✈️✈️✈️2019 Mar 24-30, Trip to Naples, Florida

Sunday, May 24, 2019

Southwest Airlines Flight 1066 

Leaves BNA at 10:15 at Gate C19, boarding group B. Position 3 arriving at FLL at 1:25 A.M. 

Hubby took me to the Nashville airport. We ate dinner at Red Robin Spring Hill at 6:55 P.M. We split a hamburger and fries.

Monday, March 25, 2019

It was a one-and-a-half-hour drive to Naples, so we arrived at Lora's apartment early in the morning. We both slept late.

For breakfast, I ate a slice of raisin bread and a banana. 

Lora had an infusion in Fort Myers that day, so I rode with her. We stopped at Bass Pro Shops, located just off I-75 at 10040 Gulf Center, Fort Myers.

At Bass Pro Shop, we saw river fish, ocean fish, raccoons, black bears, waterfowl, alligators, and the Everglades.

The bartender said I could come inside and take pictures of the tropical fish and coral reefs in the aquarium. Hanging on the walls, we saw Southern Stingrays, a Great Hammerhead Shark, Sailfish, yellow tuna, and black-tip sharks.

Outside, we saw an old blue Red Head Pickup and a Great Gray Heron Bench where people could sit.

Red Head Pickup 

coral reef in the aquarium

I bought a pair of sunglasses to block out the sun so my eyes wouldn't get fit. 

Lora gave me one of her Zyrtec for allergies and some saline to wash out my eyes. 

She also gave me one of her steroid tablets for the infection. 

At lunch, we stopped at Chick-fil-A. Lora and I split a salad, and each ordered a chicken sandwich with water to drink at location 5825 Airport Pulling Rd, Naples, FL. 

I was so tired from the day's adventures and not getting enough sleep that I fell asleep on the sofa while Lora and Jackie went shopping.

Tuesday, March 26, 2019 

Lora had an early morning infusion, so I watched TV until she returned. For breakfast, I ate a banana and a slice of raisin bread. 

For lunch, Lora made a ham, cheese, avocado, and spinach sandwich on toasted bread, accompanied by a fruit salad. 

We rode to Clam Bay Beach, 410 Seagate Drive, Naples, FL 34103, where we took the trolley down the walkway to the beach.

Clam Bay Beach 

Pelican at Clam Bay Beach 

The Park consists of 35 acres of mangrove forest, coastal dunes, and 3,200 linear feet of beach on the Gulf of Mexico. A boardwalk provides access to the beach through a mangrove forest. The boardwalk is about three-quarters of a mile long and can be walked, or you can catch a ride on a free tram that runs continuously throughout the day.

We saw several people on the beach, including boaters and fishermen. We saw waterfowl flying overhead and in the water. A dolphin and a manatee were spotted. We saw children playing in the sand. We saw a couple of children fishing and catching fish.

We saw a sign that read 'Welcome to Clam Pass Park.' A sign that read 'Shells of Paradise Coast' included worm shells, Calico Scallops, Mon Snail, Olive shells, Fighting Conch, Sand Dollar, Lightning Whelk, Starfish, and Horse Conch. There was a sign about Palmetto and Fakahatchee grass.http://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/ornamentals/fakahatchee.html

All-day parking was $8.

We rode back to the apartment and walked around the lake, seeing a few birds. 

At 7:30, we rode to Vanderbilt Beach on Pelican Bay to watch a fantastic sunset. 

Sunset on Vanderbilt Beach 

Located at 280 Vanderbilt Beach Road, Naples, FL 34102, at the end of Vanderbilt Beach Road, Vanderbilt Beach County Park borders the Gulf of Mexico and is near plenty of hotels, shopping, and restaurants. 

We met Jackie and Geo on the beach, with hundreds of people watching the sun melt into the bay.

What a way to end the day! We had pizza for supper, and Jackie's boyfriend spent the night.

Wednesday, March 27, 2019

Lora and I spent the day at the Naples Botanical Gardens, 4820 Bayshore Dr, Naples, FL 34112, from 1:00 to 4:40 P.M. The cost was $19.99 each.💐 🌷

We browsed in the Chabraja Visitor Center.

Irma's Garden was complete with various garden plants, including screw pines.

Katharine's Garden was a lush tropical landscape.

LaGrippe Orchid Garden was full of colorful, fragrant orchid species worldwide. 

Botanical Garden 

Orchid Garden

Lea Asian Garden had a Southeast Asian Javanese temple, an ancient blaze landscape filled with Bayan trees, a bamboo grove of established fruits, a lotus pool, and a stepping stone path through the Garden that led to the Gardenalinese Shrine.

Kapnick Brazilian Garden was a garden of people from diverse backgrounds and colors, featuring a colorful wall.

Kapnick's Caribbean garden was filled with towering palms, tropical fruits, and vegetables.

Smith Children's Garden was full of vibrant flowers, vegetables, and butterflies—a landscape for children. We saw a bicycle, a hand pump, and a toilet decorated with flowers. We saw Flo and Joe, flower people, working in the vegetable garden. There was also a large turtle made of seashells. 

Scott's Florida Garden was full of trees, palms, a cascading stream, Lake Topkie, and Deep Lake. Florida was once an ancient seafloor.

There was a 90-acre Nature sanctuary boardwalk, which we did not take.

Water Garden with a lily pool full of lily pads and a boardwalk. 

Reflections on Glass: Frabel in the Garden is on exhibit in the gardens. It features diverse and complex sculptures that sometimes mimic the plants within the Garden. You see parallels between Frabel's pieces and the natural shapes of plants in forms and towering cube structures; each piece inspires viewers to discover the wonders of our living collection.

For supper, Lora and I split a chicken and shrimp Carbonara, breadsticks, and salad at Olive Garden, 1565 5th Ave S, Naples, FL 34102. We had leftovers. I used my Christmas gift card to pay $23,37.

That night, Lora and I met several of her friends at the Comedy Club, a two-drink minimum.

I ordered two bottles of water for $2.50 each. I was too full from supper to drink, so I brought my water home. 

The show was bashing ex-spouses, which wasn't particularly funny.

I enjoyed spending time with Lora's friends.

Thursday, March 28, 2019

I ate leftovers from Olive Garden for breakfast and lunch.

We rode to the Naples Preserve Boardwalk, corner of U.S. 41 North and Fleischmann Boulevard, where we walked along the boardwalk looking for box and gopher turtles. We spoke with one of the park rangers who was walking on the bare ground, checking for turtles to ensure they were okay.

Inside the center, we saw signs about the Naples Botanical Gardens, Delnor-Wiggins Pass, Rookery Bay, Collier-Seminole, Shy Wolf (including Cardinal and Mockingbird nests), and a boat-tailed cracker nest. Natural Communities of Naples Preserve, Turtle Shells, What's in bloom, butterflies, bugs, Collier County, and Myrtle Oaks.

Tucan Statue

Penguin 

Seal

Our next stop was the Naples Zoo, located at 1590 Goodlette Rd, Naples, Florida 34102.

" Art to Save the Sea" was displayed throughout the zoo, featuring artwork made entirely from garbage collected from beaches. 

The art we saw featured Natasha the Turtle, Priscilla the Faust Fish, Lidia the Seal, Rufus the Tiger Fish, the American Sea Star, Daisy the Polar Bear, Grace the Humpback Whale, Gertrude the Penguin, and Chompers the Shark.

We stood in a long line to ride a slow-moving, tour-guided ferry around Monkey Island.

Very cool, enjoyable, and informative ride about Madagascar Animals

There were signs under a thatched roof telling about Monkey Island: trees like nowhere else, the island of Lemurs, more significant than any dinosaur egg, and the Madagascar Ferna group helps preserve the wonders of a fragile island nation.

We saw signs about Invisible Geckos, Abundant Chameleons, Madagascar burning, and living wonders. 

We saw American Alligators, Giant Anteaters, Cotton-Top Tamarins, Aldabra Tortoises, Slender-Horned Gazelles, Mt. Bongo, Sulcate Tortoises, Gopher Tortoises, and Clouded Leopards.

We watched the giraffes and alligators being fed. Dr. Henry Nehrling, the founder of the Botanical Garden, Henry Badger, Plains Zebra, Feeding the Alligators, Cheetah, Why the Railroad Trestle? The famous toucan sign, "Dead Trees Help the Living," and "Marvelous Marsh" make for fabulous filters. A swamp mystery, planting helps with trees for the future, shade-grown coffee helps farmers, birds, and the land, and you can find all these birds.

Friday, March 29, 2019 

We stopped at Dollar Tree for sunscreen and snacks to take to the beach at Delnor-Wiggins State Park.

Located at 11135 Gulf Shore Drive, Naples, FL 34108

One of the most popular seaside destinations in Naples, the mile-long stretch of white sugar sand at Delnor-Wiggins has been rated as one of the best beaches in the nation. 

We saw Gray Pelicans perched, swimming, and flying overhead. 

We saw a Fish Hawk Osprey perched in a tree holding a fish.

We saw seagulls and white egrets waiting for a free fish from a fisherman.

This beach was more secluded than the other beaches that we had visited. 

We rode to Naples Municipal Beach and walked out on the long pier to watch the sunset. There were lots of people waiting for the sunset.

 Naples Municipal Beach Sunset

Address 25 12th Av S Naples Florida 34102 

The Naples Pier is a community landmark built in 1888 as a freight and passenger dock.

We rode to historic downtown Naples; Lora and Michelle waited in a long line of people to order our ice cream at Kilwins 743 5th Ave S, Naples, FL 34102.

Saturday, March 30, 2019

Lora had an infusion that morning, so I spent the morning with Jackie and Geo. We visited North Collier Regional Children's Park, located at 15000 Livingston Rd, Naples, FL.

North Collier Regional Children's Park

Geo enjoyed playing at the Can U Dig It state-of-the-art playground, which features a colorful, modern design and resembles something from the future.  

The sleek look packs a lot of play value. The playground includes slides, swings, and climbing apparatus, but it takes play a step further. Kids can spin themselves dizzy on squiggly poles, climb on boulders that look like they came from the Monument Valley, or become junior archeologists in the covered fossil dig area.

When we got ready, Jackie realized she had locked her keys in her car. She called her boyfriend, and he brought her a spare set of keys.

We rode back to the apartment, and by this time, Lora had returned. 

Lora, Michelle, and I rode to Fort Lauderdale for the rest of the day before my flight. 

We stopped at Quarterdeck Restaurant, located at 300 N Beach Rd, Dania Beach, FL, where we had dinner.

Quarterdeck Restaurant

Quarterdeck Restaurant

We ordered three tacos, smoked shrimp, and smoked fish with French fries, and we all drank water with lemon.

We saw British Airways and Southwest jets fly over, so we knew the airport was nearby.

You can see several towering buildings from Dania Pier in the downtown area.

We saw several cruise ships depart, so it's clear that Fort Lauderdale is a hub port for cruise ships.

Many people were sitting on the beach, a few in the water. The beaches were made of seagrass, more turbulent and less precise than the Naples Beaches.

We watched and waited for a lift bridge to let a sailboat through. The traffic was heavy in the downtown area, so I told Lora to take me to the airport so they could do some sightseeing.

I boarded the flight at 9:30, traveling on Flight 4145, Boarding Group B23, for a one-and-a-half-hour flight.

Arrived in Nashville around 11:30 P.M. Hubby picked me up, and we rode home.

We stopped at the gas station, picked up some snacks, and rode home. We arrived home around 1:30 A.M. 

Had a great time visiting my daughter and all the places we went to,

2019 Shoals Front Porch Pop-up & Storytelling Festival

Shoals Front Porch Storytelling Festival 2019 

March 5, 2019, 11:30–1 P.M., 2019  Dolores Hydock Through the Back Door ~ The Music that Bridged the Bayou. Mardi Gras luncheon, Sheffield Public Library, Sheffield, AL

May 6, 2019, 2–3 P.M., 2019  Dolores Hydock Helen Keller Library 511 N Main St. Tuscumbia, AL 

Literary Treason: the Writings of Bess Streeter Aldrich 

This program looks at the life and work of Bess Streeter Aldridge, a Nebraska Writer of the 1930s who accomplished what a few others did:

While she raised her family as a single mother, she had a successful, self-supporting career as a female writer during the first half of the 20th century.

The program describes her early life and later career success, and includes a reading of "Jundo Swans," Aldrich's funny and touching short story, which serves as a reminder that there.

It's no disaster like an elementary school play, and no friend as crucial as your best friend when you're ten years old.

May 16, 2019, 10–11 A.M. Dishing the dirt Cypress Lake Golf & Tennis Club 1311 E Sixth St. Muscle Shoals, AL Sponsored by Muscle Shoals Public Library Tickets are $5, including a light brunch before the program call 256-386-9212 

Whether you've got the greenest thumb since Johnny Appleseed or you managed to kill a rock garden, you'll enjoy these stories about Mother Nature, Frederic the French Yard-Man, and people who grow philosophy as well as phlox on their little piece of earth. 

May 16, 2019, 4–5 P.M. Pop-UP Concert with Josh Goforth, Florence-Lauderdale Public Library

350 N Wood Ave, Florence, AL  

 Storyteller, ballad singer, and multi-instrumentalist Josh Goforth is a native of Madison County in western North Carolina. Situated deep in the Blue Ridge Mountains, this area is renowned for its preservation of unbroken ballad and storytelling traditions brought by early Scots-Irish and English settlers in the mid-17th century. It was also fertile ground for the rise of American string band music played on fiddle, banjo, and guitar. Proud to share his Appalachian heritage with audiences near and far, Josh Goforth draws from each of these wellsprings. Join us for a FREE pop-up concert with Josh at 4 P.M. on Thursday, May 16, to kick off the Shoals Storytelling Festival!  

May 17, 8:45 A.M. – 5 P.M. (with lunch break): The Shoals Storytelling Festival featuring Donald Davis, Dolores Hydock, Bil Lepp, and Josh Goforth

8:50-9:00 Welcome

9:00-9:30 Bil Lep

9:30-10:30 Josh Goforth

10:30-10:45 Break

10:45-11:30 Dolores Hydock

11:30-12:00 Donald Davis 

12:00—2:00 Lunch

2:00-2:30 Josh Goforth

2:30-3:30 Bil Lep

3:30-3:50 Break

3:50-5:00 Donald Davis (Went home at 5 P.M.)

5:00-7:00 Dinner 

7–9 P.M.–Storyteller Showcase with Donald Davis, Dolores Hydock, Bil Lepp, and Josh Goforth

May 18, 9 A.M. – 5:15 P.M. (with lunch break): The Shoals Storytelling Festival featuring Donald Davis, Dolores Hydock, Bil Lepp, Eric Kirkman, and Josh Goforth

9:00-9:30 Donald Davis 

9:30-10:30 Eric Kirkman

10:30-10:45 Break

10:45-12:00 Dolores Hydock

12:00—2:00 Lunch

2:00-2:30 Bil Lep

2:30-3:00 Josh Goforth

3:00-3:50 Eric Kirkman 

3:50-4:15 Break

4:15-4:45 Dolores Hydock

4:45-5:15 5:00 Donald Davis (Went home at 5 P.M.)

5:15-7:00 Dinner

7–9 P.M. – Performance with Firekid, Dillon Hodges, and Heidi Feek

For the past two days, I have enjoyed spending time with my friends at the Shoals Theater Storytelling Festival.

On Friday, we had lunch at Legends (I think everyone did). I enjoyed a plate of fried okra, fried shrimp, and Jack Danial's apples. 

Saturday, my friend and I had lunch of white cheese dip, chicken, and feta. We topped it off with a cup of their complimentary ice cream.

On Friday and Saturday, we enjoyed listening to the following entertainers
Josh Goforth, Bill Lepp, Donald Davis, Dolores Hydock, and Dr. Eric Kirkman.
Josh Goforth is a multi-talented storyteller who utilizes a variety of stringed instruments to accompany his ballads and stories.
His stories included friends and relatives, many about his tobacco chewing and his refusal to take the shortcut to hard work, particularly his grand-paw.
Bill Lepp's, believe it or not, Paul Bunyan tall tales!
Donald Davis's school days growing up and his jokester father.
Dolores's stories included a white cat (Huck), a black cat, a speckled cat, and a one-eyed cat, and the lessons she learned from them.
Audry Williams shares her side of the fame story.
Dr. Eric Kirkman sings and uses musical instruments to tell the African American influence on American music.

Thursday Pop-up Shows 

Cypress Lake Golf & Tennis Club, Dolores Hydock shared stories about "Dishing the Dirt from the Garden," and we were served ham, sausage biscuits, fruit, pastries, muffins, orange juice, coffee, and water. There were door prizes.

Florence Library's Josh Goforth played the guitar, banjo, and fiddle, sang ballads, & told stories about life in Madison County, North Carolina.

The storytelling festival has come to a bittersweet close, and I look forward to it next year.

2019 Mar 2, Day Trip Wings to Soar Wheeler Wildlife Refuge & Senior Prom Pictures

I traveled across Wheeler Dam on Highway 101 heading toward Town Creek, but the road was out, so I turned around and traveled the road where the paper mill once stood. 

I arrived at Wheeler Wildlife Refuge a little after 10:00 A.M. I used the restroom and found a seat in the front row. 

I was there to see Wings to Soar rescue Birds of Prey.

I saw a couple of Owls, Gilbert the falcon, a couple of eagles (including Osceola, a 25-year-old eagle), and a pet turkey vulture named Cayce. 

Casey the Black Turkey Vulture, a human-imprinted, always steals the show. 

The birds of prey are sent flying out over the audience several times. If you are close enough, you can feel the wind from their wings as they fly over the audience.

The 11 A.M. show was a packed house, and after the show, you could get your picture taken with the blue Merlin and Buddy, a fully grown Screech Owl.

I stopped at Aldi's in Athens and bought a few groceries.

1–2 P.M. I stopped at the Library in Rogersville to listen to Mike Ezell talk about the many rivers and their tributary in Alabama. 

River basins of the Tennessee River, Coosa/Tallapoosa River, Sipsey/Warrior River, Tombigbee/Mobile River, Alabama/Cahaba River,  Chattahoochee River, Conecuh River, Chipola River, Yellow and Blackwater Rivers, Perdido River, and Escatawpa Rivers

He also discussed the Highland Rim (where we live), the Cumberland Plateau, the Piedmont Upland, and the East Gulf Coastal Plains (along the Fault line, which includes the old shorelines of Alabama). 

He discussed TVA, Rogersville, Dams, the weather, climate, fish, and the Alabama game. 

I got a call from my son asking if I would meet Charity and Nevada for prom pictures at Wilson Park at 3 P.M.

Traveled home, put away my groceries, and traveled to Florence, stopping at Tri-Cities Memorial Gardens to take pictures of the Pink Tulip Trees in full bloom. Our upcoming weather is predicted to be below freezing for the next week, and I knew the cold would kill all the blooms.

Made it to Wilson Park, and by this time, it was getting cold outside. 

I took several pictures, said goodbye, and traveled home. Hubby was bringing me a taco pizza from Taco Bell for supper.

By this time, I had a splitting sinus headache. 

Ate supper and went to bed. 

It had been a long day since I had traveled to Decatur, to Athens, back home to Florence, and back home. 

I left that morning before 9:00 A.M. and did not arrive home until after 5:00 P.M. 

2019 May 8, 💐 🌷Visiting the Memphis Botanical Gardens Memphis, Tennessee

Hubby and I had a great time at the Memphis Botanical Gardens.
We didn't see many blooming plants, but we did see a variety of interesting plants and animals.
In the Japanese Garden, we walked across the half-moon bridge, where we saw turtles and goldfish swimming in Lake Biwa and  Canadian Geese strolling along the banks.

Half Moon Bridge in Japanese Gardens 

One of my favorite places was the Prehistoric Plant trail, where we saw a couple of stone dinosaurs in a sandpit that children could climb atop.
Dotted along the path were signs about Primitive plants, Prehistoric Memphis, Stories in Stone, Flying giants, and the idea that some things change, and some things stay the same.

Dinosaur in Sandpit 

In the Urban Garden, we saw the chicken coop that housed the Blue Buff Columbian Brahmas hens and a rooster.
Also in the Urban Garden were vegetables, blackberries on a trellis, grapevines, and Espalier Fruit Trees (a technique that controls the growth of trees and shrubs).

Urban Garden

There were booths set up for school children to create items from the countries of India, China, and Africa.
We saw a mother bird feeding her babies.

Mother birds and babies 

There were many fragrant plants to attract butterflies in the Butterfly Garden, but there was not a butterfly in sight.

Butterfly Garden 

There were orange and red azaleas, blooming camellias, and purple hydrangeas.
The daffodils were sleeping, waiting for next spring.

Dogwood trees in full bloom, huge giant trees reaching for the sky, and small trees where birds could nest.

Bird hiding among leaves.

There were water fountains and air-conditioned restrooms throughout the Garden.
We stopped several times just to cool off, but Hubby was still dripping wet when we arrived at the car.

2019 Feb 8, Celebrating George Washington's Birthday and Picking Tulips in Montevallo, Alabama

I'm so glad Hubby and I did a little traveling today, because the next few days are calling for rain. 

It was cold when we left home this morning; however, the sun came out, and it reached the high 50s today.

But before we got home, it was back in the low 40s. 

We traveled to Montevallo to help celebrate George Washington's birthday, where we enjoyed one of the beautifully decorated cupcakes placed on a table before us. Before we left, we picked a basket of freshly grown tulips.

On our adventure, we stopped at Jack's in Athens for a drink and a cream cheese cherry pie.

We traveled on I-65 through Birmingham, taking exit 238 for US 31 toward Alabaster. We then turned left onto US 119 and County Hwy 11, reaching our destination at 3727 Hwy 119 in Montevallo.

Hubby parked the car, and we walked to the museum's front entrance and paid the admission fee. 

The cashier instructed us to head to the replica of Mount Vernon to celebrate George Washington's birthday, as the party was scheduled to begin at 11 A.M.

George Washington made his speech. 

George Washington stopped for a picture. 

Washington walked out onto the front porch and delivered a speech, and when he finished, the crowd sang "Happy Birthday" to President Washington.

Washington walked out into the crowd, stopping for pictures and shaking hands with people.

We walked into the president's Oval Office, where we saw pictures of several future presidents on display. 

We visited the Randall Museum, where we saw miniature dolls depicting many events that have occurred in the US over the last 200 years. 

The Randal Museum also displayed the Presidents and their wives in miniature.

We walked inside the National Chapel, which was just a few yards away from the Randal Museum. 

US Presidents and wives

The National Chapel 

The last building we toured was the Veterans Memorial building. 

Veterans Building

We took the trolley out to the Garden of Tulips, where we were greeted and given a basket to place our picked tulips. 

We were told the soil was soft, so we were to gently wiggle the tulip, and the bulb would release from the dirt. 

There were numerous types and colors to choose from. I picked several in full bloom and several just budding. 

We took the trolley back to the entrance, paid for our tulips, and began our travel home.  

Fields of Tulips

America Village Festival of the Tulips: You pick your own $1.50 each

Panda Express 

We stopped at Panda Express Decatur for dinner, where we ordered Honey Walnut shrimp, one egg roll, green beans, chicken, stir-fried wheat noodles with onions, celery, cabbage, and three cream cheese Rangoons 

2019 Feb 25-26, 🚌 Adventures at Reelfoot Lake, & Paris, Tennessee

After being cooped up indoors for weeks due to the rainy weather, Hubby and I decided to take a trip.
The Tennessee and Mississippi Rivers overflowed into nearby fields, roadways, and people's homes, forcing people and animals to seek higher ground.
You could see the flooding for miles in Alabama and Tennessee.

It was the last week to take the bus tour to see Eagles nesting at the nearby Levee along the Mississippi River, so I booked two tickets for the trip.
It takes over three hours to drive to Tiptonville from our home, so I booked a cabin at Sportsman Resort, located along Reelfoot Lake, for one night.
The south area cabins of Reelfoot were flooded, so we stayed in the north area cabins.

We arrived in Paris around 11:30 A.M., stopped at Dinkins Mobile Homes, and walked through several homes.
One of the mobile homes was a woman busy cleaning, so we began talking. She was a widow with three grown sons and several grandchildren. She told us a story about taking three of her grandchildren on a trip to Fort Myers to visit family.
She said, 'The grandkids kept saying," Are we there yet? "'I thought I was going to have a nervous breakdown.'
She showed us where all the electrical lights were along the walkway.
We asked her about things to do in Paris, and she said Paris Landing, Tennessee Wildlife Refuge, and the Eiffel Tower.

First, we stopped at the Eiffel Tower Park to take a few pictures and use the restroom at about 12:45 P.M.
At 1:15 P.M., we ate lunch at a local restaurant, Southside Cafe, where Hubby and I both ordered a catfish plate, which consisted of a baked potato, white beans, fillet catfish, cornbread, and a salad.

Catfish plate 

We traveled along US Highway 79 to Paris Landing Park, where we saw the Big Sandy River, a man fishing, and flooded roads. 2:20 P.M.
We backtracked to Paris Landing Visitor Center, where we saw four barn owls and two bald eagles in cages outside.

While we were at Paris Landing Visitor Center, two park rangers from Reelfoot Lake put a recused Bald Eagle into one of the cages outside because the eagle's cage at Reelfoot Lake was flooded.

Bald Eagle at Paris Landing Visitor Center

Inside the Visitor Center, we saw exhibits featuring turtle shells, coyotes, big cats, raccoons, and informational pamphlets.
2:30PM-3:08 P.M.

We arrived at the Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge at 3:35 P.M., and it closed at 4:00 P.M., so we didn't have much time to visit.
We walked through the museum and outside, but did not see any animals or birds.

The sunset we saw while traveling from Paris to Tiptonville

We arrived at Sportsman Lodge after 6 P.M.
We stayed in a one-room Fishman cabin that was just enough room for a small table, futon, countertop stove, microwave, bed(with bed springs), satellite TV, and bathroom. If you want to rough it, this is the way to go.

The neighborhood dog slept on the front porch in a chair. I'm not sure what kind of guard dog he was, for I never heard him bark. He sure was friendly.

We didn't get much sleep because we could feel every movement the other person made, and the bedsprings made a screeching sound.

You could walk outside our cabin just a few feet, and there was Reelfoot Lake.
The sunrise was beautiful, overlooking the lake.

Sunrise over Reelfoot Lake 

We ate breakfast at Sonic in Tiptonville. I ordered Texas toast with sausage and cheese, and Hubby ordered a hamburger and a corndog.

We rode to historic downtown Tiptonville, where we saw the schools, cemetery, churches, and several landmark markers,

Carl Perkins' boyhood cabin 

We stopped to take pictures of Carl Perkins's boyhood home.
We rode to Reelfoot Lake State Park Visitor Center, where we saw a live barn owl, rattlesnakes, copper head, and birds. There were several displays and activities for children, and outside was a flooded walkway and owl cages.

Cypress Boardwalk and Scenic Cruise are all flooded. 

Barn Owl at Reelfoot Lake State Park

At 10 A.M., about 20 people loaded onto a school bus.
Our guide was a Park Ranger named Jerry Lewis, but I am not sure of his last name.
He said we are traveling along the Mississippi River levee to see bald eagles.
The levee road was above the water, with floodwaters on both sides.

The bus stopped one time, and we saw a couple of bald eagles nesting.
Almost everyone got off the bus to stretch their legs and view the eagles.

When the tour ended, we started at home.
We stopped at Cracker Barrel in Dyersburg for lunch.
Hubby ordered a roast beef plate. I ordered a kid's pinto beans, carrots, cornbread, and an onion plate.
We split a bowl of hot peach cobbler with Vanilla Ice Cream.

Scarlet Macaw 

We stopped at the five-mile drive-thru Safari Park Zoo in Alamo. We bought a bucket of food to feed the animals. You have to be careful feeding the animals, so I only feed the small deer.

After finishing the drive-thru, we parked and walked through the petting zoo.
We stopped at McDonald's in Savannah, Tennessee. Hubby ordered a hamburger and fries. I ate peanut butter crackers and a banana.

Flooding on the Tennessee River at Savannah, TN 

We arrived home around 8 P.M., both worn out from all the traveling and the sleepless night before.