http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Tennessee/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from North America , United States , Tennessee en-us Fri, 05 Dec 2008 02:34:55 UTC Fri, 05 Dec 2008 02:34:55 UTC Happy Thanksgiving to all of our Bloggers There was a lot of hustle and bustle in the morning. Some were watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.Others were preparing more yummy dishes. Nancy finished cleaning the trailer. Martin came over to visit and to bring the drinks for dinner. Phil and Terrye's daughter Erin and Dina arrived with lots of hugs. The three little ones found ready arms for http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Tennessee/Knoxville/blog-351002.html Janet and Terrye and Phil have the day off so everyone is bustling. Rich went out and about doing Rich things. Janet and Nancy went shopping for clothes and for tonight's groceries. Terrye was cooking and baking for tomorrow. Nancy cleaned up the trailer. Jodie called from Manhattan. She went into town with Seth and Vivian on the subway. They went to work and she went to Central Park with a copy http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Tennessee/Knoxville/blog-350943.html We went to Knoxville TN for Turkey Day. It was divine to go home but definitely a bit too short. Robyn flew in as well and we decided Midnight Madness on Black Friday was for us. It was fantastic the sales were ridiculous at 75 off or so. Anyway I am not a writer and I'm exhausted. Maybe I'll post more later. http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Tennessee/blog-350818.html Okay SO I am not on the road right now but I wanted to share some photos with everyone. I couldn't upload them to this site so I added them to photo bucket. You can view them for free at this link httpwww.picturetrail.comsfxalbumview21098207You need a password. Just hit the Number 1 Ten 10 times. There are pics from the show and some I found on dads old PC the other night when I http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Tennessee/Knoxville/blog-350811.html We started the day at Home Depot looking for parts to make a Christmas present. Nancy helped do a little cleaning for company. We went over to Janet's house to check the little high chair we had refinished. We decided it didn't need another coat of finish so we took it back to Phil's. We got hungry and decided to go to lunch at O'Charley's. It was so good Phil joined us. Rich went to the VA to h http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Tennessee/Knoxville/blog-350781.html Today was different from our other days here. Rich needed to take the trailer to Camping World for some repairs and checks so Nancy packed up a bunch of possible projects for the day and went into the house at 700. Usually we eat breakfast in the camper and come out after everyone has left the house. Nancy found out what a lively household this is in the morning Terrye was having coffee to go http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Tennessee/Knoxville/blog-350778.html After breakfast we went shopping. Then we gathered up our laundry and went to the laundromat. We had seven loads with the towels and sheets It took us a couple of hours but it was worth it. For dinner we had leftover beans and cornbread. Jodie called and said that Seth had found a good ticket for her so she could join us all for Thanksgiving She can fly from Reno to Dallas to New York and the http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Tennessee/Knoxville/blog-350773.html I am SO not happy about this trip thing the problems in Thailand are too serious. Yeah I'm losing thousands of dollars and vacation time that I'll never see again. But it's much more than that to me. I'm not sure that anyone understands how much this trip meant to me. I'm not even sure that I understood what it meant. It held me together for the last 8 months planning and thinking that I could http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Tennessee/Nashville/blog-350338.html Well after more than 6 weeks and nearly a mile of miles Chessy and I are almost home. Irsquom here in Sevierville TN where Jeff and Toni met me Friday night. We had a fun day kicking around the outlet malls and will head home Sunday.A quick check of my trip notes told me Irsquove driven 5165 miles on this journey and itrsquos 106 miles to Asheville Sorry I couldnrsquot resist a line http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Tennessee/Seiverville/blog-349803.html Today we were planning on taking our camper and Nancy's sister Jan and going up to the Smokey Mountains for the weekend. There was snow up there and it was about 10 degrees so we simped out and decided we would have more fun if we just drove up there for the day since we couldn't go hiking anyway. We drove up to Pigeon Forge. Jan was interested in the dinner show the Dixie Stampede which is http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Tennessee/blog-348947.html Rich tended his beans at 300 AM. In the morning he added six smoked hamhocks and two pounds of bacon. Then we spent the rest of the morning sanding and refinishing the neat wooden high chair we had found in Virginia. You can see in the pictures what an ingenious chair it is After that Rich went to the VA clinic to see if they would give him a knee brace. They said they don't have any supplies http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Tennessee/Knoxville/blog-348933.html We began the day by starting a huge pot of beans. Last night we soaked eight pounds of dry mixed beans. This morning we started slowcooking them in a huge pot that Phil found in his basement. Don and Betty came by to take us to a Jewelry TV tent sale. They both work for Jewelry TV which is based right here in Knoxville. The Home and Garden channel is here too. The tent sale was fun. There were http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Tennessee/Knoxville/blog-348206.html We're here We slept in and lounged around. Nancy's brother Phil had his four wisdom teeth extracted in the morning. It took two hours His lovely wife Terrye was the surgical assistant and two of his sons watched part of the procedure. When he got home and had slept for awhile we visited. He was pretty funny under the influence of pain medication. He couldn't remember questions he had just ask http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Tennessee/Knoxville/blog-348199.html a lot finger and face climbing with trad gear. I have to pick to lead . warm and nice view fun climbing . meet cool climbers. free camp but .....I do not want to lock my car. becouse I hear about someone broke car wind and steal stuff. but it was nothing happen for few days. http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Tennessee/Chattanooga/blog-347999.html With halloween over and done with I figured it was probably about time I stopped playing tourist and got my life in order..........great idea in theory now if only there were less music gigs to go to and I stopped getting home at 3am in the morning and sleeping most of the day away then I would've gotten things organsied a lot quicker. So in between CMA Awards week and all the local talent around http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Tennessee/Nashville/blog-346575.html Maryville College and rain. Can we make these work in conjunction to provide Maryville College with a cheaper more sustainable means of watering our various athletic fields and small gardens cultivated by our incredible grounds crew. My group is investigating the feasibility of a gray water run off system serving as a means of watering the aforementioned areas. At this point my research shows th http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Tennessee/blog-346148.html In true Mary fashion I have a story for y'all... Last night unbeknownst to us our hotel was robbed. The clerk was lured away from the desk under the guise that a guest needed towels. Someone has placed a phony call to lure her away and while she was delivering the materials to the room which happened to be unoccupied money was stolen from the drawer. What I find strange is that I actual http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Tennessee/Gatlinburg/blog-344880.html Breeze sing a happy songThis heart of mine is singing right alongDont know where Im goingDont know where it endsTill the grass is greener beyond the bendI havent got a careIm just on my way to anywherePocketful of nothing nothing I can spendHope the grass is greener beyond the bendBeyond the bendPerhaps therell be somebody waiting whos right for meSo I got to move aroundAnd I know Ive got to c http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Tennessee/Clarksville/blog-344562.html Happy Birthday Lisa and SaraWe spent two days in Chattanooga on the way to our next project and as many areas as wersquove seen this is one of the most stunning. We spent the first day driving around the downtown area and along the river and then we took the incline railway to the top of Lookout Mountain. Marvin and Jackie traveled with us but they only stayed one day as they used to l http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Tennessee/Chattanooga/blog-343817.html It's surprising how many things I need for my trip. I always like to be ultra prepared and went the route of trying to do everything by the book.. ie. quickdry clothes travel doctor learning a few words getting in better shape prearranged hotels etc... I've even tried to desensitize myself to spiders but hopefully I won't see any bc it's slow going I'm a little freaked out though I did http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Tennessee/Nashville/blog-342044.html After spending a couple of days on the job search trail. I went out Wednesday night to see Billy do a charity benefit called chords for a cure. They were raising money for cancer research and it was a great show. The halloween decorations were out in full force including freshly carved pumpkins which I had never seen before. After Billy it was off to 12th and Porter for the next gig of the night. http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Tennessee/Nashville/blog-341068.html Here are some pictures I've gathered over the past month. The one in costume was taken on tour day if you havne't seen the movie Fireproof I recommend you go...it's a great movie. After the movie we went to dinner and then crashed the party that Trish head housekeeper and her husband were having for 25 teenagers. We didn't stay longWe will finish at Carson Springs on November 4 and wil http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Tennessee/Newport/blog-340589.html First off it's been a long time since the last blog and it's not really Cody's fault but he's going to get blamed anyway. So be it I apologize. Second this will be the last blog since the trip is now over and has been for a month.We had a beautiful drive through Tennessee ending up in Pigeon Forge. We stayed at a hotel room SOOO nice and left early the next morning after our FREE panc http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Tennessee/Great--Smoky-Mountains-Parkway/blog-340126.html My group consisting of Daniel Rule Rebecca Jones and myself decided that we would work on rainwater cisterns to help supplement Maryville College's water needs. Rainwater cisterns basically function as large water reservoirs to hold the rainwater runoff from various buildings on campus. The first problem I've run into in my research is preliminary evidence that says Eastern Tennessee is reall http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Tennessee/blog-339980.html The smoky mountains are absolutely gorgeous and of course with it being Autumn all the leaves have started to change colour and are falling off the trees. I took some pics but they just didn't do the scenery justice so check out the video attached. I spent a day hiking through the National Park which was fantastic and free. I couldn't believe they didn't have park entrance fees. I saw Elk in their http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Tennessee/Great--Smoky-Mountains-Parkway/blog-339488.html Suggested Listening for this Entry Moody Blue Way Down and My Way by Elvis Presley. A concert clip of Elvis performing My Way a few weeks before his death is attached below. If you need a chuckle and want to know what really happened to Elvis listen to The King Gets a Day Job by the Reverend Billy C. Wirtz.Suggested Food and Drink for this Entry Are there any situations where pre http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Tennessee/Memphis/blog-338743.html Suggested Listening for this Entry Respect Yourself by the Staples Singers. Sittin' on The Dock of the Bay by Otis Redding.Suggested Food and Drink for this Entry NoneIt's impossible for one person to tell the Stax story over the course of a few blog entries. I hope you the reader will visit the Stax Museum if you are ever anywhere near Memphis. As a music fan it is one of the most i http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Tennessee/Memphis/blog-338612.html Memphis the home of Elvis. http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Tennessee/Memphis/blog-338592.html Suggested Listening for this Entry Starting All Over Again by Mel and Tim. Who's Making Love by Johnnie Taylor. Walk on By and Theme from Shaft by Isaac Hayes a clip of which is included below. Suggested Food and Drink for this Entry No food just a forty of Schlitz Malt Liquor. Unfortunately Rufus Thomas' ad for Schlitz Malt Liquor isn't available on YouTube.After the events late http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Tennessee/Memphis/blog-338285.html Suggested Listeing for this Entry These Arms of Mine and Try a Little Tenderness by Otis Redding. Soul Man by Sam and Dave. Knock on Wood by Eddie Floyd. A clip of Redding performing Try a Little Tenderness is included at the end of this entry.Suggested Food and Drink for this Entry Again let the music be your noursihment.In 1962 a blues guitarist named Johnny Jenkins came from G http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Tennessee/Memphis/blog-338127.html