2023 Sep 15-18, Gulf Shores, Fairhope, Daphne, AL. and Pensacola, FL. (4 days)

Day 1:

I had planned a trip to Canton, MS, the day before. The next morning, I asked my Hubby if he wanted to spend a few days in Gulf Shores, Alabama after we left Canton. He said yes.

He had been discussing going all summer, so we packed our bags for three days and decided to go alone. 

After spending all morning visiting museums and walking around the town, we begin our journey to Gulf Shores. 

Shady Acres Village 

We stopped at Shady Acres Village Restaurant Seminary, MS, for a late lunch. I had a shrimp basket with fries, and Hubby had a 49'er Hamburger with onion rings. 

We also bought several items at their general store. 

It was a four-and-a-half-hour drive to Gulf Shores. 

The sun was setting as we drove through Mobile. We checked into Staybridge Hotel, and it was dark when we were settled in.

Sunset in Mobile, Al 

We both were too tired for further adventures, so we went to bed. 

Day 2:

The following day, we rushed to the beach to watch the sunrise, but it was cloudy, and a storm was brewing, so there was no sunrise. 

We returned to the hotel for breakfast, and then our adventures began.

Cloudy Sunrise 

We rode to the Outlet Mall to shop. I bought a top and pants at Columbia, spices at TJ Maxx, and a set of Halloween hand towels at TJ Maxx.

Our next stop was OWA Park Foley. They were having a car show throughout the park, and it was very hot by this time. After I finished taking pictures of most of the cars, we left. 

This was my favorite Car!

We headed down the coastline towards Pensacola, Florida. 

When we arrived downtown, the Arts and Crafts Sales was winding down. 

We had enough time to walk through to see their wear. 

We ate lunch at The Fish House Restaurant on Barracks St., where we enjoyed fried Cod served with creamed potatoes, collard greens, and a salad. 

Fried Cod with Collard Greens, Creamed Potatoes 

It was getting late, so we began our journey back to the hotel. 

Day 3:

Once again, we were up early and heading to the beach for an early morning sunrise, but it was cloudy. Sunrise was at 6:35 A.M.

 Came back to the hotel for breakfast: scrambled eggs, sausage, fruit, bagel, and juice.

We began our journey up the coast in the opposite direction to Fairhope. 

We stopped at the Municipal Park, where they had an Arts and Crafts Tent Sale.  

We stopped to talk to a couple selling spices. (I bought one for my son.)

They saw the camera I was carrying, and we talked about cameras and taking pictures.

The woman was telling me about the Brown Pelicans there at the beach.

Brown Pelicans 

We walked down the long pier, and several Brown Pelicans and various Gulls were present. I took several pictures. 

We rode to Daphne, stopping to eat lunch at Longhorn Steakhouse.

We enjoyed steak with grilled shrimp, creamed potatoes, and Caesar salad. 

We stopped at the Halloween Store in Daphne, where I bought a dress for Halloween. 

We returned to the hotel but stopped at the Story Walk in Loxley. 

Another long day.

Day 4: 

We headed to the beach (6:35 A.M.) to see the sunrise. Today it was beautiful so I got several pictures.

Sunrise 

Rode back to the hotel, ate breakfast, packed our bags, and began our journey home.

The sun shone on my face, so I napped the first part of the trip home. 

Hubby wanted to stop at Peach Park in Clanton, Alabama, and when I woke up, he said, "I think I have passed Peach Park," and we had.

We did not turn around. We just kept going. 

We eat lunch at Oh"Bryan's in Hartselle, Al (his favorite place)

He always orders a steak or baked potato and gets their salad bar.

I ordered grilled chicken and a sweet potato.

We were home way before sunset. 

Another great trip in the books. 

2023 Sep 22, James D. Vaughn, Old Jail Museums and David Crockett's Log Cabin Lawrenceburg, TN

 Today, we rode to Lawrenceburg.

Our granddaughter didn't have school today and wanted to visit a museum. 

She has become interested in museums just this year, so we are always looking for a new one to visit.

Today, we went to the James David Vaughn Museum located at the 

Visitor Center 31 Public Square Lawrenceburg, TN 38464. 

Opened Monday-Friday 9:30–11 A.M. and 1–3 P.M. Call to get an appointment (931)762-8991 

A Piano, Microphone and Worship and Service Hymns of James D. Vaughn 

Sheets of his music: Gospel Chime, Working on the Road, Hills of Tennessee, Jesus Forgives and Forgets, I Believe in the Lord, Jesus is All I Need, Talk it Over with Jesus, Love Lifted Me, My Loved One sare waiting on me, Heaven Must be my new home, and O what a blessing he is to me.

Vaughn School of Music 

David Crocket Log Cabin (Closed for Repairs)

Old Jail Museum Waterloo St Lawrenceburg, Tn 38464
Opened only 
Tuesday-Friday 10–2 P.M. 
Please call (931-212-1944) 

The jail cells, the Sheriff's office, and the home are upstairs. You can walk inside the cells that once housed prisoners, which Ave didn't like. She would not go inside the prison cell blocks.

News Paper Article about Sheriff Greg O'Rear killed by a prisoner. 

Inside the cell with prisoners

The museum had artifacts about people, places, Military Uniforms, School Uniforms, cameras of every shape and size, famous people from Lawrence County, Old Apple Computers, bicycles, quilts, etc. You just have to come to see for yourself. 

Our historian could go on all day and never cover everything in this building. It is loaded with information about Lawrenceburg and well worth a visit.

A.L. Cantrell Lawrence Co Confederate Veteran 
I lived to be 112 years old 
Bet he had some stories to tell!

People from Lawrenceburg went on to be famous or essential in different fields.

Senior Texas Ranger Captain Bruce Casteel (also Texas Rangers Hall of Fame Waco, Texas) 

David Crockett 1786-1836 King of the Wild Frontier  

James David Vaughn 1864-1941Gospel Song Writer  

Silas Mercer Beasley 1834-1914 Early Settler 

Rollie D. Beckham (1879-1978)

Fred Dalton Thompson 1942-2015 Actor, politician, attorney, lobbyist, columnist, and radio personality

J.H. Stribling (1863-1951)Church leader, entrepreneur, financier 

2023 Sep 15, Trip to The Movie town of Canton, MS

We rode through Russellville, AL, stopping at Jack's Restaurant for breakfast gravy, biscuits, and Diet Coke. 

We stopped at McDonald's in Louisville, MS, for a restroom break and cookies and cream pies. 

After a four-and-a-half-hour drive through several small towns, we arrived in Canton, MS. 

Our guide, Billy Joe Wells, greeted us at the Visitors Center in Canton, also known as the Trolio Hotel. 

A Time to Kill stars Samuel L. Jackson, Sandra Bullock, Matthew McConaughey, Kevin Spacey, and many others were in this film.

Most of the filming took place around the Madison County Courthouse and the old jail, and a Sound stage was built in the city's park. Many of the stage props were in Canton's Museum.

My Dog Skip was principally photography in Canton props, also located in Canton's Museums.

O'Brother, Where Art Thou? It was shot in the Spring in Canton, MS props, and New Paper Articles in the Museums. 

The Hotel Trolio had Memorabilia from the movies. O' Brother and A Time to Kill.

Cast from A Time to Kill 

Lawyers Office from A Time To Kill 

By George Mississippians Think he's got it.
Fans flock to see Clooney filming a movie, the latest effort in his move from TV to Big Screen. 
O'Brother, Where Art Thou? George Clooney 

Restaurant/Cafe where the scene of A Time to Kill was filmed. 

A scene from "A Time to Kill" was shot at the table in this restaurant. 

Also located up a flight of stairs in the Trolio Hotel was more Memorabilia from both movies. 

Willie Morris & My Dog Skip Movie Museum

Willie Morris & My Dog Skip Movie Museum.

Every community needs a Willie. 

This museum is lovingly dedicated to the ineffable spirit of Willie Morris. 

Because he turned south toward home, My Dog Skip became a reality. 

Our many thanks to Alcon Entrainment and Warner Bros 

February 12, 2000 

A Glimpse of Willie Morris 

The Canton Convention & Visitor Bureau and Film Office 

5 & 10 cent Store Est. 1935

The General Store was where scenes from My Dog Skip were shot. 

Bone tired and Weary in a country Cemetery.
John Wayne Blough Sr. steers a team of horses through the streets of Canton during the filming of the "Ponder Heart" based on an Eudora Welty novella for PBS.  

Billy took us to several locked museums loaded with memorabilia and did an excellent job of explaining about the props and the movies. 

We had not seen the movies for some time, so nothing was familiar. 

We thanked Billy for the tour and walked around the historic Courthouse Square, taking pictures of several historic stores, courthouses, and markers. 

We stopped at the thrift shop, where I purchased several Halloween figurines.

Canton Madison County Courthouse is also used in several movies. 

2023 Aug 18, Day Trip to Jackson, Tennessee

Today, we rode from Jackson, Tennessee, on Highway 72 through Iuka, Burnsville, to Corinth, Mississippi. In Corinth, we took Highway 45 through several small towns to Jacksonville, Tennessee. 

We stopped at Murphy's in Jackson, Tennessee, to fill up with gas, which cost $42.75 at 10:47 A.M.

Our first stop was at the Carnegie Legends, "The Legends of Tennessee Music Museum."

This museum is in the old Carnegie Library, where Carl Perkins played his first guitar as a boy. 

This museum houses such artists as Carl Perkins, Tina Turner, Eddy Arnold, Sonny Boy Williamson, Maybelle, Isaac Tigrett, and Jonathan Singleton. 

Many items once in the Rock-A-Billy Museum are now housed in this museum. 

This museum also houses the gold statue of Elvis Presley and the large poster pictures of Brenda Lee, Johnny Cash, Elvis, and many others.

GOLD ELVIS

The Rock A Billy Tribute Sculpture of a Guitar, created by Don Worth on November 29, 2006, was also placed on the museum's lawn.

Next, we visited Rusty's TV and Movie Car Museum at 323 Hollywood Dr in Jackson.

Owner Rusty Robinson has over 35 cars in his museum.

The Blues Brothers 

Some of the cars that you will see are:

Rust-E-Ze # 95 Race Car 

Jurassic Park Jeep #29

The A'Team GMC Van 

Pee-Wee's Big Adventure bicycle 

Barbie's pink Corvette

Tow Mater Towing and Salvage in the movie Cars 

Knight Riders Tran-am 

The Blues Brothers Pq1 Police Car 

The RV was used during the Christmas Vacation. 

Starkey and Hutch Red and White Ford 

The van used by the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 

Ghost Busters Station wagon 

the car used in the movie Christine 

The Bat Mobile 

The Mystery Machine Van used by Scooby Doo and Friends 

And many more.

We stopped at the Madison County Courthouse to take pictures of markers. 

We ate lunch at Catfish Cabin around 2 P.M., where we ate hushpuppies, shrimp, catfish, white beans, and coleslaw.

Pictures of WC Handy, Carl Perkins, BB King, and Furry Lewis were on the wall. 

Golden fried shrimp with White Beans and cole Slaw! Yum!

Some of the towns we passed through on our way home were Finger, Adamsville, Crump, and Savannah, Tennessee.

 

2023 August 27-31, Trip to Hollister, Point Lookout, Ridgedale, Branson, MO., Searcy, Arkansas, Dyersburg, TN (5 Days)

Top of the Rock Lost Canyon Cave Ridgedale Mo

 Sunday, August 27, Day 1: 

Today, we left the house around 6:30, arrived at the Robertsons, loaded their luggage into our car, and began our journey to Branson.

Our first stop was for breakfast at Jack in Tuscumbia, Al.

I ordered gravy with sausage biscuits and a soda. 

After breakfast, we began our journey west on Highway 72 toward Iuka, MS.

We traveled through several small towns, entering the interstate in Memphis. 

We crossed the Mississippi River into West Memphis, Arkansas, stopping at the Welcome Center.

Our next stop was to meet friends at Western Sizzlin Searcy, Arkansas.

There, we enjoyed a lovely lunch while enjoying the company of old friends and making new friends.

After lunch, we headed north toward Missouri, stopping at South Mountain Scenic Overlook, where you can see Bryan Mountain Elevation 1760, McCutcheon Gap Snowball, Bear Creek, Searcy County Airport, Point Peter Elevation 2040, Round Mts., Buffalo National River, Boat Mountain Elevation 2221 Marshall, St Joe and Harrison, Arkansas. 

It's a great place to stop and take pictures. 

We arrived at Paradise Point Resort in Hollister, MO, checked into room 9404, and took the elevator up to our room. We had three bedrooms, a kitchen, three bathrooms, a living room, and a pool room with a view of the White River. 

We unpacked and headed outside, walking alongside the swimming pool, hot tub, and floating pool. 

We were all too full to eat dinner, so we just snacked.

Arkansas Welcome Center 

Standing near the Swimming Pool 

Monday, August 28, Day 2: 

We ate breakfast at the Hungry Hunter Restaurant, where they served substantial food portions. 

The pancakes would cover a huge plate. The bread made for French toast was homemade and served with two huge slices. 

Eggs, Ham, and hash rounds were also served. Great place for a hungry man. I could not eat all of my French toast. 

In Ridgeland, Missouri, we took a golf cart that holds four down into the canyon, a 2 1/2 miles-long tour of caves and waterfalls. We would park the golf cart and look around in several places. 

Inside the cave was a snack bar where you could get snacks and a drink. 

After we finished the tour, we took the shuttle to the Top of the Rock, where we toured the Ancient Ozarks Natural History Museum. The museum was filled with artifacts from the Woolly Mammoth. 

After the museum tour, we were told to return around 7:30–8 P.M. for the sunset, playing bagpipes and cannon firing. 

We rode to the historic part of Branson, stopping at B's Ice Cream Parlor for a strawberry cheesecake waffle Cone. We rode to Bass Pro Shop and then took a short trolley ride around the historic part of Branson.  

We walked along the River Landing and saw several new restaurants, fountains, and pipes that shot out fire. 

We ate lunch at World Famous White River Fish House, where I ordered 3 shrimp tacos. I could not eat all of them, so I just ate the shrimp.
We shopped at Elks but didn't buy anything. 

We rode back to Top of the Rock to see the sunset, tour the old church, and watch the canon being fired.

We came back to the condo, showered, and went to bed. 

Sunset at the top of the Rock Ridgedale, MO 

French Toast 

Tuesday, August 29, Day 3: 

We ate a cinnamon roll for breakfast. 

We rode to College of the Ozarks, Point Lookout, MO.,  where we toured the War Memorial at the Keeter Center. 

We ate lunch at Dobyn's Dining Room at the Keeter Center. I ordered steak soup with rolled and butter. 

We toured the East End Mill, where I bought a handcrafted basket. 

Next, we toured the Ralph Foster Museum, which housed three levels of artifacts. 

This included musical talents from Missouri, musical instruments, Quilts, dishes, dolls, a circus, cars, and animals (taxidermy) such as polar bears, Grizzly Bears, Lions, tigers, buffalo, elk, deer, etc. 

It included butterflies and birds of every kind and just so much information in this one building. 

At 7:30, we boarded the Branson Belle for a dinner cruise and show.

The show was great. It started a little slow but finished with a bang.

It was another long day, so we went off to bed.

Keefer Center at College of the Ozarks
Point Lookout, Mo  

This little fellow will greet you with a loud growl!

Wednesday, August 30, Day 4

I ate a bowl of instant oatmeal for breakfast, and off we went.

Today, we are going to Silver Dollar City Branson, MO., for a fun-filled day of shows.

We will also enjoy a train ride into the woods only to be stopped by train robbers.

Then we will enjoy a hamburger and onion rings at the Lumber Camp Restaurant.

Today was the hottest day yet, and after all that walking, we were ready to leave the park. 

Train Robbers 

On our way back to the condo, we stopped at Little Hacienda in Branson, MO, where I enjoyed a Margarita on the rocks and a Churro with Ice Cream. 

Hubby ordered a burrito supreme. 

We were all very full when we left the restaurant.

I took a shower and went straight to bed, not waking up until 2 A.M. Everyone was asleep, so I took out my journal and wrote for about an hour and a half, then went back to bed.

Thursday, August 31, Day 5

The last day of the month and our last day in Branson, MO.

Packed our bags, loaded the car, and were on our way around 6:30–7 A.M.

We stopped to fill up with gas in Black Rock, Arkansas. 

We didn't stop for lunch until we reached Dyersburg, Tennessee

We stopped at The Bus Stop Restaurant, where I enjoyed a half turkey sandwich with pasta, which was very good. We sat outside, for it was a very nice, excellent day.

We dropped our friends off and stopped at the car wash to wash off all the bugs that we had accumulated on the highway.

We were home by 5 P.M.

We had a great trip, but glad to be home in my own bed.

Our next trip is a cruise unless we decide to take a day or overnight trip to the beach.