My Day in Carrollton, KY

I've decided that Northern KY will not be my retirement town and since I won't be staying for the long haul, why wait to pull up roots. I've listed my condo for sale and will leave when it sells. Of course, that may take a year or more! In the meantime, rather than moping about my situation, I will be visiting various sites in the region, acting like a tourist on vacation. After all, the best thing about Northern KY is its proximity to so many wonderful destinations.

This past weekend I went to Carrollton, KY to visit General Butler State Park and River Valley Winery. My honest review... well, um, not worth the gas to get there. Sorry, but true for me. I thought Carrollton was actually a depressing little town. It was small, in a low-class kinda way, not quaint like small towns strive for, just small. I didn't see any restaurants or shops that I would have liked to stop into. I didn't see any pretty scenery either. It is located where the Kentucky River meets the Ohio River. Unfortunately, I didn't find either river to be very attractive. In the nearly four years that I have lived here, I have yet to figure out the attraction to the Ohio River. It is brown and dirty, some days it takes on the appearance of split pea soup. Personally, I would not want to touch the water. Yet, people who've grown up here enjoy boating, water skiing, and fishing out there. Yuk!

Enough about the town, how about the General Butler State Park? Sorry, not worth the gas either. Maybe if you like history, you could tour the house and cemetery and hear all about General William Butler and his family, but don't go for the lake, hiking, camping, or scenic overlook. All overrated in my book. The lake was small; three paddle strokes in a canoe and you would be on the other side. The water looked stagnant and muddy also; not something I would want to swim in. The trails were unkempt and frankly, unattractive. The park also is bordered by a major highway so you could hear a lot of traffic noise from the campground, plus it was crowded and the sites were so close to one another that there was no privacy.  And the only overlook was on the depressing town of Carrollton with the ugly Ohio River off in the distance.

Oh boy, did the winery save the day? Yeah, well, maybe. It was nice, but I would not recommend a trip out there just for that. If you happen to be driving through the area, it would make a relaxing stop, but it is not a destination.

I took a walk through the vineyard to get a close up view of their grapes. Lots of cute little birds enjoying themselves out there (but they were much too fast to catch on camera). 

The tasting room and porch were small but very well maintained with beautiful flowers, vines, and humming bird feeders. The hostess was welcoming and friendly, really made you feel at home.

Here are the vines in the background. It was a very small property run by a husband and wife team. I read that they use their own grapes and grapes from neighboring farms.

The wines were nice as well. You were able to taste as many as you liked before selecting a glass to drink there or a bottle to take with you. They had about ten to choose from. I selected the Bobby's Blush wine.

So, my day was not a total loss, but far from a success. I have lots more exploring to do before I leave Northern KY. Stay tuned for my next trip!