2021 Nov 14-20, Carnival VALOR 5 Day Caribbean Cruise to Cozumel and Progreso, Mexico

2021 Nov 14, Sunday 

Monday, Traveled to Slidell, Louisiana We stopped in North Port at Mapco and filled up with gas for $29.49. We ate lunch at Cracker Barrel in Meridian, MS I ordered pinto beans fried okra, and grilled chicken. $6.53 We also had cornbread, biscuits, jelly, and water. Bought gas at 2.99 a gallon at Mapco in Northport, Al. for $29.49 and bought gas at Texaco Carrier, MS for $3.09 a gallon. We stayed at Hampton Inn in Slidedell at 4:40 PM. We watched TV and went to bed early. We skipped supper full of lunch. 

We stayed one night at Hampton Inn 56460 Frank Pichon Rd, Slidell, La 

Carnival Valor Cruise Ship Stateroom   Deck   Muster Station  

2021 Nov 15, Monday 

Took a shower ate Reese's cup and finished my Sprite. We ate breakfast at the hotel. I ordered scrambled eggs, sausage, muffins, and cranberry juice to drink. We checked out, loaded the car, and headed into New Orleans. We ran into work traffic on 1-10 going into New Orleans. We parked on 4A in the parking deck walked to the elevators and went to the ground level to wait in line to be processed along with everyone else. A woman called out Have your boarding passes ready for inspection (not folded) We walked through several lines. We handed the inspector our passports, boarding passes, COVID cards, and the results of our Covid test that showed we were negative from the results of the Covid test. Several more lines & finally we were seated waiting to board the ship at 10:40 AM. Our rooms would not be ready until after 1:30 p.m. After boarding the ship we walked to Guys Burgers where we both ordered a hamburger and fries. I got lemonade to drink. The dressing for the hamburger was on a buffet, I got onions and fried mushrooms. When we finished we walked around the ship carrying several bags. (Camera bag with Nikon D7200, medicine bag, my purse, and overnight bag) Wanda had her backpack and her purse. Around 1:30pm we walked to our cabin unloaded everything and rested. We went back upstairs to watch the ship leave the dock and that’s when the party began. (4-5PM )We watched the sunset as the ship rolled down the mighty Mississippi and it was dark by the time we reached the ocean. We went back to our cabin and changed into nicer clothes to dine in the Lincoln Room for dinner. I started with a shrimp cocktail, followed by a Caesar Salad, the entree was Sweet & Sour Shrimp followed by Strawberry cake. (5-6PM) At dinner we sat next to a couple from Tennessee near Cookeville, they had left their 13-year-old daughter at home with her grandparents because she refused to get the Covid shot. After dinner, we went to our cabin 9268 which had a balcony, and went to bed early. 

Leaving New Orleans on Carnival Valor 

Sunset leaving New Orleans on the Mighty Mississippi River 

 Nov 16, Tuesday, Sea Day

Took a shower and we went upstairs so Wanda could get her some coffee and I got some cranberry juice. We watched the sunrise around 6Am then went to the Washington room for Brunch. I ordered a Parfait it had lots of nuts, Blueberries, strawberries, and yogurt. While we were at brunch they cleaned our cabin and left a towel art laying on the bed. I ate a small taco for lunch. Today is a sea day so we sat outside and watched schools of flying fish. Today was very windy and the water was very turbulent. It was hard to walk and at times everyone looked like they were drunk. We had dinner in the Lincoln Room no one sat next to us tonight. I ordered prime ribs with gravy and potatoes, my appetizer was cocktail shrimp and for dessert, I ordered custard pie. 

 

Sunset Gulf of Mexico (Sea Day)

Nov 17, Wednesday, Mr. Sancho's Cozumel Mexico 

Watched the sun come up and then went to breakfast. For breakfast, I ate cantaloupe, French toast with syrup, eggs Benedict (which I didn't like), and chocolate milk. Today we docked in Cozumel. We took a taxi to Mr. Sancho’s which cost us 17 dollars both ways. It is a fifteen-minute ride south of Cozumel. At Mr. Sancho’s it cost us 55 dollars for all-you-can-eat and drink. We sampled a Margarita, & daiquiris while sitting under a bamboo roof.  There was a rain shower while we were there but we didn’t get wet. We watched people swimming, snorkeling, and other activities but we decided to just enjoy the view under the umbrella. We saw several birds scavenging for food. We were brought fried jumbo coconut shrimp, with orange sauce, guacamole, salsa, and chips. We also sampled a Pina Colada, Miami Vice, Banana Mama, and Mr. Sancho’s special. Our waiter was Aldo a charming young man who said he was married with a young son. He said that we were queens for the day. He introduced us to his co-worker he said the son of another mother both were very gracious and helpful. We took the taxi back to the shopping area in Cozumel. I bought a pair of pineapple teal shorts and a Burgundy top and spent $34.50. We went back through security and loaded onto the ship around 2:30PM. We watched the ship leave port at 4:30PM. We ate dinner in the Lincoln Room. I ordered Caesar salad, steak with gravy, potatoes, & broccoli. My appetizer was a shrimp cocktail and the dessert was chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream. Tomorrow we will dock in Progresso. 

Day trip to Cozumel 

Our waiter Aldo at Mr. Sancho's Beach

Nov 18, Thursday, Progresso Mexico 

Ate breakfast and saw towel art everywhere around the pool area. We docked at Progresso and embarked around 9AM with my boarding pass around my neck and my iPad in my hand. We loaded into a van, and there were 14 of us. We rode about an hour to Celestron where we used the restrooms and loaded into three boats. There were 4 in two boats and six in one boat. Wanda said I hope we don’t turn over because I cannot swim and our guide Misael said the water is only two feet deep. We saw pink flamingos at a distance. Flamingos eat small shrimp that live in shallow waters. They also eat algae & crustaceans that contain pigments called carotenoids. These pigments are found in the shrimp and blue-green algae that they eat. Next, we rode a short distance and saw Blue Herons, osprey, American Anhinga, and pygmy kingfisher. We rode through a tunnel of Mangroves where we saw several termite mounds in the mangrove Yucatán peninsula biodiversity. We stopped at a boardwalk where we saw a pygmy kingfisher. We rode back to where we had parked the van, exited the boat used the rest-rooms, and looked at the trinkets that were for sale. We loaded into the van and rode to the beach area where our meals were being prepared. At the restaurant, we ate chips & guacamole dip, smoked fish, veggies, and a margarita. We stayed on the beach for about 30 minutes. 

Loaded back into the van for an hour-long ride back to the ship. Our guide played the movie "The Big Year" a nature movie about two bird enthusiasts trying to defeat the cocky, cutthroat world record holder in a year-long bird-spotting competition.

We loaded onto the ship and watched the ship leave port at sunset. We dressed for dinner, cocktail shrimp, Cajun shrimp, bread, and dessert We went to a show for about 60 minutes. 

Island of Progreso 

                                                                  

Some of the birds that we saw at Progreso 

 Nov 19, Friday, Sea Day 

Sea Day we are on our return trip to New Orleans. We ate brunch in the Washington room, I ordered bread and sausage with cheese grits. We went upstairs and got in line to purchase an item that benefits St. Jude where I bought a build-a-bear. We watched the Carnival Valor Family & Mardi Gras giveaway with Matt the cruise director. That night in the Lincoln room I ordered fried shrimp, salad, ribs, green beans, potatoes with gravy, and a dessert. Watched a Dean Martin special on TV, then went to sleep. 

Friday's Sunrise 

Nov 20, Saturday, Travel Home 

 Packed the night before, making sure we had everything. We went to eat breakfast a couple of pastries, with two chocolate milk. Grabbed our bags and met the Silver & Platinum sailors in the Lincoln Dining room. Loaded into the elevators and walked to our car our level 4A. Began our journey home. Filled up with gas at Love's in Sandersville, MS $28.31 We ordered a sausage, and cheese muffin at McDonald's. For lunch, we stopped at Arby’s for a beef & cheddar sandwich with Curley fries and a Coke. We were at Wanda’s by 4:30pm but hubby had not gotten home from work so we sat around and talked until hubby picked me up.

Hampton Inn 56460 Frank Pichon Rd, Slidell, La

Carnival Valor Cruise Ship Stateroom   Deck   Muster Station 

2018 Aug 16, Road to Southaven, MS

Sometimes we plan trips and sometimes we just wear it. Today was a wing-it day.
Hubby had a heart test at 10:30 AM which did not take very long.
He said have you been to the Train Bridge and seen the mural that is being painted?
I said I had been to the Train Bridge many times but had not been lately.
So off we go to check out the new mural of a train which I was told is not finished.

Train Bridge Mural


Hubby said I do not want to go home, have you heard of Southaven, MS? I said I think we have been through there.

Hubby said I want to go look at an Entegra Class A diesel and we can get lunch along the way.

I said you know we traveled this same route last week when we went to Little Rock, Arkansas.
We stopped in Corinth, Mississippi at Cracker Barrel for lunch.

Cracker Barrel Corinth, MS 

Checker Board at Cracker Barrel 

Lunch Shrimp, Fried Apples with Cornbread! YUM!!

Hubby eating Pinto Beans, Fried Apples, Cornbread, and Roast Beef

We traveled US 72 West to 385 West and I-55 South to Southaven, which is just a short distance away from Memphis. We saw countless jets overhead coming out of the Memphis Airport.
We stopped at America's Largest Indoor RV/Marine Showroom at Southaven's RV's.
We looked at two of the  Entegra Class A diesel.
https://www.southavenrv.com/rv/southaven+ms/entegra+classadiesel/4844/entegra+cornerstone+45b

Sitting on display were a couple of Travel Trailers and I said we have come a long way since the beginning of travel. Hubby and I were watching the Travel Channel and it said that it was not until the 1960s that the name Travel Trail went to being called RVs.

We normally do not do a lot of shopping but today was a wing-it day.
Across the highway was the Tanger Outlet so off we go in that direction.
Mississippi is just as hot in the summer as Alabama. Hubby parks and we began our journey through the outlets.
I said I would love to have something cold so hubby sats down took out his cell phone and began looking for restaurants.
In the meantime, I have spotted Blues Markers and guitars dotted throughout the shopping area, and off I go taking pictures.

Travel Trailer

Travel Trailer

Tanger Outlets 

Flowers at Tanger Outlets

Birthplace of America's Music Blues  Notice the tarps over the walking areas. 

I take over a hundred pictures when I get a call saying where are you?
By this time it is hot, I stop at a vending machine for a Coke.

Children's Play Area Tanger Outlets 

Splash Pad at Tanger Outlets 

We headed back to the car and began our trip home it was around 4:30 and traffic was getting heavy.
The GPS bypasses Interstate traffic.
We stop at Jack's in Corinth for dinner, Mapco for gas, and Walgreens
We arrive home around 8:30PM

2010 ~ Sunday, May 23, Bridge Street Centre with granddaughters

I took off two of my granddaughters, Sierra,& Madison, to Bridge Street Centre. 

I parked near the Red Robin Restaurant. 

Bridge Street is beautifully laid out and has a fountain, flower gardens, a variety of stores, a theater, restaurants, a bowling alley, and a hotel. The girls posed for several photos. 

Granddaughters posing for a picture

Granddaughters posing at the fountain 

Standing outside of the NASA store was a spacesuit from NASA. Each one of us put our faces inside the mask of the space and made pictures. 

We went inside the NASA store and looked around at the displays and we talked to the people in the NASA Store. 

NASA Suit 

The man inside the store said in August there will be a day where you can visit NASA.
There were many hands-on displays that the girls enjoyed.

Granddaughter with hands-on displays

We walked to the Apple store and we played on the new IPAD.

We stopped to use the restroom and check out the Station No 2 & The Melting Pot Restaurant.

The girls playing on the escalator 

The girls at the Station No 2 & The Melting Pot Restaurant

Standing at the gate of the Westin Hotel 

We walked into the Black and White Store.

We went to Barnes and Noble where I bought a book to take with me on the plane on my trip to California. (The Time Travelers book one of the Gideon Trilogy.) 

The girls at PF Changs

We went to the Chocolate Crocodile, we each bought a soda. 

It was over 100 + degrees so we were all thirsty. 

I gave the girls my last dollar to buy a Truffle. 

Enjoying a soft drink at the Chocolate Crocodile

Walking back to the car

We walked to the car and I drove us to Cracker Barrel in Madison, where we met hubby for dinner.

I ordered pinto beans, grilled chicken, cornbread, onion, and relish

Madison ordered shrimp, macaroni, and Cheese, with ice tea.

Sierra ordered fried Chicken fingers, macaroni, cheese, and a doctor pepper. 

Hubby ate a bacon cheeseburger and fried apples.

Later that day the girls and I swam in our pool until 8:30PM

Both girls spent the night.

🎄🎄🎄🎄2010 December 28,Tuesday, Christmas decorations at Opryland Hotel in Nashville

Trip to Opryland Hotel Nashville, Tn

Tuesday, December 28, 2010 

Hubby Sierra and I rode to Nashville, Tennessee.

We stopped at store number 134 Cracker Barrel in Franklin Tennessee for lunch. Hubby ordered a  Rib Eye Steak, a baked potato, a salad, cost @12.99 Ice tea $1.89.

Sierra ordered a kid's fried chicken tender meal with Mac and cheese, and a doctor pepper to drink it cost $4.49.

I ordered a Kids grilled chicken tender meal, with green beans, onion, chow, chow, cornbread and ice tea with lemon to drink cost was $4.49.

For dessert we all shared, and the Apple Dumpling cost was $3.79.

I bought two 22 oz Wood Wick Candles, one was Candied Berry and the other was Pumpkin Butter.

To park for one day at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel is Eighteen dollars. 

Hubbyparked as close as he could get to the walkway.

We went inside the hotel where we saw many Christmas lights and displays that was in the gardens. Some of the displays had already been removed. The trees of Christmas and the Nativity Scene were no longer there.

There was a cheerleading competition going on. There were girls there with their parents signing in at the Tennessee Ballroom.

Sierra and I rode the Delta Queen River Boats it cost nine dollars plus tax. Our Ticket numbers were 5228935, 5228936.

Hubby did not want to ride so he waited for us. 

Fruit Tree

 Christmas tree made with poinsettias

Jack Daniels

Standing on the grand staircase

Sitting in the gardens

Along the waterway were several plaques telling about the blending of the waters. On July 28, 1996, water from more than 1,700 sites around the world was blended into the Delta River, commemorating the opening of Phase IV, the Delta at Opryland Hotel Convention Center. 

There were also several plaques describing the fish that were in the Delta River. 

They were a Blue Catfish, Blue Gill, Channel Catfish, Flathead Catfish, Common Carp, and American EEL.

There was another sign that said,” Delta River Fish” You cannot get any nearer the country music than inside the walls of the nearby Ole Opry, and if you traveled all fifty US states you couldn’t step inside one that had a greater diversity of freshwater fish, over 300 species than Tennessee

We walked around I took pictures of everything. 

We saw poinsettia everywhere displayed in several different sizes, shapes, and colors. There was a musical fountain and several waterfalls. 

We saw decorations hanging from the ceiling, hot air balloons, characters, and lights. We saw a sign that read,” Jack Daniels Tapping the Barrel in February 2011.” 

There were several fruit trees in the gardens.  

We saw a Coconut Tree, a Bosnia Tree, and others. 

There were several restaurants throughout the hotel, along with many different stores and display windows.

One window display was the Tennessee Titans and the North Carolina Football teams.

Some of the stores we saw were Opry Shop, Sunny G a Children’s Boutique, Stax, Delta Island Mezzanine, Solario, Ravello, The Falls, Conservatory Bar, Cocoa Bean, and Findley’s Irish Pub.

There was a  forty foot Christmas tree, (Delta Atrium) and two Christmas trees made with poinsettias. (One in the Magnolia Lobby) 

Outside was a very large Christmas tree that was made of stringed lights with Poinsettia all around it? 

Outside were a Nativity Scene and the reading of the birth of Christ.

The Manger Scene

Reading of the Birth of Christ

Christmas Tree outside

We enjoyed several hours at the Opryland Hotel.

We went to the  Bass Pros Shop it was not as big as the one in Kodak TN. 

We stopped in Columbia Tennessee and we ate supper at Taco Bell. 

ï Magnolia – The original lobby and retail area of the hotel. Currently features “The District” and Grand Staircase, modeled after the Tara from Gone With the Wind.

ï Garden Conservatory – The first atrium constructed, considered by many to be the heart of the hotel. Several weddings take place in the Garden Conservatory’s romantic setting each year, near the Lion head Fountain and Crystal Gazebo.

ï Cascades – The second atrium constructed. Features the rotating Cascades Terrace Lounge as well as Wasabi (a Japanese sushi restaurant) and the hotel’s largest waterfalls. Connects to the main lobby, which is where the main, and only, the registration desk is located.

ï Delta – The third and largest atrium constructed. Currently the center of activity at Gaylord Opryland Home to the Delta River, several retail stores, a few eateries, and Gaylord Opryland’s finest restaurant, the Old Hickory Steakhouse. This area of the hotel also features a connection to Opry Mills Shopping Mall. The Delta Project was the main inspiration for the company’s expansion into other markets.

ï Convention Center – The largest convention area in Tennessee with three main exhibit areas and five ballrooms

🐘🐘🐘2010 February 1,Monday, Waiting and Watching the Elephants

I took Lora and her kids to Huntsville we parked next to the Train Depot. We had to bundle up because there was a cold February morning.

The streets near the train depot of Huntsville was lined with people of all ages waiting for the elephants

Waiting for the elephants

People lining the streets 

We went there to watch the Barnum Bailey Circus Elephants embark from the gray railway cars onto the streets and Parade down to the VBCC. 

The parade of elephants and their handlers were escorted by the Huntsville Police Department.

Parade of Elephants

Parade of Elephants

Box Cars that the elephants arrived in

Parade of Elephants

The Elephants wore a leather headless that encircled their head and down the front of their noses with a blue sign that read “The Greatest Show on Earth.

The elephants held each others tails as they paraded down the streets.

There were at least ten or more elephants, ranging in size.

It felt very good to be inside a warm restaurant after standing in the cold for over and hour.

We ate lunch at Cracker Barrel in south Huntsville. 

Waiting for food

Marcus and the Red Caboose

Taking time out for a picture after the parade

Breakfast All Day

Cracker Barrel Huntsville

🚗 2015 ~ August 25, Tuesday, Murfreesboro, Tennessee

We rode to St Joseph Tennessee for lottery tickets. It was getting close to lunchtime so we stopped in Lawrenceburg at Ponderosa for lunch.
At 11:23 AM, I ordered a sirloin steak medium well, baked potato, and salad with iced tea to drink.

My husband ordered a New York strip, baked potato, and salad bar with iced tea to drink.

Filled up with gas at Murphy Gas at 12:19PM in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee.

We left Lawrenceburg traveling to Murfreesboro for a day of adventure.

We arrived at Stones River National Battlefields Museum in Murfreesboro around 2PM. We were given a brochure about the Stones River National Battlefield and the Trail of Tears.

We watched a five-minute video about one of the worst battles fought during the Civil War. 

Home Sweet Home, was probably the last song many of the soldiers heard. Many men on both sides perished the next day.

Stones River National Battlefields  Cemetery

Stones River National Battlefields Museum

Stones River National Battlefields Cemetery

After the video, we walked through the museum stopping to read and take pictures. In the gift shop, we bought four postcards.

1. Battle of Stones River Murfreesboro Tennessee-More than 81,000 soldiers fought at Stones River, and 23,000 were killed, wounded, or captured. After this ferocious battle, fought from December 31, 1862, to January 2, 1863, the Union Army controlled middle Tennessee and prepared to advance to Chattanooga. The Chicago firm of Kurz and Allison published this print of the Battle of Stones River in 1891. Print Library of Congress
2. Courthouse of Murfreesboro, print by, J.Thompson
3. Stones River NB Murfreesboro, TN Hazen Brigade Monument   In the months following the Battle of Stones River members of the Ninth Indiana Infantry built a monument to make the place where their brigade held their ground against four Confederate attacks on December 31, 1862. The Hazen Brigade Monument is the oldest intact Civil War monument in the nation. Print Library of Congress
4. Stones River National Battlefield Murfreesboro, Tennessee The last Confederate attack on January 2, 1863, drove the Union soldiers across the Stones River. The pursuing Confederates ran into a storm of iron from fifty-seven cannons and fell back. Union forces then surged back across the river bringing the battle to a bloody close. Print Library of Congress

We rode over to the National Cemetery to take a few pictures. We rode through the trail but did not stop to listen at each site because we did not arrive until late. 

Our next stop was the Oaklands Historic Home Museum.
The tour had stopped at 3PM we arrived at about 3:10 but that was ok because the curator said we could walk around outside and take pictures.

The once 274-acre Oakland Plantation was now a park and museum.
I took pictures of the markers telling about the Oakland Mansion, the Manley Family, Agriculture and Gardening, Oakland Mansion Watching from the window, official Symbols of Tennessee, History Tree, Tennessee Trail of Trees, Slavery, Plantation Life, Maney spring, Wetland Ecosystem, Wetland Plants and Animals, The Civil War, NB Forrest’s Raid on Murfreesboro, the Occupied City.

In the museum, I purchased a card by artist Phil Ponder that had a picture of the mansion and on the back the history of the mansion.

Oaklands Historic Home Museum

Oaklands Historic Home Museum Card

The Oaklands Historical House Museum

The Oaklands plantation began as a 274-acre land grant which was given as a reward for military service in the American Revolutionary War. The owner Colonel Hardy Murfree died in 1809 resulting in Oaklands being inherited by his daughter Sally. She and her husband Dr James Maney and their family lived in the one-and-one-half story, two-and-one-half-room brick house with wood plank floors. After Sally died in 1857, the plantation was passed to her son Lewis and his wife Rachel. Just before the War Between the States, Oakland encompassed 1500 acres and a beautiful almost 10,000 square foot home.

On July 13, 1862, Confederate forces under the command of General Nathan Bedford Forrest prevailed against the Union Army on Oakland property. The area remained in Confederate control until the Union Army won the Battle of Stones River in January.

Due to the ravages and aftermath of the war, the Maney family was forced to sell the plantation and eventually fell into great despair. In the 1950s ten women formed the Oaklands Association and bought the property from the City of Murfreesboro with the commitment to open the home as a museum. They did … in just one year!

The artist 

Phil Ponder, a resident of Middle Tennessee, has been producing for nearly 35 years, original pen and ink watercolors and limited prints of historic homes and important buildings in the area.

Our next stop was the Cannonsburg Village a Bicentennial Community 1776-1976.

Where I took pictures and we visited the tollgate, Uncle Dave Macon's marker, a memorial to Jessee Medick, 1900s Telephone building, University House, Ash Hopper, Williamson Chapel, Loom House (one-room Log Cabin), Rio Mill marker, Word’s Largest Cedar Bucket, Doctor’s Office, County Store, The McKnight House 1860, Village Loom House, Rawlins Tractor Shed, Leeman House, Haynes Museum, L&N Caboose, F.L. Westbrooks, Murfreesboro and the occupied & Stones River Region Car Club, AACA

Mill
In 1855, W.S. Huggins and Company built a four-story brick mill building on this site. It was powered by two twenty-five horsepower engines with a capacity of 200 barrels of flour per day. In 1860, William Spence bought the mill. Both the Confederate and the United States armies used the building. After the war, it was converted to a cotton gin by Farmer's Gin Company. Later owned by C.N. Haynes, it was demolished in 1990.

Gordon's School House
 The one-room schoolhouse shows the determination of 19th-century settlers to provide their children with a basic education. After a community had a building for classes, its citizens would hire a teacher with money raised by public subscription. Students were grouped according to grades, with girls on one side and boys on the other. All grades studied spelling and the three Rs. Classes would last only to fifteen minutes each, with two or three recesses per day. Since it was not possible to find an existing period schoolhouse, this one was created from logs that came from a large corncrib located in Southern Rutherford County

Williamson Chapel
The Williams Chapel relocated from the Northern part of Rutherford County and adapted from an early schoolhouse, is representative of a small country church in the South. Its present appearance gives insight into the evolution of the building. The original simple frame structure was updated by the more ornate Victorian interior and the stained glass windows, while the steeple represents the latest effort to modernize the structure. Churches of this sort likely served as a focal point for the circuit riding minister. He probably preached here twice a month and went out among the smaller churches on the other Sundays. The extended length of service hours compensated for their infrequency. Inside, the center aisle divides the church and the churchgoers; the women and men sit on different sides. Today, this chapel is used for weddings.
 

The Leeman House
The Leeman House is a two-story log structure from Eastern Rutherford County. The circa 1820s front section was made with cedar tree trunks fitted together by skillful notching. The second-story rear was a circa 1870s addition. The house layout is typical of Tennessee log cabins with a dogtrot between the living and kitchen areas. The front upstairs was used as a girls' sleeping quarters and was not connected to the rear upstairs, where the boys slept. Among the furnishing are an ornate mantel clock, hand-made doilies, newspapers used as insulation and wallpaper, and a print of Custer's Last Stand, together with the General's mess set donated to Cannonsburg by the George Custer family. The modern kitchen facilities are used for receptions when weddings are held at the Williamson Chapel

University House 
1800s residence with dogtrot. The dogtrot, also called possum or dog run, reached its peak in the South from 1780 to 1830. Since connecting log structures is difficult, a family in need of more space would often build a second room a few feet away. Both log rooms and their connecting 'dog trot' would be covered by a continuous roof. The chimneys, either stone or brick, were placed on the exterior to avoid overheating the house from cooking during the warmer months. During the hot summer months, cooking and other family activities were done outside in the dogtrot. This house, which formerly stood on the present site of the MTSU campus, dates to the mid-1800s.

Stones River Garage

Before we left Murfreesboro we stopped at the Wat Lao Buddhist Temple. I had seen a picture of the temple online and wanted to get a picture.

Phrame Thoranee:

The earth goddess, Buddha's protector

A beautiful lady with long hair releases huge amounts of 

water to protect lord Buddha from evil invasion right

before his enlightenment, and symbolizing land fertility.

Buddha

Wat Lao Buddhist Temple

We stopped at a Buddhist Temple in Murfreesboro. Hubby sat in the car while I took pictures. I met a couple that were a member of the Temple. The man told me the temple was a community temple, his wife painted all the sculptures on the site.

I was free to walk around and take pictures. The Buddha statue had a face on all four sides. I do not know much about Buddhism. I was told that in April and May everyone dresses in elaborate dresses and put on some sort of celebration. The woman said I was welcome to come and join in the celebration. There was a monk doing lawn work. Everyone in the community joins in the maintenance of the temple and grounds. The temple was not very large but it was very impressive. Who would have thought a Buddhist Temple in Murfreesboro, Tennessee

We also stopped at a winery where we purchased two bottles of wine.

We stopped in Spring Hill, Tennessee at Cracker Barrel for dinner. 

I ordered pinto beans, turnip greens, onion, cornbread, and iced tea.

My husband ordered the seafood platter, with iced tea. YUM!

The ride home was facing the sun, as the sun went down so did my sun Visor.

I had to raise my seat up to its height, instead of lowering it so my feet would touch the floor.

We were home by 8PM.