Brian Creech's Cajun Seafood Boil a Vacation Success

Brian Creech took "The Creech Family Vacation" at Conley Bottom Resort and Campground located on beautiful Lake Cumberland in Monticello, Kentucky, to an entirely new level this year. Creech, who has been coming to Lake Cumberland with his family since birth 42 almost 43 years ago, with the help of his wife Tracy, offered up a bayou-style, Cajun Seafood Boil that would make any shellfish lover's mouth water. This was the perfect kind of supper for wrapping up a week on one of Kentucky's most beautiful lakes. The authentic feel was completed by the camp's location alongside the water and the presentation of the food.

Creech was determined to make this feel like a real Louisiana experience for both adults and children. The meal consisted of crawfish, crab legs, shrimp, summer sausage, bratwurst, corn-on-the-cob and potato halves with just the right amount of Cajun seasoning. Layered newspaper completely covered the picnic table which concealed the vinyl tablecloth underneath. The various layers of food were poured out onto the newspaper into two piles, one on each end of the table. The centerpiece was a bowl of spicy broiled mini shrimp. Creech and his eldest son, Logan, positioned two huge boxes at the end of each side of the table for the crawfish and crab leg shells to be thrown into, as well as, shrimp tails and corncobs. Utensils used for this authentic meal were, as you may have guessed, clean fingers and hands...well, at least they started out that way.

(l-r clockwise: Brookelyn Creech, Mia Tyra, Bethany Creech, Logan Creech, Savannah Tyra & Caiden Creech)

(l-r clockwise: Logan Creech, Savannah Tyra, Caiden Creech, Brian Creech, Brookelyn Creech, Mia Tyra & Bethany Creech)

Being a principal at one of Kentucky's Wolfe County schools, Creech took this opportunity to make this meal a learning experience for the children and adults. He demonstrated how to open the crab legs & crawfish with your bare hands in order to reach the edible meat inside. I have to admit, I didn't know how to do either. Creech stated, "This is something I have always wanted to do for the kids and I felt they were now at the age to really enjoy it". He was right! There were a few, "Yucks" and "I can't eat something that has eyes," in the beginning, but it only took a few minutes for the kids to forget about looks once they tasted the delicious secrets hidden inside. They enjoyed cracking the crawfish & crab-legs open as much as eating. Overall, Brian & Tracy Creech accomplished the goal of every educator, parent & vacationer...they made the trip memorable!

By Gina Jett-Baker