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 green light.
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.

2017 April 18, Tuesday, Day Trip to Cullman, Alabama (Ava's First Trip with us)🍓🍓🍓

We rode past the Paper Mill in Town Creek (that is being torn down) to Highway 31 to Decatur.
Ava ate half a banana, and crackers and drank some milk before we stopped for lunch.
We stopped at Logan's Roadhouse in Decatur for lunch.
Hubby ordered a hamburger and fries. 
Ava and I shared ALASKAN cod, fried to perfection in a Samuel Adams Boston Lager batter. 
Served with crispy house-made potato chips.

Ava eating lunch

Fried Cod and chips 

Fried Cod and chips

Ava watched Kong Fu Panda, Little Mermaid, and Dory on the TV screen in our van.

Our first stop was the Decatur Train Depot 309 1st Street Cullman there we saw several train benches, a miniature train, a light, and a couple of cases of artifacts.

Train Depot 

We walked across the parking lot to Depot Park where Ava enjoyed stretching her legs after the long ride.

Ava enjoying the fountain at Depot Park 

We saw a farmer's market across the street so we took Ava by the hand and entered the crosswalk that leads to the farmer's market.
At the farmer's market, they were selling fresh homegrown strawberries.

Cullman's Farmers Market

Fresh Strawberries

We bought a gallon and before we knew it Ava was filling up on strawberries.
I had a baby wipe ready as the red juice flowed down her sweet face.
As soon as she finished one berry she was saying more.
I sat next to her in the back seat so I could feed her and clean her up.
Our next stop was the dollar store where hubby bought him a diet Mt. Dew and Ava a bottle of Apple Juice.

Clarkson Covered Bridge

Finally, we arrived at the Clarkson Covered Bridge.
We were all ready to get out of the van. 

I said that we should all walk across the bridge but Ava said scared so she and hubby walked to the cabin that had a swing, while I walked across the bridge.

Some kind of animal jumped out at me when I started back across the bridge.

I walked back to the cabin where Ava and hubby were looking at a green lizard.

Green Lizard

Me and Ava on the Clarkson Covered Bridge 

Cabin and Mill

We walked to the creek across a smaller bridge and took a few pictures.
It was awful muggy and by the time we arrived at the van, we were all sweating.
We were relieved to feel the cool air from the air conditioner.

Clarkson Covered Bridge
Sometimes called Legg Bridge
this 270-footbridge was constructed in 1904, destroyed by a flood in 1921, and rebuilt the following year. The only remaining covered bridge is Cullman County. It was restored by the Cullman County Commission in 1975 as an American Revolution Bicentennial Project. Named to National Register of Historic Places on 6~25~74.
Alabama Historical Association 1975

Side view of Clarkson Covered Bridge 

A smaller bridge that crossed the creek 

Ava with only a few strains of strawberries on her dress 

Snowball bush at the cabin

There were signs all throughout the park 

1. What is Water Pollution? #1

2. Where does your drinking water come from? #5

3. What Happens to my wastewater? #6

4. Monitoring Watershed Health #8

5. What's the Big Deal about Litter?! #9

6. Birds of Alabama #12

7. Alabama's Aquatic Biodiversity #13

8. Alabama's Physical Diversity#14

9. Land Use and Water Quality #15

We rode past the Civil War Museum we did not stop because we were all too hot and tired.

We came back on Highway 157 through Moulton.
We stopped at a local nursery for some tomatoes and peppers.
We dropped Ava off at her house and came home.
Too tired to get off the couch.
After resting for a couple hours we took the time to plant our vegetables in our garden box.

🚗 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.