Catching Up With Blogs

 

Yes. Yes. Yes. It's been thirty eight days since my last post; May13th, to be exact. Events and trips have left me wallowing in the enjoyment of each activity...the pure joy of enjoying life and friends. I just haven't found the time nor has Internet reception been cooperative. To remain true to my purpose and goal, that of recording where I've been, what I've done and who I was with, I am forced to condense the last 38 days.

Thursday, May 12: The Hatfield/McCoy Dinner Feud

Walter, Fran, Beth, Todd and I traveled the 10 minute, 4 miles to the theatre.

Pat, Jim, Todd, Fran at the next table. Beth, Walter and I nearby.

The sister production of Dolly Parton Stampede was terrific. Talented musicians and dancers. At one point that stage descended exposing a huge pool deep enough for
performers to dive from the top of sets depicting the Hatfield/McCoy environment.

Beth captured a sampling:

Click the link above for details.

Saturday, May 14: The Titanic Museum at Pigeon Forge, TN

Prior to our visiting the Titanic Museum, Todd and Beth treated me to a
Mexican lunch at La Carreta. Very colorful décor depicting scenes of Mexico.

The extensive menu can be viewed HERE.

For most of us the "Unsinkable Titanic" on April 14, 1912, was a maritime tragedy far removed from our present day consciousness. Back in the day, no one claimed it to be "unsinkable."  For those who saw the movie, Titanic, there were some historic inaccuracies. A visit through this museum with a self-guided audio tour places you in the stark reality of what a marvel of maritime architecture it was and what it must have been like on that fateful night. From its opulent décor, to it's size, this magnificent vessel was beyond our comprehension. 

Wallace Hartley, Age 33
Residence: Dewsbury England
Musician, played violin

Upon entering, I was given a Boarding Pass identifying me as one of the passengers. It shows the name, history and class but not whether the person survived or perished. You learned this when you viewed the huge wall with every passenger's name listed by class. I entered as Wallace Hartley, bandmaster and violinist. Single, he planned to marry after this maiden voyage of the Titanic. He perished and his body was recovered on May 4th. In October, 2013, his violin sold for $1.7 million. 

A ten-year old autistic boy from Iceland, Brynar Karl, built a 26' by 5' replica of the Titanic using 55,000 Lego bricks and took 11 months to complete. On display in Pigeon Forge, they've made visual using the ship as its central theme. Only 37 seconds elapsed from sighting of iceberg and impact. The Carpathia was 58 miles southeast when it received the distress signal and steamed to New York with 705 survivors.

Click HERE for 10 things you may not have known about the disaster.

Sunday, May 15: Paula Deen's Family Kitchen

For our last excursion in the Pigeon Forge area, we had a 4:00 pm dining experience at Paula Deen's Family Kitchen. We parked in a lot not too distant and then transported by tram to the Island Drive location. 

Walter, Fran, Beth, Pat, Jim, Todd.

Beth tried to hide hubby, but....

Read about The Great Smokey Mountain Wheel 200' tall.

Todd gave it his best shot...

...I knew better.

ACR, Walt, Fran, Pat, Jim, Beth and Todd

Check out the menu HERE. Our table chose the "Georgia:" 4 main dishes and 4 sides served family style. When empty, they were refilled. (Take out boxes not available.)

My one AND ONLY portion.

Afterwards, out in the square we enjoyed some entertainment before boarding the tram back to the parking lot and campground.

The wonderful week came rapidly to an end with each member of the group going their own way. For me, my next stop will be in Natural Bridge, VA, 285 miles, 4½ hours away for an overnight stay.

From Pigeon Forge, TN to Natural Bridge, VA

It was a good ride with occasional showers. By this time diesel prices were on the rise and it cost me about $100 a tank. Coincidentally, I met Ray and Kathy who left earlier from Nashville. Lucky me, I got to enjoy dinner with them: Pork roast with a sweet potato, asparagus, apple sauce with cinnamon honey butter. Delicious. To top off that delightful stop, I was able to enjoy coffee with Ray in the morning before heading off to my next stop, another overnight at Appalachian RV Resort in Shartlesville, PA.

This leg of my journey was again a pleasant drive. The clouds were awesome but mostly sunny with temps in the 80's. Because of it close proximity to home, I use this campground as my last stop when coming north. Though only a 3 hour drive, the traffic becomes a factor.
 

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I hope this post finds you healthy, happy and safe. My next blog will try to capture my stay in Croton's RV Park for the next 57 days; from May 18th to July 14th (Happy Birthday, Marybeth) and will include the Hudson Islanders Rally from June 9 through the 16th. So much to write about. Till next time, take care.