Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Our Bluegrass Country trip to IN, KY, TN & NC in Oct 2012

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Flew into Nashville TN, then on to Kentucky
 
Wild Turkeys along road at Mammoth Cave Natl Park
 
 

Descending into the cave for tour
 

Great Tour of multiple caves
Stalagtites and Stalagmites, oh my

Walked around distilerry grounds in Clermont KY

Great Gift Shop
Stopped by to pay our respects at Cave Hill Cem in Louisville KY to Colonel Sanders

Bizarre hotel/museum called C21 in Louisville. This is the front desk
He found a friend

Trading recipes with Paula at her buffet at Horseshoe Casino in Elizabeth, IN
I'll bet there are some bite marks in those pieces in the bucket

Drove through the Capital, Frankfort KY- Governor's Mansion
 
VERY quiet Frankfort KY street scene
Driving through horse country outside Lexington KY
St Francis Mission, built 1826 on land donated by my great-great-great-great grandfather

Inside the Church- looks great for almost 200 years old


Visiting my gr-gr-gr grandfather and gr-gr-gr-gr grandfather & grandmother (died 1795)

 
 

Sulphur Springs, KY

 
Site of former Worlds Fair in Knoxville TN
 
Saying HOWDY to Dolly


FULL after a big lunch at Sonny's BBQ outside Knoxville TN

Just ONE of the bizarre buildings in Sevierville TN
Just a small sample of the colors throughout our trip

Bedroom of the Suite we had at Zoder's Inn in Gatlinburg TN

Bathroom/kitchenette combo of the Suite we had at Zoder's Inn in Gatlinburg TN

Living room in our room

View from our balcony off the bedroom down into the stream
Photo taken from other side of stream- our room directly above the cars

This hotel gives you free wine/cheese every day 5p-7p

This hotel gives you free cookies/milk every day 8p-10p
This hotel gives you free breakfast every day 7a-10a
 
Ride a tram up the mountain and play mini-golf down the hill- it was fun at nighttime

Just being friendly with the natives

Walking around Gatlinburg

Just too damn cute in Gatlinburg
Oops, not so cute

Pumpkin patches everywhere

Colors of the season

free concerts and rocking chairs to enjoy along the street

Took the chair lift to the top for a view over Gatlinburg

no comment

Greeted at Dollywood by the singers
Forgot to shower before heading to the park
 
Birds of a feather....
 
 
Doesn't this look the cover to a country album
 
Oh yea, too big
Listened to the gospel singers in the Chapel at Dollywood
 
Grist Mill
 
Took train ride in hills
 
MORE pumpkins
 
I found him!! I have a photo with this bear from 1968 when I was in Gatlinburg
 
Driving through the Smokey Mountains
 
Very clear day
 
Beautiful drive from Gatlinburg TN to Cherokee NC
Atop Clingman's Dome- highest point of Smokey Mountains (and coldest/windiest)
Cherokee NC very kitschy
 
 
Who knew this was hidden away in a little town in TN
Tennessee State Museum in Nashville- don't they all look so happy?
 
This was actually a great musuem right downtown Nashville
 
Practicing for the Grand Ole Opry
Interesting architecture throughout Nashville
 
Some great bars downtown
The former Grand Ole Opry here at the Ryman Auditorium
 
Inside the Parthenon in Nashville Park...so out of place
Lifesize Parthenon in Nashville
 
We got tickets to Grand Ole' Opry for our Anniversary
 
Happy 17 years to us!
 
Waiting for the show to start- Minnie Pearl imitator doing the opening
 
Jim Ed Brown singing Pop A Top
 
Charlie Daniels doing an amazing The Devil Came Down to Georgia