Showing posts with label mystery. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mystery. Show all posts

Friday, May 22, 2026

2026 May 21, Day Trip to McMinnville, Rock Island and Monteagle, TN (with Backroads Tours LLC)

 Day Trip to Falcon Rest, McMinnville, Rock Island State Park, and Mountain Goat Restaurant, Monteagle, TN 

6841-6842 Stop at Loves Hillsboro, TN @9AM

6844-6859 Travel Viola, McMinnville, Rock Island 9:41 A.M.

6860-6923 Rock Island State Park Rock Island, TN @ 10:15–11:40 A.M.

6924-6937 Falcon Rest Mansion Museum & Murder Mystery McMinnville, TN @12:03-2:06 PM

6938-6945 Travel Viola, McMinnville @3:01-3:20 P.M.

6946-6960 Stop at Mountain Goat Restaurant, Monteagel, TN 4:01–4:30 P.M.


We were up at 3:30 A.M. and left the house at 4:30 A.M.

We stopped at Jack’s in Athens for single gravy and biscuits and a Diet Coke. 

My biscuit wasn’t done, so I returned, and they gave me one that was cooked.

But it still gives me gas, and I burped all the way to Tennessee.



Our first stop was the welcome center at Rock Island State Park. The park ranger told us about the park and offered to give us a guided tour. So we loaded back onto the bus and followed the park ranger. 

We stopped at the Beach Area, and everyone got out and walked around. 

Our next stop was the short waterfall and the old abandoned cotton mill. 

The ranger turned on his flashing lights and removed the roped-off area so we could park on the grass. 

Everyone got out to take pictures of the waterfalls and the surrounding area. We thanked the park ranger and began our journey to Falcon Rest, about an hour away, for lunch and a murder mystery show.

We arrived at the visitor center and were greeted by our guide and owner.

We were all led into the mansion and listened to the guide, then each was given a role in the murder mystery while we enjoyed our lunch.

Hubby played George Beech (the town drunk), and I played his wife, Marie Beech.


For lunch, we were served Strawberry Pretzel salad, Baked Chicken, Potatoes, green beans, a roll, and Chocolate cake topped with a cherry and a dab of whipped cream.

After lunch and a show, we were given a guided tour of the mansion. No photos were allowed inside the mansion.

We took a group photo on the mansion’s front porch.

We shopped at the gift shop, thanked our guide, and headed to our next stop.


History of Rock Island 

Rock Island State Park is a state park in Warren and White Counties, Tennessee, in the Southeastern United States. The park is named after the community of Rock Island, Tennessee, which in turn was named for an island on the Caney Fork, upstream from the Collins River confluence and the Great Falls Dam. Rock Island State Park is centered on a peninsula created by the confluence of these two rivers and extends downstream to the headwaters of Center Hill Lake.


We stopped at Mountain Goat Restaurant and gift shop, located in Monteagle, TN., where Hubby and I enjoyed a slice of Chocolate Cheesecake topped with pecans and drizzled with chocolate and caramel, a Diet Coke, and a coconut chocolate bar. 

Took a few photos, then loaded onto the bus and headed to Scottsboro.

We arrived a little before 6 P.M., with a two-hour ride home. 

No stopping until we reached home a little after 8 P.M.


Another wonderful day trip with Backroads Tours LLC

Bus number 3004 on Eagle Christian Tours, Rome, GA, with Barbara Dudley as our driver. 

Angie, our guide. 

Saturday, May 10, 2025

2025 May 9, Mystery Day Trip with Backroads Tours , LLC

Travel to Scottsboro: Board the bus by 8:00 A.M. The tour and Admission to the animal park are included at $125 per person. The pickup location is Patches in Scottsboro. The guide was Angie.

Tours & Admissions, including lunch, are self-pay 

We will cover the cost of our lunch, and a decadent dessert is also included. 

If you love fantastic food, nature, and exotic animals, this trip is for you. 

We were up by 4:30 A.M., got ready, and were on the road by 5

We stopped at Jack's in Athens for breakfast. 

I ordered gravy and biscuits with a Diet Coke

We stopped at McDonald's in Scottsboro for a restroom break

We arrived at our bus location, loaded onto the bus, and began our mystery trip

Our first stop was the Farmers Market in Section, where we bought cucumbers, tomatoes, radishes, onions, and cauliflower.

Bama Bucks 

Our next stop was Bama Bucks Restaurant and Exotic Animals.

Our host gave us the history of how Bama Bucks got started,

Our servers took our drink and food order. My husband and I split a cheeseburger and onion rings, and he ordered a salad.


Baby Alligator 

Small animals, including baby alligators, ring-tailed lemurs, and kangaroos, were brought out and shown to us as we ate.

Outside, behind fences, we saw black bears, bison, ostriches, Zebras, kangaroos, emus, lemurs, elk, and camels

These family-owned restaurants offer a diverse menu featuring dishes such as steak, chicken, wild game, seafood, soups, sandwiches, and salads. 

There is a fun children's menu


Our next stop was at the Anniston History Museum

We began with a reptile show of a small alligator, a large Turtle, and a small screech owl. Several of us walked outside to see the rescued birds of prey

We walked through the museum, and there was so much to see,

I bought my grandson a dinosaur necklace and a bracelet for his birthday. 

We loaded onto the bus and began our journey to Scottsboro

We played bingo for prizes on our ride back

We arrived in Scottsboro, said our goodbyes, and began our journeys home

We stopped at Taco Bell in Rogersville for dinner

I ordered two Soft tacos and a Diet Coke.

I saved one of my tacos for breakfast. 

We arrive home between 8:30 and 9 P.M.

8816-8818 8:38 A.M. Section Farmers Market

8819-20 9:56 A.M. Sardis 

8821-8852 10:15–11:18 A.M. Bama Bucks Restaurant Sardis, AL

8853-8889 1133-11:45 A.M. Exotic Farm 

8890-8924 BaMA Bucks Grounds & Group Photo 

8925-8927 1:18-1:21 Anniston History Museum

8928-8946 1:45–2:08 P.M. Animal Show 

8947-8948 2:24 P.M. Outside Raptors 

8949-68 2:35–3:58 P.M. History Museum 

8969 4:03 P.M. Banana Bread

8970-8974 5:45 P.M. Traveling the Tennessee River, Scottsboro 

Eagle Christian Tours Bus Rome, GA #1032
Our Group Photo (Courtesy of Backroads)

Coach: Eagle #1032, Provest, Rome, Ga 
Guide: Angie 




2026 May 21, Day Trip to McMinnville, Rock Island and Monteagle, TN (with Backroads Tours LLC)

 Day Trip to Falcon Rest , McMinnville , Rock Island State Park , and Mountain Goat Restaurant , Monteagle, TN   6841-6842 Stop at Loves Hi...