Episode 32: Molley and Chad close out Season 3 with their friend Chad Hopper.  As the weather changes and the Fall colors burst, State Dock on Lake Cumberland hosts a Poker Run.  It’s the last blow out event of the season.  Lake Life with Molley and Chad is a sponsor of the 2023 Poker Run.

Welcome to the Poker Run

Chad explains that the Lake Cumberland Poker Run is an event involving some really powerful boats on the lake.  It’s usually held over a weekend.  Molley and Chad made sure to publicize the podcast merch and all the swag from t-shirts, footballs and more at this year’s event.

This year, they decided to have fun at the dock party, rather than heading out on the water.  They had a great time with a big group of friends.  In keeping with the lake atmosphere, some of the partygoers were wearing fishnet bathing suits and a few were sporting thongs.  Chad and Molley talked about how much confidence it would take to wear one of those bathing suits.  Yep, not much more to say about that.

Molley mentions this year’s event included 150 boats.  Both Cigarette, Formula and Sunsation were sponsors.  There were a few MTIs in the poker run.  It’s worth going down just to watch some awesome boats.  This year, the tickets were only $50 for the weekend.  Chad recommends you start planning for the 2024 event.  It’s going to be a great time!

Dock vs. Water – Which is Better?

Molley asks if they have a vote for which experience they liked the best.  They’ve been out on the water in years past.  But this year was the full dock experience.  Chad comments about how much fun the dance floor at the dock was, thanks to a couple of great DJs (DJ Al and DJ Xtina).

Chad Hopper points out that it’s a long day, so why not consider doing both?  There’s time to get in some boating.  He really enjoys the boats and in reality, the entire event is a party.

Another one of their friends likes to work on motors.  The boats in this poker run had some great examples of pure muscle on the water.

One of the things Molley like is that both Thunder Run and the Poker Run bring some great boats to Lake Cumberland.  They’re both fast and beautiful.  If you come down for the week, you’ll be able to watch some of them without the crowd.  People love to talk about their boats and it’s a great way to expand the overall experience.  Molley, Chad and Chad take a little detour in the conversation to talk about some of the things they’ve learned and seen.

The Foam Football and Stickers Story

Molley describes the fun they had with the Lake Life with Molley and Chad foam footballs they brought to the Poker Run.  They handed them out and interacted with people waiting in line at the restaurant.  People absolutely loved them, along with some of the stickers they had.  Admittedly, the stickers were hit and miss, depending upon who was handing them out.

The Food Trucks Crushed It

There was a Mexican food truck and a barbecue truck that showed up with some terrific food.  Both are based in Russell Springs, Kentucky.  They added some variety to the State Dock restaurant (The Wheelhouse), which is always packed. 

Which Boat would Chad Hopper Buy?

Molley asks Hopper which one of the Poker Run boats he’d buy, if money were no object.  He really likes those Cigarette boats.  Chad is partial to the Formula boats.  Molley admits she’s still a Sunsation and MTI fan. 

Future Plans

Molley and Chad explain that they’ll have to miss the 2024 Poker Run because their daughter is getting married!  It’ll be the first one they’ve missed in about 10 years.  It’ll probably be worth it.

For the 2025 Poker Run, Molley thinks they should anchor a houseboat near the DJ booth on the dock.  The Chads talk about the prep work they’d do to get it ready for the weekend. 

Molley points out that the Jamestown water taxi operates until 1:00am to help all of you partygoers. 

Future Topics

Is there a topic or idea you’d like for us to discuss on the Lake Life with Molley and Chad Podcast?  We’d love to hear from you.  Molley likes the idea of talking to people on other lakes, outside of Kentucky.  There’s always something new to learn. 

As they close out today’s episode, Chad makes a great point.  Consider stopping by your favorite marina and picking up a few items to help them out.  The end of the season often has some great sales, but that also means business is getting ready to slow down.   Let’s make sure they make it through the winter and are able to come on strong next Spring.

Wow, can you believe this summer flew by so quickly?  It’s been a terrific time interviewing friends about other Kentucky lakes.  If you missed a few episodes, be sure to go back and listen to them.  We’d appreciate it if you’d consider sharing comments and links on your social media to help Lake Life with Molley and Chad to continue to grow.  Thanks for being part of all of it.

Friends, that’s a wrap for this episode and Season 3.  We’d like to thank Chad Hopper for guest hosting with us.  We hope you found it helpful, insightful and maybe a little entertaining. 

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’s to warm weather and calm waters!

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