Monday, June 15, 2015

🚙2008 ~Friday May 9-16, Trip to Whigham with Ron

Day 1: May 9, Friday 2008
I rode to Whigham, Georgia with Ron, to spend some time with my youngest son and his family.
Ron was going to Panama City to play in a band at a wedding.
Ron arrived at 11:00 A.M., we went to the ATM for cash.
We stopped at Foodland to get some chicken fingers for lunch.
Ron also bought some toiletries. 

We travel east on Highway 72, turn south onto I-65 to Montgomery, we took I-85 north toward Atlanta, Georgia. We turn south onto highway 231 souths to Dothan, Alabama.
We stopped at McDonald's in Dothan for a sandwich. 
Andy was going to meet us around 5PM at the Dothan Mall. 

Andy loaded my luggage into his van and we rode to Whigham, which took about an hour. Ron drove to Panama City. 

After we arrive in Whigham, I took a quick shower, unpacked and went to play with the grandkids. 

Day 2: May 10, Saturday 2008 
We ate a late breakfast around 10 A.M. 
Then we rode to Bainbridge Park, they were having a festival called River Town Days. River town Days is the largest yard sale in southwest Georgia, which is along the Flint River. 
At the park, people were dressed like early Americans. People at the festival were making soap, basket weaving, and using a spinning wheel to spin wool into yarn.   
Andy, & Charity, took the boys to the West Alligator Exhibition. 
Sierra and I browsed through the yard sale items.
It was very hot outside so, I bought Sierra and myself a large fresh homemade glass of lemon-aide. 
Andy bought the four kids an all-day armband, cost $5.00 each 


The kid's activities included all the inflatables, rock climbing, pool slide, the castle bounce house, and the train ride.
The boys inside the tent
The boys riding the train
The grandkids in front of the tent
Home Depot had a display tent, they were showing kids how to built birdhouses and sailboats. 
Montana and Nevada built a sailboat. Sierra built a birdhouse. Sierra asks for an extra sailboat to take home to her brother Dakota. Dakota did not come with us,  he went to a friends house to fish. 

The kids were begging for a slushy. Andy told the kids that we were going to Wal-mart to buy a slushy machine, and he said, you kids can make your own slushes
The kids made slushy’s all afternoon.
It was very hot and muggy and the gnats would not go away.

After a hot afternoon at the park, I decided to retire to Sierra's bedroom to read.  
I read number 17 of the Trixie Beldon series. (The Mystery of the uninvited guest)
Andy grilled hamburgers and hotdogs and invited his friends over for supper. 
Their friends attended the church where he preached and they were discussing some of the problems they were having at the church. 
When the company left Andy and Charity rode to Tallahassee to Sam's Club to purchase a new mattress for their bed. 

The grandkids and I watched the movie Ella Enchanted. 

Day 3: May 11, Sunday 2008 
Everyone ate biscuits with honey for breakfast.
After breakfast and everyone was dressed we went to church.

That morning the preacher,(my son) preached about growing up. He said my parents divorced when I was a teenager.
He said, I was told by a church member, that my dad made a great big mistake when we left my mom. The church member said I knew both your parents. Your mother was a very good woman, she did everything for your dad and she was a faithful Christian woman. 
Today, was mothers day and I had gone to listen to my son preach, I was very proud of him. 

Later that morning Ron called said he was on his way to Whigham but needed directions. 

We waited for Ron to arrive before we ate lunch.

For supper, we ate snacks.
We all sat around enjoying a relaxing word game on the game channel. 

Day 4 May 12, Monday 2008 
Everyone ate biscuits, ham, and honey for breakfast. 
Ronald, Sierra and I played monopoly on the game channel.
Later that afternoon everyone played two games of bowling at the Bowling Alley.
The bowling alley was located across the street from the Riverbend Ford Dealership. 

That afternoon Ron was wearing a green shirt with Adidas on the front, Dakota was wearing a black shirt with Don’t hate the player, Andy was wearing an orange shirt that said, Vegetables are not food, vegetables are what food eats.
Montana was wearing a red shirt that said, Awesome God and the story about Daniel. 
Sierra was wearing a tie-dyed t-shirt that read Florida, Pensacola Beach.

For supper, we ordered six pizzas and some hot wings.
After supper, Charity and I walked to the end of the road.
Again, I walked to the end of the road with Montana, Sierra, & Nevada.

I finish reading book number 17 of the Trixie Beldon series and started book number 18. ( The Mystery of the Phantom Grasshopper)
We watched the Memoriam Emporium on TV.  After the movie, Charity and I played the word game on the game channel 

Day 5 May 13, Tuesday 2008 
Tuesday, Charity went to work with Andy. Ron and I stayed home with the kids
Nevada rode his bicycle, and I walk to the end of the road. 
That day, I washed several loads of clothes, sweep and mopped the floors, and cleaned the bathrooms. 
I took the cushions off the couch and used the vacuum to clean inside, Montana said, 
“ We never clean out the couch.” 
For lunch, we ate leftover hamburgers and hotdogs.

Ron and Dakota went to Wal-mart. I gave Ron twenty dollars. I said,  get two boxes of chocolate pudding, two-gallon of ice cream, some strawberries, a case of doctor pibs, cheese and chips.
Later that day, I made two chocolate pies and some cheese dip. 
The kids make milkshakes with ice cream. 

I cut up some oranges, apples with a cameral for dipping.

For supper, I cooked a ham.
Andy brought a box of donuts home for the kids.

Everyone joined in playing word games on the game channel.
     
Day 6: May 14, Wednesday 2008
We rode to  Lake Seminole State Park.
Sierra, Nevada, and Montana enjoyed a swim in Lake Seminole. 
Ron and Dakota tried to fish but the kids were splashing and making a racket. 

We stopped at Wal-mart on our way to Lake Seminole to buy items the kids could use in the lake. We bought green and orange tubes and yellow skiboard. 



Ron & Dakota Fishing and the grandkids swimming in Lake Seminole
Lake Seminole has a sandy beach, the water is shallow enough for the kids to swim but not over their heads. 
The fish was not bitting, I guess they were frightened away by all the splashing. 
After everyone was out of the lake and changed into dry cloth, we rode around the Lake seeing the sights.
We played word games on the game channel later that evening.  


Day 7: May 15, Thursday 2008 
We spent the whole day having fun at Wild Adventures Theme Park in Valdosta, Georgia.
We took two cars, Sierra, Nevada and I rode with Ron.
Dakota, Montana, and Andy rode with Charity.
The charity was darting in and out of traffic, and we had a hard time keeping up with her. 
She did a quick merge into the right lane, she was going to turn, but the traffic was too heavy and we could not get over.
So we lost them,  Ron nor I had brought our cell phones.
What was worse was neither Ron nor I knew their cell numbers.
We stopped at a payphone booth, I called hubby and I had him call Andy.
He told Andy where we were.  
Finally, they arrived, Dakota gave Ron his cell phone, just in case we got lost again.

The entrance to the park was half price for homeschool and their families. 
Passing out tickets
Wild Adventures Theme Park has located 3766 Old Clyattville Rd Valdosta, GA 31601 (229) 219-7080.
The kids stopped long enough for me to take their pictures. 
I took a picture of Sierra and Nevada with their heads inside a monkey's body. Nevada on the right and Sierra on the left, with a picture of monkeys in the middle.

The two end monkeys were putting their fingers inside the ears of the middle monkeys.
Making Monkey Faces
Dakota, wanted to ride the big rides so, Charity, Andy, and Ron went with him and I took the smaller kids with me.
Trying to decide where to go!
I bought a large turkey leg and I shared it with the boys.

The kids and I waited in line for twenty minutes to ride the Safari Train ride. On the ride, we saw Zebras, elephants, giraffes, elk, antelope, addax, alligators, bobcats, pythons, Oryx and waterbucks. 
We saw the West African crowned crane, sheep, goats, macaw, donkeys, and water buffalos. 

We rode the swings, the bug out coaster ride, which had a 180-degree turn at 50 feet in, was in the Bugsville area. 
There was no one in line at the Frog Hopper, Nevada and Montana rode the Frog Hopper about ten times. 

After the first ride, the lady that controlled the Frog Hopper asks the kids if they wanted to ride again and they all said yes.
Riding the Frog Hopper 
Finally, I said let us go ride something else, we rode the bumper cars. 
Sierra rode a silver car, Nevada rode a black and Montana rode with me in a purple car, we had fun bumping into one another.
Riding the bumper cars
We rode the Gold Rush Roller Coaster four times. 
We rode the Merry-o-round, the Shoo Fly Carousel, and the crazy bus. 
The crazy bus went up, down, round and round it was so much fun that we rode it three times. 
We rode the crop duster airplanes two times, the frontier flume log ride two times.
We walked through the mystery maze, where we got lost and had to ask how to get out.
We rode the safari jeeps two times, the tilt-a-wheel two times, Venus Flytrap and we watched one show the creature show with snakes and alligators.
Watching the snake show
When we were on the Century Wheel Fairies Wheel, we saw below us walking  Andy, Ron, Charity, and Dakota. 

After we left the theme park we stopped at Sonny’s BBQ 14293 US HWY 19 south Thomasville, Georgia, for supper. 
We ordered their signature BBQ smoked pork plates with homemade coleslaw, BBQ beans, and french toast, with ice tea to drink.
We were home by 9:00 P.M.

Day 8: May 16, Friday 2008
I was up at 6:30 A.M., I took a shower, and I packed my bag. 
Ron loaded our luggage into his car, it started to rain we both jumped into his car and left.
I picked up my cell telephone called Andy told him that we were on our way home and I said tell the grandkids good-by, they were still in bed.
We bought gas at Wal-mart in Dothan, I walked inside Walmart bought a box of Kashia cookies, a can Mountain Dew and a can Doctor Pepper for Ron.

We stopped at Chick-fil-A in Athens for lunch.
We had a good trip visiting with family and Ron playing in a band in Panama.
Later that day after we arrived home I went to Deibert Park to walk 2 1/2 miles.

Hubby and I ate supper at Red Lobster.
While we were out we stopped at Walgreen’s, Wal-mart, Target, and Sam’s.

It had been a long day and I was ready to go home.

Friday, June 12, 2015

2012~ January 16-18, Tunica, Corinth, MS & Helena, Arkansas

Day 1:  Monday, January 16, 2011
For breakfasts, I cooked ham and eggs. 
We went to St. Joe to buy our weekly lottery tickets. 
We are on our way to Tunica MS., for three days of fun.
Our first stop was in Corinth MS., at McDonald’s to use the restroom, our next stop was at the Welcome Center on S. Tate Rd MS.
We went inside meet three nice women working there, they said I could take pictures inside the Welcome Center, which was full of Civil War Memorabilia.
They gave us some information about Mississippi, we thanked them and were on our way once again.
We stopped at Murphy Gas 5970 Goodman RD.,  Olive, MS, where we spent $49.00, a pump 9, for unplus gas at $3.319 per Gallon for 14.762 gallons. 
We rode thru Olive Branch, Lake Horn, and South Hampton, stopping in Tunica, MS.
We stopped at the Welcome Center “Gate Way to the Blues” in Tunica MS., it was over 100 years old, it was a train depot that they had moved to Tunica along with some of the old train tracks.
Train Tracks
Welcome Center “Gate Way to the Blues” 
This will be the Starting point of  Blues Park, which is to open this spring, with lots of blues entertainers performing there.
I took pictures of several of the different types of guitars hanging from the walls of the Welcome Center some were signed by Blues entertainers. 
Guitar list is below:
Jimmy Rogers had a Gibson E-S-345 (1966)
Albert Collins had a Fender Telecaster (1983) 
Stella was a 12 string (the 1960s)
Key-Value Leader was (the 1960s)
Kay Archtop was (the 1960s)
Hand Painted guitar case was (the 1960s)
Harmony Archtop (the 1960s) signed by John Lee Hooker
Harmony Archtop (the 1960s) signed by John Lee Hooker
National Trojan Resonator (1932) signed by Bonnie Reitt
Key flattop was (the 1950s)
Harmony H-54 Rocket (1968) signed by Muddy Waters
Kay Kraft Model N was (the 1930s)
Kent flattop was (the 1950s)
Orpheum Archtop was (the 1930s)
Fender Stratocaster (1984) signed by Ike Turner
Gibson Trine Lopez was (1965)
Gibson Trine Lopez was (1965)
We picked up some brochures on the Blues Trail at Tunica Welcome Center thanked the nice women. Outside I took pictures of the Welcome Center and the Blues Marker “Highway 61.”

Our next stop was at Fitz's Casino Restaurant in Tunica, where I purchased two prim ribs buffet dinners at a cost of seven dollars each.
 Fitz's Casino Restaurant & Casino  
We each had to sign up for a Key Rewards card before we could purchase a meal, our numbers were 001624571 and 001624573.
We both ordered prim ribs but I didn’t care for the bloody meat.
I piled on my plate shrimp, onion rings, stir-fried green beans, a sweet roll, a cream cheese roll located at the Chinese area of the buffet, for dessert I ate a slice of carrot cake, we both ate way too much food.

After dinner we rode to Tunica Roadhouse Hotel to check into room 117,  we unloaded luggage, rested, watched some TV, and we went next door to play the slot machines.
Tunica Roadhouse Hotel
We tried the twenty-cent machine with no luck, we played the one-cent machines, won fifteen dollars on the fire truck one-cent slot machine, we cashed out and went next door to Gold Strike.

We had to get a membership, I was a new member so I was given fifteen dollars to play with?
I walked to the one-cent machine, won thirteen dollars on the Magic Slot Machine.
We walked to our room, hubby took a shower because he said his clothes smelled like smoke.

Day 2: Tuesday, January 17, 2011
We both took a shower, dressed, loaded into the van and started looking for somewhere to eat breakfast.
We stopped at McDonalds 1375Hwy 61 Tunica, MS a big breakfast cost $6.59. 

We rode south down highway 61in the wind and rain to Helena Arkansas. We drove right out of the rain into the sunshine, it was a beautiful day got up to 68 degrees.

We stopped at the Mississippi Welcome Center just before crossing the bridge into Helena, Arkansas. 
We rode down to the Mississippi River to see the Isle of Capri Casino.
We crossed the Mississippi River into Arkansas and stopped to take a picture of the Historic marker of Helena Arkansas.
We stopped at the Delta Cultural Center Museum located on 141 Cherry St in Helena. Bill Branch the curator said we could take pictures inside the museum.
We were told to come back at 12:15 to listen to Sonny “Sunshine” Payne broadcast over the radio KFFA 1360 A.M.
King Biscuit Time
Sonny “Sunshine” Payne broadcast over the radio KFFA 1360 A.M.
Me at KFFA Radio Station being an interview
We walked outside where I took pictures of the Blues Trail Marker and the cemented handprints in the ground with names such as Jack Johnson, Rufus Thomas, Robert Lockwood, Jr., Pinetop Perkins, Sam Myers, Sunshine Sonny Payne, Lennie Shields, and others.  
We walked toward the Train Museum and to the Levee Walk where I took pictures then we went inside the Train Museum.
Train Depot Museum
In the Train Museum on the first floor was a history of Arkansas and a movie of the great flood of Helena, upstairs was artifacts about the Civil War in Helena. 
We walked back to the Delta Cultural Center to listen to Sonny Payne. 
I bought myself some Blues eye sunglasses with guitars on either side of them and they lit up.
Blues eye sunglasses 
My granddaughter, Sierra, called said she was sick in the health room at school and she could not get her mother on the cell phone.
She wanted to know where we were, I said we are in Arkansas and that we could not come to get her. 

KFFA radio broadcast last thirty minutes, playing Blues music since the early ’40s.
Mr. Payne has been with the show since the 1950s.
During Mr. Payne’s show, he announced he had two visitors from Alabama. 
He said where in Alabama are you from and I replied to the Northwest corner of Alabama. 
We asked several other questions, then Mr. Payne went back to playing his music. 

We had our picture taken with Sonny Payne, dropped a couple of dollars in the donation box, thanked Mr. Payne and the curator of the museum.

We rode down Cherry Street to the historic courthouse, I took pictures of the courthouse markers, war markers, several churches, and other historic markers.
Cherry Street Helena, Arkansas
We drove to Maple Hill Cemetery to take pictures of the  Civil War Markers at Civil War Hill, which was located on a hill overlooking the river.
We stopped at a Jewish church that was being restored, I was invited inside, ask if I could take some pictures, they said yes.

We rode down to the Mississippi levee walk where I took several pictures.
It was getting way past lunchtime so we left Helena stopping at the Arkansas Welcome Center where we ask if there were any good places to eat nearby, the woman said to go to Ground Zero Blues Club 352 Delta Avenue Clarksdale, MS 38614-4213  (662) 621-9009 but it was closed. 

We ate at Western Sizzlin, I ordered a sirloin steak, baked potato, and a salad.
Hubby ordered a 16-ounce rib eye, a salad, a baked potato, and dessert, we spent $33.12. 

On the way back to the hotel I took pictures of  Yazoo Pass, Hernando De Soto Bridge, WROX Radio, and Hunts Mill.

We stopped in the historic town of Tunica where I took pictures of war markers, James Cotton Blues marker.
I took several pictures of thousands of birds flying, landing in trees in the park and surrounding area. 

When we arrived at the hotel we purchased some snacks, took them to our room.
It had been a very long day so we both took a shower and went to bed.

We were rudely awakened by a fire alarm at 1:00 A.M. 
We proceeded to leave the room, it was a false alarm. 
Everyone went backs to their room, it was hard to go to sleep knowing that it could be another alarm. 
We had everything packed and ready to go just in case.

Day 3: Wednesday, January 18, 2011
We showered, dressed, checked out and rode to Cracker Barrel in Horn. Lake where I ordered one egg, bacon, and toast. 
Hubby ordered three pancakes, eggs, bacon, and biscuits, we spent  $17.50. 

We stopped at Murphy Gas in Horn Lake where we spent $40.00 on Unplus pump 8, gas price $3.249 for 12.31 gallons of gas. 

We paid $9.00 to wash the van and seventy-five cents to vacuum it.

We stopped in Corinth, MS., at the Interpretive Center, Civil War Trail, Crossroads Museum, and the C. A. R. E.  Honor Garden.
America goes to war with itself
Cannons at the Interpretive Center
the Interpretive Center
the Interpretive Center
We bought three musketeers, Mt Dews at a gas station in Corinth, MS. 
We stopped in Iuka, MS., where I took pictures of the Battle of Iuka, 11 Ohio Battery, Front St, Episcopal Church, Methodist church, Old Tishomingo County Courthouse, Twin Magnolias World famous Mineral Springs Park, Iuka, and War Markers. 
Episcopal Church in Iuka, MS
Twin Magnolias World famous Mineral Springs Park
Old Tishomingo County Courthouse
We stopped at Foodland in Killen to buy Shrimp, Crab legs, and milk. 

When we arrived home, the slid out on our RV would not work, we noticed the refrigerator was not cooling, and the heater was not working.
Hubby pulls out his electrical tools to repair the slide-out, the refrigerator, and the heater.
He did some rewiring to make the slide out and refrigerator work but now the hot water is not working. 

The next day we had no hot water and had to take a shower at his sister's.

Hubby had to go to work the next day and when he came home he worked on the hot water heater, he said a wire was loose. 

He said he did not have time to fix the wiring it would have to wait until his off day.
Every time we go on a trip and come back home something is broken.
You would think after a while there would be nothing left to fix.

Two hundred twenty-three dollars and twenty-one cents was the total cost of our trip to Tunica MS.

Spent $82.50 Tunica Roadhouse for two nights
Gas $40.00 Horn Lake Murphy Gas
Gas $49.00 Olive Branch, MS., Gas
Food $17.50 Cracker Barrel Horn Lake MS
Food $33.12 Western Sizzlin in Clarksdale MS
Food $18.50 Fitz's Casino and Restaurant Tunica MS
Food $6.59 McDonalds Tunica, MS
Other $9.00 Car Wash 
Museum $6.00 Corinth MS
Museum $4.00 Helena MS
Snack $10.00 Tunica Roadhouse Hotel Vending Machines
Snacks $6.00 Corinth, MS., Shell Gas Station
Total  $223.20 
Spent 15 gambling won 15 broke even
Spent 15 of hotel money won 13 so 13 to the good.


Played on one cent machines

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