Grand Rivers, & Paducah KY

Green Turtle Bay marina is a popular stop for most loopers, it is around the corner from Kentucky Dam Marina where we stayed over the weekend.  This is by all means the shortest trip we have taken, and we will probably spend the week here.  We knew there was a bunch of fellow loopers over here that we wanted to catch up with.  Green Turtle Bay is in Grand Rivers, there is  this really cool restaurant called "Patti's" it has been here for over 30 years, started by Bill and Patti Tuller, who are now deceased and their children run the business.  They are known for their 2" thick charbroiled pork chops, mile high meringue pie.  They are located in a dry county, which I did not know existed any longer.  You can bring your own wine, and they will provide a glass and corkscrew, but you have to keep the bottle on the floor.   It's actually called Patti's 1880's Settlement, they have gift shops attached, miniature golf, remote control boats, a working water wheel, gardens where you can have a wedding, and over 12 acres of Christmas lights, western Kentucky's most beautiful display. It was voted number 1 by  "Southern Living Magazine" Best small town restaurant.

Our 32nd anniversary was the 15th, we went into Nashville to the Grand Ole Opry. That was very interesting, we did not know what to expect and it turned out to be quite entertaining.  The area that we are in in called Land between the Lakes, LBL. It is a national recreation area, that is between Lake Barkley and Kentucky Lake, consisting of 170,000 acre peninsula of play land.  There is hiking, biking, camping, hunting,  fishing, environmental education center, Elk and Bison  Prairie, Planetarium, and the list goes on.  We went to the planetarium and the Bison and  Elk Prairie.  Here's what I learned today, a Bison can run up to 35 miles per hour and can weigh approx 2,000 lbs.  A grown elk weighs approx 800 lbs and it's antlers grow up to one inch a day in the summer.

Paducah is the big town that is relatively close to the marina, we went in for dinner and also walked around the waterfront.  The town is in the process of revamping the water front, as of now they do not have any marinas or docks for the boaters.  The sea wall has some interesting murals along the water. In 1937 Paducah had a flood that lasted for almost 30 days and put 90% of Paducah underwater.

Today is our last day at this marina, we head back to the Tennessee river tomorrow morning. We have enjoyed our week here, but I am anxious to get further south, the weather has been cool, 55 during day and we hit 34 at night, plus it has been cloudy and rainy.  I know that doesn't come close to Ohio weather, but it's still on the cold side for being on the water.