Veterans and their families affected by war heal through dance in Louisville, Purple Toad Winery is a top Paducah tourist destination and the state’s largest winery, and vacationers at Barren River Lake can enjoy the funky junk and fun atmosphere at Paradise Point Marketplace in Scottsville, Kentucky.
Dancing Well
Once a week, veterans and their families along with supporters attend recreational dances in Louisville hosted by a group called Dancing Well.
“Dancing Well’s mission is to uplift veterans who are suffering from PTSD or brain injury and to also include and uplift their spouses, children and other significant others in their lives who are indirectly affected every single day,” says Deborah Denefeld, Executive Director of Dancing Well.
Continue reading about Dancing Well and watch the video.
Purple Toad Winery
Kentucky’s largest winery is Paducah’s Purple Toad Winery, a family business that has found its niche with high-quality but accessible wines.
“We’ve got 41 wines,” says winemaker Allen Dossey. “We’ve got eight dry wines, but we sell a ton of sweet wines. We sell a lot of starter wines. We make what we trademarked as gourmet sweet wines. We just specialize in that market.”
Inspired by a trip to Napa, Allen planted his first grapes in Paducah nine years ago. Today, Purple Toad wines are among the top sellers at shops in Lexington, Louisville, Indianapolis and Nashville.
Read more about Purple Toad Winery and watch the video.
Paradise Point
Just up the road from Barren River Lake State Park, visitors pass by a distinctive, colorful building known as Paradise Point. Visitors can drop in for a bite to eat or to peruse the artwork and the collection of what owner John Erskine refers to as junk.
“I’m a junk guy. I love junk,” says Erskine. “I can’t help it. I always tell people the difference between being on the show ‘Pickers’ and the show ‘Hoarders’ is a store, because if you can’t get rid of your junk, you’ll end up on ‘Hoarders.’ So we have a place to get rid of things. We put it out front. Anything we can put out front that will attract someone’s attention, we’re willing to do it as long as it’s PG.”
