2018 Feb 19-22, President's Special The Inn at Christmas Place Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

Presidents Day, Monday, February 19
For breakfast, I cooked bacon, eggs, and toast.
Hubby and I rode to Athens to leave the Chrysler Van for repairs.
Filled up with gas at Murphy’s in Athens.

We rode to Madison to look at an old Fireo.
We stopped at Dollar General for snacks meat skins and drinks.
We rode through Jasper, South Pittsburg, White Side, Chattanooga, and Trenton stopping at Richville Rest Area where I took pictures of Pushing Forward Knoxville Union Army on the Move.

We traveled US 72 through Huntsville crossing into Tennessee near South Pittsburg taking I-24 through Chattanooga to I-75 N to Knoxville I-40 Knoxville to Kodak taking 66 to Sevierville, and 441 into Pigeon Forge.

We went to Huck Finn’s for dinner for we had skipped lunch.
Hubby ordered the small catfish plate with creamed potato and fixings.
I ordered the Cajun Grilled Trout with creamed potato and fixings. (white beans, Coleslaw, onions, pickles, and hush puppies.

Huck Finn's 

We took several pictures at Huck Finn's.
We checked into The Inn at Christmas Place at 4:38 PM for two nights.
We took our luggage to the room and returned up front in time to listen to the Christmas Bells Chime.
We rode through Pigeon Forge to  Gatlinburg where we saw many Christmas Lights, for Winter Fest.
We saw Johnny Rockets, Bubba Gumps, Dicks Last Resort, Dude’s Daiquiris, Texas Roadhouse, Calhoun's, Hollywood Star Cars, and Cooters’.
We came back to Pigeon Forge where we saw a building covered in Greenlight.
We saw a sign that read Dollywood loves every moment turn here.
We saw a storefront with alligators, sharks, and bear statues.
We rode through the archway at the Old Mill, it was covered in Christmas Lights of red, and white.
Hubby took my picture in front of a picture of people skating at the Old Mill.
We bought a  bag of yellow stone-ground cornmeal and apple fritter mix.
We rode to Patriot Park stopping to take several pictures and videos. Stayed on the sidewalk because the ground in the park was still full of water from all the rain.
As we were riding through Pigeon Forge we saw Arcade lit up in neon lights and a new place called Alcatraz East Prison.

We rode through The Island where we saw the carousel, fairs wheel, Margaritaville, and Paula Deans's Family kitchen.
We stopped to take several pictures of Dolly Parton’s Smoky Mountain Adventures covered in Christmas Lights it was closed for the season.
We also saw the Magic Quest on our way back to The Inn at Christmas Place.
At 7:30 PM we sat on the balcony at the Inn eating oatmeal raisin, Chocolate, and Sugar cookies served with hot apple cider.
It was a clear and warm night as we watched the flow of traffic and all the Christmas lights that surrounded the Inn.
We retired for the night for it had been a very tiring day.

February 20, Tuesday
Took showers, dressed, and walked downstairs to the dining room for breakfast.
I got three sausage links and watched the cook prepare my made-to-order omelet.
I chose mushrooms, spinach, peppers, ham, and cheese.
The cook said he loved to cook and I told him that my middle son loved to cook.
I said you have to have a knack for flipping omelets but he said it takes a good pan.

It was still a little foggy outside and too early for stores to open up so we went back to our room, hubby watched TV and I wrote in my journal.
Last night before we went out we talked to the bellman of the Inn. He said his daughter was the manager at the front desk and he was a retired Sheriff of 25 years. He still worked part-time to get his 30 years of service. He said that he loved working at the INN.
At 10 AM we rode to Gloria Vanderbilt and Lees where we bought hubby a shirt.
We went to the Tanger outlet where I bought a shirt from Under Armer and a black and white shirt from Nike. (I had only brought long sleeves tops and it was 77 degrees outside) It is too hot for long sleeves.
We rode to Bass Pro in Kodak where we bought hubby a couple shirts.
We ate dinner at Uncle Bucks which is inside the Bass Pro Shops. We had all-you-can-eat shrimp for $9.99.

Uncle Buck's All you can eat Shrimp.

We rode to the Douglas Dam and park stopping to take several pictures.
We filled up with gas at Murphy’s.
We rode by the Apple Bar where we saw two geese waddling near Little Pigeon River.
We stopped at the upside-down Museum, Hatfield & McCoys, Hard Rock Cafe, and Titanic to take pictures.
We stopped at Dixie Stampede to take pictures of the horses.
We parked at The Island walked around, stopped for Ice Cream, and finally sat down to watch the fountain dance to music.

Hatfield & McCoys 

The Island 

Watching Fountains Dance with the Sunset

Margaretville

We walked to Margaretville Hotel, a gift shop, and a restaurant to take pictures.
We rode back to the Inn around 7 PM.
From 8-9PM, we listened to Santa sing Christmas Carols and religious and Country Songs.
After the performance, we enjoyed milk, cider, and cookies.

Wednesday, February 21
Hubby and I enjoyed a nice hot breakfast, packed and checked out of the Inn, and started for home.
We stopped at the Rest Area in Jasper TN and Richville.
Hubby dropped me off in Athens to pick up the van.
Hubby rode to Madison to buy that Fireo we had looked at before we went on our trip. It had to be towed home. Hubby bought the Fireo parts for his Fireo.
Today is my grandson’s twenty-seventh birthday so we are meeting him, his wife, dad, and sister at Logan’s Roadhouse for dinner.
Hubby and I ate hot rolls and fried mushrooms.
I gave my grandson a birthday card with money inside for his birthday. He said they were taking their camper to Fort Wilderness Campground and going to Universal Studios Theme Park for the weekend.

2010 ~ Feb 19-20, Marine Biologist for a Day at the Aquarium in Nashville, Tennessee

2010 ~ February 19-20 Nashville, Tennessee

We took a group of girl scouts to Nashville to the Aquarium to be a Marine Biologist for a day, we spent the night at one of the mom's time-share.  We stopped in the Dairy Queen in Lawrenceburg to eat dinner.

Dairy Queen in Lawrenceburg 

Dairy Queen in Lawrenceburg 

Day 1: Friday, February 19, 2010 

At the Time-Share the girls swam, ate snacks they danced, and played games.

The next day the girls dissected a squid, went on a scavenger hunt, listened to a lecture about fish that was in the aquarium.

We were taken to the back room of the aquarium to see how the fish are care for, to see how their food is prepared.

We were shown where the divers go into the aquarium tank, afterward, everyone was given a quiz when we finished the quiz we were served a meal. When we finished eating, we divided into groups and took the girls shopping.

Marine Biologist for a day

February 20-21, 2010 we took eight girls scouts to the Nashville Aquarium in Nashville, Tennessee to be a marine biologist for a day.

Day 2: Saturday, February 20, 2010

The girls met at the Aquarium Restaurant at Opry Mills Mall at 8:30 A.M.

The girls were Marine Biologist for a day at the Stingray Reef, each girl was given a Tee Shirt & a name tag with The Nashville Aquarium inscribed on the front of it.

Each was given an all-day pass to the Stingray Reef, where they could pet & feed the Stingray, visit the exhibits, ride the carousel, and they were given a discount card of 15% off at the gift shop.

The Marine Biologist asks if anyone was afraid of the snake before we enter the backup room.

If so, to let her know, because she was going to take out a Scarlet Kingsnake to show the girls. Everyone was okay with going into the room.  

The biologist brought out a Scarlet Kingsnake, which is very similar to the Coral Snake. 

We were told that it is found in the southeastern area of the USA. We were then told how it’s a tri-color pattern of black, red, and yellow mimic the venomous coral snake. 

She said just remember that red on yellow can kill a fellow; red on black is a friend of Jack.

Scarlet Kingsnake

The girls petted the Scarlet snake, they could see, they could feel how smooth and shiny the snake was for it had just shed its old skin. 

Their next project was to dissect a squid, on each table, for each girl, was a dead squid, a tray, and scissors.

dissect a squid

dissect a squid

Squid are marine cephalopods

The girls were told that Squid are marine cephalopods, there are over 300 species

The Girls were told about the anatomy of the squid, how the main body mass is enclosed in the mantle, how the skin is covered in chromatophores, which enables the squid to change color so it can camouflage itself from its prey. 

They went through the anatomy of the squid from the nervous system to the Reproductive system (they were told to cut the ink sack into) were shown the ovary of the female and the testis of the male. In the digestive system are the stomach, bolus, caecum (for digestion), liver, and rectum. In the Cardiovascular system, the squid has three hearts.

The head end bears eight arms and two tentacles that contain suckers along the edge. 

The girls were divided into groups of two and given a paper with questions to be answered by doing a scavenger hunt. They had to read the information on each of the displays to find the answers. 

Some of the animals were the: tarantula spider, crocodile lizard, Piranha, Coral reef, Rococo Toad Bufo Paracnemis, stingray, Knight Anole, Emerald tree boa, Potbelly seahorse, clownfish and sea anemones.

They spend a few minutes petting and feeding the stingrays and we proceeded to the Aquarium Restaurant where there was a 200,000-gallon aquarium full of tropical fish. 

Their project was to learn about the fish that lived in the 200,000 aquariums, their environment and then to go behind the scenes of the aquarium. 

After the lecture on the aquarium and the behind scenes tour, we were all given an aquarium super fun puzzle and the questions were:

The stingray’s last means of defense was is. Barbs

A group of fish is? School

The natural filter of the ocean? Shellfish

How a fish breathes? Gills

What divers use to breath underwater? Scuba

The back support of squid? Pen

A cartilaginous fish that people are afraid of? Shark

Fish spend 30 days here before going on exhibit? Quarantine

Saving resources for future generations? Preservation

An endangered animal with plantlike qualities? Coral

Opening located on the underside of rays head? Fill-slits

A fish skid? Scales

The top fin of a fish? Dorsal

The real skin coral of the green moray eel? Blue

One category of fish? Bony

An increase in the earth’s temperature caused by pollution? Global warming

Using a limited amount of resources? Conservation

A venomous snail from Indonesia? Cone-snail

Cousin to sharks and rays? Guitarfish

A snakelike fish? Eel

Question time

Answering the questions 

group picture

Behind the scenes, we saw the holding tank for the aquarium, quarantine system, where the fishes water was prepared, main pumps, main sand filters, bio towers, and main chillers, carbon water filter.    

We walked upstairs to where the fish were in a quarantine tank. We entered another area where we walked along with a narrow walkway overhead of the aquarium where the lighting, air condition ventilations were to see the working of the aquarium. This area is where the divers go into the aquarium, where the chemical is despised into the aquarium.

Diver in aquarium

We visited the kitchen was a fresh fool is prepared daily for the fish and then to the laboratory.

We all got to look into a microscope to see some of the bacteria that might get on the fish. 

We were allowed to hold a sand dollar, sea urchin, and starfish. After the question and answer time in the lab, we all went to the restroom to wash our hands.

Washing our hands

Posing for a group picture

We all pre-ordered our lunch, so it was ready when we finished our being a marine biologist for a day. 

Our table was prepared, so we all sat down, we were given a quiz before we were served lunch. 

Lora and I shared a Lettuce Wrap, that was filled with a Grilled shrimp basted with the lime marinade and served with seasonal vegetables. 

After lunch, we divide into three groups and went into Opry Mall, I had Emilee, Brianna, and Ashley. Lora had Madison, Santana, Megan, and Sarah and the other woman had her daughter Kaitlyn.

We stopped at Build-a-Bear Work Shop, the  Rainforest Gift shop (where the girls put snakes around their necks and I took their pictures) Emilee bought a mood necklace, I bought the girls chocolate candy, Brianna bought chocolate-covered cherries, Emilee and Ashley bought chocolate covered Marshmallows, and I bought a chocolate-covered pretzel. We stopped at one store where Brianna put on an Irish Green hat and a scarf, I took Brianna’s picture, she took my picture. I was wearing a crown that said, Kiss me I am Irish.  We tried on a couple more hats, took a few more pictures then we walked back to the aquarium.  We went back to the stingray aquarium rode the carousel, and the girls feed the stingray.

Group picture at the Aquarium

Getting a back rub

Trying on hats 

Trying on hats 

Stopping at the Rainforest Cafe Gift Shop 

Ready to go home 

We waited for Lora, she was still shopping, the other woman said she had to go home, I took Megan, Ashley, Brianna, and Kaitlyn with me along with Sarah and Emilee. 

We all went looking for Lora, Madison, and Santana. We walked around the entire Opry Mall, we met up with Lora, Madison, and Santana at the Apple Barn. 

After a few more stops, we walked to the car and started home. It took forever getting out of the parking lot. We went through the drive-thru at McDonald's in Columbia, TN bought some hamburger’s for supper and rode home. We arrived home at about 6:30 P.M.