2023 August 27-31, Trip to Hollister, Point Lookout, Ridgedale, Branson, MO., Searcy, Arkansas, Dyersburg, TN (5 Days)

Top of the Rock, Lost Canyon Cave, Ridgedale, MO 

 Sunday, August 27, Day 1: 

Today, we left the house around 6:30, arrived at the Robertsons, loaded their luggage into our car, and began our journey to Branson.

Our first stop was for breakfast at Jack's in Tuscumbia, AL.

I ordered gravy with sausage biscuits and a soda. 

After breakfast, we began our journey west on Highway 72 toward Iuka, MS.

We traveled through several small towns, entering the interstate in Memphis. 

We crossed the Mississippi River into West Memphis, Arkansas, stopping at the Welcome Center.

Our next stop was to meet friends at Western Sizzlin's in Searcy, Arkansas.

There, we enjoyed a lovely lunch while enjoying the company of old friends and making new friends.

After lunch, we headed north toward Missouri, stopping at South Mountain Scenic Overlook, where you can see Bryan Mountain Elevation 1760, McCutcheon Gap Snowball, Bear Creek, Searcy County Airport, Point Peter Elevation 2040, Round Mts., Buffalo National River, Boat Mountain Elevation 2221, Marshall, St Jo, and Harrison, Arkansas. 

It's a great place to stop and take pictures. 

We arrived at Paradise Point Resort in Hollister, MO, checked into room 9404, and took the elevator up to our room. We had three bedrooms, a kitchen, three bathrooms, a living room, and a pool room with a view of the White River. 

We unpacked and headed outside, walking alongside the swimming pool, hot tub, and floating pool. 

We were all too full to eat dinner, so we just snuck on some snacks.

Arkansas Welcome Center 

Standing near the Swimming Pool 

Monday, August 28, Day 2: 

We ate breakfast at the Hungry Hunter Restaurant, where they served substantial portions of food. 

The pancakes would cover a huge plate. The bread made for French toast was homemade and served with two huge slices. 

Eggs, Ham, and hash rounds were also served. Great place for a hungry man. I could not eat all of my French toast. 

In Ridgeland, Missouri, we took a golf cart that holds four people down into the canyon for a 22.5-mile-long tour of caves and waterfalls. We would park the golf cart and explore several areas. 

Inside the cave was a snack bar where you could purchase snacks and drinks. 

After we finished the tour, we took the shuttle to the Top of the Rock, where we toured the American Museum of Natural History. The museum was filled with artifacts from the Woolly Mammoth. 

After the museum tour, we were told to return around 7:30–8 P.M. for the sunset, which would feature bagpipe playing and cannon firing. 

We rode to the historic part of Branson, stopping at B's Ice Cream Parlor for a strawberry cheesecake waffle Cone. We rode to Bass Pro Shop and then took a short trolley ride around the historic part of Branson.  

We walked along the River Landing and saw several new restaurants, fountains, and fire-spitting pipes. 

We ate lunch at World Famous White River Fish House, where I ordered 3 shrimp tacos. I could not eat all of them, so I just ate the shrimp.
We shopped at Elks but didn't buy anything. 

We rode back to the Top of the Rock to see the sunset, tour the old church, and watch the canon being fired.

We came back to the condo, showered, and went to bed. 

Sunset at the top of the Rock, Ridgedale, MO 

French Toast 

Tuesday, August 29, Day 3: 

We ate a cinnamon roll for breakfast. 

We rode to College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout, MO, where we toured the War Memorial at the Keeter Center. 

We ate lunch at Dobyn's Dining Room at the Keeter Center. I ordered steak soup with rolls and butter. 

We toured the East End Mill, where I bought a handcrafted basket. 

Next, we toured the Ralph Foster Museum, which housed artifacts on three levels. 

This included musical talents from Missouri, musical instruments, Quilts, dishes, dolls, a circus, cars, and animals (taxidermy), such as polar bears, Grizzly Bears, Lions, tigers, buffalo, elk, and deer. 

It included butterflies and birds of every kind, as well as an incredible amount of information, all contained within this one building. 

At 7:30, we boarded the Branson Belle for a dinner cruise and show.

The show was great. It started a little slow, but finished with a bang.

It was another long day, so we went off to bed.

Keefer Center at College of the Ozarks
Point Lookout, Mo  

This little fellow will greet you with a loud growl!

Wednesday, August 30, Day 4

I ate a bowl of instant oatmeal for breakfast, and then we were off.

Today, we are going to Silver Dollar City, Branson, MO, for a fun-filled day of shows.

We will also enjoy a train ride into the woods, only to be stopped by train robbers.

Then we will enjoy a hamburger and onion rings at the Lumber Camp Restaurant.

Today was the hottest day yet, and after all that walking, we were ready to leave the park. 

Train Robbers 

On our way back to the condo, we stopped at Little Hacienda in Branson, MO, where I enjoyed a Margarita on the rocks and a Churro with Ice Cream. 

Hubby ordered a burrito supreme. 

We were all very full when we left the restaurant.

I took a shower and went straight to bed, not waking up until 2 A.M. Everyone was asleep, so I took out my journal and wrote for about an hour and a half, then went back to bed.

Thursday, August 31, Day 5

The last day of the month and our last day in Branson, MO.

Packed our bags, loaded the car, and were on our way around 6:30–7 A.M.

We stopped to fill up with gas in Black Rock, Arkansas. 

We didn't stop for lunch until we reached Dyersburg, Tennessee

We stopped at The Bus Stop Restaurant, where I enjoyed a half-turkey sandwich with pasta, which was very good. We sat outside, for it was a very nice, excellent day.

We dropped our friends off and stopped at the car wash to wash off all the bugs that we had accumulated on the highway.

We were home by 5 P.M.

We had a great trip, but I'm glad to be home in my own bed.

Our next trip is a cruise unless we decide to take a day or overnight trip to the beach. 

2023 July 21-23, Trip to Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, TN (3 Days)

Day 1: Friday, July 21: 

Today, we left Helen, Georgia, early morning, about 6 A.M. We took the back roads, and by 6:51, we were in Clayton, North Carolina. 

By 8:12 A.M., we were in Cherokee, North Carolina.

 We stopped here to take pictures of the bear statues before heading across the mountain. Along with several others, we stopped to see a herd of elk grazing. 

Herd Elk 

Bears of Cherokee, NC 

We crossed the mountain several times to take pictures of the smoky clouds on it. Then, we stopped for breakfast at Cracker Barrel in Pigeon Forge. 

We went shopping at the Tanger Outlet Mall. We purchased two bras and two pairs of panties at Victoria's Secret and one bra at Pink. We also stopped at several other stores, including Disney, Nike, and Under Armor. 

The Christmas Place 

We feed the Ducks, Geese, and Pigeons at the Old Mill along the Little Pigeon River. 

We rode to the Old Mill Farm House, where I bought my son several different herb packages, a bag of stone-ground yellow cornmeal, and olive oil.

Near the Old Mill, we saw several geese, ducks, and pigeons along the Little Pigeon River. 

We ate Tat aco Bell for lunch.

We checked into Apple Valley Inn a little after 4 P.M., unloaded the car, and filled the fridge with snacks. 

Spent the rest of the day watching TV and resting. 

Day 2:  Saturday, July 22: 

We ate breakfast at McDonald's, and I ordered muffins and sausage. 

We rode to Pigeon Forge's Visitor Center and bought all-day tickets to ride the trolley. 

We bought fuel at Murphy's and bought a few groceries at Walmart (bagels, cream cheese, drinks, fruit)

Took our food back to the hotel. 

We rode to Parrot Mountain when they opened at 10 A.M. 

Parrot Mountain 

Had my picture taken with five birds, two on my arms, two on my shoulders, and one on my head.

We visited the parrot nursery, where we could actually pick up the birds. 

We also went into the feeding area with Nectar and several small nectaries down and drank every drop of the Nectar from my hand.

Around Nectar A.M., we rode the Trolley from  Pigeon Forge to Gatlinburg. 

We took the trolley from the Visitor Center in Gatlinburg to downtown. 

We were the last two to board the fully loaded trolley, which was standing room only.

A nice young man gave me his seat, and Hubby had to ride, standing up.

Because of the traffic, it took over an hour to travel a short distance. When we were almost there, everyone except a couple got off. 

When we arrived at the center near the aquarium, everyone had to get off the trolley and wait for another trolley to take us downtown. 

The traffic was terrible, and we had already waited over 30 minutes for the next trolley.

Where we were going was several blocks away, so we decided to walk. 

 We took the scenic route along the Pigeon River, which was not crowded and had a cool breeze. 

Seafood Platter at Bubba Gumps 

We were headed to Bubba Gump's for a late lunch. 

We ordered a seafood platter of shrimp, fish, hush puppies, and fries. 

When we finished, we walked down the crowded sidewalks, and it began to rain, so we looked for shelter. 

It didn't rain for long, so we walked further down the sidewalk. 

We returned to the Trolley Stop and waited for the trolley to take us to the Gatlinburg Visitor Center. 

The crowd had thinned out, so the trolley was not crowded on the way back. 

At the cross, an accident involving four vehicles occurred. Our turn was blocked by police vehicles.

We had to take a detour, which took us a couple of miles away. 

We took the next trolley to Pigeon Forge, which also had to take a detour. 

This ended up being an all-day event. 

It was late when we arrived back at our hotel. 

Day 3: Sunday, July 23, 

We ate bagels with cream cheese for breakfast. 

Packed our bags, loaded the car, and headed for home. 

We stopped at a couple of rest areas. 

We had snacks with us, so we did not stop to eat until we got home. 

2023 July 12, Popes Tavern, Indian Mound Museums Florence, AL.

 Today, we took  Ava to see UNA's mascot, LEO, but he was sleeping. 

Leo is getting old and has not been as active since his mate died. 

I took her around the campus, showing her the Smith Bell Tower and the president's home. "Wesleyan Hall, constructed in 1856, is one of the oldest structures on the University of North Alabama campus." The building looks like a castle. 

Wesleyan Hall (Castle Building)

Smith Bell Tower 

Lion Cubs 

The campus fountain was shut off due to a leak. 

We next stopped at Pope's Tavern, where Ava learned about how the tavern was used as a hospital during the Civil War. Early cooking tools, Cypress furniture, and Civil War artifacts. 

Ava asks the curator several questions about the articles in the museum. 

We also visited the building that held information about the processing of cotton. 

Cotton Balls 

Our next stop was the Indian Mound. 

She and I both walked to the top of the mound. Lots of steps!

43 43-foot Earthen Mound was built about 500 BCE. 

Inside the museum, Ava learned about the timeline of the Native Americans during the Paleo-Indian Period, the Archaic Period, the Woodland Period, and the Mississippian and Historic Periods. 

We saw arrowheads and many American Indian artifacts. 

On the way home, we stopped at McDonald's to get Ava a kid's chicken nugget meal. 

We stopped at Smokin' Jalapeño for tacos. 

We took our food home to eat. 

2023 July 8, Day Trip Franklin, Brentwood, TN. and Huntsville, AL.

We started the day by eating Gravy and Biscuits at Jack's, then birding in McFarland Park. We saw the rain coming down the river, so we loaded into the car.

Then, we rode to Best Buy in Huntsville to buy a Canon EOS R6 Camera and stopped at Sam's Club for fuel. 

We had no luck at the Best Buy in Brentwood, Tennessee, so we rode to the One in Brentwood, Tennessee. 

Hubby was going to take a shortcut but ended up taking a long way. We rode to Maradinville and stopped at the Ardmore Welcome Center on I-65. 

Ardmore Welcome Center 

We stopped at Best Buy, where we purchased the Canon EOS R6 camera. 

It was way after lunch, so we stopped at Mellow Mushroom in Franklin. We ordered a small Pacific Rim Pizza. (It has a mild red sauce with Mozzarella, ham, bacon, caramelized onions, pineapple, and Jalapeños.)

Pacific Rim Pizza 

Mellow Mushroom Franklin, TN

We headed back home. On the way home, I reached into my purse to play video games, but my phone was not there. 

I took Hubby's phone and called mine. The manager at Mellow Mushroom answered. I told him who I was, and we returned to retrieve my phone. 

When we arrived, Hubby could not find a parking spot, so he let me out and circled around. I went inside and told the hostess who I was and that I was there to pick up my cell phone. 

I thanked them for finding it and putting it in a safe place. 

It had begun to rain when Hubby picked me up, storming home. 

I am so glad I noticed my phone was missing before we got home. It is about 2 hours to Franklin.