Estill Narrative

Leaving the Kentucky Artisan Irvine. Participant 4, Oak Tree

Center, turn left onto KY 595 Inn, will be on your right side
and proceed to Interstate 75. when you enter Irvine’s
Turn right onto I-75 North and business district. The Oak Tree
travel 13.0 miles to Richmond, Inn is a family-owned and
Kentucky. operated motel business that
will provide you with a pleasant
Take exit 90. Follow US 25/ stay in Irvine. There mission is
421 south for 4.2 miles to the to “exceed our guest’s
stoplight at the 52 East expectations for cleanliness,
junction. Turn left onto 52 E friendliness, and product
and travel to Irvine, Kentucky. quality as we provide them with
Turn left onto Route 1457, then an attractive, well-maintained,
The Collection of Overlook
right on Cedar Grove, and left secure place to stay at a fair
onto Overlook Drive. price.” Right across the street Stained Glass and Gemstones
Participant 1, Overlook will be a great place to sit down
Stained Glass and Gemstones, and eat a home-cooked meal. most beautiful land. The
will be at the end of the road. Participant 5, Cedar Village, is legendary scenic beauty of
You can choose from jewelry right across from the Oak Tree Estill County is largely
already made up or pick out and Inn. The restaurant provides embodied in the Daniel Boone
design your own stones. All buffet style dining, daily National Forest. When you visit
jewelry is of precious metal. specials, catering, group Estill County, you are seeing
Bob and Brenda Clair have meetings, a pick-up window, the spectacular land that
always been nature lovers and a banquet room. Continue Daniel Boone once explored.
involved with art. They have driving east on US 52. Right
been working with precious past the McDonald’s, turn right. While enjoying the Red Lick
stones for over twenty years. Take a left onto Red Lick Road Valley, you can stop overnight
Drive back to Route 1457 and and Participant 17, Bicknell’s and stay at Participant 18,
continue up the hill. Participant Soggy Bottom Farms will be Snug Hollow Farm Bed and
2, Cynthia Cusick: Cusick on your left side at the big red Breakfast. This farm bed and
Creations, will be on your left barn. This farm was established breakfast is nestled on 300
side. Her creations usually in 2000 to give family fun to the acres of meadows, creeks,
involve natural elements to local and surrounding flowers, and wildlife. You can
some degree and almost always communities. It includes a spend a lazy afternoon sipping
employ some sense of irony, Farm Fall Festival, which has a tea in the sun-dappled kitchen,
humor and whimsy. Ms. ten-acre corn maze, petting zoo, browsing the library loft, or
Cusick, originally from New gift shop, hay rides; pick your enjoying the charming
York City, began exploring the own pumpkins, and sorghum sunroom. Proceed back
medium of painting her black production. If you continue on
and white prints under the Red Lick Road, you can enjoy
guidance of Fernando Natalici. your surroundings of Participant
18, Red Lick Valley. This part
Continue back to US 52 and of the driving trail takes you
continue heading east towards along some of Estill Counties Kentucky Artisan Heritage Trails
through Red Lick Valley and to
the main US 52 highway. Turn
right and keep traveling east
towards downtown Irvine. Take
a right onto Route 89. Follow
Route 89 to Route 851 and then
to Route 3329. Stay to the left.
You will then travel for 5 miles.
Participant 7, River Rat
Boatworks, is your destination.
The road will turn to a gravel
road and you will follow that to
a gate. You can enjoy a
pleasure cruise on a towboat
and barge for up to six people
on the Kentucky River. With
this participant you will be able
to sightsee along the Kentucky
River, fish, and photograph
wildlife including wood ducks,
mallards, wild turkey, Great
Blue Heron, Whitetail deer,
beaver, muskrat and the
occasional elk.
Take the Routes back to the
main highway. You will need
to head east on US 52 towards
downtown Irvine. After
entering downtown, take the
first right towards Ravenna.
Participant 12, Picture This
Studio, will be on your left in
downtown Ravenna. The
McClanahan’s Gallery offers
original watercolor, pastel, oil,
and mixed media paintings.
Other services include custom
framing and art classes. The
McClanahan’s have been
teaching art together for over
30 years. Be prepared to fall in
love when you see one of
Russell McClanahan’s
paintings or enjoy how Delores
McClanahan portrays the
delicate but colorful nature of
flowers and her soft landscapes
with subtle beauty. Continue
Estill Narrative
down Main Street in Ravenna Page 2
and Participant 21, Pandora’s
Box, will be on your left side.
Here you can find items from
the past and step into the beauty
of the collectibles of the present
and future. Owned and
operated by Brandon and
Beverly Thompson, Pandora’s
Box will tickle your fancy and
make for a memorable trip that
you will want to make over and
over again.
The Cottage Furnace
Stay on Main Street and
proceed towards Highway 213
on your left. Follow to Lainhart, you can visit her
Marbleyard Road on your left. studio and greenhouse for her
You will see signs for works of art. Stained glass
Participant 16, Cottage work is available for purchase
Furnace. After entering Daniel or if you have an idea and
Boone National Forest, you will would like to have a custom
see a recreational sign on the piece created, Maria will help
right. Merge left at the fork in you design your piece. Turn
the road and follow to picnic back towards the way you
area. Cottage Furnace has a came, but stay on US 52. Turn
nice parking and picnic area, so right on Route 1182 and
bring your family, friends, and immediately onto 975. Proceed
food and stay awhile. It is an to the end of the road and you
old iron furnace in rural Estill will find Participant 14 and 15,
County that produced “pig Aldersgate Camp and Retreat
iron” in the middle to late Center and the Fitchburg
1800’s. The remains are in very Furnace. Aldersgate Camp
good condition. Watch closely, and Retreat Center is a 304-acre
as one can walk right by this Christian retreat, recreation,
furnace and never see it. camping and worship center
owned and operated by the
Drive back to Main Street in United Methodist Church of
Ravenna, but turn left and
proceed towards 1571 east.
Follow this until it ends at US
52. Turn right and you will
find Participant 13, The Glass
Garden and Greenhouse.
Owned and operated by Maria Kentucky Artisan Heritage Trails
Kentucky. Facilities include a
10-site full hook-up RV park,
tent camping, rustic cabins,
dorm lodging, and modern
chalet-like retreat cottages for
both individuals and groups.
The Fitchburg Furnace is also
on site. This National Historic
site is open to the public and
features the largest coal-burning
furnace in the world. The
Fitchburg Furnace begun in
1869 and was built by masons
from Ravenna, Italy. This is the
only double furnace in
Kentucky.
Travel back towards downtown
Ravenna and turn right at the
stoplight onto Main Street in
Irvine. When you see
Broadway Street, turn right.
Participant 11, the Estill
County Historical and
Genealogical Society will be
on your left. Organized in
1981, people come here to meet
and to learn more about their
Estill County families and
history. You are welcome to
browse the collection of over
700 books, the file drawers of
family files, and newsletters
from 1981 to the present. You
next stop is Participant 9,
Artrageous! Follow Broadway
back to Main Street and turn
right. It will be on the left side
in downtown Irvine. This
learning center for the arts has a
working studio and gallery. At
Artrageous! you can be taught
lessons in piano, guitar, band
instruments, voice, drawing,
painting, pottery, and stained
glass. Participant 10, Front
Porch Gallery and Studio,
will be on the right continuing
down Main Street. It is two
Estill Narrative
doors past the Post Office and Page 3
is located inside a house. The
mother and daughter-owned
gallery represent more than 52
artisans from around Kentucky.
Take a few minutes from your
busy day and have a glass of
tea, sit, or swing on our front
porch swing.Next on the Estill
Trail, keep following US 52
(turns into Route 89). Stay left
on Route 89 past the 82/89
intersection. Turn right on
Hargett Parvin Road and follow
to Domain Farm and
Participant 3, Robin Fassas.
This artisan is known for her
equine portraits using original Front Porch Gallery and Studio
watercolor, acrylic, and ink
wash. Part of her fine
collection includes renderings rides, and coloring books for
of famous Arabian, Rocky the children.
Mountain and Saddlebred
horses. She also rides, trains, To end your driving
and continues to show back at the Kentucky Artisan
Arabians, Saddlebreds, Center, follow Route 89 to
Thoroughbreds, and National where it runs into US 52 and
Show Horses from her 145 acre continue back through the trail
Domain Farm. Travel back to to Richmond, Kentucky. Take a
Route 89 and continue north. right onto US 25/421 and
Turn right on KY 1880/Route follow to I-75. Merge onto I-75
1889. Follow road to stop sign South and travel to exit 77 in
and turn right. Cross the Berea, Kentucky.
railroad tracks and follow the
gravel road down the hill,
across the creek, and up the hill
to Participant 4, Sundance
Christmas Tree Farm. They
offer precut trees or you may
select your Christmas tree on
our farm and they will be happy
to cut it down for you. Pine,
spruce and fir are available.
During the Christmas season,
enjoy free hot cider, donkey cart Kentucky Artisan Heritage Trails