For more information:
• Anderson Ferry, (859) 586-5007

Producers: Jason Robinson, Amelia Cutadean
Videographer: Amelia Cutadean
Editor: Jason Robinson

Over the river

Anderson Ferry

These days when we want to cross a river we most often think of bridges. There’s still another way: Come take a ride with us on the old Anderson Ferry.

The Anderson Ferry in Boone County has been in continuous operation since 1817. Located about eight miles west of downtown Cincinnati on the Ohio River, the Anderson Ferry is the last ferry business remaining out of dozens that once served the Northern Kentucky area. It provides an old-fashioned mode of transportation that is appreciated more than ever today.

The Anderson Ferry was originally known as the Kottmyer ferry but was later sold to the Anderson family. It is owned now by Paul Anderson, who is not related to the first Anderson family. The company actually has three ferries: Boone 7, Little Boone, and Deborah A.

Paul says the ferry is popular in recent years because of higher gas prices and its proximity to the Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky International Airport, located about three miles south of the ferry in Covington. Anderson Ferry operates two boats during peak hours. Paul says Boone 7, which was built in 1937, is still often used.

The ferry saves residents of the west side of Cincinnati miles of driving, Paul says, and is popular both with those catching flights and those who work at the airport. It is also a daily commute for some people who live and work near the ferry. Come join us for a memorable trip over the river.

For more information:
• Lynn’s Paradise Cafe, 984 Barret Ave., Louisville, KY (502) 583-3447. The web site include the restaurant’s famous macaroni and cheese recipe.

Producer, editor: Dave Dampier
Videographers: Dave Dampier, John Schroering

Eat and be happy

Lynn’s Paradise Cafe

Lynn’s Paradise Cafe is an eclectic, one-of-a-kind local restaurant located in the heart of Louisville’s Highlands neighborhood. Owner Lynn Winter’s mission is to provide good company and delicious food. Her motto: Eat and be happy.

Named “one of the four most fun restaurants in America” by Esquire, Lynn’s Paradise Cafe offers wacky decor and a promise of Southern hospitality and fun. Past events include a New Year’s pajama party, pumpkin painting, and an artist turning a car into a giant chicken for Father’s Day.

Lynn makes sure her patrons eat well. The restaurant is known for its down-home cooking. Its macaroni and cheese recipe was featured on Oprah. Homestyle dinners include roasted turkey, Mom’s Meatloaf, and pan-fried pecan chicken in Woodford Reserve mustard maple cream sauce.

Lynn began her career not as a restaurateur, but as a custom woodworker in Kentucky and Northern California. After eight years of furniture making, she says a twist of fate led her to waiting tables, which inspired her to open a restaurant of her own. Now her own slice of paradise combines her love of art and food with her zest for life. There’s more to come from Lynn: She recently expanded the restaurant with a retail store, the World of Swirl, which includes her own line of clothing.

For more information:
• The U.S. Forest Service has a web site, Celebrating Wildflowers, where you can view photos and learn more about lady’s slipper orchids.
• Pine Mountain Settlement School offers Wildflower Weekend, where you can the impressive display of spring wildflowers found on its campus on the north side of Pine Mountain.
• Tom Barnes has a web site where you can view some of his photographs of Kentucky wildflowers, as well as mammals, birds, butterflies and more.

Producer, videographer, editor: Brandon Wickey
Audio: Thomas Cooper

A thing of beauty

Lady’s Slipper orchids

Among the native wildflowers of spring, the Lady’s Slipper orchids catch the eye with their beautiful shoe-shaped flowers and their increasing rarity. Three of the five species native to Kentucky are threatened wildflowers.

We talk with Tom Barnes, author of Kentucky’s Last Great Places, and Ben Begley, environmental education director of Pine Mountain Settlement School, about this fascinating species of orchid and its life cycle.

All orchids begin their life cycle when their seed is invaded by a microscopic fungus, which forms a surrogate root system for the seed. This symbiotic relationship continues until a seedling is formed. Orchids in the wild can take anywhere from 10 to 17 years to bloom.

Loss of habitat and widespread collection for their beauty and for the medicinal trade have drastically reduced their numbers. Tempting though it may be to pick a wild Lady’s Slipper orchid, conservationists say to leave it alone. In fact, on federal lands it is illegal to dig or pick orchids. Several of these species are very rare, and transplanting them from the wild is almost never successful.

The best place to get them for your own garden is from a local nursery that grows native wildflowers; there are many such nurseries all across the state. Then the wild Lady’s Slipper orchids will be there for others to discover—and marvel over.