 |
| |
 |
|
|
|
||
|
EXPLORING
KENTUCKY - May 2006 by Katherine Tandy Brown Water Therapy
As group sales and events coordinator for Green Turtle Bay Resort and Marina in Grand Rivers, Manire should know. “A lot of people don’t realize what we have here.” Fortunately, Owensboro lawyer Bill Gary III realized the possibilities back in 1984 when he first set eyes on a small marina on the shores of Lake Barkley. He bought the property and set about constructing his dream. Today, his vision has become a lovely, shoreline-hugging resort with rentable one- to four-bedroom condos (most of which have water views), a conference center and a bustling marina. An avid seaman, Gary still sails during the off-season, but otherwise he’s a totally hands-on, seven-days-a-week owner and builder. More condos are going up and future plans could include a health spa and an inn. “Our push is away from just being a summer destination,” Manire explains. “We’re becoming an off-season one as well.” The resort can accommodate singles, families and groups with equal aplomb. Unlike many condo complexes, Green Turtle Bay’s facilities are individual units. Each bedroom has its own bath and shares a common living room, dining room, kitchen and deck – an ideal setup, says Manire, for family reunions, wedding parties and corporate retreats. Bright with lake views, the conference center has a 14-seat boardroom and a spacious meeting room that can accommodate up to 125 people for a reception. “We’re central to where everybody is going,” says Manire. “A lot of boaters come by going south for the winter, and then stop on their way back north in the spring. We’ve had people who come through on their boats and like it so much they just stay for good.” With a goal of being “the best full-service marina between the Great Lakes and the Gulf of Mexico,” Green Turtle Bay’s dock – like the resort – is open seven days a week, all year long. Should boaters need to arrive past the closing hour and require assistance, a phone or marine radio call will assure that a staff member will be there after hours to help. Marina amenities include three stocked ship stores, dedicated slips for transients traveling through, and 450 permanent wet slips to accommodate nearly any boat style or size, from uncovered sailboat slips to 90-foot covered slips for cruisers and houseboats. In the office is a “Boater’s Rest,” complete with copiers, fax and phones, snacks and cool drinks. Plans are in the works to offer Internet access, cable hookup and even DSL. Marina staff will make local dinner reservations, order a rental car or arrange a ride to the Paducah airport, 40 miles away. Even landlubbers who don’t own a vessel can rent a houseboat, fishing boat, deck boat, ski boat or jet ski here at Marinas International. You can hire a fishing guide from Malcolm Lane’s Hook, Line & Sinker to find out where all those big bass are hiding. Twice a year – in March and November – this floating boater’s mecca even facilitates a school for charter boat captain certification. On-site offerings include pools, playgrounds, tennis courts, a lake beach with volleyball, cookout grills and a trip back in time on the water via the Belle of Grand Rivers. Cruising both Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley, this 55-foot 1890s riverboat replica can take excursions of up to 49 people for eagle watching, winding down after a meeting, or chatting with chums over drinks. Dinners are catered by the resort’s main eatery, the Commonwealth Yacht Club. Take the free trolley into Grand Rivers for “two-inch pork chops and mile-high pie” at Patti’s 1880s Settlement and clap those calories off at “A Tribute to Patsy Cline” on Friday nights at the newly opened Badgett Playhouse. Off-site offerings can be as diverse as golfing, skeet shooting or shuffling down the road to the 170,000-acre Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area to ogle elk and bison, see the stars at a planetarium, visit living history and Civil War sites, hike, mountain bike, canoe, hunt, horseback ride, watch birds, play putt-putt golf and bounce over ATV trails. Festivities abound on Memorial Day, the Fourth of July and Labor Day at Green Turtle Bay, but the big event at this watery destination is National Marina Day. Held the second Saturday of August, there’s paddle boating, kayaking, extended pool hours and lots for kids to do. “We’re not far off the main drag, so most people can even take a mini-vacation here, even if it’s just for some short-term down time,” says Manire. “For folks traveling by car, we’re just two or three miles off I-24’s exit 31. And we have something to offer absolutely everyone.”
Katherine Tandy
Brown is a staff writer for The Lane Report. |
|
|
|
||
|
Copyright 1996-2006, by Kentucky Business Online. All rights reserved. Editorial content
is copyright 2006, Lane Communications Group The Lane Report is a trademark of Lane Communications Group. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. |
“Every time you drive through our guard shack,” says Cindy Manire, “you can just feel your blood pressure dropping!”
Great American Brass Band Festival