2010 ~September 25, -27 Hermitage, Dollywood, Tennessee Aquarium

Day 1: Saturday, September 25, 2010

Trip to Hermitage Tennessee and Pigeon Forges, and Chattanooga Tennessee.

We left at 6:30 A.M. Saturday morning we were on our way to visit the Hermitage in Hermitage, Tennessee. 

We traveled through Lawrenceburg on Highway 43 through Spring Hill Tennessee stopping at Rippavilla Plantation and the Mule Museum to take pictures.

Rippavilla Plantation 

Rippavilla Plantation 

We stopped in Columbia Tennessee at Mcdonald's where I ordered a cinnamon melt and a diet coke. 

After leaving Spring Hill, we entered onto interstate I-65 north toward Nashville, Tennessee. We stopped in Franklin Tennessee to get gas and we stopped at Hardies where my husband ordered a breakfast sandwich. 

We arrived at 8:30 A.M. just as the museum opened. 

The tickets to visit the home, grounds, and museum were free, but to take the wagon tour it cost $10.

Andrew Jackson and his wife 

Andrew Jackson Carriage

Upon entering the museum, we were ushered into a movie theater where the life of Andrew Jackson was shown. After the show, we entered into the hallway of the life of Andrew Jackson where I began taking pictures. We walked through not taking time to read or listen to a tape. We walked over to the Jackson Mansion stopping along the way to take pictures of the landscape and the historic markers. We walked through the gardens and the family cemetery where Andrew Jackson and his family were buried.  Jackson and his wife had a large tombstone. Andrew Jackson’s faithful slave was buried in a small grave near the family cemetery.

Standing in front of the tree

Andrew Jackson Tomb 

The Hermitage

We went to the restrooms.
My husband sat down to rest for a while  I walked to the old spring where I took several pictures. I took pictures of the wagon and the horses.
Our wagon ride was at 10:15 A.M.
The wagon ride carried us past a log cabin, which was the first home of Jackson, after he built his new home he gave the cabin to his slaves to live in.

A log Cabin was the first home of the Jackson 

The cabin was a two-story building but later was converted into a one story, because slaves could not live in a two-story building. We went further onto the grounds to visit the slave homes, spring, and see other historic markers. 

Waiting to take the wagon ride

the wagon ride

We met several people on the wagon ride, a couple from Ohio, several people from Alabama, and several Alabama fans who ragged the Ohio Couple about their ball players. 

The Hermitage was preparing for an upcoming wedding in the building next to the spring.
Several buildings have been added to the Jackson plantation that were not part of the original plantation, they are used for school training, weddings, and other functions.

We walked to the Mansion where we had to wait in line to go inside.

We were given a tour of the home along with several other people, which took about 20 to 30 minutes. 

We walked back to the gift shop where I bought several postcards, and we finished in the museum.

There was a long line of people waiting to get into the Museum and they were told that once they got inside they would have to wait in line again to tour the mansion. 

The tour took us three hours but it did not seem that long.

We left the mansion and took  I-40 toward Knoxville, Tennessee to Pigeon Forge we have a room at The Inn at Christmas our check-in time is 4 P.M.

We were warmly greeted at The Inn at Christmas, then we took our luggage to room 213.
We decided to ride around town to see the sites, and one of my husband's friends said we should eat at Huck Finn's Restaurant.
So we stopped there for dinner, where I ordered the special of all-you-can-eat white beans, hush puppies, onion, potatoes, and slaw with iced tea to drink. My husband ordered the Catfish plate and I ate a piece of the fish it was very good.  

 Huck Finns Restaurant

We rode through the town of Gatlinburg then over the mountains. We stopped alongside the road so I could take pictures of the timeless mountains.
Darkness and fog had fallen on the mountaintop it was getting hard to see where we were going,  so we headed back down the mountain.
We rode to Sevierville to Auto Zone to purchase a blinker bulb.
We rode back to The Christmas Inn for Santa's reading but it was too late it was at 9:00PM we did not get back until 10:00PM.

Inn at Christmas 

Inn at Christmas 

My husband’s back was hurting from all the driving so we went downstairs to the swimming pool where he changed into his swimsuit, I had already put mine on and had slipped my cover-up over it. 

The hot tub was full, so my husband went outside; I slipped into the hot tub and stayed there for about 10 minutes. 

I went outside where my husband was sitting watching the kids slide down the waterslide. 

I jumped into the swimming pool and swam across to the other side several times. The water was nice, it was not too cold or too hot. We went back inside, my husband slipped into the hot tub, and I got in the regular pool. 

We changed clothes in the restrooms and went back upstairs.

I download my pictures and upload them to the Internet. My husband was tired so he went to sleep. I went to bed at about 12 P.M. 

Day 2: Sunday, September 26, 2010

The next morning we dressed and went down to the first floor where they were serving breakfast. My husband ate scrambled eggs, ham, sausage, gravy, and biscuits. I ate waffles with heated syrup and orange juice.
It was raining outside so we went to Walmart to purchase a couple of raincoats or ponchos to wear at  Dollywood when it opens at 10am

My husband picked out a blue raincoat and I picked a yellow raincoat. 

yellow raincoat

blue raincoat

My husband parked the car in Dollywood's parking lot, we then rode the trolley over to Dollywood we were let out at the gift shop.
Everyone went through the gates at 9:30AM but nothing opened up until 10 AM.

We rode the simulator of one of Dollywood's creations.
Our next stop was to watch the Kingdom Heirs perform.
We had front-row seats.
One of the members of the band asked us several questions. He said where are you from?

Kingdom Heirs 

Is this your first time seeing the Show? In addition, he asks many other questions.

We raised our hands for being the first time to see the show and he asked where are you from and we replied Alabama. 

He had asked earlier who was Alabama Fans. 

This was our second time in Dollywood and we had never seen Kingdom Heirs perform. 

He said we are always there and why had you not seen our show. 

Somehow we had always missed their show.

He picked at us for a few minutes and then went on to pick at another guest. After the show, we walked around until time for the next show, which was SHA-KON-HEY, which was an outstanding show. 

 SHA-KON-HEY

I took several pictures while the show was going on. The blue smoke, the actors singing, flying, and bouncing off the walls. They were in treetops, flying over the audience and dancing on the stage. It was an awesome performance. After the show, we stopped at Apple Jacks Restaurant for lunch where I ordered a bread chilies bowl with coke.
My husband ordered a sandwich. I could not eat my entire chilies bowl so I gave it to my husband. While he finished eating, I walked over to Dolly’s family reunion show where my husband later joined me.
We walked around the park looking at the areas that we had not seen.
After we rode the train we walked to the back of the park to see the new optical course. We stopped along the way back to take pictures of the tombstones with funny sayings.

It was getting late, we were both tired from walking and wet from the drizzling rain, so we decided to call it a day.
On our way out we stopped at the Spotlight Bakery to get a  piece of Carrot Cake. 

Dollywood Coffin 

Dollywood Coffin 

We ate dinner at Long John Silvers, I ordered lobster tails with iced tea and my husband ordered a meal.
We also shared a slice of carrot cake.
Back at the Inn, I took a hot shower, dressed for the night, and then uploaded my pictures to the computer when I had finished, I crawled into my warm bed and fell asleep. 

Day 3: Monday, September 27, 2010

The next morning we slept later than usual because we were both tired from all the traveling and walking from the day before.

We ate breakfast but I did not get a waffle because the dining room was full of older people. They had brought in a couple of busses of older people for some kind of convention. 

After breakfast we went back to the room and finished watching the movie Death Becomes Her. 

We checked out of the hotel and rode to Chattanooga. We stopped at Wendy's for lunch and after lunch, we went to the River and salt-water aquarium, where we spent several hours there.
It was a home-school day at the aquarium. 

Tennessee Aquarium

Tennessee Aquarium

Tennessee Aquarium

We rode to Bridge Street Mall in Huntsville at Victoria’s Secret to make a purchase.
I had a coupon to get eight pairs of panties for $25.00 but got five for $25.

We stopped at Zaxby’s in Athens where I ordered three chicken fingers with a salad.
My husband ordered hot wings, chicken fingers, and fries. 

It was very late when we arrived home.
I uploaded a few pictures and went to bed.
Another great adventure!
What will my next adventure be?
Will I go to Orlando or the mountains?