An Inexpensive Week at The Moors Resort and Marina on Kentucky Lake
Located on Kentucky Lake, one of the twin man made lakes in Western Kentucky, it is an out of the way retreat in a rural atmosphere. The Moors is in a tiny town called Gilbertsville not far from Benton.
The twin lakes in Western Kentucky were created early in the last century by the Tennessee Valley Authority to create hydro-electric power. Since then they have become a popular tourist destination for boaters, fishermen or anyone who just wants to get away from it all. The Moors has been around for a long time and was one of the first resorts in existence in the area. Starting life as a marina for fisherman and a campground, it has grown up over the years to become a series of cabins of many sizes and a lodge for those who like the amenities of a hotel environment.
To save money, we reserved cabin #1. Yes, it was first one built and is old. We knew this going in because it was the same cabin I stayed in some 15 years earlier. I knew it was a bit rough but it was so cheap, about $63 a night during the off-season. We reserved it just after Labor Day when the low rate took effect but when the weather was still nice. You can’t usually find any kind of cabin for $63 a night.
We arrived at dusk after a long car ride from Ohio with our then two year old son. We were out of milk for him and didn’t want to trek back out in the unfamiliar rural territory to find some. So, the nice country folks at the office suggested we go over to the on-site restaurant and see if they had any they could sell us. They went into the restaurant kitchen and came back with a gallon jug that was meant for the patrons but sold it to us for the going rate of milk. We were thrilled. We could now get on to relaxing after the taxing trip.
In the cabin we settled in. I had to work with the TV a bit to get it to work for my son to give him something to do since it was now dark outside. When I attempted to call the front office about the issue, I found that the phone was dead. So I called up there on my cell phone, which had a barely usable signal in this rural area. I was able to communicate the problem finally and a very nice woman came over and said she would move us the next day into one of their newer cabins at no extra charge.
This newer cabin was substantially nicer than “old number one.” It had a nicer television, a Jacuzzi tub and a large deck with chairs looking down to the lake! This was really living. There was a full kitchen with conventional range, refrigerator and microwave oven.
On site there is a small laundry facility, a pool, playground, miniature golf, a restaurant and of course the marina which has a store on site for fishing supplies and souvenirs. You can buy a temporary fishing license if you want to give that a try. My wife likes to fish and wanted to try it with our son. They had a great time just down by the water a short walking distance from our cabin. You can rent all manner of fishing boats at the marina but we were just up for a simple time down at the water side. It was very peaceful with only one other father and son down the beach giving it a shot.
After dark we would sit on our deck and just enjoy the country air. Each cabin has a hibachi type grill outside so we cooked steaks and hamburgers for dinner over charcoal. It was very relaxing.
I mentioned the “twin lakes” in Western Kentucky. They are Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley. There is a strip of land in between them called The Land Between The Lakes. It is a nature preserve with many sites and activities. One day we took a trip over there with our young son. We started the tour with a show in the planetarium. It was strange because we were the only ones there for the show that morning and they had to fire it up just for us. It was a very cool look at astrology and fascinated our son. Two nice older gentlemen ran the equipment. Then we moved on to the Elk and Bison Prairie where you can drive through and possibly see some Elk and Bison. That early in the day they were hard to spot. It was suggested we come back during the afternoon feeding and when we did, they were coming up to within a few feet our car. It was very interesting.
Then it was on to the Woodlands Nature Station which had numerous wildlife exhibits. It was very educational for our son to see native animals and exotic birds. Most of the animals are rescued and are unable to be returned to the wild. The animals here are native to the Kentucky area.
Later in the day we visited The Homeplace which is an operating farm circa 1850. There are farm hands performing chores, feeding the chickens, etc. There is a farm house you can walk through with some antiques that display home life from the era.
All in all, The Land Between The Lakes was a very enjoyable day out. We purchased a package deal for the attractions we visited so it was very reasonable.
You can find more information about The Moors at their websiteâÂ?¦ www.moorsresort.com. There’s a live web cam looking out over the lake along with rates, availability and attractions.
For The Land Between The Lakes, visit www.lbl.org.
