🚗2015 ~Tuesday, June 30, Day Trip to Loretta Lynn's Ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee

We traveled up Highway 43 to St. Joe, Tennessee. We turned left onto Iron City Road 227/326, turned right onto Old Railroad Bed Road to Highway 13, and traveled a couple of miles North on Natchez Traces. We got off the Trace in Collingwood and took Highway 13 to Waynesboro.
In Waynesboro, we stayed on Highway 13/Waynesboro. We traveled through Smith Hill, Linen (Squirrels Hollow Drive), Lobelville, Lobelville Highway, and Buffalo, crossing into Perry County. We stopped to use the restrooms and fill up with gas at Pilot. The price was $2.49 per gallon. We had just crossed I-40, the interstate between Memphis and Nashville, Tennessee.

Pilot in Buffalo, TN 

Arby's, Cinnabon at Pilot in Buffalo

We saw a sign for Loretta Lynn's Kitchen and a massive statue of a Buffalo outside the restaurant, along with some old farm equipment, so we stopped to take pictures.

Buffalo at Loretta Lynn's Kitchen in Buffalo 

Antique farm equipment at Loretta Lynn's Kitchen in Buffalo 

Loretta Lynn's Kitchen in Buffalo 

From Buffalo, we were just six miles from Loretta Lynn's Ranch.
We arrived at the ranch, toured the free doll museum, the Old Grist Mill store, and some gift shops, and purchased tickets to tour the home, Butcher Holler House, The #5 Coal Mine, and Loretta's Museum.

Old farm truck at Loretta Ranch Park 

Bank at Loretta Ranch Park 

Land Office at Loretta Ranch Park 

Wanted Dead or Alive 

The tickets for the whole tour were $25.00 each.

Loretta Lynn Park Information 

Tickets and Colton's coaster 

Loretta Lynn Park Information 

Our tour guide, Brooke, took the group up the hill, up several stairs to the replica of Butcher Holler, Loretta Lynn's childhood home in Van Lear, Ky.
The house had two bedrooms, with two small beds for the eight kids; a kitchen with a wooden table, four wooden chairs, and a bench; a coal stove for cooking; an outhouse; and, on the back porch, a small washtub where the children took baths.
When Loretta's mother washed clothes, she hung them inside to dry, keeping them from getting coal dust.

Replica Butcher Holler Home

Replica Butcher Holler Home

Walking down long wooden stairs, Indian on the hill

We walked down a long line of wooden steps onto the street, crossed the street, and walked up to the simulated #5 Coal Mine, where Loretta's father (Ted Webb) worked until his death. As we walked through the simulated coal mine tunnel, we saw the tools used by the coal miners, the coal & the rail carts they filled with tons of coal that had to be pulled to the top by a donkey; he never saw daylight.

Coal Mine # 5

 Coal Car at Coal Mine # 5

Coal at Coal Mine # 5

Coal Mine # 5

We boarded the tour bus and were taken to the former home of Loretta Lynn (The Anderson Plantation Home).
As we were getting off the bus, we saw several carriages and a massive barn with two beautiful horses. In the background, we could hear a peacock. We all walked into the kitchen, which had a large fireplace and chandeliers in every downstairs room. We saw the green bathroom, Loretta's collections inside a cabinet built by her husband, and her many albums hanging in the hallway and along the stairway.
We saw her bedroom, and the room with her family pictures; we were not taken upstairs.
The house is said to be haunted by the former owners, the Anderson Family.
They were plantation owners with slaves, the mother lost a child at birth, and she walks the rooms looking for her baby. Many ghosts have been spotted throughout the house.
We exited through the front door and walked back to the paved drive.

Standing on Loretta Lynn's Ranch Porch 

Loretta Lynn's Ranch 

I walked over to the horses and took many pictures of them with my cell phone.
I did not bring my big camera because we were not allowed to take pictures inside the house or any of the museums.

Loretta Lynn's Ranch Horses

We loaded back onto the bus and were taken to the Museum, where Loretta has all kinds of memorabilia.

Loretta Lynn's Ranch Museum

After touring the Museum, we stopped to take pictures of the tour bus outside.
We stopped at the gift shop to buy a couple of postcards and left.

Loretta Lynn's Ranch Postcards I purchased

It was very hot and humid, so we had had enough of walking outside.
We stopped in front of Loretta's Ranch Home to take pictures of Hurricane Creek.
We rode behind Loretta's Ranch house, where we saw a couple of donkeys, Loretta's present home, and the Anderson Family Cemetery.

Standing on the steps of Loretta & Mooney Lynn, Hurricane Mills Home 

Hurricane Mill Falls 

Loretta's Home 

Anderson Family Cemetery 

Mules

We left the park, taking I-40, stopping at Colton's Steak House & Grill in Dickson, Tennessee, where we ordered a whole order of Ribs, one baked potato, two Caesar Salads, Tea, Water, Rolls, and butter.

Colton's Steak House & Grill 

Colton's Steak House & Grill 

Colton's Steak House & Grill 

We got off I-40, drove through Spring Hill and Columbia, stopped at CVS in Lawrenceburg, then headed home.