Dixie Stampede

We have been so very lucky with our weather ...Sunny and 70 today just perfect for a drive through the Smokey Mountains ....

Then tonight we went to the Dixie Stampede here in Pidgeon Forge ...a great dinner and show ...dinner was delicious even if you had to eat it with your fingers ....the show was great ...

The Trail ends here ...the next three days will be just drive - stop - drive - stop and not much to see I don't think ....Thank you for following along our adventures - it truly has been another amazing one ...

Safe and Happy Trails !!!!

Pidgeon Forge - Tennessee

It was a beautiful drive today ....some climbing but nothing like what lays ahead for us ....Pidgeon Forge is sensory overload...nestled amongst the smokey mountains its just a paradise ....Great campground right beside Little Pidgeon River ...started off the night with a ride on the highest Ferris Wheel I have ever been on ...

At the Base of the Ferris Wheel you see the Ole Smoky Moonshine Store ....so in we went and tasted about 8 flavors of Moonshine ....Oh my God what awful stuff ....but came out smiling :) and with a Jar of Butterscotch flavored :) Moonshine ...what fun !!!  Headed over to Margaritaville for dinner and great music ....fun night ...

Tomorrow we take our long awaited drive through the Smokey Mountains and we will top off our day with tickets to the Dixie Stampede ....4 course dinner and a show with 32 horses, trick riders and a "battle" between North and South ...

Happy Trails!!!

Nashville - Day 3

Today we went to the Country Music Hall of Fame - it took us three hours to walk (scooter) through it ....it is such a beautiful building and there were several additional exhibits - Alan Jackson - Kenny Rogers and Bob Dylan (not a fan)



We went down a block to Broadway and it was just as described...Rows and rows of bars/restaurants with country music blasting from their doors ....most were already packed but we did find a great spot that just so happened to have a 2 for 1 deal ...and Sam Adams...how can you go wrong ....

On the way back to the Van came across a

We are determined to have a drink in every Margaritaville ...this is number 3 ..

Didn't get everything done this visit ...but we would both like to come back again ....

Hockey Arena for the Nashville Predators





We move on to Pigeon Forge tomorrow ....about 200-220 miles and so looking forward to the drive through the Smokey Mountains.

Happy Trails!!!!



Nashville - Day 2

Today just couldn't have been any better....it was 78 and sunny and just a beautiful day...After a bit of shopping it was time for dinner and the Opry.  We went to a restaurant called Aquarium ...it was fantastic...I expected 1 little salt water aquarium but we actually felt like we were sitting in one ...well without getting wet !!!!

Great place with great food and the fish were amazing ....and the food was great

Then it was time for the Opry.  Growing up with Country Music and listening and watching the Opry this was a special time for both of us ...Even tho there were no really big names the show was really great.  We recognize Jeannie Seely, The Whites, Connie Smith and Ricky Scaggs ....even the no-names had good voices and played well ... Just a wonderful 2 1/2 hours of entertainment.

 

The Whites

Jeannie Seely



Phil walking into the Opry

Connie Smith

Ricky Scaggs

 

Tomorrow we will head to Downtown Nashville which apparently is another whole experience ...Wish we had more time ....

 

 

Happy Trails!!!

 



Nashville

We are here !!!! In Nashville!!!  Phil can hardly contain himself ....He is soooo excited for the Grand Ole Opry.... We had another great day of travel ....waking up on the shores of the Mississippi and watching the barges go by this morning was delightful and soothing ...we got a little later start today because check-in for the campsite was 2:00 which is unusual....we are at Nashville Jellystone Yogi Bear Campground!!!!!!!! What !!! without Nevaeh??? 

Well we wouldn't normally choose this kind of camp because it is geared towards kids ....but there is a marathon in Nashville tomorrow and everything is packed ....when I called for reservations on Monday to our chosen campground she told me of the marathon and how everything was booked up but to try Jellystone which is right next door and all pull thru's.   And it was one of our discounted campgrounds :) so it was 1/2 price for 3 nights ....Come on Yogi !!!!!!!  We are 2 blocks from Opryland and we have tickets to go to the 7 p.m. show tomorrow ....  The wonderful lady at the campground here told us NOT to venture downtown tomorrow because of the Marathon ...so we will do some housekeeping, visit Walgreens and Camping World (next door) and get ready for our show...Oh Yeah and there is a western store a block away that has Little Girl Cowgirl boots...Can't imagine who I might want them for :) :) :)

No pictures to post for todays travels ....but look out tomorrow :)

Happy Trails!!!!

Memphis and Graceland

Today was the our first of having to drive in rain ...we started off our day at 9 a.m. in a light rain fall ...it lasted about 45 minutes and we drove out of it before we landed at our campground for the night ...The campground is situated right on the Mississippi River ....

Soon after setting up we drove the 20 minutes to Graceland.  We actually realized then that we were really still in Arkansas and had to cross the Mississippi into Tennessee ....
The weather was beautiful and we took the 1 1/2 hour tour of the Mansion and the grounds ...I wont bore everyone with the 227 photos I took at Graceland ...but will share a few ...

The Infamous jungle room

This was a fantastic day and ticked a box on my Bucket List ...On to Nashville tomorrow where we will stay until Monday.   Tickets for The Grand Ole Opry for Saturday night :) will tick a box on Phil's Bucket List.

Happy Trails!!

North Little Rock, Arkansas

We are camped along the Arkansas River tonight and between two bridges that provided us a light show tonight ...one of the most beautiful settings we have ever seen ....

Our drive today was short and we skirted the Ozark Mountains ...a pretty drive right down to the river.    On our arrival we discovered that the Bill Clinton Library was within walking(scootering) distance ...we just had to walk across one of the bridges....

The bridge we walked over on the right and the Library is that strange building on the left. 

A view of Little Rock from the bridge.  We had thought about driving all the way through to Memphis today but ended up very happy that we stopped in Little Rock.



The Mark Twain Riverboat in the top photo and a view of our RV from atop the bridge.  I was lucky enough to be here when the lights came on the bridge and I got a few good photo ops :)

A beautiful day and very glad to get a small glimpse of Little Rock, Arkansas.  On to Memphis tomorrow and GRACELAND !!!!  

Happy Trails !!!

Alma Arkansas

Our trip today was only 167 miles from Oklahoma City to Alma Arkansas ...Not a lot of opportunity to take photos ....Everything was very green and lush and a stark contrast to Arizona and New Mexico.  It was good weather, straight road and gas was still $2.14

Our KOA was a wonderful surprise as we pulled into a small campground tucked into the woods with a pond, ducks, cranes and of course, Canadian Geese ....The owner and his family saw Phil's Purple Heart hat and license plates and thanked him many times for his service and then very nicely directed us to a prime spot ...overlooking the pond and ducks and our own small patio.  It was a perfect end to a lovely day.  We seem to be behind a storm going east but another is coming up behind us ....Not sure how long our luck will hold out but it was sunny and 70 here today as we enjoyed lunch on our little patio.   On to Little Rock Arkansas tomorrow and staying in a campground right downtown...should be interesting :)

 

Happy Trails!!!

Oklahoma City - Oklahoma

Today was a wonderful drive and we were so glad to have made the decision to hang back in Amarillo for that extra day.  The drive was smooth with sun and no wind ....Stopped just outside Oklahoma City in a great KOA ..one of the nicest yet ....trying to stay behind the storms ....

Phil got to put the Texas sticker on the map -

This huge cross is at a rest stop just off the I-40 and can be seen long before you get to it.

Somebody was drunk when they put this water tower up ...

 

On to Fort Smith/Alma, Arkansas tomorrow

Happy Trails!!!

Amarillo Texas - One More Night

Calling for high winds on I-40 from here to Oklahoma City so we have decided to stay one more night in Amarillo.

AMARILLO TEXAS

We have been lucky to be chasing the bad weather ....I sure hope we don't catch up to it ....it was a wonderful day of travel ...Gas was $2.14/gallon and it seems to be about $2.25 here in Texas.  Our Campground had wonderful reviews and it advertised free limosine service the Big Texan restaurant free of charge ...just down the road ....and it was all that and more ....its a great park and would come back in a heartbeat ...

 

 We were able to see The Cadillac Ranch from the freeway which is really something to see with the cars stuck into the ground ...

 

 Once we were setup we called for the limousine to pick us up at 7.  This restaurant has been on GMA apparently as some little 120 lb Mom of 4 is going to try to eat THREE 72 oz steaks ...in one sitting ...apparently she has done two ....so its a big deal here tomorrow ...hope we can sneak out around the traffic ...This restaurant says if you can eat their 72 oz steak in 1 hour you get it free ....well a fellow came in while we were there and tried ....he didn't make it....he took at least 1/3 with him but he got a t-shirt and had to pay $72 for the steak

 







 It was just a really good time ...Food (steak) was fantastic ....Beer was good too :)  and I finally tried Mountain Oysters that Phil has told me about for years and they were good :)   The limousine was waiting outside to take us back to the RV ....How great is that !!!! 

 

 The Central Time Zone is messing up our sleeping ....but we head on to Oklahoma City tomorrow if the weather is okay.

 

Happy Trails!!!