{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"Welcome to Season 3 and Barren River Lake","description":"Episode 22:  Welcome to Season 3 of Lake Life with Molley and Chad!  In this season, we\u2019re going to discuss various lakes and why people like specific lakes.  In today\u2019s episode, we interview Anna and Todd about Barren River Lake, in Kentucky.  Todd grew up on this lake. Barren River Lake Molley begins with some interesting facts.  Barren River Lake is in western Kentucky.  It occupies parts of Allen, Barren and Monroe Counties.  It\u2019s actually a man-made lake.  Todd adds that it reaches 10,000 acres at summer pool.  It was built for flood control.  The US Army Corp of Engineers can raise or lower the level of the lake in an attempt to reduce the amount of water that could cause flooding after a severe storm.  In mid-October, the water level begins to be reduced, after the spring and summer rains have moved on.  At winter pool, it\u2019s the water level is approximately 26\u2019 lower that during the summertime.  Marinas on Barren River Lake According to Todd, there are currently 3 marinas available to boaters and the general public.  Todd wasn\u2019t sure if Walnut Creek Marina was still open.  His favorite marina is The Narrows. Todd and Anna Discuss How They Started their Lake Life Journey Todd grew up in the area, but Anna didn\u2019t have this experience growing up.  Todd began getting into boating with friends and families when he was young.  The lake was full of some fun Sunday memories.  Todd and Anna got married in 2001.  Todd\u2019s dad gave them his boat, a 1988 Dyna-Trak Fish & Ski.  It was the first boat they owned as a couple.  Anna comments that this was a new experience for her.  Chad had a similar experience, because he didn\u2019t grow up around boating, either. Anna describes trying to learn to trailer the boat with Todd.  The process seemed a bit overwhelming.  Now, she lets Todd and his dad handle it.  In 2007, they decided to buy a pontoon, given some of the issues they had around trailering the boat.  They\u2019ve been able to simply dock the boat to make things easier. Anna and Todd typically put the boat in the water around May and it stays there until October.  Once in a while, things don\u2019t work out.  That\u2019s when Todd mentions how they\u2019ve learned to depend on the guys at the Barren River Boat Shop.  Todd\u2019s good at breaking things and they\u2019re good at fixing them! Scheduling Lake Time For Anna and Todd, it\u2019s usually weekends and sometimes a 3-day weekend.  If they can get down for an entire week, it\u2019s usually an entirely different experience.  Chad comments how Tuesdays and Wednesdays are terrific because there\u2019s hardly anyone else out on the water.  That\u2019s Anna\u2019s favorite time. Favorite Locations They like to go tubing in the Beaver Creek area.  Barren River Lake also has several no-ski areas.  Molley explains why these exist on Barren.  Certain areas aren\u2019t maintained, so there may be hazards, such as tree stumps and other items beneath the water.  These can pose a danger, so it\u2019s safer simply to designate them as no-ski zones. Molley and Chad have had some experiences in these areas and tell a brief story about how they\u2019ve lost anchors.  By the way, they\u2019re looking for show sponsors, so if manufacture or sell anchors, here\u2019s your chance! Todd admits he\u2019s donated 2 anchors to the bottom of Barren River Lake. Family Activities on Barren Interestingly, Todd comments that they don\u2019t see a lot of skiers on the lake.  His son, Cole, likes to wakeboard, kneeboard and tube with friends.  Anna says Todd is always the driver when it comes to pulling tubers.  She enjoys riding more.  Todd refers to her as \u201cThe Admiral\u201d because they don\u2019t drive.  As a Pro-Tip, they\u2019ve learned to limit the number of tubing sessions in a given day.  They like early mornings and later in the afternoon, instead of going all day long The Current Boat Anna and Todd currently have a 22\u2019 Barletta tri-toon.  They still have their other boats and a couple of jet skis.  They built a lake house, which makes it much easier to have the boats and spend more time with them. Experiences on other Lakes in Kentucky Anna comments that they don\u2019t take their boats to other lakes.  However, she\u2019s been to Lake Cumberland, Lake Herrington (Harrodsburg area) and Norris Lake (Tennessee). Todd has been to most of the lakes in Kentucky, with the exception of some of the ones in eastern Kentucky.  He\u2019s been to Dale Hollow, Barkley, Kentucky Lake, Nolin, Green River Lake, Rough River Lake.  Growing up in Glasgow, Barren River Lake is home and he still has plenty of family there. Molley grew up on Barren River Lake.  She recounts how her family used to campo at Barren River State Park, near Walnut Creek.  This was there Labor Day Weekend lake. If You Won the Lottery, which Boat Would You Buy? Anna says they actually love their current boat.  Barren River Lake isn\u2019t a huge lake, so having a really big boat would be impractical.  He does like the \u201csurf-type\u201d boats.  Cole might enjoy surfing behind it.  They really like the tri-toon life.  Anna\u2019s partial to the big lounger seat.  Chad and Molley talk about their pontoon, which also has the big lounger seat.  It was the main reason they bought the pontoon. What\u2019s Something You Know Now, that You Wish You\u2019d Known Earlier? Todd mentions how much he loves being able to dock the boat, instead of having to trailer it each time.  It\u2019s so much easier and less stressful.  Chad comments on his experiences on the ramp.  There\u2019s always \u201cthat guy.\u201d  In fact, they did an entire episode called, \u201cDon\u2019t Be That Guy!\u201d Advice to New Boaters Anna explains that before they built their lake house, they used to have a slip at the State Dock.  They would either stay at the lodge, or rent a small cabin.  Her advice is to understand that lake life is a commitment.  There\u2019s a lot to it.  Todd agrees.  It can take up the time he might spend on other activities, but they really enjoy being on the water.  This is something to consider if your kids are into summer sports.  It\u2019s going to be a challenge to balance all of it. Todd mentions that their lake life has been through some transitions over the years.  They used to spend a lot more time on the lake, but their son has gotten involved in sports.  This has pushed them to make their time more impactful.  However, one of the fun things is having Cole and his friends come to the lake with them.  Anna recounts how they love being able to have guests down to the lake.  It\u2019s fun to see people enjoy new experiences.  Then again, she really enjoys those times when it\u2019s just the three of them.  Molley adds that there\u2019s a huge benefit to having the kids with them.  They usually don\u2019t have a good cell signal out there, so they\u2019re forced to do something else besides being glued to their phone screens.  It\u2019s amazing how many great conversations suddenly occur. Closing Comments about Barren River Lake Todd admits this particular area is a well-kept secret.  It\u2019s a smaller lake, but it\u2019s almost twice the size of Nolin, Green River Lake and others.  Glasgow is close and offers restaurants and other attractions.  Bowling Green is fairly close.  It\u2019s only a 1.5 hour road trip from Louisville.  Anna recommends catching a sunset near the dam.  It\u2019s worth it. Their favorite boat launch is Port Oliver.  It\u2019s fairly new and really wide.  His dad says it the best in Kentucky.  Todd comments the lunches at The Narrows Marina are terrific.  Get there early! That\u2019s a wrap for this episode.  We\u2019d like to thank our friends Anna and Todd for guest hosting with us.  We hope you found it helpful, insightful and maybe a little entertaining.    EPISODE SPONSOR INFORMATION: We\u2019d like to thank today\u2019s sponsor and encourage you to contact them for your insurance needs.  The Alan Hall Agency Website:  https:\/\/www.alanhallagency.com\/ Phone Number:  (502) 345-9440 Thanks for Listening! If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider sharing it with your social media friends.  We hope to see you out there soon.  Until next time, here\u2019s to warm weather and calm waters!   Don\u2019t forget to subscribe! ","author_name":"Lake Life With Molley And Chad Podcast","author_url":"http:\/\/lakelifewithmolleyandchad.libsyn.com\/website","html":"