Thurs 10/25/12

Went to Jack Daniels Distillery in Lynchburg, TN. They employ around 800 people. All whiskey is made here!!!!! They have a free tour. Skip and I found this a fun tour. There are plenty of tourists from all over. You tour the buildings from fermentation, to bottling and storage of barrels. All barrels are made at distillery. Because of sensitive computers, etc in distillery, all phones had to be turned off, and no picture taking in any buildings.
  This is also the weekend of the Jack Daniels International Pork Festival. About 25,000 or more attend this event. There are about 70 entrants from the US and around 29 from outside the US. This was a lot of fun, and a lot of pork lovers!!!!!! It really is a lot of fun. Besides the food, the live entertainment is terrific.


These are serious grillers



Miss Piggy would love this vendor



Australia



My type of grillling







A very small contingent of eaters enjoying their pork



Now this was some grilling machine



This says it all!

These are just some of the pictures from the festival



T

10/22/12

Our travels are taking us farther south. We are heading to Sevierville, TN for the night. Thumper is happy to go anywhere she can get out and run or at least walk around. Sevierville is on the outskirts of Pidgeon Forge, TN (home to Dollywood, Dixie Stempede, and lots of shopping), along with Gatlinburg, and the Great Smoky Mountains in the distance. Since we are here just for the night shopping was done up the street at THE KNIFE SHOP - Yup!! Two floors of knives, hunting clothing, snacks, etc. It was Sue's type of store. She headed right downstairs to kitchen knives. Skip just browsed around. I got nothing out of this trip. Skip was told Bush's Beans are made down the road a piece (yeh - about 20 miles). We got there late. General Store closed but managed to take our pictures Jeb 

This is Bush's Beans factory

On the way back we stopped at Barbecue Grill on Route 66. It was okay. Fried Green Tomatoes were great. Skip said ribs were okay. He has had better. 

This area has definitely grown since Skip and I were here 15 years ago. Construction all around. Lots more hotels, malls, helicopter rides, etc. The south is definitely on the rise in this area.

HI everyone,

On our first night, we stopped for the night at Creekside Campground in Edinburg, TN. Our site (No. 26)was right on the river. Ducks came over to see Thumper. Since Thumper is not big on swimming, she just barked at them hoping they would come ashore to visit her. As the queen she thinks she is, she expects the subjects to come to her, not here to go to them. In the morning, we joined other campers for morning coffee before we left.  Camp fire kept everyone nice and toasty, coffee was hot, and company great. Skip and I said we have always met great people on our travels.

Back on the road around 9:30 a.m. Now that we are retired, we do not have to get up early. Continued heading down I-81 into Tennessee. We decided to stop just over the line at Bristol/Kingsport KOA. Ann, who runs campground, has horses and a goat named Thelma. You all have heard of Thelma and Louise. We now have Thelma and Thumper.

Since Halloween is near, campground is ready!! They have great decorations. Thumper, not crazy about the big cat!!!

Campground also has a great cafe!!!! Pulled pork sandwiches and ribs were good. That took care of dinner for tonight.

This is our campsite for the night. It is hard to see that the leaves are changing here. The weather has been in the 70's. Have met people from other states that are here because of work. One gentleman is from Michigan but down here for work. HIs wife was on her way down for a month or two to visit. Skip and I have discovered at different campgrounds we have stayed over the years, there are a lot of people who travel in there motorhomes/trailers for months or more to go where they have been contracted for work.

Are heading out in the morning towards Pidgeon Forge, TN. Will keep you posted.

Hi everyone,

I am Thumper, a 3-1/2 year old Jack Russell, and these are my
owners (parents) Skip and Sue.

As you can see, we have a motorhome in which we are now beginning to travel around the United States. After saying goodbye to my friends, Tucker (another Jack Russell), Gigi and Bethos (my poodle friends) and all Skip and Sue's friends, we left Connecticut on Sunday, October 21, 2012 and have been told we are heading to Lynchburg, TN to visit Jack Daniels Distillery and there is an International Pork festival (as you will learn food and drink will figure into our travels).