Department of Parks
Buffalo Night at Carter Caves Will Feature Chautauqua Performance

OLIVE HILL, Ky. -- Carter Caves State Resort Park will host a special Buffalo Night in the park’s Tierney’s Cavern Restaurant on Saturday Jan. 16, 2010, followed by a free Kentucky Chautauqua performance interpreting the Cherokee Peace Chief, Atta Kul Kulla.

On this special evening, the chef will be preparing a buffalo buffet including boneless rolled roast of buffalo carved online, buffalo stew, buffalo meatloaf, buffalo chili, fried chicken, catfish and an assortment of salads, sides and desserts. The meal, which costs $17.95 for adults and $8.95 for kids, will be served from 5-8 p.m.

The free show will be in the Fields Facility at Lewis Caveland Lodge at 7 p.m. The performance sponsored by the Kentucky Humanities Council will feature Robert K. Rambo portraying Atta Kul Kulla. Rambo is of Cherokee ancestry and has studied and portrayed the character for more than a decade.

The Native American leader, who lived circa 1718-1780, was called the “most important Indian of his day.” While stilll a teenager, he learned English ways and met King George II during a visit to London. He developed into a skilled and sophisticated diplomat whose ability to build alliances and treaties caused the English to dub him The Little Carpenter. Many of his policies and actions are still controversial, but he did manage to unite his people, a difficult political feat that laid the foundation for the long-term survival of the Cherokee Nation on a continent that was rapidly filling up with European immigrants.

Atta Kul Kulla played a key role in the famous land transaction known as the Transylvania Purchase. He negotiated the sale of what is now western and central Kentucky and north central Tennessee to the Transylvania Company headed by Judge Richard Henderson of North Carolina. The legislatures of North Carolina and Virginia annulled the deal, but Henderson came away with 400,000 acres as compensation.

For more information, contact Coy Ainsley at 800-325-0059 or 606-286-4411.

Natural Bridge State Resort Park and Jenny Wiley State Resort Park will also hold special Buffalo Nights in their restaurants on Jan. 16 and Jan. 23, 2010, respectively. For more information, call 800-325-1710 for Natural Bridge or 800-325-0142 for Jenny Wiley.

Carter Caves State Resort Park is located at 344 Caveland Drive in Olive Hill, Ky. The park has a lodge with restaurant, cottages and campground. Besides cave tours, activities include hiking, swimming, boating and fishing. From I-64, take exit 161 (Olive Hill exit). Turn left off the exit onto US 60 east.  Go approximately 2 miles and turn left on KY 182 north. The park entrance is 3 miles from the left turn onto KY 182 north.

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The Kentucky State Park System is composed of 52 state parks plus an interstate park shared with Virginia. The Department of Parks, an agency of the Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet, operates 17 resort parks with lodges -- more than any other state. For more information on Kentucky parks, visit our Web site at http://www.parks.ky.gov.
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