Kentucky in October III

Each day we are gaining a greater appreciation for and understanding of Renfro Valley. This is far more than a place on a map; it is history, culture, music, entertainment, education, and contemporary business wrapped in an appealing, well marketed package called “Kentucky’s Country Music Capital”.

Renfro Valley Entertainment Center features two show theaters, a shopping village, a full-service RV Park, an historic Lodge Restaurant, a motel and cabins, and a Log Cabin Village. The show schedule is from March 1 to December 21 and concerts and special events are scheduled from April 19 to December 13. Country music stars appear regularly and the in-house performers are very high quality musicians. The final major event for this year is an original production called “Christmas in the Valley” that runs from November 7 to December 20. For more information, go to www.renfrovalley.com.

We already mentioned visiting the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame and Museum. We may have to return to gain a deeper understanding of what it offers in education and historical record. We have learned that it is an educational resource of Kentucky’s music history and music fundamentals. A Teacher’s Study Guide is available and resident musicians travel the state to explain and teach to music students in Kentucky schools. The Museum offers resident seminars and workshops in songwriting, singing and individual instruments. Details are found at www.kentuckymusichalloffame.com.

Friday was a perfect weather day. Early morning fog wafted over The Valley and burned off as the sun rose over the mountains to the east. Breakfast was scheduled for 9:30 AM. We were ready much earlier and had coffee in the coach. Our view of the gathering area is blocked by several coaches, so about 9:00 AM Ralph walked that way to see what was happening; breakfast was well underway. By 9:30, most everyone was finished eating. We learned: hungry people can trump printed schedules every time.

The ladies had a shopping trip planned to Berea. Several carloads trekked northward and spent much of the day visiting the “Tater Knob Pottery & Farm” near Berea and the “Bybee Pottery” in Waco, Ky. The men spent time discussing the stock market, repaired coaches, visited the Log Cabin Village, napped, or whatever else came to mind. It was a very relaxed day. In mid afternoon, Larry, Chuck and Ralph drove north to Richmond for a beverage run. Renfro Valley is in a “dry” county. Business was booming in Richmond.

Dinner Friday evening was at 5:00 PM and served at one of the several dining areas throughout the Entertainment Center. It was served “family-style” and consisted of slaw, mashed potatoes, corn, green beans, fried chicken, ham, and banana pudding. Well fed, we had time to visit the shops before the evening entertainment. Some folks were seeing Loretta Lynn’s show in one theater, and the others, including us, were seeing a show called “Tribute to the Legends”. We thoroughly enjoyed the performance. It was entertaining and very high quality, comparable to any show we saw in Branson or Nashville. After the shows we retired to our coaches for a little TV and a good night’s rest.

We have decided to extend our trip by one day. We leave Sunday and will stop near Beckley, WV for two nights. Chuck wants to show us a bridge. More details on that later.