the West Coast's
most comprehensive collection of modern and contemporary art, shopping at the
Museum Store and dining at Caffé Museo.
With the CityPass, you also receive a Muni and Cable Car 7 Day Passport and a chance to experience the Blue
and Gold Fleet Cruise Adventure. Your sixth choice is available for either
the Exploratorium or the de Young Museum/Legion of Honor. The Exploratorium
allows you to experience exciting and interactive exhibits that make learning
fun, regardless of your age or familiarity with science.
The Legion of Honor
offers ancient and European art from 2500 B.C. through the 20th century.
Artists represented include El Greco, Rembrandt, Rubens, Monet and Picasso. San
Francisco is a culturally diverse city with endless outlets to discover it
depth and intrigue. (DiscoverAmerica.com)
The nature area of Bass
Hole is one of the town’s most beautiful. Bass Hole features Grays Beach, the
868-foot boardwalk over the salt marsh of Cape Cod Bay (best sunsets on Cape
Cod), a small boat launch, a covered pavilion available for private parties,
and 2.4 miles of marked walking trails through the Callery-Darling Conservation
Area. Cape Cod is known for beautiful beaches and quiet, relaxing charm, but if
the kids start to get antsy, don’t worry, there are still things they can get
their hands on.
“Tis a wonderful thing to sweeten a world which
is in a jam and needs preserving,” wrote conservationist Thornton Burgess to
Ida Putnam. The young Burgess wandered the woods surrounding Putnam’s jam
kitchen. Children will love the Green
Briar Nature Center & Jam Kitchen with changing natural history exhibits, a full summer program
of nature classes, self-guided walks through 52 acres
of Sandwich Conservation land and weekday tours of the Jam Kitchen, which makes
natural jams, jellies, and pickles from Putnam’s original recipes. The Center
is nestled deep in the woods adjacent to a pond—the scenes looking rather like
an illustration from one of the Burgess storybooks.
National Marine
Fisheries Aquarium, the oldest aquarium in the US features exhibits of
marine life from Cape Cod to Georges Bank with hands-on exhibits. OceanQuest
is a 1½-hour hands-on seafaring excursion perfect for
families. Real marine research is conducted with passengers as de facto data
collectors. The group is divided in two: bow passengers are trained about how
to read water temperature, assessing turbidity and taking key measurements;
stern passengers examine specimens hauled up by a dredger. Then the teams
switch stations.(DiscoverAmerica.com)
Unbridled energy has always been Houston's trademark.
The forceful, wildcatter temperament that transformed
what was once a swamp near the junction of the Buffalo and White Oak bayous
into the nation's fourth-largest city also made the city a world energy center
and pushed exploration into outer space. Space Center Houston, the official visitor’s center for NASA's Johnson Space Center, is the only
place on earth where guests can embark on an out-of-this-world journey through
human adventures in space. It features a multitude of permanent exhibits,
attractions and theaters. In addition, the venue presents an array of traveling
exhibits and events created exclusively by Space Center Houston's creative
exhibit team.
Houston's first public aquarium, the Downtown
Aquarium was designed to entertain the masses. The world-class complex,
perched on the redeveloped 400 block of Bagby, boasts 500,000 gallons of
visible underwater tanks with more than 200 species of marine life--and that's
just skimming the surface. The 500,000-gallon under-water adventure complex
includes a Ferris wheel, an aquatic carousel, Shark Voyage, a white tiger
exhibit and a restaurant.
Rated as the No. 1 children's museum in the
country by MSN.com and serving more than 700,000 people annually, the Children's
Museum of Houston is the highest-attended youth museum in the country for
its size and is dedicated to transforming communities through innovative,
child-centered learning. The Museum offers 14 galleries of hands-on exhibits
and innovative outreach programming for kids ages birth to 12 years.
The
attractions described above are just a few of the options included in the
Houston CityPass, which offers a 45% savings on the price of regular admission.
Houston has a wide array of attractions for all, children especially, and
should be a top spot on any vacation destination list. (DiscoverAmerica.com)
Everything you love about the West encompasses every season in
Jackson Hole. You can experience pristine mountain landscape at the base of the
Tetons, abundant wildlife, and outdoor adventures. Jackson Hole offers a
wonderful escape from the daily grind of schedules, commutes, and deadlines.
At
the Jackson Hole Rodeo, fearless Cowboys attempt to ride
raging bucking bulls and bucking horses. In the barrel racing competition, beautiful
Cowgirls compete against the clock to see who has the fastest horse in the
land. Bragging rights are defended in the roping competition when Cowboys and
Cowgirls attempt to prove they are the fastest roper. All this action
is wrapped into two hours of heart stopping excitement at the Jackson Hole
Rodeo!
Amazing Horseback
Rides on the Rim of Jackson Hole
display amazing views of the entire Teton Mountain range. You can start your
ride out at 8,600 feet elevation at Togwotee Mountain Lodge riding to 10,200
feet elevation at the top of Angle Mountain.
If you are looking for a slightly
less adventurous option, the 13 mile Scenic Float would be a wonderful
choice. Climb aboard custom rafts, sit back and relax, enjoy the beauty of
the river as your guide works the oars. Bird life abounds with eagles, hawks,
storks, herons, and migratory birds flying alongside the raft. If your eyes are
sharp, you may see a moose eating willows or river otters playfully swimming
along the banks. Whether you are a risk
taker or a seeker of relaxation, Jackson Hole can offer a wonderful backdrop
for your vacation. (DiscoverAmerica.com)
Genteel Savannah sits inward of the Savannah River at the top of
Georgia's 100-mile coast. Heading south, the seaside resorts of the Golden
Isles blend Southern elegance with a casual sensibility. This city offers more
than 1,000 restored buildings, which form the 2½-square-mile Historic District,
the nations largest. Many of these buildings are open to the public during the
annual tour of homes, and today Savannah is one of the country's top 10 cities
for walking tours.
The City Market covers four blocks in
the heart of the Historic District that have been renovated to capture the
authentic atmosphere and character of the city’s old open marketplace. The
market features artists working in their lofts and exhibits of works for sale.
There are also restaurants, open-air cafes, jazz clubs, theme shops and stores offering crafts, accessories and gifts. Bordering the thriving river port, River Street imparts old world charm. The nine-block brick concourse is ideal for strolling and ship watching. More than 75 boutiques, galleries, artist’s studios, restaurants and pubs are housed in one-time cotton warehouses that have been restored to their rustic beauty.
If you are interested in maritime endeavors, the Ships of the
Sea Museum houses a large collection of ship models, artifacts and
memorabilia representing man’s 2,000 year quest to conquer the sea.
Savannah is a city packed full of history and current thriving culture. It is a
city that you will not want to miss out on. (DiscoverAmerica.com)
Fast, funny and fearless, Johnny O'Connell is recognized as one of North America's most talented and versatile racing drivers. O'Connell tells FVR viewers about this favorite road as a kid growing up in Connecticut:
"My favorite road is one in Cos Cobb, Connecticut near where I grew up. The street's name was Cognewaugh, and was just several miles of very tight twisty corners that were barely wide enough for two cars to pass by each other. (It has) some really great elevation changes and a few places where you would even get a little bit of air. You never really went more than about 55 mph on it, but that was so fast for that road. A true roller coaster of a street."
After driving for a variety of teams, O'Connell has found a home with Corvette Racing. He produced the team's first overall victory at the 24 Hours of Daytona and it's first Le Mans class victory in 2001. He is a three-time American Le Mans Series (ALMS) GT1 champion and has 38 career ALMS wins and a record eight Sebring 12-hour class victories. O’Connell also holds ALMS records for most starts (102), most podium finishes (80) and most top-five finishes (93). He is the first American driver to win 24 Hours of Le Mans four times.
Thanks for sharing your road, Johnny! To learn more about Johnny O'Connell, visit www.corvetteracing.com.
-Alex W. Thompson, FVR Contributing Writer
Grand Rivers, KY- "Ecclectic and Fun", declares May 14th FavoriteRoad.com Day. It's a 