Kentucky Life

Dave explores downtown Owensboro's fun and beautiful new riverfront; Variety Pizza in Breathitt County has fans driving in from hours away; Amy Hess meets Lexington teen violinist Blakely Burger and her band The Hollow Bodies; and Elliott County artist Bonita Skaggs-Parsons puts her own spin on folk art and life in Appalachia.

Featured stories include Covington's luxury condominium building The Ascent, designed by former UK architecture professor Daniel Libeskind; the restoration of Taylor County's Homeplace on Green River; Hemmer Hill Farm in Crestwood and its Saint Croix sheep and CSA program; and Amy Hess spends a day in Burkesville along the Cumberland River in Cumberland County.

Dave takes a road trip to Red Bird with a convoy of Model T and Model A enthusiasts; at the confluence of the Ohio and Kentucky Rivers, Carrollton is Our Town; Trigg Enterprise is a family farming business in Barren County raising produce, Black Angus cattle, and tilapia; and a greenhouse in Paducah specializes in Tillandsias, plants grown without soil known as 'air plants.'

Dave and Amy tour shops, cafes, and attractions along the Hitcents Park Plaza corridor of Bowling Green; a look at The Kentucky Tragedy, one of the most sensational crimes in Kentucky history; a visit to Morehead State University; and learn how Kentucky cavers are working to prevent the spread of deadly White Nose Syndrome in bats at Carter Caves State Resort Park.

Kentucky Life honors Kentucky's veterans. Dave experiences Kentucky National Guard training at the Wendell H. Ford Regional Training Center in Greenville; a historical marker in Woodbury documents the career of Butler Co. native Admiral Claude C. Bloch; the CAT (Canine Assisted Therapy) program at Ft. Knox pairs servicemen who have sustained traumatic brain injuries (TBI's) with dogs; and more.

Meet Mason County native and award-winning painter Steve White, whose paintings reflect America's first frontier from 1760-1812; Amy Hess visits downtown Paris; visit The Potter's Inn Bed and Breakfast in Wilmore; and the story of the Civil War ambush and massacre in Simpsonville of the 5th United States Colored Cavalry by a band of Confederate guerillas.

Meet Jerry Bransford, a 5th generation African-American guide at Mammoth Cave; several historical markers in southeastern Kentucky recount the journeys of Dr. Thomas Walker; Amy Hess visits Eugene McMahan & Sons Furniture in Taylor County; and Dave goes to Clinton, Kentucky for a hands-on look at the process of creating the award-winning Harper's Country Hams.

The greatest maritime disaster in U.S. history occurred on April 27, 1865, when the steamship SS Sultana exploded on the Mississippi River and an estimated 1,800 passengers died, including 194 from Kentucky; in Paducah, a historical marker honors engineer and Confederate General Lloyd Tilghman; a visit to Louisville's Mega Cavern, approximately 100 acres of underground fun.

Kentucky Life searches for 'Abandoned Kentucky.' In Muhlenberg County, the ruins of an 1850's iron furnace are all that remain of Old Airdrie; the town of Beauty, in Martin County, stands on the site of what once was the Hungarian community of Himlerville; photographer Sherman Cahal explores the deserted Old Crow Distillery in Frankfort.

In the era of segregation, Paducah's Hotel Metropolitan was the heart of the African-American community of Upper Town; the historic marker and recent restoration of the Cabin Creek covered bridge in Lewis County; Kentucky's iconic ash trees are at risk from the invasive Emerald Ash Borer; and Amy Hess visits Hazard, the "Queen City of the Mountains" for Our Town.

The scenic river town of Bellevue, in Campbell County, is Our Town; Today's Special comes from Chandler's in Maysville; at their Lincoln County home, Susan and George Miller grow produce to sell at farmers' market and local restaurants; in Morehead, St. Claire Regional Medical Center provides care to more than a half-million patients each year.

Kentucky Life explores the work of Eastern Kentucky PRIDE (Personal Responsibility In a Desirable Environment), an initiative started in 1997 by Congressman Hal Rogers and the late General James Bickford. Their vision was to encourage citizens to take responsibility for protecting the environment and provide the education and resources they need to do so.

Visit downtown Paducah, one of Kentucky's most creative communities; sample Today's Special from Peak Bros. Bar-B-Que in Union Co.; Owensboro artist Aaron Kizer paints portraits of pop culture figures; a Warren Co. marker honors the 'father of ragtime'; and see the exhibits and restored railcars at The Historic Railpark and Train Museum in Bowling Green.

The Kentucky Mainstreet Program revitalizes downtowns across the Commonwealth; Booneville in Owsley Co. is Our Town; tour the Conrad-Caldwell House Museum in the historic neighborhood of Old Louisville; and visit Maysville's Gateway Museum Center.

In the years following the Civil War, African American jockeys dominated horseracing and won 15 of the first 28 runnings of the Kentucky Derby; the unsung heroes of the racetrack are the track ponies; created over 50 years ago as the specialty pastry of the Melrose Inn, the chocolate-nut pie from Kern's Kitchen is the official Derby Pie; and women's eye-catching hats are a Derby tradition.

The mother-daughter team at HorseFeathers Gifts in Henderson design and create beautiful jewelry; towards the end of the Revolutionary War, the women of the fort at Bryan Station bravely gathered water for the besieged settlement, allowing the inhabitants to survive; and in Rowan County, the family-owned The Bakery on Main specializes in fresh baked goods, gelato, and hearty soups.

The fantastical lives of Princess Alice Gurielli and her husband, the Romanian artist Dimitrie Berea, whose art is displayed at Berea College; the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport; a Todd Co. historical marker notes the first RFD (Rural Free Delivery of mail to rural farm families) in Kentucky; and the Lighthouse Landing Resort, Marina, and Sailing School in Livingston County.

Today's Special comes from Dixie Chili and Diner, founded in Newport in 1929 by Greek immigrant Nicholas Sarakatsannis; we take a look at the historic coal camps of Southeastern Kentucky; Columbia in Adair County is Our Town; and meet landscaper Josh Samples from Rockcastle County.

Each year thousands of migrating Sandhill Cranes congregate at Barren River Lake; the vibrant springtime display of wildflowers at John James Audubon State Park in Henderson; hikers of all ages and skill levels enjoy 40 miles of trails at Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill; and Popes Creek Ranch in Lebanon offers opportunities for 'glamping' - glamour camping.