2020 Nov 11-14, Trip to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee (4 days) Dollywood Express Train Ride

Wednesday, November 11, Hubby and I stopped at Cracker Barrel in Spring Hill for breakfast. We stopped several times for restroom breaks on our way to Pigeon Forge. We checked into Park Grove Inn in Pigeon Forge. What a view we could see the ferry wheel on the Island from our room.

Ferries Wheel 

Hubby took a shower, lay down, and took a nap. His stomach was giving him a fit, and he said I think I have a fever. After his nap, we rode to Applewood Farm House Restaurant for dinner.

Apple Barn 

For an appetizer, they brought apple fritters along with apple sauce and jute. I ordered a bowl of vegetable soup with cornbread. Hubby did not order anything but did eat some of my soup. That night, Hubby ran a fever and had diarrhea all night.

The Incredible Christmas Store

Nov 12, Thursday:  The Incredible Christmas Store was just three blocks from our hotel, so I walked there while Hubby slept. I walked across the Little Pigeon River, stopping to take pictures along the way. I bought a chocolate pretzel at the Christmas Candy Shop. When I returned, Hubby was up, so we rode to the Old Mill, where I purchased some stone-ground cornmeal and some apple fritter mix. We visited the Disney Store, where I bought Christmas toys for the great-grandkids. We ate lunch at Firehouse Subs and stopped in front of the Dixie Stampede for a picture of the tall Christmas tree. We spent the rest of the day at Dollywood from 2 to 9 P.M. We rented a cart for my husband; he said he felt too weak to walk. We upgraded our tickets for the next year to $194.20. Our adventures began in the Wildwood Park area, specifically designed for children.

Santa @ Dollywood 

We meet Santa behind glass after we write him a letter and drop it into his mailbox. We watched a couple of shows outside, but all the inside shows were closed. We rode the Dollywood Express Train Ride up the mountain, and there were plastic shields between each seat. We had to get tickets for the last train ride because the virus seats were limited. We stopped at the ice cream shop for some Rockies Road ice cream in a chocolate waffle cone. We returned the cart and walked back to our car.

Eating catfish at Huck Finn

On Friday, Nov 13, I ate French toast for breakfast at the hotel. We rode to the Bass Pro Shop in Kodak and then to Katom Restaurant Supplies, where I bought two bottle openers and a thermometer. We stopped at Huck Finn's for lunch, where I ordered a two-piece catfish dinner with fixings. (Fixings include a bowl of white beans, onion, pickles, coleslaw, and hushpuppies) We took the bypass in Gatlinburg and drove over the Smoky Mountains. We rode through Cherokee, out to I-40, and back to Sevierville.

Hotel Pigeon Forge, TN

On Saturday, November 15, we began our travel home, stopping to fill up with gas at Flying J. I ate a bagel for breakfast before we left the hotel. We stopped at Five Guys in Spring Hill for a late lunch or early supper. There, we both ordered a fully-dressed hamburger and crispy fries. They have the best hamburgers in town. Our last stop was at Kroger's in Lawrenceburg to pick up a few groceries. After that long ride home, we were both exhausted.

👩‍🍳👩‍🍳👩‍🍳👩‍🍳2016 April 23, Saturday Cornbread Festival South Pittsburg Tennessee

We traveled hwy 72 to Athens and took I-65 to I-565 through Huntsville. We took Hwy 72 E and passed through several small towns: Brownsboro, Paint Rock, Woodville, Scottsboro, Hollywood, Fackler, Stevenson, and Bridgeport, Alabama.

Driving to South Pittsburg

We crossed the state line into Tennessee to South Pittsburg.
We arrived around 10:00 A.M., and there was already a crowd. We waited in line with many other vehicles to get a parking spot.
We started walking to downtown, where the Cornbread Festival was held. 
I spotted a school bus being used to shuttle people downtown.
We boarded the school bus and got off at the second stop. 

Cornbread Festival 

We paid the five-dollar admission fee to enter the festival. We proceeded to the area where we purchased tickets for the Historic bus tour, scheduled for 11:00 A.M., which cost seven dollars each.

We were given brochures with the time stamped on them for our tickets.
The 10:00 A.M. bus had just left the historic City Hall.

We walked through the American Legion Hall (under restoration)
That houses the quilt show.

One of the quilts on display

Next, we view some of the old cars that were on display.

Car Show

We went to the theater to listen to Blues Music for about ten minutes and to use the restrooms. 

Inside the Prince Theater

We walked past some of the vendors and back to City Hall to wait for the bus.
When the tour bus returned, our guide got off and said she would give a talk before everyone boarded.
Our guide began by telling the history of the City Hall, Marion Lodge, and American Legion Hall buildings.
City Hall was built in 1887, and the former First National Bank had terra cotta trim with decorative brick.

City Hall was built in 1887 

The building across the street, now vacant, was the former Marion Lodge, E&AM No. 515.

Marion Lodge E& AM No 515

The American Legion Hall housed the quilt show.
Everyone boarded the air-conditioned bus, but there weren't enough seats, so some had to stand in line.
Everyone was asked to check their ticket to ensure it was stamped 11:00 A.M. 
About six tourists had a later date stamped on their tickets, and they were asked to get off the bus and return at that time.

South Pittsburg, Tennessee Historic Tour ticket

We then began our tour through the crowded, narrow streets of South Pittsburg. We had a great driver; he backed up and turned around without hitting a single car, despite numerous markings along the road.

We saw the Christ Church Episcopal, located on Third Street at Holly, which was completed in 1884.
At 217 Magnolia, we saw the home originally built by Joseph Lodge in 1878.
At 310 Magnolia, the home of Avery and Kate McCuiston, they owned the Bargain Store on Cedar Avenue. 
Fourth, at Magnolia, the Old English company built a house about 1877.
At 401 Oak House, the City Company built the house in 1890.
At 316 Oak House, the Headquarters of the Old English company was built, and it was used as guest quarters, not a home. 
At 504 Oak, we saw a house owned by ST Haskew that had been sold and was being used as a boarding house.
At 518 Laurel, we saw the house where James Scott, a Texan who ran a dry goods store, lived.
At 500 Laurel, we saw the AA Cook home, which he sold to MM Allison in 1898, who was mayor and judge.
At 401 Laurel, we saw the house built for Dr. TW Johnston, a physician for the Tennessee Coal, Iron & Railway Company.
At 414 Holly, we saw a house built for Luther B Sartan.
At 518 Holly, a house purchased in 1887 by Thomas Richardson, a druggist.
At 610 Holly, we saw the home built in 1909 by Walter Denham.
At eight at Elm, we saw the Chapel on the Hill built by Angus Macrae, a native of Scotland.
The tour bus dropped off everyone who wanted to tour the Lodge Factory at the intersection of Sixth Street and the railroad. 

People are going into the Lodge Factory.

The Lodge Pans display that the Lodge was founded in 1896 by Joseph Lodge. The original plant was located on the north side of town. The foundry operates two molding machines and produces over 20,000 cast iron pieces a day.

Touring the plant

After we finished touring the plant, we walked back to the festival, stopping to look at the tractors on display. 
Vendors were cooking a wide variety of food.
Vendors were selling a wide range of clothing.
There were rides of all kinds.

Carnival Rides 

We were getting hungry, so we looked for a local restaurant and stopped at Harvey's Pirate Restaurant for a hamburger and fries. 

Harvey's Pirate Restaurant 

We went to the cars on display, and there were three times as many as earlier. 
We walked through, taking a look at some of the vendors. I bought four postcards, and we bought a bee catcher. 
We stopped at the Lodge Store and began our walk back to the van.

The Lodge Store

A nice young man offered to take us to our car in his golf cart. 
People were still coming into the downtown area, and they had to park along the highway.
It had been a long day, we were getting hot and tired, and still had a two-hour drive home. 

April 2016 A busy month

April 1 rode to Mule Day in Columbia, Tennessee 

April 1& 4 went to the Chiropractor

April 2  rode to Columbia, TN to watch the Mule Day Parade, ate lunch at Jacks Lawrenceburg, TN

April 5 We went on a tour of Tiffen Plant in Red Bay ate lunch Jacks Red Bay, Al 

April 6 CBS classes

April 7 went to Get Dirty at the Library: Landscape Design for Sustainability

April 8 went to Chiropractor

April 8 Took Dad to Dentist & Emergency Room

April 9 went on a guided walking tour of historic Downtown Athens

April 9 Earth Day Sheffield, Al 

April 11 Took Dad to the oral surgeon to get tooth cut out

April 12 We went on a tour of the Belle Chevre Goat Cheese Factory in Elkmont Al ate lunch Preston’s Restaurant Lexington, Al 

April 13 Last Class of CBS 

April 14 Get Dirty at the Library: Growing Herbs

April 16 Walking tour of UNA by Thomas Hale

April 17 Athens Cemetery Stroll 2-5PM

April 19 Started Weight loss Program Took B-12 Shot 

April 21 Get Dirty at the Library: Fighting Invasive Plants

April 22 Jewish Passover Meal at First Methodist Church Killen 

April 23 We went to Cornbread Festival in South Pittsburg TN ate lunch Harvey’s Pirate Drive-in

April 25 Took Dad to the oral surgeon he got two teeth cut out

April 26 Took B-12 Shot 

April 26 Went to Florence Ophthalmology PC Doctor Gray

April 28 Went to Get Dirty at the Library: Composting

April 30 Went to Guided walking tour of Athens State University ate lunch at Wildwood Deli 

I AM ~POEM

I am from the English and Irish breed; from pan-fried Idaho potatoes and steaming-hot Aunt Jamima yellow cornbread.

I am from a warm, cozy loving home, full of children running, screaming, laughing and playing from dawn to dusk and the smell of apple pie baking in the oven.

I am from Butterfly, Swamp, Bulk, and Common Milkweed that grow freely in fields.

I am from the fighting Irish Walls and traveling English Rumbolds; long live the queen of England.

I am from Charles’s many, stormy, sailing voyages to Mary Hasbrouck, Dunedin, New Zealand, Shang High, Hong Kong, China, just to name a few.

My crimson blood flows deep, within for wild adventures, many travels, and the love of history.

Salvation fills my soul with one true God.

I am from the Heart of Dixie, the birthplace of Helen Keller, home of Roll Tide, singing group Alabama, from Hawk Pride Mountain, and the catfish filled singing Tennessee River.

I am a devout Christian woman who would give you her last morsel, and a grandfather who loved the spirit of the drink.

Stored away in my attic are memories of letters, and pictures filled with hot cotton fields, raging ocean waves, smoke-filled mountaintops, and the deep love of family.  

What a life!