Eckert's Orchard Versailles KY Fall 2023

Here is a quick video on our visit to Eckert's Orchard in Varsalles recently!

The Glitz at Irish Acres Versailles Kentucky 2023

If you were to ask me where you should go in Kentucky to celebrate a special occasion, or just to enjoy an incredible meal......  I would tell you to go to the Glitz at Irish Acres.

Seriously, this is a favorite among my friends.

Bluegrass Railroad Museum Versailles KY Oct 2021

 We recently took a GREAT train ride at the Bluegrass Railroad Museum in Versailles Kentucky!

Kentucky Castle- Lexington KY June 2021

 AND, here is a video from our recent tour of the Kentucky Castle!

Irish Acres/ The Glitz in Versailles KY

My wife has been to Irish Acres (the antique part) and The Glitz (the food part, in the basement) a few times and she FINALLY took me with her!

MAN is this place incredible!  I love hitting antique stores to check things out.....  but this place is a bit over the top!  I like small items.  I love old postcards and matchbooks......  but Irish Acres is NOT that kind of place!  Its a bit more high end.  They have some really interesting furniture, artwork, and other items.  MANY of the rooms in this extensive place are set up like a house.  This would be a perfect place for home decorators and artists to come to for inspiration.

I did see several things though that got me thinking.  I love old bookends, with a historic connection, and I saw some great ones here.  There were some really unique lamps too.  I enjoyed reading the descriptions on the art.....  One original piece caught my attention as it noted that President Reagan collected art from the artist!

We had reservations for lunch though, and after exploring the antique area, we headed for the basement for an amazing lunch!

My photos DO NOT do justice to the food.....  I hate using a flash because it is disruptive, so my pictures are a bit dark.  Let me tell you about the food though...

They brought out some refresher drinks that were sweet and sooooo enjoyable.  It was some sort of apple spiced tea drink with cherry.  I know the Buckhorn Inn in Gatlinburg has a similar drink for their meals that I have raved about here before.  This drink was similar, but still very unique.

They also brought out a very nice watermelon dish that was also different.  I think it was soaked in something, and topped with something else....... I can't remember right now but that was a nice starter too!

For appetizers, I had the shrimp aioli and my wife had the roasted tomato soup.  We shared, of course, and both were unbelievable.  I know my picture shows 3 pieces of shrimp, but those three pieces went a long way.  They were larger than they look and the flavor packed a wallop.  This was some of the best shrimp I have ever had...  and I love shrimp.

I had the Chicken Kit Carson for my entrée and it reminded me of something I might get at a Mexican restaurant, but it wasn't as heavy.  It tasted very fresh and light, actually.

My wife had their Summer Harvest Salad which she said was delicious and interesting.  She did not think the combinations (sliced plums, roasted beets, butternut squash chips, toasted pecans and goat cheese, among other ingredients) would mix well, but she said they absolutely were perfect together.

For dessert I had their chocolaty Nonesuch Kiss (jamoca ice cream, hot fudge sauce, toasted almonds, whipped cream) and my wife had the grape cobbler.  Both were great endings to a perfect meal.

Oh, I had coffee here.....  AND you know I love coffee.  I have said this before, but there is simply good coffee made right, and acceptable coffee (you know....  its not real tasty, but, you drink it anyway because its coffee).  The majority of places serve acceptable coffee.  Not here.  Along with getting the food perfect, they NAILED the coffee.  It tasted fresh and good.....  and I had several refills.

As my wife and I sat in the cavernous old school house basement, enjoying the food and the setting, our kind young waiter offered to take a photo of us.  He left for a bit and came back out, taking my phone to take some pictures, I could tell that he had used some antibacterial before taking my phone.  The Glitz hit it out of the park on every level.  How kind, thoughtful and appropriate right now.

Lunch is right under $30 a person here, which, for what you get, is a good value in my books (I can think of some overrated chain restaurants where you might pay a lot more for a lot less).

Sun Valley Horse Farm in Versailles Kentucky

When I was VERY YOUNG (like, 5) we owned a horse for a couple of years.  I loved it.  Her name was Speedy.  My dad has always had a farm, and he's always had an interesting mix of animals.  I remember goats, pigs, chickens, and at one time even emus.  AND for a while, we had a horse.

I like horses but, in Lexington, there are people who REALLY like them.  Horses are a way of life.

An old friend/co-worker grew up in a horse breeding family.  They tried to explain a lot of the lifestyle to me once, but I didn't get it.

AND, we have visited a couple of farms in the past....  and the experience was... well, OK at best.

Anyway, we recently heard about the horse farm Sun Valley in Versailles that is now offering tours and we thought we would check it out.

Man, did this end up being a great visit!  We had fun actually getting to see and interact with some horses, and we learned a lot!

First off, Sun Valley is a very hands on kind of place!  The horses were social and seemed to enjoy the interaction.  We were able to interact with most of the horses, including some very young ones!

We arrived a little early for our 1:00 tour and Jan Butzer (who owns and operates the farm with her husband Barry) came out to introduce herself.  She told us a bit about the family and their farm.

After a few minutes, her son Brett showed up who does the tours.  Jan actually accompanied us on most of the tour too, and Barry even came out at one point to talk about the farm.

Barry told us about his love of horses from a young age.  He explained how, early on, he might buy a horse because of a gut feeling.  Doing research on horses could get pretty complicated.  Now anyone can get online and find out all they need to know about a horse.

All three Butzers talked about the success of Sun Valley, mentioning some of their successes (a video was shown of an auction involving one of their horses).  They obviously take a lot of pride in what they have done, but they still came off as very humble.  This is a family that loves horses, and loves being involved in raising them.  They also love telling others about them.

As Brett formally started our tour, he explained (in very easy to understand language) specifically how Sun Valley operates.  In a nutshell, they have female horses that they breed.  The ponies are then sold.  They also do boarding.

Brett talked about how things happen when the babies are born.  He showed us a kit that they have with all of the needed items to help in the process.  Though Brett is in his early 20s, you could tell he has been involved in all of the aspects of the family business!

The tour involves driving to several different barns to see the many horses at Sun Valley.  Obviously, each one had its own personality.  Brett would go into the stall and guide the horses to our tour group to allow visitors to pet and interact with them.

The family lives on the property and visitors get a very nice outside tour of their old home!  History fans will love this, as there is a small cemetery.  As a fan of the Civil War I was very impressed to see the preserved original slave quarters.  Those doing the Bourbon Trail will also enjoy hearing about the Sun Valley connection to bourbon!

Near the end of the tour, we were invited into a room to watch a few videos about the farm and their horses.  Coffee, tea and hot chocolate were available (and appreciated!) on this day.

As the tour wound down, we realized our hour and a half tour was going over.  Brett and Jan told our group that they would understand if anyone needed to leave.  No one did, as you could tell everyone was having a great time!  I know we ended up spending about two and a half hours here on our visit.

This is one of those places that I am glad I found.  I can't wait to bring some out of town friends here, especially ones with kids. 

For $20 a person we thought this was a great value, and a rare opportunity to get really hands on at a horse farm.