Archive for October, 2014

Wow!

Wednesday, October 29th, 2014
Ice carving

Ice carving

A demonstration of beginning carvers in downtown Knotsville.  We also enjoyed a couple bluegrass or country rock bands during a lunch concert that was being broadcast live on a public radio station.  Very cool

Dukes

Dukes

A real live Dukes of Hazard Museum in Gatlinburg!  We didn’t even get out of our car in Gatlinburg!  It was the Friday of Fall Colors and you would have thought we were driving downtown Disneyland!  You couldn’t walk, you couldn’t drive!  This is the entrance to Smokie Mountain NP.  The park was packed also, but nothing like the tiny town!  We finally found a nice trail along the river and took a walk.

It's FALL!

It’s FALL!

Everyday it gets more beautiful!

Same picture through my sunglasses!

Same picture through my sunglasses!

I have been enjoying the fall colors for 2 weeks with my sunglasses and finally Paul had a look!

SMNP4

SMNP3

SMNP2

Two days later and a small rain storm, but still beautiful colors.  Paul thinks the color here is better than anything he ever experienced in the Northeast.

 

Tennesseecolor5

Tennesseecolor4

Tennesseecolor3

Tennesseecolor2

Tennesseecolor1

Tennesseecolor

SMNP11

Methodistchurch

Throughout Smokie Mountain National Park there are old structures.  We saw a school, several churches, lots of log homes. SMschoolhouse

SMNP5

SMNP8

Look at all the leaves that have already fallen!
SMNP6

It was still a bit rainy but oh so beautiful.  You will have to visit yourself in late October.

My favorite memory

My favorite memory – It was like driving through a tunnel!

Wash, rinse, wash again!

Friday, October 17th, 2014

Poor Duke!  He got two baths yesterday as well as Paul getting a shower during what should have been cocktail hour!  Duke got a much needed bath in the morning and then another after chasing his ball right into a ditch!

Paul tosses the ball, Duke chases it, hitting it into the bushes.  Duke disappears into the bushes and doesn’t immediately reappear, and then Denise remembers there is a ditch!  Damn!  Paul starts to walk over, it is about 50 feet, Duke still doesn’t reappear so Paul starts running.  Denise begins to head for the bush too.  Paul disappears into the brush, Denise feels fear… what if??  After what appeared to be minutes, Duke reappears from the brush with the ball, then Paul!  Duke is soaked!  He went swimming, the only dry hair is on the top of his head!  Time for a bath.  The afternoon bath is not as nearly so soothing – this one is on the picnic table with the hose!  And now it is late afternoon, so no time to dry!  I’m going to have to blow dry him.   Play a little more ball, very carefully and then Paul notices a scratch on his leg!  I’m thinking peroxide and then Paul says “I hope there is not poison oak!  Panic strikes!!!!  Paul into the shower,  all the towels we used on Duke are into the washer.  And because we are so afraid of poison oak I hand Paul the ball and ball flinger into the shower!  Geeze…..

Oh yes, we are in Alabama for the week!  And I forgot.  In Tennessee while we were touring the Cherry Mansion I saw a Ground Hog!  He was huge, and I was so surprised that I didn’t get a photo!  His body was the size of Duke and he was fearful of me – running into a hole!

Relaxing in Tennessee

Wednesday, October 15th, 2014

A pipeline or a ditch to CA for some of this water seems like a doable idea to me!  We arrived at Pickwick Landing on Friday afternoon to beautiful sunny skies and I’m looking forward to maybe renting a boat and checking out the Tennessee River and then the sky started weeping! AGAIN!!!!  Saturday was spent relaxing indoors, playing games (there is no TV here!) and baking cookies.  It has been a long time since we had a real rainy day that we didn’t or couldn’t get out.  Finally on Sunday afternoon we  ventured out in the rain to check out the dam, the rest of the resort – this is a Tennessess State Park Resort.  Then it was back home, more relaxing, reading, a little sewing.  Thank goodness for Apple!  My Ipad is my best buddy on these sort of days.

Finally on Monday we decided to take a drive and check out the Tennessee River Museum and learn a little history of this part of Tennessee.  The town of Savannah also has a very nice historic homes tour.  The homes are just a neighborhood within walking distance to the main street.  One of the many homes actually has a history from the Civil War.  The Cherry Mansion.

Cherry Mansion

Cherry Mansion

 

Cherry neighbor

By todays standards it is a modest home on the banks of the Tennessee river, but during the Civil War, Mr. Cherry offered his home to the Union Army and General Grant was having breakfast there the morning the Union engaged in battle at Shiloh where 23,000 men lost their lives.  The Battle of Shiloh National Park  is a very large park with lots of monuments to the regiments that were there and fighting for freedom.  We took the driving tour.

Monuments to each General that was at this battle

Monuments to each General that was at this battle

Cherry Mansion

Cherry Mansion

The Northern canons were much larger than those of the South

The Northern canons were much larger than those of the South

One of the monuments

One of the monuments

Statue with amazing detail

Statue with amazing detail

I am always so interested in these types of statues!  The detail is impressive – the gown was so realistic.

Shiloh Church

 

Completed in 1952

Completed in 1952

Distroyed during the battle,  this is a operating church inside the park.  The reason I took the photo is it was started at one time, the ran out of money and continued to build.  The stone work was kept of the original work.

And when we left Tuesday am.  the ground had dried out but the sky was leaking again!

 

 

Where is fall?

Saturday, October 11th, 2014

When the weather doesn’t cooperate it is good to have a good pair of sunglasses with a nice filter!  I have been enjoying the colors for about two weeks as long as I leave my sunglasses on!

A start

A start

It seems that the weather is just too nice for those really bright colors.  We are in Tennessee and if it would stop raining we might get to see some color!  The trees look good and ready.

 

Around town in Little Rock

Saturday, October 11th, 2014
Arkansas River

Arkansas River

The Big Dam Bridge slows the flow of the Arkansas River.  The bridge is only for pedestrians and spans the river above a dam and a lock.

1 mile from end to end

1 mile from end to end

He likes the Dam Bridge too!

He likes the Dam Bridge too!

We took a bike ride along the path from the Clinton Library to Downtown Little Rock where they were offering tours of two reproduction boats from Columbus’ time.

The Nina and The Pinta

The Nina and The Pinta

Skipping the tour that was overrun by school children we opted to look on while Paul checked Wikipedia and learned that the Nina is a full size replica of the original that Columbus sailed.  The Pinta is larger than the original as it needed to have a larger deck for walk around tours.

Little Rock public art is really fun.

For dog lovers?

For dog lovers?

Uptown, Saturday night!

Uptown, Saturday night!

Bunny Bump

Bunny Bump- I love this one!

Always looking for the interesting or weird! The Old Mill at T.R. Pugh park meets the requirement of interestingly weird!  The mill is a replica that was built i 1933 and was made to look as though it had been there forever.  It is featured in the opening scene of Gone with the Wind and they think it is the only structure still standing from the film.  The parks landscape is what qualifies as weird for me.

Looks like a Thomas Kinkade painting!

Looks like a Thomas Kinkade painting!

The park is decorated with sculptures of toadstools, tree stumps, and a tree branch-entwined bridge that connects the mill to the rest of the park. Senor Dionico Rodriguez, a sculptor and artist of Mexico City, was responsible for all the details of each piece of concrete work made to represent wood, iron or stone, as well as the designing of the foot bridges and rustic seats. The Old Mill is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Old Mill Bridge

The mill with a working water wheel

The mill with a working water wheel

Rapunzel in the tower? Not!

Rapunzel in the tower? Not!

Texting! I can't believe I didn't notice when I took the photo

Texting! I can’t believe I didn’t notice when I took the photo

This little girl was so cute, she was leading her daddy all over the park, up the bridge, across the water, inside the mill and he seemed so attentative until I got home and downloaded my photos!

How cute is he!!!

Wednesday, October 8th, 2014

Pauls friend, Mike who visited us in Branson is very into photography and Paul and Duke were his subject more than once.

Too cute!

Too cute!

Mr. President…

Wednesday, October 8th, 2014

Little Rock, home to the  Clinton Presidential Center where President Clinton chose to celebrate his presidency right on the Arkansas River near downtown.  I’m thinking this was a great move to boost Downtown Little Rock.  The grounds are beautiful; the Library is a plethora of artifacts of eight years work.

William J Clinton Presidental Library

William J Clinton Presidental Library

There is so much information packed into this building that it is hard to absorb everything that was accomplished during those 8 years.  I have a few favorite memories that have nothing to do with politics.   Hillary wanted to bring as many personal items with the family to the White House so that Chelsea would be comfortable in her new home as she was being moved from the only home she ever knew – The Governers Mansion in Little Rock!  From a Mansion to the White House to a dorm at Stanford University – thats an address resume!

The early photos of Bill and Hillary at Yale were pretty interesting, the two looked like every other student in the late 60’s,  shaggy beard and long straight hair.  Growing up in the 60’s had to have a real pulse on who he was as president.

The library is full of quotes of the president and he provides lots of commentary throughout the library.  One of my favorites was a video clip of Clinton in the Oval Office.  “Wait a minute guys. See that rock, it’s 3.6 billion years old. We’re all just passing through, take a deep breath, calm down, let’s see what makes sense.”  The rock is a moon rock that is showcased on the coffee table in his Oval Office.  The comment is meant to get everyone on the same page, realizing that we have time and do not need to rush to make big decisions.

The big bonus for me at the Library is the Chihuly Exhibit of glass art.  We have seen several displays of Dale Chihuly in Tacoma, WA,  at the Makers Mark Bourbon Distillery in Kentucky and now in Little Rock, AR.  Amazing work,  beautiful colors and watching the process makes it even more impressive.

Chihuly Glass Art

Chihuly Glass Art

The Red Reeds in the fountain infront of the Clinton Library

The Red Reeds in the fountain infront of the Clinton Library

Chihuly Glass Art

Chihuly Glass Art

Chihuly Glass Art

Chihuly Glass Art

These works are so beautiful, the colors are brilliant.  The spheres are amazing.

Chihuly Glass Art

Chihuly Glass Art

The bowl, holds several bowls.  They all look like individual pieces.  The coloring is  impressive

The bowl, holds several bowls. They all look like individual pieces. The coloring is impressive

One of my favorites of the collections.  The yellow rim is perfect!

One of my favorites of the collections. The yellow rim is perfect!

The Red Reeds

The Red Reeds

The RV park we are staying in is across the pedestrian bridge so we can just walk over the Arkansas River and enjoy the beauty of the park setting around the Library.  The pedestrian bridge, The Clinton Presidential Bridge  is an old railroad bridge that has been converted to a pedestrian bridge across the river and allows North Arkansas neighborhoods a walking/riding path to the Library and surrounding park as well as the downtown area.

The weather is hot and sticky here in October and this am we had another storm pass through complete with lots of rain, wind and the weather alerts!

Disneyland, Branson Style

Tuesday, October 7th, 2014

Branson is famous for the theaters and shows along the main road through town but they also have wonderful, expensive golf courses and there are resorts sprouting up all over the hills!  Top of the Rock  resort, owner Johnny Morris (Bass Pro Shop founder) is putting his creative ideas into the feel of this resort.

We paid $21 each (4 of us) to rent a golf cart and drive a 2 1/2 mile trail thru the Ozarks into a cave.  It was very difficult to tell where the natural landscape ended and the manmade enhancements started!

It's cold out here!!!

It’s cold out here!!!

Real? or  Manmade?

Real? or Manmade?

This was impossible to tell, other than the flow!

This was impossible to tell, other than the flow!

Landscape complete with a covered bridge

Landscape complete with a covered bridge

I thought only Walt Disney could get away with charging large sums of money for us to have fun!  This was a great time, although $85 was crazy but I guess it is all relative!  The trail was covered with folks doing the same thing!

The resort is complete with  restaurants and a golf course!  The Top of the Rock Golf Course, a par three PGA TOUR course!  It was beautiful, but $135.00 for a 950-1400 yd course!   We were having a very nice, mexican lunch in the lodge overlooking the driving range of the course and I found a bargain hidden in the beauty.

Topoftherockdriving

The sand traps on the driving range are astro turf!!!!

While eating, I noticed an advertizement on the table –  Driving range, bag of balls and clubs $15!  So I didn’t exactly play a PGA TOUR course, but I did hit some balls on their really cool range!

For an afternoon enjoying the beautiful Fall a group of 4 spent $85 for a golf cart ride, $ 70 for lunch and $15 for one to pretend to be a real golfer!  $170 for lots of smiles!  It’s only money!

A view of the course!

A view of the course!

 

I Need Steamed Veges!!!!

Tuesday, October 7th, 2014

It’s Paul’s birthday and how would he like to spend his day?  First was a ride around the area with friend Mike, who is trying out our lifestyle with a trip down Route 66 and a stop in Branson!  Next stop,  food coma!  Lambert’s Throwed Rolls for more carbs than I thought would be possible in one meal!  I forgot we are in the midwest!

Lamberts

Mike and our waiter look on as Paul pulls paper towels to hold his rolls , watching Connie catch a roll!

Connie, our friend who we met here 5 years ago joined us, as well as Linda and Ken who are just arriving in Branson to work through the winter.  I think everyone enjoyed dinner, we all had styrofoam boxes for another meal.  My refrigerator looks like a styrofoam breeding grounds after this week!  Lambert’s serves large meals complete with two sides, and then they throw these huge, catch with two hands rolls and then there is the guy that comes around with a paint can full of Sorgum to spread on the roll, and then there is the guys and gals running around with pots full of macaroni and tomatoes, fried okra and fried potatoes and onions – all of which you can have as much as you can eat, or stuff into your styrofoam container, And then!!!! the waitress comes over and says, what will you have for dessert!  Are you kidding me?  I just ate enough rolls alone for 3 meals!

I think the best part of Paul’s birthday was we found out all these people like to play cards!  We spent the evening sitting around a card table laughing and chatting while we played several card games.

Saturday morning Paul and Mike had a date for Krispy Cream Donuts.  I’m thinking after Friday’s meal they may pass!  Not a chance.  Mike enjoys photographing so the two of them and Duke set out for Krispy Cream and another ride around Branson looking for the perfect shot!

 

Revisiting the past

Friday, October 3rd, 2014

Our first long term stay was Branson Lakeside RV Park where we learned about Workamping and now, 5 years later we are here again, only this time just for a short visit and only reminiscing about the days of working.  Lots has changed in town and the RV park has made some very nice updates,  although the things that we loved are still the same!  The park is still in the perfect spot, right on the river with a great outdoor mall area within 1/2 mile, walking distance and the shows are still here and lots of fun, and the folks working in the park are so friendly.

So far we have been to three shows; Mickey Gilley, SIX and Shoji Tabuchi.  All great shows.  I think my favorite is still SIX.   Six brothers making music with just thier voices and a microphone!   I spend most of the show trying to figure out where/who the different noises are coming from. If shows are not your thing, Branson now has Ziplines – more than one, lots of amazing golf courses, beautiful lakes with all the watersports and right in the RV park is some excellent Trout fishing.

Branson Landing Fountains

Branson Landing Fountains

Watching the fountains spout water to music was a favorite when were here before and so far I’ve watched it four different times!  I think it is becoming a favorite of this trip too.

I don’t know why, but last time we were here we watched the train everyday and never rode it!  This time we did.

Crossing a curved Trestle!

Crossing a curved Trestle!

The Branson Train only travels about 40 miles crossing into Arkansas and reversing its course in the middle of nowhere.  It was a really nice two hour ride where we saw lots of trees just making their journey into winter – two more weeks and these hillsides will be very colorful.

Paul, enjoying the ride

Paul, enjoying the ride

Today is Paul’s birthday so we are going to bust the calorie counter for dinner.  Lamberts Cafe,  the only home of the throwed rolls!  I hope to get some great photos.