Guest Author - Amanda Masoner

My husband is an accountant. Those of you who are one, or are married to one, will most likely understand why we needed a little getaway after tax season. It is a crazy, hectic, when-will-the-work-week-end kind of time. And now it’s over! So, in the tiny smidgen of time we had between the end of tax season and the beginning of auditing season we headed east! It was Eastern Kentucky for us. Now some of you, having never been there, might quickly jump to “what on earth kind of vacation is that?” But I assure you it was a lovely one.

Eastern Kentucky is filled with gorgeous rolling hills. Well, some rolling-some border-line mountains! They are right on the edge of the Appalachian Mountains and you wouldn’t believe the green! The most vibrant leaves and mosses I may have ever seen. Several times we stopped for some short hikes and were thrilled to find waterfalls! And not the tiny kind that mice might liken to drink out of. The kind from movies about white water rafting or Brazil!

We got to spend the night near the Daniel Boone National Forest near Morehead, Kentucky. We had planned on camping but were met with loads of rain, rain, and more rain! Fortunate for us too, because had we camped we would’ve missed out on the Brownwood Bed & Breakfast and Cabins where we stayed the night! We were able to snag up a cabin (their last one!) with a small kitchen and even a nice back porch of our own! We fell asleep happily to the tune of buckets of rain falling on the tin roof. The owners, Jeff and Maggie Shire, have run the place for a few years now. They used to come and visit themselves when they were living in Cincinnati but decided to give up the city life to host, help, and feed people on their way to the lake! (Their website is Brownwood@brownwoodbandb.com.)

The lake I speak of is a lovely, vast lake called Cave Run Lake. It plays host to a myriad of wildlife, fish, and reptiles. A turtle the size of my hand just barely evaded us while a pair of suspicious geese looked on at the Shallow Flats.

For those of you with a boat just dying to get out on the water (now that it’s finally warm enough!) there are two marinas located on the lake. Longbow Marina and Scott Creek Marina. Both have rentals (for those of us without boats of our own!) with pontoon boats, fishing boats, and even houseboats! Both have gas, supplies, and food on site.

The Zilpo Recreation Area is located on a 355-acre wooded peninsula jutting out into Cave Run Lake. 172 campsites are available with plenty of hiking and a great beach for those wishing to lounge a bit.

There are many more trails and campsites and even a helpful visitor center with maps, guides, and recreational information. The center is open 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday year round.

As for our little adventure, it was just the getaway we needed. Not too far from home. Not too expensive. And just the right amount of fresh air our lungs have needed since January!