"I Wanna Do That!" : Harlan County / Hatfield McCoy

Whether you are looking for an educational trip or an adrenaline-filled day on atv trails, you can find it in Harlan County, Kentucky.  This was my first trip inside a coal mine, and was definitely an experience I will never forget!  You can almost hear the mine speak during the ride back into the darkness. One bit of history from Portal 31 comes from the early 1920's.  On February 12, 1923, the world's record for coal production in a single nine hour shift was achieved when 1,500 miners operating 40 shortwall cutting machines produced 12, 820 tons of coal, filling 256 railcars stretching a mile and a half long.  If you are interested in taking the tour of Portal 31, you can reach them at 606-848-1530 or visit their website at www.portal31.org/.

If you love getting your vehicle off the pavement and a little dirty, then you need to plan a trip to Black Mountain Offroad Adventure Area.  There are trails for riders of all levels and for all types of offroad vehicles from dirtbikes to side by sides to rock crawlers.  Dallas and his crew are located at the Evarts Trailhead, and you can find directions and their phone number on the website : www.blackmountainoffroad.com.  Remember, they have an amazing zipline course, too!

If you've never taken a day and seen the sites of the Hatfield McCoy Feud, you should plan to do just that. And, on your way to the sites in West Virginia, make sure you stop by the McCoy well site in Hardy, Kentucky.  Look into the same well we did, and imagine what is lying under the years' of sediment that tugged on our magnet!  I am definitely going to go back with a bigger magnet!

And, thank you to my dear friend "Banjo" Neal James, who stopped in to help me close the show.

Here are a few pics I snapped during the filming of this episode :

Black Mountain has a pretty healthy population of black bears.

A couple of the animatronic coal miners telling the story
of Portal 31.

On the way home from Harlan County, we stopped
to take in the view high atop Pine Mountain in Letcher County.

"I Wanna Do That!" in Southwest Virginia

Everything about this show was great!  We have all passed right by the Natural Tunnel State Park sign on US 23 in Duffield on our way to other places, but not many of us have taken the time to stop.  You can easily spend a few hours at the park visiting the tunnel and other sites, or you can spend an entire weekend at one of the new cabins.  For more information on Natural Tunnel State Park, visit www.dcr.virginia.gov/state-parks/natural-tunnel.shtml.

Most people have no idea there is an actual zoo in Gate City, and it was a great experience to get a personal tour from Mark Bradley, the owner.  What impressed me the most was the emphasis they put on successfully breeding their animals, and caring about endangered species.  The Creation Kingdom Zoo is definitely a "must see" in our region!  For more information on hours of operation or contact information, check out their website.  http://www.creationkingdomzoo.com/.

Last, but certainly not least on this episode was our adventure on the Virginia Creeper Trail!  Make sure you get up with the guys at Sundog Outfitters to get your trip scheduled.  Bring your own bicycle if you wish, and Wolf and the gang will be glad to shuttle you up to the top.  If you don't want to worry about bringing a bike, they have plenty for you to use for the day!  And in case you didn't notice in the episode, the Creeper Trail comes right by their shop, making one of the most convenient outfitters in town!  Visit their website for more information.  http://www.sundogoutfitter.com/

Here are a few pictures we snapped between filming.

The sky lift down to the Natural Tunnel

The IWDT crew and Park Manager Robert Chapman

Dalton somehow got lucky enough to pull the
camera gear along the Creeper Trail.  

One of the many bridges along this section of the Creeper Trail

WE MADE IT!!  

Say, "hello" to my little friend!

"I Wanna Do That!" in Johnson/Floyd County, Kentucky

Johnson County has as much to offer as any other county in our region as far as fun and interesting things to see and do!  Although I have been to Paintsville Lake dozens of times, this was my first visit to the Mountain Homeplace.  When you are heading over the hill to the marina/campground/lake, you pass right by the entrance on your left.  Make sure you plan a stop next time you are heading that way.  Plus, if you like fresh eggs, they sell them in the gift shop along with other fresh items from the garden (when in season).  Thank you to Floaters restaurant at the marina for treating the IWDT crew to some of the best burgers we've ever had!   http://parks.ky.gov/parks/recreationparks/Paintsville-Lake/default.aspx

Lots of us have made the trip to Butcher Holler before, and most of us have passed right by the museum in Van Lear.  Make sure you take an hour or so to visit with Tina Webb and see the exhibits.  You will be amazed at the tools our fathers and grandfathers used to mine coal!  For more information or to schedule a tour, give them a call at (606)789-8540.  Van Lear Days is just around the corner!

And, last but definitely not least, don't let this summer pass without taking in a show under the stars at Jenny Wiley Theatre!    http://www.jwtheatre.com/

Next week will be one of the best shows yet, as we spent two entire days in Southwest Virginia.  Did you know there is a great ZOO in Gate City???  

How long has it been since you had to use a bottle opener??

Loretta Lynn's home in Butcher Holler is great, but I'm not
so sure about the dolls watching from the upstairs window!

Keep spreading the word about "I Wanna Do That!" and thanks for all the support!!

"I Wanna Do That!" in the Breaks Interstate Park

Well, that was an interesting show!  We shared one of my most embarrassing moments EVER, and I do mean ever.  Looking back, I think everyone (but me) knew I would only travel about 20 feet on a water slide in my clothes, but they were sooo convincing when they talked me into it.

That was truly my first time geocaching, and I promise it won't be my last.  If you're interested in trying it out, go to www.geocaching.com and see what it's all about.  You can also watch this video.

All in all, I spent a great day in the Breaks Interstate Park!  Thank you to Park Superintendent, Austin Bradley for pointing us in so many wonderful directions throughout the day.  If you want more information on things to do in the Breaks Interstate Park, go to their website :   http://www.breakspark.com/

Here are a few photos we snapped throughout the day :

This is one of the pre-loaded GPS units you can rent at the Visitor's Center.

I definitely recommend trying Geocaching!

I felt much safer on this HydroBike than I would have being
crammed on one paddle boat with the IWDT crew!  lol

Hatchet throwing us MUCH harder
than it looks!

"I Wanna Do That!" in Pikeville

One thing I've learned in the past few weeks working on this new show is that we spend lots of time promoting ourselves to an audience miles away, and totally forget about our own neighbors.  We think about educating those who are traveling into our town about all we have to offer, and just assume the "locals" already know all about it.  However, that is not always the case.

As far as the Pikeville show is concerned, I was amazed at how many people who had no idea there were horseback riding stables at Bob Amos Park.  And, maybe even more people were surprised to find out you can rent an innertube and float right through the Pikeville Cut-Thru!

If you want more information on Dreamz Stables or are ready to schedule an event with Miss Betty and her staff, visit :   http://www.eventbee.com/v/dreamzstables.  Or, you can visit the Dreamz Stables page on Facebook.

When you are ready to hit the Levisa Fork and fish/float through Pikeville, check out the Facebook page of the Hatfield McCoy River Trails.  Answers to many of the frequently asked questions can be found in this YouTube video.

Here are a few photos from our recent adventures!

The "I Wanna Do That!" crew...

Miss Betty introduces Shannon to "Pocohontas!"  In fact, that's the very same horse Ernie Brown, Jr.
AKA "Turtleman" rode during his last visit to Pikeville when he visited Dreamz Stables!

The "camera" boat!

So much to do at Red River Gorge!

Wow, what a first episode!  I'm as guilty as the next person for driving past the Natural Bridge and Red River Gorge signs all my life on the Mountain Parkway and not stopping for more than a bathroom break and gasoline.  But, this is an area definitely worth checking out!  We barely even scratched the surface as far as activities in Red River Gorge are concerned, and didn't actually make it to the Natural Bridge itself!

Chris and the gang at Red River Gorge Zipline Tours are great to work with, and will make sure you have a great experience.  For more information on their exciting adventures, visit their website : www.redrivergorgezipline.com or make sure you like their Facebook page : facebook.com/RedRiverGorgeZiplineTours.

Now, if you are interested in rock climbing in the Gorge, make sure you give Brian and his crew at Kentucky Rock and Adventure Guides a call!  We definitely recommend them!  They, too have a great website and Facebook page :  www.kragky.com and facebook.com/pages/Kentucky-Rock-Adventure-Guides/185572351492508.

As far as food, we would love to see you visit Cliffview BBQ & Brew and Miguel's Pizza!  You won't find better bbq or pizza anywhere in the area!

If you decide to make a day or weekend trip to the area, make sure you tell them you saw them on "I Wanna Do That!"  :)

Check out these pics we didn't show on this episode!

We are having so much fun filming "I Wanna Do That!"  And, you won't believe some of the things we have in store for the remaining episodes this season!  The finale will be one to watch because we have just been granted access to take our cameras to a place that has NEVER been seen before!

-Shannon

Don't forget that the cameras have to go
across the zipline, too!

Charles landed so much more gracefully than
Shannon did!

Getting to the top of the rock face was much harder
than getting down!

The GoPro on Shannon's helmet kept sliding down.

We had to have a selfie with the Zipline gang!

EKB-TV's new show, "I Wanna Do That!" Premiere 8pm Wednesday June 25th!