Merry Christmas

To all our friends and family who are following our adventures (and maybe some we don't even know of!), we wish you a very merry Christmas and a wonderful new year from our house to yours.

Early Christmas with the Grandkids

There was lots of loving and laughing Sunday afternoon as we celebrated Christmas a little early with the kids and grandkids. Just for fun this year, I wrapped the gifts in theme paper and wrote a poem with clues as to what packages went to whom. The adult children usually get money and a small token gift to open. For them this year, I rolled the money and tied it with ribbons to the package. We had to warn them not to throw away the ribbon!

Dance Trance

What can be any cuter than 3-year-olds at their first dance recital? Some are in a trance, some are already divas, some are extremely focused, some are totally unfocused, some want nothing to do with the whole thing. It's better than Comedy Central. Our granddaughter, Sophia, was of course the standout (to US). Her number was to "All I Want for Christmas is a Hippopotamus" but she confided that she really doesn't want one.

Family Time

After a nice four-day visit with Drew's mom in Ohio, we journeyed on to St. Louis and have been here for a week. So far we've spent time with Drew's sister Kathy and her husband Dave, and their new puppy Coal. We've hooked up with Drew's oldest, Jami, and her husband and our granddaughter Adelaide. Plans to see our other kids and grandkids were postponed to next week due to conflicting schedules.

We discovered a wonderful new dogie park down the street from the RV park, so Buddy is a happy boy. He got his first grooming at PetSmart. It's been too cold to give him a bath outside, so we took him for a wash at PetSmart. He's now no longer a huntin' dog, he's a froo froo dog. Sorry, big guy.

Opryland Ogling

Wow. That's all I can say (except I have a Blog to fill). Nine acres under roof (mostly glassed domed ceilings) of indoor gardens, waterfalls, almost 2900 hotel rooms, an indoor boat ride covering 4.5 acres, and all decorated for Christmas. That's Gaylord's Opryland Resort. Copy and paste this link for more pictures. Once on the website, click slideshow. http://picasaweb.google.com/drewandlindamoore/OprylandResort#5267521639470918898

Gone Country

What are Friday and Saturday nights in Nashville without live country music? Across from the RV park on Friday night, locals come and perform on stage in the Millersville Bluegrass Jam at the community center. It's free, donations accepted. Whatever bands want to play just show up, sign in, and they're given a time slot. You could tell that this is not your typical tourist trap, as most of the room was filled with people from this small town. There was some impromptu clogging and two-stepping from the audience, as well as banter between the performers and locals in the audience they knew.

Contrasted to the small town Friday night venue, Saturday night was spent at THE Grand Ole Opry. We lucked into a star-studded evening that included Vince Gill, Randy Travis, youngsters Josh Turner ("Long Black Train") and Randy Houser ("Anything Goes"), as well as the debut of Kevin Costner & Modern West (fun to see, but keep your day job, Kev). It was fascinating to watch a live radio show format complete with live commercials. We found it much more informal and less staged. Over the two hours, there were twelve groups/individuals with each performing 2-4 songs. It was impressive to see the changeovers during the 60-second commercials. The stage crew swarmed in to set up microphones and swap out equipment. And the next performers had to be in place before they were introduced--after all, it's live radio! Our balcony seats afforded us a great view of all the goings-on at this sold out Opry performance in Ryman Auditorium.

Big Boys Toys

Bowling Green KY is so close to Nashville that we couldn't miss going on the GM factory tour to see Corvettes being made and to the Corvette museum. Drew has owned seven Corvettes over his 66 years and still has a love affair with them. The tour of the assembly plant was really interesting. While very automated, it was surprising to see how much is still done by hand. About 120 Corvettes roll off the line each day and 90% are pre-sold. Demand doesn't seem to have diminished for this classic American sports car. Part of the Corvette Museum has the cars displayed in period themes of their day. Another section is devoted to racing honors, another to design and engineering. The museum had a 1953 just like Drew's first Corvette, color and all. So today was about Drew reliving his youth!

Nashville Sights

We played typical tourist today and took a Gray Line tour of downtown Nashville. We went to the State Capitol, the Parthenon, and rode along Music Row where Studio B is (home of Elvis Presley). We browsed through the Country Music Hall of Fame and "sang" on the stage of the Ryman Auditorium (the "Mother Church of Country Music" and original location of the Grand Ole Opry). Although we had an hour at the museum, we could have spend all day looking at the costumes, cars, and displays that take you down memory lane from stars of the past to current performers. Our tour ended at Legends Corner, a familiar haunt of Opry performers, where we enjoyed a drink and live entertainment. Our driver, Sylvia, was a country music wannabe from the 60's who played us some of the cuts from her CD's and provided insights into the search for country music stardom.

Belle Meade

Today we toured Belle Meade, an historic Nashville plantation at the northern end of Natchez Trace, owned by the John Harding-William Jackson family and well-known as a horse stud farm in the early 1800's. At one time there were about 5400 acres and over 130 slaves working the property. Racing history was made in 1886 when their stallion Iroquois won the English Derby, a first for any American horse. A ticker-tape parade was held for him when he returned via New York. Many more recent Derby winners like Seabiscuit and Secretariat can trace their bloodlines to Belle Meade farms. The mansion is furnished with original family belongings and the huge carriage house contains numerous horse-drawn buggies used by them in that era.

Saying Goodbye

Tears of sadness, joy, gratitude, and a host of other emotions flowed as we said goodbye to everyone at Sweetwater KOA. Last night the owners, Chuck and Sandy, sat around the campfire with us. We reminisced over the funny and sad KOA happenings as well as world events, sharing our thoughts and opinions. Before we disbanded for the evening, Chuck said a prayer over us. We have come to love these two immeasurably in our short time here.

As we leave, a part of our heart remains. In two and a half months we have not only earned our Workamper badge, but gained so much more. We will miss the beautiful surroundings, our fellow Workampers, the kids who shared their time with us, getting to know some of the guests, and most of all the Tufts. But we take with us the most wonderful memories. God blessed us with an experience far more incredible than we could have hoped for.

Koncert and Kayride

Our last weekend here at Sweetwater KOA was quite a whirlwind. November usually marks the beginning of the slower off season, but this weekend the park was almost full and we had lots going on. Drew and I worked our last shifts on Friday and Saturday afternoon/evening but got off in time to catch the last hour of Tommy Santelli's live concert in the Pavilion. Tommy is a fabulous musician and singer who has performed with name groups such as Americas and the E-Street Band (Bruce Springsteen's early group). He has family in the area and spends time here at the KOA when in town. Fall here at the KOA means hayride time. Chuck, the owner, pulls the wagon and entertains with tall tales. We joked that the concert and hayride were our goodbye party!

Official "Peepers"

We drove the Cherohala Skyway to enjoy the changing of the leaves and thus are now official leaf peepers. Florida has it's blue hairs; Tennessee has it's peepers. The Cherohala Skyway is a 40-mile, winding mountain road that crosses through the Cherokee and Nantahala National Forests, connecting Tellico Plains, TN and Robbinsville, NC. The Cherohala is a motorcyclist's dream. A portion of it is called the Dragon's Tail because of it's ups and downs and never-ending curves. The foliage was peaking, the creeks sparkling, and the waterfalls gorgeous. Try this link and click on slideshow for more pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/hOiodt5d9ku-gQaB03n2ew

Lost Sea Found

How would you like to be a nine year old boy who one day is exercising his typical curiosity and wanders into a cave and discovers America's largest underground lake? The huge caverns are large enough to hold a two-story building. There's evidence of indian tribes holding pow wows, moonshiners brewing, and Civil War soldiers hiding out there. We took a boat ride across the 140-feet-below-ground lake and watched huge Rainbow Trout vying for the food our guide provided. Pictures were tough because of the limited lighting, but trust me, it was awesome down there.

All Aboard!

The Hiwassee River Rail Adventure is a 50-mile train ride along the Hiwassee River gorge. This passenger railroad was originally planned to run from Knoxville, TN, to Marietta, GA, with construction beginning in 1887. There were many obstacles to overcome, the greatest of which was a 3.5% grade (very high for a train) due to a rise in elevation from 750 feet to 1580 feet. At the TN-GA connecting point, there was a 200-foot vertical separation. Passenger service began in mid-1890 but only lasted a few years and the line went into receivership. After that, it was used primarily for freight until 2006 when it was converted to an excursion railroad. Autumn along the Hiwassee River is absolutely beautiful. We thoroughly enjoyed this three-hour train trip with my brother, Robbie.

KOA Kolors

The autumn leaves drift by my window. . .as the song goes. Fall is upon us, and our decision to stay in the Smokey Mountain area until the leaves change was a good one. We can walk out the door of our motor home and experience beautiful foliage right here in the RV park. Of course from a maintenance perspective, the fallen leaves are a nuisance, but since we're departing in a week or so, that task will rest on the remaining workampers!

Campfire Comradarie

These cooler evenings we've been experiencing just invite a campfire. Drew is a fire-builder extraordinaire and partly because of where our site is and partly (we like to think) because of our hospitable nature, we have become a gathering place. Our spot is across from Kamp K-9, so it's easy to start a conversation with dog lovers like ourselves. Often we end up sharing some of our "valley vino" (see previous post) and great conversation with other park guests who are passing through. We also keep a supply of marshmallows on hand for the long-term kids here we've come to know who stop by to visit Buddy. One fellow workamper calls me the Pied Piper because when I'm out walking Buddy, the kids trail along one-by-one and end up at our site.

Wild Thang!

With the cooler weather we've been getting here in eastern Tennessee, the wildflowers have become resplendent. It's almost as if they are hurrying to show their colors before the leaves take center stage. Along the highways, the flowers form a carpet of color. Out in the fields, they stand up tall, their brilliant colors contrasting against the clear blue sky. God's canvas is awesome.

Say "Cheese"!

Little ole Sweetwater has it's own cheese factory! Most of Sweetwater Valley Farm's milk is sold to Mayfield (see previous blog: "Holy Cow!"), but about 15% is used to make farmstead cheese in over 24 varieties. Feed blends for their Holsteins and Jerseys are mixed according to the age of the cow, using ingredients such as soy bean, cottonseed, hominy, and a specialized mineral mix. Each cow consumes about 100 lbs. of feed and 50 gallons of water per day! The cows are milked three times a day and produce between 8 and 10 gallons of milk. We were able to watch the automated process. After a walking tour of the dairy, we partook of the numerous samples back in the farm store. Drew's cheese of choice and purchase was the Tomato Herb cheddar, while mine was the Buttermilk cheddar. Buddy likes anything!

Valley Vino

We drank our way across Southeastern Tennessee's wine country. Most of the counties in Tennessee are "dry" so you have to go to a winery to buy wine, and who-knows-where to buy hard liquor. Interestingly, the grocery stores in dry counties DO sell beer.

We have now sampled wine at the Tennessee Valley, Ocoee, Tennessee Mountainview, and Strikers Premium wineries. And there are still a few more nearby we want to try! Very few of the wineries grow their own grapes, but rather buy from upstate New York growers. Tennessee Mountainview does have it's own 50-acre spread of over 20 varieties of Muscadine grapes. For one dollar you can graze and for $1.29/lb. you can pick your own to take home. We did both! We also added to our vocabulary: viticulture and oenology. Look them up. . .

On Our Knees at Church

Well, it was back to Hiwassee College campus today for more volunteer work. Drew and I tended to a badly neglected rose garden at Buckner Memorial Chapel. We've been coming over from Sweetwater to attend services at this Methodist church and it's been driving me crazy every time I walked by this poor ole rose bed. So I finally did something about it! Drew and I spent the afternoon weeding, pruning, edging, and fertilizing these once-beautiful roses. As we were down on our knees deep in dirt, the carillon serenaded us every hour on the hour--and we were there for many hours! Buckner Chapel is so lovely perched atop a high hill, with it's cross soaring up to the sky. Just looking at it's setting brings a peaceful feeling. We probably won't be here long enough to see the full effect of our efforts in the rose garden, but that's okay.

Marketing Mania

Since we're in a lull between Labor Day and mid-October when the leaves change and snowbird traffic starts, the focus now is on marketing. KOA has some great tools for park owners. We downloaded a flyer template and Drew and I went around Sweetwater and surrounding towns posting flyers. The owners hadn't yet taken advantage of the camper database that KOA has for each campground, so with a little assistance from KOA corporate, I was able to help the owners download a spreadsheet. We took that information on Sweetwater KOA's previous guests and sent out an email broadcast announcing Fall specials to those whose email address we had. It's a quick and cost-effective way to advertise! Since there were lots of guests that we had no email address for, going forward, those of us who work the desk are going to focus on capturing email information on everyone, not just those who want an email confirmation of their reservation. It will be interesting over the next six weeks that we're here to see how effective our marketing efforts turn out to be!

Piggin' Out

A downside of being away from home is missing our favorite eating spots. Well, we found a Sonny's substitute, so our BBQ cravings are satisfied for now. Bradley's is a local favorite and we know why. Their pulled pork is to die for. I tried the "Piggyback" which is a huge baked potato topped with pork, butter, sour cream, and a cheese sauce. I had it without the BBQ sauce and the smokey flavor of the pork was wonderful with the potato. Now that we know of Bradley's, we'll be back to this "Sonny's of Sweetwater" many, many times.

Sweetwater in Bloom

The city is abloom with lovely flowers everywhere you look. There's a beautifully landscaped welcome sign perched atop a small hill as you enter town from the West on Hwy 68. The town center is colorfully decorated with flags and flowers, and flower arrangements adorn the small-town sidewalks. It's a beautiful time to be in Sweetwater.

Holy Cow!

In these parts, the cow IS pretty holy. Today we toured the Mayfield dairy production center. Grandpa Mayfield started providing milk in the local area around 1910 with just a few cows and a stream to cool the milk once bottled. Now Mayfield products reach to all surrounding states and during the school year, they distribute 10 million cartons of milk a week to schools, hospitals, and nursing homes. The dairy was sold to Dean Foods in the 90's, but many family members still work in and run the business. Their story reminds me of the Gustafsons in our area of Florida (also purchased by Dean Foods, I believe).

As interesting as it was to watch plastic jugs being molded and filled, cardboard being folded into milk cartons, and ice cream being made and packaged, our favorite part was the ice cream parlor where we could sample and purchase all Mayfield's various flavors. For only $1.50, you could get a cup that overfloweth--and we did! Now our bellies overfloweth.