A trip to the North Carolina Arboretum is becoming one of our yearly holiday destinations. While the lights are not a large display, they are pretty and the event makes for a relaxing walk. Joining us this year were my sister and her friend. Pile everyone in the car since the entry fee is based on vehicle not how many individual people go with you.
Did you know with a bit of planning you can explore all Disney World resorts for free? We decided to do just that on a recent trip. Even though it was still early November, we figured we would see if we could visit the major resorts' gingerbread displays and see if their Christmas decorations were up. Our starting point was the Drury Plaza Hotel. After a decent complementary breakfast, we used the free shuttle bus to first go to Hollywood Studios.
We got an early start to the Christmas holiday at Disney Springs by participating in the Christmas Tree Stroll. The stroll is scavenger hunt of sorts. Get your sticker sheet and stroll Disney Springs to find the locations of all the Christmas trees. Match the sticker to the proper location and get a collectible button. It's a fun way to kill some time.
We like cars. We like boats. So when we had the opportunity to combine the two, we took it! We strolled over to the Boathouse Boutique in Disney Springs to reserve a ride in one of their 1960's Amphicars. The 20-minute Vintage Amphicar Tour takes you around the sites of Disney Springs. Our captain, Captain Larry, pointed out different locations along our tour and was quite knowledgeable with regards to the waterfowl we encountered. The Vintage Amphicar Tours are a wonderful and unique experience that you should try while visiting Disney World.
We decided to do a couple's event and bake Peg a birthday cake at Amorette's Patisserie Cake Decorating Experience in Disney Springs. The space for the class is very limited so you must get reservations early through the Disney Experience App or online. The morning class teaches you how to make a Mickey or Minnie dome cake. All the decorating items are provided for you and the cakes are pre-baked.
When we learned that Steve Braithwaite was bringing his Big Banana Car to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee we headed across the state line to see if we could catch a ride. Guess what? We road in the Big Banana Car! We took a short trip along the Pigeon Forge strip with Steve and we couldn't stop smiling. If you ever have a chance to ride in the Big Banana, DO IT! This was the highlight of my year.
The Carolinas Dahlia Society's annual show was held at the Haywood County Extension office in Waynesville, North Carolina. The free show was open to the public Saturday afternoon and we went to see all the different dahlia flowers that were being judged. It was a beautiful with various colors, sizes, and varieties of dahlias on hand.
What do you do with an old decommissioned bridge that is scheduled to be demolished? Well if you are the people of Lake Lure you make a garden out of it. The Lake Lure Flowering Bridge was dedicated on October 13, 2013 and has been enchanting visitors ever since. The 155-foot span is open 24 hours a day and every day of the year.
It's back to Dollywood for Summer Celebration. Plenty of colors and good times.
We are always looking for something different to do. So, when we saw our friend Laurey-Faye of Hazelwood Pottery was hosting a gnome pottery class we signed up. Laurey-Faye is an excellent instructor. She gave us the basics and encouraged everyone to be creative and just have a good time. When we were finished with our creations, she gathered up all the gnomes to be fired in her kiln at her home studio. A few weeks later, we had the end results of a wonderful class.
When I was a kid in the 5th grade, I had to memorize a poem entitled "Trees" by Joyce Kilmer. Forty+ years later I find myself in a wonderful forest dedicated to the man and his poem. The Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest near Robbinsville, North Carolina is a magical place. There are over 100 species of trees here with some over 400 years old and 20-feet in circumference. A two-mile, figure 8 trail makes hiking this 3,800-acre forest very enjoyable.
We really don't need an excuse for a road trip but the Bloom with a View event at the North Carolina Arboretum sounded interesting to us. After a short drive to Asheville, we were greeted by thousands of beautiful blooms in various planters. Color was everywhere! It truly was an enjoyable trip. This will probably be a yearly trip for us as it is that impressive.
We used our newly acquired Gold Season Passes to check out the Flower and Food Festival at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. We love all the staff and the grounds of this amusement park. It's clean and everyone is so friendly.
There is no denying that the crew at Bubba's Garage likes wacky cars. One of the best museums to get your little car fix at is the Lane Motor Museum in Nashville, Tennessee. The museum boasts that they have "the largest European automotive collection in the U.S." This collection includes many one-of-a-kind odd balls that you will find no place else.
Have you ever seen one of those barns that has "See Rock City" painted on the roof? Or maybe one of those many birdhouses, painted in red and black, with the same words? Well, we decided to take a road trip to Lookout Mountain just outside Chattanooga, Tennessee to "see" for ourselves what all the advertising was about.
Once again, we found ourselves on the old Southern Railway's Murphy branch near Andrews, North Carolina. This time it was for opening day with Andrews Valley Rail Tours and the first official ride with their new railbikes. We were the only ones for our trip which departed from the Historic Andrews Depot.
The American Museum Of The House Cat was re-opening in their new location so we thought we would go check out the museum. Like its subject matter, the museum is rather small. It's a fun little stop if you like cats. Be aware there are a few displays on the morbid side like a mummified cat as well as a petrified feline. If you are in the area, it's worth a stop but not really a destination.
After a wonderful breakfast, we decided to take a tour with the animals at The Kentucky Castle. The property consists of 110 acres in which to farm and raise animals. We visited with the critters in the stable area as well as the fenced in area near the castle. Goats, sheep, donkeys, llamas, cows, and horses were all in need of scratches behind the ears. A totally enjoyable experience!
We like to stay in wacky places when on the road. For our 34th wedding anniversary, we picked The Kentucky Castle in Versailles, Kentucky for an overnight adventure. But not just any room would do. We chose to sleep in one of the tower suites!
We found a gem of a toy train museum in Versailles, Kentucky. Nostalgia Station Toy & Train Museum occupies a former Louisville and Nashville passenger station, which was originally built in 1911. On display are toy train items from the 1890's to the 1990's. There are two operating vintage dealer type layouts. Other items in the museum include Lionel, American Flyer, Ives, Marx, Bing, Carlisle & Finch, Dorfan, and Hafner trains and accessories. You can also find items available for purchase. What a neat way to spend an hour or so.
