Touring in Nashville

After our long day of checking out Nashville we went to dinner at Night Life, which is a couple doors down from our campground.  We had a good buffet dinner=I was surprised at the sweet green beans and have enjoyed the sweet tea here in the South.  The show was good and we enjoyed it.  We spent the day seeing Andrew Jackson's home called the Hermitage.  Ladies dressed in Southern dresses and hats showed us around the plantation house.  It was nice to see the furniture and rooms.  Then we went out to the gardens and grave yard.  The gardens were just beautiful and had a lot of spices that they used to cure illnesses with in olden days.  It had rained a little before we went outside.  Could have spent more time seeing the grounds but had to get back for dinner.  Today Aug 28 Th Thursday we went to breakfast at Bob Evan's.  They had things to buy just like Cracker Barrel.  Breakfast was good and something different than we'd had.  Then we went over to see the Opry Hotel.  We were surprised how big it was and expected to see just a beautiful lobby.  Well it is a huge atrium in middle of square hotel rooms.  It has a river with a boat ride around the hotel, something like the river walk in San  Antonio.  Next time we will eat there=looks like a great place to spend more time.  So glad we got to see it.  Went back and went to Camping World which is right next door to us practically and got a few things we need.  Tonight we are in West Memphis, Arkansas.  Pat & Elmon and us stayed here at the Tom Sawyer Mississippi River Park 4 years ago.  We look out our front window and see the river.  Have seen a barge go down river all ready.  We are waiting for it to cool off before thinking  about dinner.

 Buddy was somehow wrapped up in this blanket, we laughed so hard. I don't think he thought it was funny, though.  It is quite warm here and some humidity.  The park here lets you wash clothes for free so since nobody else was using the 2 machines here by us, I did a couple loads.  Pat, I can't remember but wash room has air conditioning now.  JVP

Nashville, Tn

Tues Aug 26th arrived here at 2 Rivers Campground.  It has rained here before we came and is cloudy today.  We had lunch at Canney's Fish Camp Rest.  We split a catfish lunch and watched the real catfish swim around in the pool in middle of rest.  Tried fried dill pickles for appetizer which were good but don't compare to ones in Arkansas.  That evening we went to Grand Ole Opera to see Tues evening program.  We didn't recognize any of the performers names but then don't follow Country much.  It is a real live radio broadcast so has an announcer and commercials and sponsors.  They had 8 performers do their program for 15 minutes(2 hour program). You can bring in drinks and food from concession stand and sit in padded bench seats.  We enjoyed the music and just being there.  Afterwards we went to Applebees and had appetizers(our dinner), since we were still full from  lunch.  Today we got up to cloudy skies again and no rain yet.  We went on a van tour called Tommy's.  He first took us downtown to see the stadium, state capitol building, the Batman building, Charlie Daniels Museum, Wild Horse Saloon, Coyote Ugly and the old train building which is now a national registry hotel.  It was beautiful stained glass and building.  We got to see a room which has a nice view and was $399 a night.  Tommy was quite a joker and kept us entertained and very informative about Nashville.  Next we went to some stars homes.  What big huge things and in Millions of dollars on very large property.  We drove by Tim McGraw's house and he was driving out as we came up.  He rolled down the window so we could see him and waved to us.  What great timing.  Saw Dolly Parton' s small home, Trisha Yearwood's, and many others.  Was a really nice tour. JVP

traveling days

We have spent last two days traveling and Internet too slow to post.  We left Ann Arbor after spending Sun evening with Mei & Andrew.  They took us to their favorite Thai Restaurant.  I had mine with no spice kind of like a chicken stir fry.  John had something more spicy.  We'd try it again.  Made plans to meet again maybe for Christmas and played a few games of cribbage before we left for motor home.  Covered 3 states and 380 miles today. Left Michigan, through Ohio and ended up in Louisville, Kentucky.  Roads have been real rough worse than Maritime Providences of last year.  Stayed at a real nice big KOA in Louisville but it was quite expensive($50) a night.  We thought about staying another day but decided too expensive since we weren't using all their facilities.  Had a really nice pool & spa, playground and such.  Had breakfast at a Waffle House this morning.  John had his usual waffle and me my cheesy eggs and raisin toast.  Hitting Cracker Barrel, Waffle House and things we like but don't  have at home.  Drove 156 miles to Nashville, Tenn.  Roads are getting better but these drivers are fast.  You should see how fast the trucks go down the road and there are alot of them back here on the roads.  We didn't see any horses in Kentucky-guess we weren't in the right area.  We aren't much on baseball or horse racing otherwise Louisville would have been Ok.  Saw some tobacco plants growing in fields today and a small barn where they were drying.  Also saw some whiskey distilling plants, GM plant and Fruit of the Loom today while driving. Diesel is $3.97 today.  Weather is cloudy and in 70's but humid and wind blowing.  May have a thunder storm and rain later tonight from Fay.  Staying put here in Nashville for a few days to rest up and lots to do here.  These are a few pictures that we took before we left Ann Arbor.  We stopped at a Apple Cider stand, tasted cider and had apple donuts. Yum   JVP

Last Days at Ann Arbor

Sat Aug 23rd.  We went to Sam's Club to see what's different here in Michigan.  Didn't find too much or that we could cart back home.  Took a ride down town and had lunch at seafood rest.  They had the best fish & chips we've ever had, even in the Maritime Providences.  John had a Cobb salad with shrimp and crab on it.  We had Mei & Andrew out for spaghetti dinner since both had worked that day.  I made a peach pie (uses my Jiffy pie crust mix) and was so yummy.  We played some cribbage, a very close game, down to the last few pegs.  Then we showed them how to play Spinner's (domino game).  It was very hot & humid yesterday and last night we had some RAIN.  Of coarse we weren't expecting it since stars were out and chairs got wet.  Today is sunny but not so humid and chairs are dried out, so we can put them away.  Ann Arbor is a nice town and we've enjoyed the tree lined streets (trees have even begun to change colors since we've been here).  Houses have big unfenced yards, gardens and flowers.  Everywhere there are parks with lakes or ponds around every corner.  The drivers here are very pushy.  They ride on your bumper at high speeds 3 0r 4 in a row and don't go around just stay there. Their streets are full of pot holes, cracks -sooo Calif. roads are NOT that bad.  We haven't had time to explore the north of Michigan where there is another large Great Lake, Lake Superior. Lots of rural settings and light houses -just to far to drive in a day.  I wanted to include a few more pictures but I am going to take some tonight and edit this post later. I will include some of the campground. The KOA inspectors were here with their new Fifthwheel Trailer and Truck all painted in the KOA colors. They inspected the campground and gave them the President award for excellence. We were impressed. JVP

The Henry Ford Museum

Henry Ford wanted his museum to pay tribute to American innovation and chronicle the people whose vision and boldness changed the world.  It was fun to see the Dymaxion House built in 1945.  It is round and looks like an Airstream  trailer.  It was suppose to be mass produced in a short time, affordable and environmentally efficient.  I'm glad it wasn't successful.  Also saw the Wiener mobile=Oscar Meyer's hot dog car.  Saw DC-3 with 95 foot wing span that had 12 million miles of air travel.  Interesting to see how seat space hasn't changed much and in early day they sat in wicker chairs.  We saw lots of presidential limos=Eisenhower, Kennedy's which he was assassinated in, Reagan's and Teddy Roosevelt's.  Also enjoyed the Allegheny-one of the LARGEST locomotives ever built.   It weighs 600 tons and is 125 feet long.  They had a great display of farm equipment and automobiles.  Also had steam engines that ran this country in early days.  We were so tired we went to Cracker Barrel for dinner.  Didn't see Mei as they had a late work and study night.  Today was hazy and humid.  The chance of storm passed up by.  Today Friday we had slept in late, did laundry, got my nails and hair done.  Looking forward to having dinner with Mei this evening.

part 2

We have so many pictures thought we'd just send a few more of our Greenfield Village Trip.  This first picture is the Ford T's that travel through the village.  Next picture I liked as this shows how the first electricity came into the houses through the wires.  We had lunch in a cafe and there were 2 pictures made up of different colors of corn.  Isn't this cow great!  Next is our campfire.  It was cool after we eat so we had a fire.  Notice Mei and I have long sleeve's on.  All the mosquitos eat Mei up but John & I got a few the next evening. We only have two days left here, we are going to Mei's home for dinner tonight, maybe play some cribbage. JVP

Adventures in Ann Arbor

Went blue berry picking after Mei got off work.  The blue berries are smaller but we had fun. Andrew had to study late so we went and tries a Mexican restaurant-was pretty good.  The next day Wed Aug 20th was a cooler day.  Was only 56 at 7 the morning.  Went to the Farmer's Market.  Had such good fruit and vegetables-we are enjoying the tomatoes and peaches and got some raspberries and a bunch of flowers.  Mei went to work and John & I went to Zingerman's Deli for breakfast.  It is world famous and even Oprah had a sandwich here and voted best one she's had.  Their bread was really GOOD.  Then John & I drove to to Greenfield Village where Henry Ford has re-created the world that inspired him.  We saw Wright Bros. work shop, Thomas Edison's lab, people dressed in period clothes.  We rode in a Model T car around the village.  Saw a lot of old homes re-built on the land.  Webster's home that made the dictionary, a boarding house and Washington Carver's, a slave who became a great scientist .  We walked until our feet were sore and then got on a bus that took us out to the Rouge Ford Plant for a tour.  Everything out there is very  secretive.  Can only get there by bus, no pictures can be taken and no postcards either.  It is a huge place that Ford built on the Rouge River.  It is at least 2000 acres.  His idea was to have everything he needed their so he had a glass factory, steel plant and such.  Then he revolutionized manufacturing by bringing all the parts for the car to the workers on an assembly line and paid them $5 an hour which was far more than others made in that day.  We saw a movie on the making of this plant, than another movie where we saw how cars and trucks are made today but in virtual reality.  We were  hot when things where poured into forms, rained and painted on, shaken and blinded.  Than we got to go see the new things they are doing in the production of F 150's.  Unfortunately the plant is shut down now while they gear up the the new year but we did see on screens above the plant floor what went on in each section.  Ford has also made a living green roof, doing things at plant to improve the environment and water in the area.  It is a massive plant- as far as you can see in all directions. JVP 

Family News

Arrived in Ann Arbor where my niece Mei lives.  We are in a Koa park about 12 miles away.  Ann Arbor is a college town-University of Michigan has a huge area and adding more buildings all the time.  A lot of the big homes have been converted to boarding rooms.  Andrew and Mei took us for a tour around campus and the medical buildings where Andrew is studing.  Saw their duplex and then had dinner downtown.  Monday was Andrew's first day of school so Mei and us went to the country and did some wine tasting.  Then we toured the Chelsea Milling Company where Jiffy Mixes are made.  The factory is old and small but they put out a lot of product.  Their top seller is corn muffin mix. We each got 2 mixes and will use them soon=they are just the right size for traveling.  We barbacued chicken here at our camp and played cribbage

Michigan, Finally

We are here. We stayed two days in Davenport, Iowa. Left on Saturday for Michigan, we wanted to get to Mei's,  our niece on Sunday afternoon. The total distance was about 400 miles but we wanted to split it up, so we went 250 to Covert, MI. We stayed at the KOA there, very nice with Blue Berry bushes all around. We could pick and eat all you wanted but if you put it in a pail you paid by the pound. Saturday afternoon we drove to one of the local beaches on Lake Michigan in Benton Harbor. It is hard to believe you are not looking at the ocean it is so vast an expanse. We also stopped at a local roadside fruit stand and got peaches, tomatoes and blue berries. We did not think we had enough time to pick. Got up to a beautiful morning and a blue berry pancake breakfast served by the owners of the park. Yum. Then we drove to the beach north of our area, and we are glad we did. We walked on the beach and walked out to the light house. Very pretty. Walked around downtown and talked to the locals, a great time. JVP

Davenport, Iowa

We arrived here after a long day of travel, 400 miles. We are staying at the campground that Pat and Elmon and us stayed at last year. Set up camp and went to John Deer which John just loved.  He got to see all the new equipment and sit on it all. I found a computer that told me all about corn, soybeans, wheat, eggs, cotton, cattle, pigs, apples. Told how they were planted, where,harvesting and such.  Really interesting.  We went to an outside patio downtown and had lunch and then on to John Deer store and another facility where they restore old equipment.  Our next stop was the Mississippi Visitor Center and Locks.  We arrived just in time to see 9 barges pass through the lock and tie off at the end.  Then the next 6 barges came through pushed by the tug.  It is amazing to watch the cars go by and all by the level of water in the locks.  These cars came from Minnesota and were headed west.  Then they tie all the cars together and push it on the river.  The bridge turns side ways to let the boat pass and the cars all have to wait awhile as it is not a fast operation.  

Traveling & Relatives

Well we traveled 3 hard days of over 300 miles a day. Started in Montana, Wyoming and in to Nebraska to visit with my  Uncle & Aunt.  Both in 90's and going downhill physically but still sharp in mind.  They are happy in their little apartment and are busy doing things there.  We got there when it was birthday month celebration but had dinner delivered to their apartment and had a nice meatloaf dinner.  Next day took my Aunt to bank and a short shopping trip to Wal-Mart.  We brought Kentucky Chicken for dinner and looked at family pictures.  That night we enjoyed a Mid-West thunder storm with rain and lightening.  Tonight Thur Aug 14th finds us in Davenport, Iowa.  We did another long day of driving so will rest tomorrow-acutually sight see.  Went to eat at a local rest. called Iowa Machine Shed.  Good food and enjoyed the corn on the cob,ribs and steak.  Did laundry and walked around camp.  We saw fire flies(they are little bugs that light up at night).