Today we didn't have to get up early because we did not have to be at Gabe's in Madison until 9:15 A.M., so we took our time getting ready.
We didn't eat breakfast because we were having an early dinner.
We traveled to Madison, taking our time. We boarded the bus along with around 42 others and began our journey.
Our first stop was the Dolly Parton Tennessee Travel Stop for a restroom break and to browse the gift shop.
There is so much more to the Tennesseean than a gift shop. It has an ice cream shop, a Sandwich shop, and a restaurant with a large buffet.
Upstairs, there's a bar and outdoor seating with fire pits and a stage. The whole building is covered in musical instruments, including drums, a piano, and hundreds of guitars. The buffet restaurant also has a stage where entertainers perform. The whole place was covered with beautifully decorated Christmas trees.
Our buffet meal wasn't ready until 11 A.M., and we were served at the bar upstairs. We were served fried chicken (legs and wings), green beans, mac & cheese, coleslaw, and creamed potatoes. For dessert, we were served peach cobbler and bread pudding. A variety of drinks was served.
The food was delicious, and the service was great. We had to be on the road by 12 P.M. for our next destination.
Our next stop was Johnny Cash's Hideaway Farm in Bon Aqua Junction, Tennessee.
When we arrived, we were greeted by our host Christy.
She said Follow me. Several stopped to use the outdoor restrooms before entering the house.
We were taken from room to room, learning the history of the home and the people who lived there.
We walked outside to a stage for entertainment.
The last building we visited had Johnny's one-piece-at-a-time car. It was also filled with paraphernalia from Johnny's life, including a room dedicated to Elvis Presley.
We watched a short film about Johnny and June Cash's one-piece-at-a-time car.
Christy also told about the first time she and her friend met the Cashs.
Years later, she moved to the area to work for Johnny Cash Hideaway Farm.
Of course, there was a gift shop.
Everyone thanked Christy, and we loaded onto the bus for our journey home.
We made one more stop at Ardmore Rest Stop in Ardmore, AL, before arriving at Gabe's in Madison.
This rest area had been newly remodeled, and the rocket ship was removed because it was beyond repair.
We arrived at Gabe's in Madison around 5:30 P.M. We said goodbye to our fellow travelers and said this was our last trip for this year. See y'all next year.
Hubby and I went shopping at Gabe's and made several purchases. We were looking for a small red truck with Christmas decorations on it to put on my table. We also bought an iPhone charger and some Christmas bags.
We stopped at Krystal for a couple of double cheeseburgers and large fries to go. We ate these on our way home.
Since the time change, it gets dark around 5 P.M., so we traveled home in the dark.
We had a great trip with Cynthia Smith as our guide.
Barbara Dudley drove bus 1022.
Photos
0801- 0831 Dolly Pardon Tennessean Travel Stop 10:42–11:59 A.M.
0832-0963 Hideaway Farm Bon Aqua Junction, Tennessee @ 1:17–3:19 P.M.
0966 -0972 Ardmore Welcome Center, Ardmore, TN @ 4:55–5:03 P.M.
