Gatlinburg TN Monday Morning NO Traffic 08 2022

 This is a very short video of a qiuck drive through Gatlinburg on a not so busy Monday Morning!  I didnt even hit a red light until right at the end!

Frizzle Chicken Farmhouse Café -Pigeon Forge TN 08 2022

  We enjoyed a breakfast, and saw some singing chickens at Frizzle Chicken Farmhouse Cafe in Pigeon Forge!

Sugarlands Visitor Center -Great Smoky Mountains Tennessee 08 2022

 We took a brief walk through the Sugarlands Visitor Center in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park!

Brushy Mountain Prison -Petros, Tennessee 08 2022

 

We went to Brushy Mountain Prison a few years ago, and I have been looking for an excuse to get back there for some time.  Well, my pal Mark wanted to go, so off we went.

Brushy was a functioning prison from 1896-2009!

Now, its a tourist attraction, and you can go in, look around, do a self guided tour, etc.  I think they always try to have former staff or inmates around.

They have a video about the prison too.  

They have a GREAT restaurant on site, the Warden's Table...  AND they make their own adult beverages!

Check out my video...  this is a very cool place to check out less than a couple of hours away from the Great Smoky Mountains.

Black Fox Lodge Pigeon Forge Tennessee 08 2022

We stayed at the Black Fox Lodge in Pigeon Forge on our most recent visit.  It was nice- they are going for a state park lodge kinda vibe.

Check out my video!

Biblical Times Dinner Theater Pigeon Forge Tennessee 08 2022

 We have been going to Gatlinburg and the Pigeon Forge area for years now, and believe it or not, we JUST started going to the dinner theater shows!

We have talked about it before, but we always kinda talk ourselves out of it....  

So, we saw Pirates a few months ago and loved it!  Seeing "Peter" performed at Biblical Times Dinner Theater would be my second experience with a show in the GSM area.

We drove in to town a little late and saw that a performance would be starting soon.  We stopped in hopping to get tickets.  We were told that tickets were available, but not with a dinner.  Good to know that you can get a non dinner ticket, but we were hungry, so we passed on a non meal performance, but we came back the next night.

Tickets were $50, which is cheaper than some of the other shows in town.  We got to our seats around 6 for the start of the show.  A nice, small salad was waiting for us at our seat tray.

The first 45 minutes of the show involved about a 45 minute gospel music performance by the same actors who would be in the play.  They sang (very well!) to a prerecorded music track.

I'm personally not a huge fan of this sort of thing- as I kinda felt like I was at church, but it was entertaining.

Food service occurred only during this first part of the show.  The food was above average and the 2 people that they had taking care of the theater were quick and efficient. 

After an intermission, the play/musical started.  I would say that was another 90 minutes or so (putting the whole thing at well over the advertised 2 hours, which was fine with us).

There is a small cast of half a dozen or so, and they interact some with prerecorded other actors.  There is also a very cool projection onto a screen system they use for set changes.  This is different, and kind of adds another element making this a unique experience.

After the performance, the actors came out to say hello and pose for photos.

This was not the over the top performance like you might see at one of the other venues, but we still enjoyed it a lot.  These guys are scrappy, and doing a lot with a very small team.  In fact, the fellow who sold us out ticket later popped up in the performance.

This is different and unique and I really like what they are doing.

Georgetown, Kentucky -August 2022

 I have known about

Georgetown for some time, but I feel like I have just recently REALLY discovered this great town near Lexington!

A friend turned me on to the great antique mall downtown, and I have recently found a great restaurant, and dessert place!

AND, the town shows a lot of local pride in their community museum!

Boone Tavern Berea College Kentucky Then and Now 2022

I put up another video on youtube recently of my old school, Berea College, and I peppered in some old postcards and photos to do a bit of a "Then and Now" comparison.

I mostly left Boone Tavern out because I thought it deserved a video all to itself.

As I mention in the video, I worked here some while attending Berea College in the 90s.  I would meet my future wife while working here...  and she spent all four of her Berea years working at the Tavern.

We still go down often, and we try to get a room there for a weekend every year or two, just because.

So, check out this video of my recent trip to Boone Tavern, along with some older images of the hotel/restaurant that has been there for well over a century!

Berea College Then and Now 2022

I have talked a lot on this blog about my love of Berea College in Berea Kentucky.  I have made many posts about it.  And, I spent a good chunk of the 90s there...

Well, we were back on campus recently and I made another video.  I added in some images of old photos and old postcards to do a bit of a "Then and Now" kind of thing.

I will be putting up a similar one that is Just Boone Tavern.

I do feel like the campus changes, but it changes very slowly.

I always think that, if someone hadn't been on campus for several decades and then they just showed up, it would still be an easy campus to recognize.

Berea Kentucky Crafts Festival 2022

 I made a brief video of the Crafts Festival in Berea Kentucky this year!

Mary Todd Lincoln House Lexington Kentucky August 2022

I found myself back at the Mary Todd Lincoln House in Lexington the other day.  They have changed the way they are doing things a bit.  It is now being done as a self guided tour, and, they were allowing the use of video!

I have been here numerous times, but I was very excited to stop by and make a video!

"Images of America: Harrogate and Cumberland Gap" by Natalie Sweet

 

I picked up the Images of America book "Harrogate and the Cumberland Gap" by Natalie Sweet on our recent visit to the area.  By the way, this area is REALLY growing on me!

This is just a nice, quick read (mostly historic photos with description) about the area, and how it was established.

I was totally unaware that there was a massive resort there once!

I love the college there too, LMU is a cool place with a Col. Sanders connection!

Cumberland Gap Tri State Peak Trail July 2022

 While at the Cumberland Gap, we hiked the Tri State Peak Trail...  and we were able to stand in Virginia, Tennessee, and Kentucky all at once!

Wilderness Road State Park Virginia July 2022

 AND, we stopped by Wilderness Road State Park in Virginia, not too far from the Cumberland Gap!

Cumberland Gap Tennessee Iron Furnace July 2022

 We did the very brief hike out to see the Iron Furnace at Cumberland Gap!  AND, we couldn't be in Cumberland Gap Tennessee and not stop by Gap Creek Coffee again!

Middlesboro Kentucky July 2022

 And here is a brief video I posted on youtube about Middlesboro Kentucky!

Old State Capitol Springfield Illinois May 2022

Here is a video from our visit to the Old State Capitol in Springfield Illinois!

Illinois State Military Museum Springfield May 2022

 

While in Springfield, we visited the Illinois State Military Museum.

The Museum is possession of an artificial leg that once belonged to Santa Anna.  It is no longer on display.  There is a bit of a story behind that.

Still, this is a great museum, and there is a lot to see!

Illinois State Capitol Springfield 2020 and 2022

 

Back in March 2020, we stopped by the State Capitol in Springfield Illinois.  We literally went inside as they were ending tours, because of Covid.

We were still able to go in, and look around.  We went back again in 2022.

Pease's at BUNN Gourmet Springfield Illinois May 2022

 

We visited the very unique chocolate shop/coffee shop/bar/cafe Pease's at Bunn Gourmet in Springfield.

New Salem Visitor Center Illinois May 2022

 

There is a very nice museum in the visitor center at Lincoln's New Salem.

New Salem Illinois May 2022

We love Lincoln's New Salem, just a half hour or so drive from Springfield.

If you are looking for uncrowded Lincoln sites...  well, this is the one.  Lincoln spent 6 years in this area before moving to Springfield.

This is a video I posted to youtube of our visit- stopping by most of the buildings.

Raymond H. Montgomery's "Living in the Shadows of Greatness"

 While exploring the streets of Petersburg Illinois....  not too far from Springfield (less than a half an hour) and only a couple of miles from New Salem, we stumbled in to the wonderfully stocked local gift shop, "The Crazy Daisy."

I didn't catch her name, but there was a very sweet lady running the place, who was proud of the area, and all that it had going on.  She gave us a lot of great info on the area!

The shop itself had a lot of cool items that my wife and I both appreciated.  There were local crafts, jewelry and other items.  I was thrilled to see a well stocked local book section, and "New Salem" gift items....  as there are no gift shops at this time at the state park.

One book that I picked up at the Crazy Daisy gift shop was Raymond H. Montgomery's "In the Shadows of Greatness".  

Montgomery, a local historian, gives first hand accounts by locals concerning the legendary area's history.  His family has lived in the location for generations, and he gives some interesting facts about the locals.  One (of the many) things I love about this book, is that Montgomery gets first hand accounts from some old timers about the towns connection to legendary circus performers AND there is a first hand account from a cousin of Ann Rutledge, discussing Abe Lincoln and Ann's relationship!

The author has given information on the less famous locals, and the buildings around this fascinating area.  In fact, it has really inspired me to think about another trip to this part of Illinois, just to soak in some more New Salem and Petersburg.

This book is a bit obscure, the usual book selling web sites are asking a steep $40 plus for this one.  You can get a new copy at the Crazy Daisy for about half that though, and it is well worth the cover price.  Oh, I LOVE the cover to this book too!

Petersburg Illinois May 2022

 Here is a brief look at Petersburg Illinois.....  Not skip over this town when you are near Springfield!

Broadgauge Petersburg Illinois May 2022

 

We were very lucky to have a meal at the very nice Broadgauge Restaurant in Petersburg Illinois!  This is now one of my favorite places to eat anywhere.