By now it was getting on close to dinner time and I was getting really tired and hot. I was at the furthest west point I would travel in this trip and would be heading east from here. Across the river was the state of Missouri. As a native upstate New Yorker, I always though of Missouri and points westward as being the 'territories". Hard for me to believe that Kentucky stretches all the way "out there". I was fairly confident that I was not going to reach my goal of getting to ALL the remaining parks today, as the sun was now to my west, and was starting to get lower in the sky. Afternoon was moving on, and I needed to do the same. I was now heading back to The Lakes...Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley, along with The Land Between the Lakes. The first stop would be another state resort park, located south of Kentucky Dam village, but on the same side of Kentucky Lake....Kenlake State Resort Park.
A note here about my travels.....I have not given much time to commenting on the roads I traveled. The reason for that, is they aren't really worth much of a mention. Western Kentucky is fairly flat, with some rolling hills, and LOTS of farming. Although shade trees along many of the smaller roads are common, looking beyond the trees reminded me of Iowa.....corn, soybeans, barns, and hay fields. Not exactly great "sport touring" roads, but still lovely to look at. As I had several hours of music playing in helmet, and "trails to ride I ain't rode before", I was not bored however.
photo 1....Entrance to Kenlake
photo 2...the lodge......notice the building say Kenlake Hotel. This is the 1st Kentucky resort park established. The 'hotel" opened in 1952.
a special note about Kenlake.....the park contains land that was originally called Cherokee State park. it was opened in 1951 as a black-only state park, the third such park in the US, and the 1st in Kentucky. It was designed to provide the same standards as the white-only Kenlake, under the "separate but equal" doctrine. It was closed in 1964 after the governor signed an executive order ending segregation on 1963. it is later used by the Murray State rowing team, but that sport was cut in 2009. It was renovated and reopened in Fall 2010 as a meeting and events facility.
Leaving Kenlake, after a very short ride over a very long and high bridge over the lake, through the Land Between the Lakes, and across an even higher and longer bridge over Lake Barkley, I soon reached my final destination for the day....Lake Barkley State Resort Park. At this time I was pretty much done, physically and mentally, and I was only thinking about a nice shower, a good meal, and a nice bed. The only thing was, I had not made any reservations or plans for this trip, I was just going by the "seat of my pants" and figuring that Tuesday night would not be a busy night for travelers. Pulling off of the main road, route 80, took me up a really nice twisty bit of 1486 to the entrance of the park. Parking my bike in the lot in front of the lodge, I went in to inquire about a room. Any available? Yes! Is this gift card my kids gave me 5 years ago any good still? Yes! Sign me up! I'm staying here tonight....
photo 3......the lodge, rooms underneath it, and restaurant behind
photo 4.....mileage and time of arrival
photo 5.....the pool behind the restaurant
photo 6....lake view from the balcony of my room
photo 7....picture leaving the next morning.....refreshed and happy
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