For more information:
• Burgin Independent Schools, phone: 859-748-5282

Producer: Tom Thurman
Videographer: Jason Robinson
Audio: Roger Tremaine
Editor: Dan Taulbee

Burgin Basketball

The Battling Bulldogs

In the heart of Mercer County, you'll find Burgin Independent Schools, where grades kindergarten through high school are all housed in the same complex. When we visited with head boys basketball Coach Don Irvine on opening night of the basketball season, the Burgin Bulldogs were hosting Portland Christian from Louisville.

With 18 teachers and an estimated enrollment of 245, Burgin High School is a close-knit community. The coach encourages the Bulldogs to dream big, work hard, and enjoy the game, win or lose.

The Burgin boys can find inspiration from tales of the legendary 6-foot-8 Jack Coleman, who led Burgin to the Sweet 16 back in 1938. Coleman went on to become the star center for University of Louisville's 1948 NAIB champions. He played nine years (1949-58) in the NBA with Rochester and St. Louis, where he belonged to two championship teams.

For more information:
• Bacon Creek Historical Society

Producer/Videographer/Editor: Jim Piston

Historical Marker 530—Bacon Creek Bridge

Our next stop is Bonnieville in Hart County to remember a piece of Civil War history. On U.S. 31 West we find a historical marker dedicated to the repeatedly destroyed Bacon Creek Bridge.

Why was the Bacon Creek Bridge such a tempting target? The L&N railroad bridge was a main supply line for Federal forces between Louisville and Bowling Green. As such, it was destroyed by Confederate troops in November 1861. Before repairs were complete, John Hunt Morgan's raiders burned it on Dec. 5, 1861.

That was far from the end of it. Just a year later in the famous Christmas Raid of 1862, Morgan's raiders again burned the trestle and stockade, taking 93 prisoners.

The railroad bridge stands today. Each year the second weekend in September locals remember their heritage with Hart County Civil War Days.

For more information:
• Highland House Bed and Breakfast, 1705 Highland Ave., Carrollton, Ky. 41008, phone: 502-732-5559

Producer: Valerie Trimble
Videographer: John Schroering
Audio: Noel Depp, Brent Abshear
Editor: Jim Piston
Lighting: Jason Robinson

Highland House Bed and Breakfast

Highland Hospitality

When it was built in the 1920s, it was a tobacco magnate's mansion known as Richlawn. Now called Highland House, it's a bed-and-breakfast destination for tourists wanting a relaxing retreat on the Ohio River. Located on the outskirts of Carrollton, Highland House offers five acres of gardens to delight the senses, complete with walking paths and secluded benches.

The home itself is notable for its eclectic architecture. Ralph M. Barker, the tobacco magnate, borrowed from many architectural traditions when he had his mansion built. According to Carroll County Tourism, the facade and roof are Mediterranean Revival; the window and fanlight over the entryway are in the Federal style; the way the windows are grouped in threes and fours comes from the Arts and Crafts tradition; the diamond-pane windows are Tudor; and the columns are Greek Revival.

Innkeepers Don and Ruth Mougey bought the property in 1996 and restored the home, furnishing it with antiques from the late 1800s and early 1900s. The home was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in the year 2000.

For more information:
• Coco's Chocolate Café, 51759 Bardstown Road, Louisville, Ky. 40205, phone: 502-454-9810

Producer/Videographer/Editor: Brandon Wickey
Audio Post: Brent Abshear

Coco's Chocolate Café

Chocolate Bliss

You can grab a chocolate bar out of a vending machine any day. We make a trip to Coco's Chocolate Café on the Bardstown Road business corridor in Louisville for artisan chocolates that put mass-produced candy to shame.

At Coco's you can find your traditional turtle chocolates and chocolate-covered nut concoctions, but there's really so much more to experience. How about milk chocolate infused with passion fruit and mango? Or perhaps Chocolate Fire, infused with habanero and green chile flavors, is more to your liking.

Coco's tempts its patrons with a variety of desserts—molten lava cake, cookie stack, and even vegan treats. And so many foods taste better when dipped in chocolate. Enjoy a fondue of milk chocolate or dark Belgian chocolate, with strawberries, cake, pretzels, and more. You can rent chocolate fountains here, and you can find all sorts of beverages, including, of course, hot chocolate.