NASHVILLE, TN - PART 1

October 8th thru October 11th

We have a favorite campground in Nashville that we first went to in 2005 and again in 2008. So figuring we have not done enough traveling around this summer (Ha Ha) we made plans to spend 3 days coming down and stay here for 7 days here before heading home again. In 2005 we brought a boat along thinking I could get a little fishing in while here, but the weather did not cooperate at all.

On Wednesday, October 8 Sandy had a 10 o’clock dentist appointment and after that we loaded up and hit the road for Nashville around noon. We drove as far as Urbana, IA where we stayed at the Lazy Acres RV Park. They have the most level sites we’ve ever seen, no levelers needed. AND the park is on a hilly area.

The next day after stopping in Hannibal, MO for a Maid Rite sandwich at lunch time and seeing Tom and Huck---



we crossed the river and came down IL 96 and 100 to St. Louis where we took 255 south and picked up IL 3 south. We stopped for the night at the Murphysboro State Park by the town with the same name. The fall colors are just starting to appear here.





Nice little park. We did not think we had a chance for picking up a satellite TV signal but things went our way and we received a signal right away. There was some light rain over night and into the morning. Looks like some heavy stuff coming as we head to Nashville.



On Friday we had rain most of the way to Nashville although it stopped when we got to the campground and started again around 8:30 PM and had .8 inches of rain by midnight.

 Keep in mind the rainfall as we go through the week.



We first came to this Corps of Engineer’s campground in Oct of 2005 with our first Lazy Daze and later in 2008 with our 42 foot Allegro Bus RV. It’s one of our favorite campgrounds.

Our first time here in 2005.



And here we are today. She doesn’t look a day older, Sandy that is.



Here is an odd couple. This domestic duck keeps hanging out with three wild mallards hens.. It’s going to be real disappointed when they leave for the winter. Notice the distance of grass and beach between us and the water.







Saturday, October 11. Because of the misting and threatening rain we spent most of the day inside reading and playing dominos. We had tickets for the 9:30 show at the Grand Ole Opry, so at about 5:30 we headed out and ate supper at O’Charleys. There was something I needed from a sporting goods store and being that a Bass Pro shop is next door to the Opry we stopped there. As typically happens when I’m looking for something in particular, they didn’t have it. Our plan was to visit the Grand Ole Opry Museum before the show but found out it was destroyed in the 2010 flood. We had accidently run across it in April 2010 when we were here but only got to see a little of it before our show started so we were looking forward to seeing the whole thing this time. What a disappointment. The historic flood happened in May 2010 and destroyed the museum full of irreplaceable items. The Opry House also sustained extensive damage as well as the whole Nashville area. 

We had .11 inches of rain on Saturday.



For entertainment at the Opry we had the Opry Square Dancers.



Mike Snider and his “All String Band”.



JT Hodges.



An Opry show would not be complete without Little Jimmy Dickens. He is 94 years old and still kicking, although slowly.





Greg Bates.





Clare Bowen who stars in the TV show “Nashville”.



Keb’ Mo’, is a Delta Blues singer and was the best entertainment for the night. Even the announcer was getting into the music. We could listen to a whole concert of just Keb’ Mo’.





Trace Atkins was the headline act and he was good. Except for a couple of his songs he was not our favorite performer.





This weekend was the Opry’s 89^th anniversary.



Until next time,

Dave and Sandy
 

MOTORCYCLE TRIP AND HAYWARD, WI.

This is our new personalized license plate. Although we have been to a lot of places there still is-----

 

On Saturday, September 13th, Dale and I met at 9:00 to ride to Hannibal, MO to meet with Jeff #1 from Indianapolis and his friend, Jeff #2. From there we headed to the Ozarks in Arkansas for a few days of riding the twisties. It was brisk a 43 degrees when we left home and the highest we saw for the day was 62 degrees. 

At about 8:30 on Sunday we left Hannibal to take MO Hwy 19 south to Mammoth Springs, AR where we stopped at the Mammoth Springs State Park, Jeff #2 had never been there before.



From there we rode to Mountain Home, AR where we stopped at Gaston’s for supper. Gaston’s is a well known trout fishing resort on the White River below the dam that creates Bull Shoals Reservoir. After supper it was of to Marble Falls to the Hub Motorcycle Resort where we stayed for the next 2 nights.

Jeff #2 was starting to feel sick late Sunday and was still feeling pretty rough Monday morning, so he decided to head home and take two days as he had planned on leaving on the 16^th anyway. So after breakfast at the Neighbors Mill restaurant, Jeff headed home and we went for a ride. First it was to Eureka Springs and down the Pig’s Tail, highway 23 to Mt. Magazine State Park and then worked our way back to “The Hub”.

Tuesday found us headed to Little Rock to an Indian motorcycle dealer in the area so Jeff could look at them again. He has been thinking about buying one. After a late lunch we went to Russellville, AR where we spent the night.

Our goal Wednesday was to ride north on MO 7 to Harrison but on our way up we saw that Harrison was getting heavy rain so we jogged west to 23 and went to Eureka Springs instead.

Thursday I headed back home so I could get ready to leave for Lake Chippewa by Hayward, WI on Saturday. When I left Eureka Springs a 6:55 there was a light rain. Dale and Jeff were spending one more day before heading home. It was a 684 mile trip for me and I got in at 5:35, a 10 hour 40 minute ride.

We drove to Lake Chippewa on Saturday the 20th, got set up and after supper we sat around a campfire. Terry and Elaine were coming in on Sunday. Marlin and Deloris came on Tuesday and left on Friday.

That evening Sandy took a couple pictures of the loons from our campsite.





Here are some more pictures Sandy took while at Lake Chippewa. The colors were not nearly as nice as when we were here in 2012, but it was still beautiful scenery.

Our Lazy Daze and Terry and Elaine’s fifth wheel to the right.



Terry and Elaine are enjoying a beautiful calm day on the lake.









It takes great skill to catch “Aquarium Bass” with the size bait we were using.









One morning we had a beautiful sunrise.





It was a great week of fishing considering we only fished from Monday to Friday and then sometimes only 2-3 hours a day, and still caught over 500 crappies.

Until next time,

Dave and Sandy