🚗2015 ~Tuesday, June 30, Day Trip to Loretta Lynn's Ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee

We traveled up 43 Highway to St Joe, Tennessee we turned left onto Iron City Road 227/326 turned right onto Old Railroad Bed Road to Highway 13, we traveled couple miles North on  Natchez Traces. We got off the Trace in Collingwood, taking highway 13 to Waynesboro.
In Waynesboro we stayed on highway 13/Waynesboro Highway, we traveled through Smith Hill, Linen, (Squirrels Hollow Drive), Lobelville, Lobelville Highway, crossing into Perry County Buffalo. We stopped to use the restrooms and fill up with gas at Pilot, the price of gas $2.49 per gallon, we had just crossed I-40 the interstate between Memphis and Nashville Tennessee.

Pilot in Buffalo TN 

Arby's, Cinnabon at Pilot in Buffalo

We saw a sign that said Loretta Lynn's Kitchen and a huge statue of a Buffalo sitting outside of the restaurant, also some old farm equipment, so we stopped to take pictures.

Buffalo at Loretta Lynn's Kitchen in Buffalo 

Antique farm equipment at Loretta Lynn's Kitchen in Buffalo 

Loretta Lynn's Kitchen in Buffalo 

From Buffalo, we were just six miles to Loretta Lynn's Ranch.
We arrived at the ranch, we toured the free doll museum, the Old Grist Mill store, some of the gift shops and we purchased tickets to tour the home, Butcher Holler House, The #5 Coal Mine and Loretta's Museum.

Old farm truck at Loretta Ranch Park 

Bank at Loretta Ranch Park 

Land Office at Loretta Ranch Park 

Wanted Dead or Alive 

The tickets for the full tour was $25.00 each.

Loretta Lynn Park Information 

Tickets and Colton's coaster 

Loretta Lynn Park Information 

Our tour guide Brooke, took the group up the hill, up several stairs to the replica of Butcher Holler Loretta Lynn's childhood home in Van Lear, Ky.
The house had two bedrooms, with two small beds for the eight kids, kitchen with a wooden table with four wooden chairs and a bench, there was a coal stove for cooking, an outhouse, on the back porch was a small washtub where the children took baths.
When Loretta's mother washed cloth she hung them inside to dry to keep them from getting coal dust on them.

Replica Butcher Holler Home

Replica Butcher Holler Home

Walking down long wooden stairs, Indian on the hill

We walked down a long line of wooden steps onto the street, we crossed the street, we walked up to the simulated # 5 Coal Mine where Loretta's father (Ted Webb) worked until his death. As we walked through the simulated coal mine tunnel, we saw the tools used by the coal miners, the coal & the rail carts they filled with tons of coal that had to be pulled to the top by a donkey, he never saw daylight.

Coal Mine # 5

 Coal Car at Coal Mine # 5

Coal at Coal Mine # 5

Coal Mine # 5

We loaded into the tour bus and was taken to the former home of Loretta Lynn(The Anderson Plantation Home).
As we were getting off the bus we saw several carriages, a huge barn with two beautiful horses, in the background we could hear a peacock. We all walked inside to the kitchen which had a large fireplace, chandlers in every room downstairs. We saw the green bathroom, Loretta's collections inside a cabinet built by her husband, her many albums that were hanging in the hallway and all along the stairway.
We saw her bedroom, and the room with her family pictures, we were not taken upstairs.
The house is said to be haunted by the former owners the Anderson Family.
They were plantation owners with slaves, the mother lost a child at birth and she walks the rooms looking for her baby. Many ghosts have been spotted thought out the house.
We exited out the front door, we all walked back to the paved drive.

Standing on Loretta Lynn's Ranch Porch 

Loretta Lynn's Ranch 

I walked over to the horses, I took many pictures of the horses with my cell phone.
I did not bring my big camera because we could not take pictures inside the house or any of the museums.

Loretta Lynn's Ranch Horses

We loaded back onto the bus, we were taken to the Museum where Loretta has all kinds of memorabilia.

Loretta Lynn's Ranch Museum

After touring the museum, we stopped to take pictures of the tour bus outside.
We stopped at the gift shop to purchase a couple of postcards and we left.

Loretta Lynn's Ranch Postcards I purchase

It was very hot and humid so we had enough of walking outside.
We stopped in front of Loretta's Ranch Home to take pictures and pictures of  Hurricane Creek.
We rode behind Loretta's Ranch house where we saw a couple of donkeys, Loretta's present home, and The Anderson Family Cemetery.

Standing on steps of Loretta & Mooney Lynn Hurricane Mills Home 

Hurricane Mill Falls 

Loretta's Home 

Anderson Family Cemetery 

Mules

We left the park, taking I-40 stopping at Colton's Steak House & Grill in Dickson Tennessee where we ordered a full order of Ribs, one baked potato, two Caesar Salads, Tea, Water, Rolls, and butter.

Colton's Steak House & Grill 

Colton's Steak House & Grill 

Colton's Steak House & Grill 

We got off I-40 traveled through Spring Hill, Columbia, we stopped at CVS in Lawrenceburg, then home.

🚗1981 ~July 1-4, Family trip to Homosassa Springs, Florida

We traveled ten hours to Homosassa Spring Florida to visit relatives.

We traveled to Florida in our new Camel Brown 1980, Chevrolet Malibu, which could seat six people comfortably.

My fifteen-year-old son rode upfront with my father-in-law(who smoked a pipe)and my husband (who smoked cigarettes).

Most of the time the front windows were rolled down, with some smoke going outside while the rest encircled our heads.

My mother-in-law, my two younger sons, my daughter, and I sat in the back.

My four-year-old daughter spent most of her time either on someone’s lap or sleeping in the back window. 

What I remember about the trip was the way the car rode especially through Montgomery it felt like we were in a boat being tossed about by the waves. 

Up and down, Up and down we went!

We were greeted with a warm welcome & teddy bear hugs from the Henson Family.

Mildred had prepared a large meal and we all sat down to eat.

After dinner, we sat around talking while the kids played outside.

When bedtime came my in-laws were given the extra bedroom and we

Slept on quilts, blankets, and pillows to spread out on the living room floor. 

Day 2: Thursday, July 2, 1981

The next day we walked the 14-acre archeological site in Crystal River Park that dates back to 500 BC.

We traveled back in time to the Yules Sugar Mill Ruins the pre-civil war sugar plantation. 

The once-thriving sugar mill owned by David Levy Yulee is now a State Park. 

The park contains a forty-foot limestone masonry chimney, iron gears, and a cane press.

Indian Camp in the Magic Kingdom

It's a Small World in the Magic Kingdom

Micky Jamming Parade Magic Kingdom 

Ferry Boat at the Magic Kingdom 

Group Picture at the Magic Kingdom 

Day 3: Friday, July 3, 1981

We spent all day Friday at the Magic Kingdom.  

We rode on Hwy 44 over to I-75 to I-4 to Disney World. 

At the Magic Kingdom, we stood alongside rails to watch the Magic Carpet I MAX ride which made my youngest son seasick. 

We visited the 20,000 Leagues under the sea in Tomorrow Land.

We watched the colorful Macaws  in the Enchanted Tiki Room singing, in “The Tiki, Tiki, Tika Room.”

We climbed the giant treehouse of the Swiss Family Robinson in Adventure Land. 

We walked into the Haunted Mansion watched a show and  took a ride-through tour in Omni moving vehicles called “Doom Buggies.”

We walked through a long corridor to take the Pirates of the Caribbean boat ride, which told a story about a band of pirates.

We took a Jungle Cruise boat in Adventure Land, which simulated a cruise down the Asia, Africa, and South American rivers.

We watched the Country Bears Jamboree Show, which is audio-animatronic, figures singing Country music.

In Liberty Square, we visited the Hall of Presidents. 

We rode a boat in “It’s a Small World”  where dolls sang and danced in different languages around the world. 

We rode the Space Mountain Roller Coaster.

We rode the Ferryboat to the Magic Kingdom. 

We purchased passport tickets that had holes punched in them with a large string attached.

The tickets were collected at the gate and retained by Disney’s Magic Kingdom.

Disney was working on building EPOC, it opened in 1982.

Day 4:  Saturday, July 4, 1981

We rode to Cape Kennedy/Cape Canaveral, where we took the KSC bus tour and visited the museum.

During the KSC bus tour, we got an up-close view of the space shuttle launch pad, we saw the 363-foot-long Saturn V moon rocket. I took pictures of the kids in front of the Space vehicle. 

We walked through the Space Museum where we saw the US Astronaut’s Hall of Fame and Early Space Exploration. We walked through the Robot Scouts exhibit of unmanned planetary probes. Each of the kids climbed up and put their face inside one of the many spacesuits for a picture. 

We also saw the rocket garden with early space flight rockets Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo.

What a visit with the Henson Family, they showed us how to have fun at the Magic Kingdom and we learned the history of space travel at Cape Canaveral.

Cape Kennedy Space Center 

Cape Kennedy Space Center 

Cape Kennedy Space Center 

Cape Kennedy Space Center 

Lora at Cape Kennedy Space Center 

Cape Kennedy Space Center 

Mike, Ronald, Andy, Lora, and Little Bill at Cape Kennedy Space Center 

Day 5: Sunday, July 5, 1981

The travel home was long but not too eventful considering eight people were riding in a six-passenger car. 

My four-year-old daughter rode most of the way home lying in the back window of our 1981 Malibu.

Life is an adventure and we definitely had an adventure.

🎄🎄🎄🎄1965~ Christmas Holiday trip to Chicago, Illinois

Winter of 1965 my Dad, Uncle Harry, Vicki, and I traveled to Chicago, Illinois in a 1961 Green Plymouth.

I can still see my dad driving through Nashville, Tennessee. 

It was the Christmas holidays, everywhere we looked we saw twinkling lights, manger scenes, and homes beautifully decorated. 

A warm glowing feeling came over me as we passed through other smaller towns that was also beautifully decorated for the holidays.

The drive took about ten to twelve hours, there were not many direct highways or interstates from Florence, Alabama to Chicago, Illinois. 

I  don’t remember the route that we took, but I do remember going around a lot of curves and squealing tires. 

It was late at night everyone had fallen asleep except dad, who was doing the driving. 

We had come to a place called Turkey Run in Indiana,  it was an area known for lots of curves on the road. 

Dad came upon the curves too fast, the tires squealed as we started around the first curve. 

The sound of the squealing tires woke everyone up, we stayed awake for the rest of the trip. 

Early the next morning we crossed the Kingery Highway Cal-Sag Bridge into Cook County Illinois, I can still remember that awful smell of sewage as we crossed the bridge. 

Kingery Highway Cal-Sag Bridge (Copy from the Internet)

There was a song playing on the radio as we crossed the bridge into Chicago, 

“Five o’clock World” by the Vogues in 1965 a single, which reached #4 on the charts.

It is funny the things you remember from your childhood.

Aunt Betty lived in an apartment on the fourth floor, there were no elevators, we had to walk up and down four flights of stairs.

We had a great time visiting our cousins, their friends and playing cards on the stairway.

I can still hear the laughter of my cousin's friends Iggy, and Freddy as we played tag.

I had a kind of crush on Iggy. 

Our stay was a short dad and Harry had to get back to work.

My dad is an adventurous person, he never plans anything.

My dad can fix anything, he is a great mechanic, he never worries about his car breaking down when traveling.

I am adventurous like my dad, usually after a long winter, and spring is near I get the urge to travel. 

It doesn’t have to be a long trip but a trip it must be!

I am waiting for my next adventure.

Song by the Vogues

“Five o’clock World” by the Vogues in 1965 a single, which reached #4 on the charts.

Up every mornin’ just to keep a job

I must fight my way through the hustling mob

Sounds of the day poundin’ in my brain 

While another day goes down the drain (yeah, yeah, yeah)

But it’s a five o’clock world when the whistle blows

No one owns a piece of my time

And there’s a five o’clock me inside my  clothes

Thinkin’ that the world looks fine, yeah

(Scat:oh-de-lay-ee-ee, yeah, yeah)

Hey!

Tradin’ my time for the pay I get

Livin’ on money that I ain’t made yet

I’ve been goin’, tryin’ to make my way

While I live for the end of the day (yeah, yeah, yeah)

‘Cause it’s a five o’clock world when the whistle blows

No one owns a piece of my time

There’s a long-haired girl who waits, I know

To ease my troubled mind, yeah

(Scat:oh-de-lay-ee-ee, yeah)

Hey!

In the shelter of her arms, everything’s ok

When she talks, then the world goes slipping’ away

And I know the reason I can still go on 

When every other reason is gone, (yeah, yeah, yeah)

In my five o’clock world she waits for me

Nothing else matters at all

Cuz every time my baby smiles at me 

I know that’s it’s all worthwhile, yeah

(Scat:oh-de-lay-ee-ee, yeah)

🚗2000 ~July 14-17, Trip to St Louis, Missouri

Day 1: Friday, July 14, 2000 

On Friday, July 14, I drove to Saint Louis Missouri traveling through Illinois my granddaughter was traveling with me.

It took us around six hours, my husband said when you arrive in Fenton look for the pink elephant.
We had not traveled far enough to see the elephant so I called my husband on a payphone and said we are in Fenton where do I go next.
I was just a few miles from where he was living but the directions he gave me had me going in circles.
So I called him back and he met me at the gas station where I called him from. I followed him to the RV park with no problems and I never saw a Pink elephant.

Day 2: Saturday, July 15, 2000

It was time to get the oil changed in my husband's Saturn so my granddaughter and I went with him to get the oil changed at Saturn of South County 11157 Lindberg Business Ct St.Louis, Missouri.
While sitting in the lobby waiting to get the oil changed I saw a beautiful blackberry Saturn sitting in the showcase and fell in love with it.
I ask the salesperson Linda if I could test drive the Saturn and she went to get the keys.
I traded my Firebird for a Blackberry LS1Saturn.
I signed all the paperwork but could not officially take the car back home until Monday so I could order the title from the bank.

Later that day we went to the St Louis Arch, we did not go up the elevator to the top of the arch.
We visited the Museum of Westward Expansion that took on a journey into the past where we saw tools, guns, animals, wagons of the explorers, pioneers, cowboys, and Native Americans. 

St Louis Arch

There were animated figures that told the story of Peace Medal diplomacy in the US during the nineteenth century with William Clark, Red Cloud, Chief Oglala, Sergeant Banks, & Charles Barber.

In the interactive Museum, we saw the life of the Cowboys.

We saw the Tipi Plain Indians the nomadic hunters of the buffalo.

We saw the sod house of the earlier pioneers.

We saw the Appaloosa that was a symbol of transportation into the West.

We saw the longhorn steer cattle drive toward the West.

We saw the bison that was hunted and killed for food, clothing, and shelter.

We saw the bear and beaver that was also important during the migration into the West.

For lunch, we ordered hamburgers, french-fried and soda to drink from McDonald's.
McDonald's is located on the Missouri River aboard a boat with a Ronald McDonald statue, smoke pipes and the golden arch M is located on what looks like a wheel.
We parked in the pier parking lot and walked down a ramp onto the boat. The boat was stationed to the pier and we could feel the movement of the boat as we sat and ate.

Mcdonald's Floating on the Missouri River 

Day 3: Sunday, July 16, 2000

On Sunday we all visited Grant's Farm, the former home of the Bush Family, a 281 area farm, a landmark in Grant Wood Village, MO.
In 1800s Ulysses S. Grant farmed part of the land.
We paid twelve dollars to park and were told that we would have to stand in line to ride the tram over to the farm.

We boarded the tram which took about fifteen minutes. On the ride to the park, we saw Axis Deer, American Bison, Aoudads, Black Buck Antelope, Galloway, Highland Cows, Pere David Deer, Red Deer, Wapiti, Watusi, and Zebra.

When we disembarked from the tram we walked to the Bauernhof, a German word for the farmstead, which was a nineteenth Century Bavarian farm, stables, and carriage house.

At the Brat Haus, they were serving Bratwurst, Pretzels, and Chicken Strips.

A Bauernhof

It was very hot and when Hannah spotted the mist spray she could wait to get wet and we followed her.

Mist to cool off

Hannah standing in the mist to cool off

Hannah next to Carriage

We are standing next to the carriage

Caution Horses might bite

We stopped to see the corralled 35 mares, stallions and folds Clydesdales.

Clydesdale are18 feet high and weight 2,000 to 2,300 pounds. They are bay in color, with a blaze of white faces; they have a black mane and tail. Their legs and feet are white featherings on all four legs and feet.

Hannah at Grants Farm 

Camels at Grants Farm 

Day 4: Monday, July 17, 2000
On Monday I finalized the paperwork on my new Saturn so I could drive it six hours home.

My granddaughter and I had a great trip, we toured the St. Louis Arch, we toured Grants Farm, and we ate lunch on the Floating McDonald's and I bought a Saturn.