2016 September 10, Saturday, Oka Kapassa, British Car Show &🎂🎂🎂 Birthday at Pond Springs

My first stop was the dollar store, for a Diet Coke and a package of NeKote's cookies, my favorite.
I ate the package of NeKote cookies and drank a diet Coke, not a very good breakfast, but I was hungry and did not want to stop anywhere to eat 
I arrived around 11:00AM at Joe Wheeler Lodge and State Park.
I parked near Joe Wheeler Lodge which was on a hill. 
The parking below looked to be full so I had to walk down the hill to view the cars. 

The cars that were in the British car show were parked in the shade near the bank of the Tennessee River.
The first row of cars was facing the Tennessee River so I walked along the sidewalk taking pictures. When the front row ended I walked back through the grass to view the second row of British cars. 

I saw in the Tennessee River, tied up at the pier sailboats, cabin cruisers, & motorboats.
I think I got a picture of most of the cars on display.
When I finished taking pictures I walked back up the hill and drove to Wheeler Plantation.

Jaguar

1960 morgan

1951 Riley 

I saw Jaguars, Class A; MGB, New Mini Class O, 2007 Jaguar Vanden Plas, Empire, Morgan Plus 4 DHZ, Riley AMD, DHC, Vanden P125 Princess 1300, Empire Sedan, 1961Austin Healy Buqaye, & 1959 Austin Healy, 1977 Trump TR6, 1972 Trump TR6, 9171 Trump TR6, 1973 Trump, 1969 Trump, 1979 Trump Spitfire, 1975 Trump Spitfire, 1975 MGB Roadster, 1980 MGB, 1976 MGB, 1980 MB, MG Roadster 1975, 1959 MGA Twin Cam, 1959 Austin Healy. 

Tennessee River full of Sailboats

I took 101 across Wheeler Dam, turning left onto hwy 270, then left on Alt 72 east/20, traveling to Wheeler Plantation at Pond Springs. 
I arrived around 12:00pm, at the entrance of the Wheeler Home was a Fire/Rescue Truck with its ladder extended with the words the City of Courtland.
I saw several motorcycle riders, men dressed as Confederate Soldiers, with 1st Battalion Mechanized Cavalry written on the back of their shirts. There were two black, one white, and two brown horses standing near the white fence near the house. 

City of Courtland Fire-truck

Horse and riders 

Motorcycle and riders

Joe Wheeler Home at Pond Springs

The Well-house 

The slave quarters 

Vendor selling food 

I talked to a woman whose father worked as a caretaker of the plantation many years back.
She told me a story about when she was in school and had to write a paper about the plantation.
Her teacher gave her a D because she said no one could go inside the plantation and look at the papers she did not know that her father knew the owner and had let her do her homework by reading the papers, the owner called the school and she got an A.
I walked to the cemetery and looked inside the well and a couple of the outside buildings.

My Next stop was going to be Spring Park in Tuscumbia. I traveled west on Highway 20 to 72 West, turning right onto South Woodmont Drive. 
I parked near Cold Water Book Store, and I walked down the hill to Spring Park.
I walked around taking pictures of the creek, ducks, swans, geese, vendors, and the people that were in the park.

Swan, Ducks @Spring Park 

I watched the Indian dances and listened to the storytellers and music.
Amy Bluemel a Native American Story Teller told a story to the children that she had gathered around her. 

Native Tribal Dancing Oka Kapassa 

She told a story about a baby rattlesnake.
He begged for rattles, well he finally received rattles and he frightened everyone he met until one day he tried to frighten a little girl. 
She was frighted but she also stomped on the little snake rattles destroying them.
He went home crying and should have listened to his father. 
Amy was still telling stories when I left. 

Amy Bluemel a Native American Story Teller

I was hot, tired, and very thirsty.
I walked through the park, past the waterfall wanting to put my feet into the water but I did not stop. I kept walking along the sidewalk up the hill to where I had parked.
I rode to Chick-fil-A in Muscle Shoals where I ordered a kids ' strip meal, which included two chicken strips, a fruit cup, tea, and ice cream. 
At Chick-fil-A, I tried to upload my pictures to FB and Flickr but the internet was too slow.

Ice Cream with Fruit

Chicken fingers

2005 ~ Friday, September 23, School trip to Tupelo Buffalo Park and Zoo Tupelo, MS

2005~ September 23 Tupelo MS

Friday, September 23, 2005 

I went on a class field trip with my granddaughter from Mars Hill Bible School to The Tupelo Buffalo Park and Zoo in Tupelo, MS.

All the school children had to ride the school bus. 

My daughter and I rode with some of the other parents that drove.

All the school children wore red shirts with the words Panthers Mars Hill Bible School Florence, Alabama printed on the front of them.

We first walked through the petting zoo were we saw rabbits, turkeys, pigmy goats, potbelly pigs, Lucy the miniature cow, goats, miniature ponies, deer, cows, buffalo, (the kids fed some of these animals).

We also saw the colorful, large, long tail Macaw, and we saw the Leadbetter’s Cockatoo or Pink Cockatoo from Australia. 

Some of the animals that cannot be touched are the bandit the black bear, Kiki the African Lion, Ozzie the BAL Python, Oliver the Monkey, and Gypsy the cougar. 

We also saw Joe the camel, big john the buffalo, tallboy and patches the giraffe, Zeke, and Zelda the Zebras. 

We saw the North American Black Bear and a sign in front of his cage that read.

Heigh:t on all fours 3-4ft - standing 4-7 ft. 

Length: 4-6ft

Lifespan: Up to 25 years

Weight: Male 425 lb..-Female, 200 lb.

Mating: late June and early July

Gestation: about 7 months

Diet: fruits, nuts, veggies, bread, meat

Colors: Pure black, Cinnamon, blond.

The Black bear’s name is deceptive: It is a species name only and does not refer to color. Black bears have a highly developed sense of smell. Exceptional hearing average eyesight. Their mood is indicated by the position of their head: Walking with their head below their shoulders is a sign of aggression.

Another sign about Coatimundi:

Weight:17-12 lb.

Length: Head & body 16-26 inches — tail 12-27 inches

Range: Arizona to Argentina

The Coatimundi has short forelegs and long hinges, it walks with a bear-like gait and uses its nose to investigate crevices.

The teachers lead the children to the bleachers where they were seated to watch the Chickasaw Indians perform.

The Chickasaw Indians were dressed in vivid colors, painted faces, and with head-dress of many colorful feathers.

There were three Chickasaw Indians dancing and playing drums and were wearing exquisite Pheasant feathers headdress.

After their performance, the school children were invited to join in the dancing. 

Some of the school children and parents got their pictures made with the colorful dressed Chickasaw Indians.

There were many vendor tents set up where the children could buy souvenirs. My granddaughter bought a flute, a rabbit's foot and he cousin bought a slushy. 

We walked up to the electric fence where we saw the bison and the great white buffalo, “TUKATO,”. There were also giraffes wander in the woods behind the electric fence.

The school children ate lunch after they used the restrooms and washing our hands in the large outdoor sink.

When the school children finished eating lunch they played on the playground.

After the kids ate lunch and saw all the animals they were headed back to the school buses and the parents loaded into personal vehicles. 

We headed home. 

Tupelo Buffalo Park and Zoo 2272 North Coley Road Tupelo, MS 38803 662-844-870, or info@tupelobuffalopark.com

Rates are Adults $10.00 

Children under twelve was $8.00

Tupelo Buffalo Park and Zoo

Family rate two parents and up to four children $29.95

Freedom Trail 👣👣👣👣 👣👣👣👣 👣👣👣👣 👣👣👣👣 👣👣👣👣

Today we are going to Boston, Massachusetts to walk the freedom trail, on the way we stop at Dunkin Donuts at 7:30 AM so my daughter could purchase a tea and a pumpkin spice bagel that she had cut in half.

I ate a banana and a slice of angel food cake for breakfast.

It took my daughter about two hours to drive to Boston, MA.

We parked at 50 New Sudbury Street Boston MA 02114 (617)-227-0385 at 10:10 AM.

We had a good view of downtown Boston from the parking garage.

I took several pictures before we left the parking garage.

We were not sure where we were going so we made several wrong turns. 

My daughter had to use the restroom and we were not sure where to go. 

We asked several different people where the restrooms were and finally, someone said to go to City Hall.

Faneuil Hall Visitor Center and Retail Shop is where we purchased tickets for the Tours of the Freedom Trail. (Here is where the trail began once cattle grazed here).

The tours of Freedom Trail is where a ranger takes a group of up to 30 people on a 60-minute walking tour where they tell you about people, places, and events that happened in Boston that helped shape the American Revolution.

We walked past the Old State House built in 1713, implanted in the concrete is a marker of the Boston Massacre, we were told the Water Street story, we walked past the Old Corner Book Store, Old South Meeting House, and our last stop was Park Street Church where the hymn “American” was first sung. 

This is where the tour ended.

My daughter and I began our tour walking along the red brick-walking trail.

Right across the street was Boston Irish Memorials and from there, we followed the red bricks to Old City Hall. 

At the site of the first public school, we saw a statue of Benjamin Franklin, the democrat donkey, and the Republican Elephant standing in opposition footprints, a statue of Josiah Quincy 1772-1864 (who served in the senate, congress, judge, mayor, president Harvard University).

We followed the red brick to Kings Chapel Church and the cemetery where John Winthrop, the colony’s first governor is buried. 

This cemetery inspired the book The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne.

We visit the Granary Burying Ground was Paul Revere and his family are buried. 

Mother Goose, John Hancock, James Otis, Samuel Adams, Robert Paine, and the victims of the Boston Massacre are also buried here.

We walked past the Capitol building through the park to 84 Beacon Street to Cheer’s Club “Where Everyone Knows Your Name.”

We split Rebecca’s Fish and Chips, which was a plate of Crispy, and flakey Cod lightly battered and deep-fried served with fries and slaw.

Dipping tartar sauce for the fish and Ice tea with lemon to drink total cost  $16.45 plus tip.

After we finished lunch, we walked upstairs and took pictures of side famous actors, actors from the Cheers TV show.

We took a few pictures outside the restaurant and then we walked back to the park.

We stopped at the Visitor Center on Tremont St to use the restroom and look around.

At the visitor center, I took my daughter's picture with one of the volunteers.

We also stop to take a picture of a living statue.

We walked past Central Burial ground and at the Government Center where there was a Lebanon Day Festival going on.

They were dancing, playing music, had exhibits, folkloric, and they were just having a good time.

We walked back to Faneuil Hall where we first began to use the restrooms.

We walked upstairs to Faneuil Hall a 1742 public debate in Boston and Meeting Hall. 

We saw John Adams, John Quincy Adams, and Daniel Webster's statues in this hall alongside pictures of George Washington and James Faneuil.

We walked back downstairs and over to Market Square where we split a chocolate fudge candy. 

We exited out the side door, were turned around, and we were going in the wrong direction. 

We were headed to visit the Paul Revere Home.

We met a US Coast Guard who was on his way to catch the bus home and he asked if we were lost and if he could help.

My daughter said we were going to Paul Revere's home and we needed directions.

He walked with us to get us going in the right direction, said goodbye, and then went to catch his ride home.

We walked along Cross St to Hanover St passing Ristorante Villa Francesca 150 Richmond St Boston, MA (617) 367-2948 and Limoncello’s Lebanese Ristorante 190 N Street Boston, MA (617)-523-4480.

We arrived at Paul Revere's house at 19 N Street Boston; Ma's cost to enter was $3.00 each.

On the night of April 18, 1775, a silversmith, Paul Revere left his small wooden home in Boston’s north end and set out on a journey that would make him into a legend.

We walked through a park where stood a statue of Paul Revere riding a horse. 

Inside the park were plaques on both walls.

We stopped at the printing office of Edes and Gills where he was showing the process of printing a legal document.

On to the Old North Church “the midnight of Paul Revere” on April 18, 1775, where Robert Newman hung two lanterns in the steeple to warn Charlestown of the advance of the British.

Next, we stopped at Copp’s Burying Ground where British soldiers placed cannons to bombard Breed’s Hill.

We are headed to Charlestown but first, we must cross the Charles River Bridge. 

We strolled through Charlestown City Square Park where we saw a fountain, marker (Charlestown established 1828), fish, (markers) Great house and three cranes Tavern City Square continuity Change, and four large markers listing the American Soldiers killed on June 17, 1775.

We walked past the Vietnam Memorial, firehouse ladder number 24, St Mary’s Roman Catholic Church, and the Deacon Larking House.

We are on our way to Bunker Hill where the famous quote: “Don’t fire until you see the whites of their eyes.”

There were 294 steps to the top of the monument; by the time we arrived, the monument was closed.

Thank God! 

By this time, we had walked from Beacon Street in Boston, to across the bridge to Charlestown.

Our last stop was the USS Constitution at Charlestown Naval Yard

To go inside the gate and board the ship required a photo ID.

I took pictures of markers, “A State of Perfect Chaos”, Charlestown Navy Yard, Dry Dock #1 How it Works, Dry Dock 1, Serving the Fleet, “Old Ironsides “in Dry Dock 1”, The Changing Yard, Boston, the Navy Yard, and the War of 1812, the Yard as Home, Working in the Yard, Life, and Work in the Navy Yard in 1812, of anchors, dry dock ships, Old Ironsides and many more.

It was now getting late and my daughter and I were both very tired from all the walking. 

We tried to board the trolley but they were done for the day, no more trips.

We met a couple and started talking to them, they said they were going to take the ferry back across the Charles River to Boston, so we followed them. 

We also met a man from Chicago and we told him about the ferry, so all of us rode the ferry back to Boston.

Ferry ride cost three dollars each.

The man from Chicago took my and my daughter's picture while we were riding the boat back to Boston.

I also took some great shots of Boston as the sun was setting.

As we arrived in Boston Harbor, we saw a Godzilla Boat and Legal Sea Foods.

We started our walk back to the visitor center stopping at Dunkin Donuts to use the restroom. 

We were going to get a sandwich but they had stopped making them for the day.

We saw a small red brick building (Crosio) nestled among giants (skyscrapers).

We pass the Old State House and we are on our way to the parking deck.

You pay before you go back to your car costs thirty-five dollars; we got our ticket and headed to the car.

We took the elevator this time and not the six flights of stairs.

It had been a long day and still, my daughter had to drive us back home.