Kentucky Life

The town of West Liberty was struck by two tornadoes on Feb. 29 and Mar. 2, 2012. Dave visits the Louisville National Weather Service; talks with General John Heltzel of Kentucky Emergency Management; and visits the hard-hit town of West Liberty.

Cumberland River, a bluegrass band with roots in Harlan County; a look at iron furnaces and the Buffalo Furnace historical marker in Greenup County; the Kentucky Department of Travel and Tourism in Frankfort; and Covington's historic Linden Grove Cemetery.

The Woo Hoo Pedicab in Campbell County; the Purple Onion restaurant in Central City; Hopkinsville and the Chitlin' Circuit, a national string of clubs where black recording artists could perform during the days of segregation; and the Springfield Opera House and the Central Kentucky Community Theatre.

Dave visits Cedar Creek Vineyards in Pulaski Co.; a Warren Co. historical marker recounts Bowling Green native Duncan Hines' career in the food and lodging industry; watch how cheese is made at Good Shepherd Cheese, a dairy in Bath Co.; visit Heaven Hill Distilleries Inc. in Bardstown; and meet food blogger Joyce Pinson.

Learn about Kentucky State University's research and domestication of that tropical-tasting fruit, the pawpaw, Chef Bob Perry from UK's College of Sustainable Agriculture prepares a pawpaw dish, Dave and Toby take a trip to Leslie Co. to learn about rural post offices, and a look at Pulaski County's Short Creek.

Explore Blood River Seeps State Nature Preserve in Calloway Co.,; a Boyd Co. historical marker honors Mary E. Flanery, the first woman elected to the Kentucky legislature; Toby attracts a crowd in the Casey Co. town of Liberty; named after two Winchester cats, Stinky and Coco's Diner is serving up Today's Special; and a performance by Tin Can Buddha.

Meet the characters who congregate for the annual Louisville Zombie Attack; Paranormal Investigators of Northern Ky. look for explanations for claims of paranormal activity; in Voices of Elmwood, actors portray deceased residents of Daviess Co. and tell stories to guests of the Elmwood Cemetery; and Dave investigates the life of clairvoyant Edgar Cayce.

Meet Lucille Sharp, an actress from Lexington who has a role in this season's Downton Abbey; the Grant County community of Crittenden is Our Town; learn how the Fort-named towns of Northern Kentucky got their names; and the award-winning and inspiring work of Louisville artist Trent Altman.

Dave, with Toby by his side, remembers the 1811-1812 New Madrid earthquakes by visiting Reelfoot Lake, Kentucky Bend, and other landforms shaped by the quakes 200 years ago. In Memphis, Dave meets with specialists to find out about earthquake preparedness and the odds of another quake occurring along the New Madrid fault.

A profile of Morgan County native Paul Gilley, who wrote "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" for Hank Williams, Sr.; a historical marker in Rockcastle Co. reprises the history of the Renfro Valley radio broadcasts; Dave takes a look at the growing beer brewing scene in Lexington; Hart County offers an interactive farm experience for guests.

Meet songwriter and Rockabilly Hall of Fame member Bill Harlan; visit Wayne County's community of Monticello; learn about Bowling Green's Shake Rag District, recognized for its significance to African American history; and take a look at John Carpenter's sports memorabilia collection, recognized by Ripley's Believe It or Not as the World's Largest Private Sports Collection.

Visit Louisville's Headliners Music Hall to check out StorySLAM, a part of NPR's Moth Radio Hour; a Caldwell Co. marker recounts the history of the Night Rider movement; enjoy the music of Lexington's Coralee and The Townies and Newport's Gangsters Dueling Piano Bar; and experience the famous Moonbow at Cumberland Falls State Park.

Meet photographer John Cohen, who came to eastern Kentucky in the late 1950s and captured the region's landscape, people, and music; in Laurel County, Dave enjoys Today's Special at the longtime London landmark, Weaver's Hot Dogs; the Shepherdsville train crash of 1917 is still regarded as the worst in Kentucky's history; and meet Australian horse trainers The Double Dans in Nicholasville.

Dave encounters animal species in Blood River Seeps State Nature Preserve; historical markers document the fateful ride of Revolutionary War hero Capt. John "Jack" Jouett, Jr.; efforts to preserve the Holt House in Breckinridge County honor the legacy of Judge Joseph Holt, one of Lincoln's trusted allies; and Maysville's Washington Opera House is the home of The Maysville Players.

In celebration of Earth Day 2013, Dave learns about the Kentucky Wild Rivers Program as he explores the beautiful forest and waterways of The Little South Fork; a trip to the Licking River in Northern Kentucky reveals the surprising diversity of Kentucky's mussel species; and farmer and seed collector Bill Best introduces us to tasty varieties of heirloom beans.

Dave tries his hand at Dainty, a German street-ball game played in the Louisville neighborhood of Schnitzelburg; a historical marker explains how Middlesboro's golf course made links history; in Monroe County, skilled sharpshooters take aim in the marble game of Rolley Hole; in a high-flying Dave Does It, Dave goes out on a limb with EarthJoy Tree Adventures in Alexandria.

In Paducah, an evening of band performances at the Maiden Alley Cinema; Salyersville is Our Town; a Kentucky girl raises money and spirits with a knitting project for residents of Joplin, Missouri; and in the hills above Morehead, Dave and Toby explore the vineyards of CCC Trail Winery.

Teenage sisters Kendall and Kenzie Gentry, barrel-racing champions from Henderson, give us an up-close look at this rodeo sport; in Logan County, Rogues' Harbor is Our Town; the story of outlaw Jesse James and his ties to Kentucky; and in Dave Does It, Dave joins the Hooten Old Town Regulators of McKee in a Single Action Shooting Competition.

Owensboro artist Rhonda McEnroe shares her passion for painting with art students; in Union County, historical markers cite the beginnings of one of baseball's greatest players; gunslingers entertain visitors at Guntown Mountain in Barren County; our Downtown Destination is Danville; and during 2013's Commonwealth Cleanup, Dave joins the Spring Cleanup crew at Dale Hollow for Dave Does It.

The German artist duo Herakut's Lexington murals, a visit to East Bernstadt, Hidden Cave Ranch Bed and Breakfast in Burkesville, and horse trainer Gudmar Petursson's Icelandic horses.