Banjos, Bib Overalls and Bourbon

It's been awhile since our last posting, we have been mainly in Kentucky taking in the sights.

Last weekend was the Memorial Day Long Weekend here in the US, so we decided to take it easy and stay put for the weekend. We stayed in western Kentucky in the Land Between the Lakes Region. It's an interesting area, between the Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers which were dammed over 50 years ago to create Kentucky and Barclay Lakes. It's a fishing hub - they sure do like to fish down here - even in the rain!

The funniest thing that we did was go to a "Picking Party". We went to an old historic farm site and we stumbled upon a Bluegrass picking party. There was a central stage set up for different acts to play but people were playing their fiddles and banjos all over the place. Bib overalls is the clothing of choice in these parts!

See the video for some toe tapping bluegrass - if it will load - it's 16 sec long though (removed).


We then carried on to central Kentucky to Bardstown which happens to be the Bourbon capital of the world. We camped at My Old Kentucky Home State Park which just happened to be located right beside a beautiful championship golf course - cost? a whopping $22 for 18 holes. So there was no surprise when Ray spent the morning golfing and nearly had a heart attack walking it. The girls and I opted to tour My Old Kentucky Home instead.

This beautiful house was the inspiration behind the Kentucky state anthem. The fellow who wrote this song (Stephen Foster) also wrote classic songs like Yankee Doodle, and Camptown Races.

We also went to the Heaven Hills Bourbon Site where we learned about the history of Kentucky Bourbon making and sampled some. A bit strong for me!

We then went to Georgetown (close to Lexington) which is the home of a relatively new Toyota manufacturing facility. We went to the visitor centre where we hoped to be able to get a tour only to find out that the tours were all sold out for the day.

We are now out of Kentucky and in the hills of West Virginia. Our big excitement for the day was getting caught in a crazy rain downpour and seeing a greyhound dog race which didn't really impress the us - they sure run fast down here. We thought of entering Tyrone!

We are off to Virginia in the morning heading towards the Shenandoah National Park and Williamsburg.

Wow Taylor (and Kim) for their correct answer in our last Tennessee trivia question. The state of Tennessee seems to have some very bizarre laws - why you would shoot a whale from a vehicle? A couple of other interesting laws - it is illegal to lasso a fish and to drive while you are sleeping. Only in Tennessee!

Bye for now.

Hunka Hunka Burning Love!

When in Tennessee, you must go to Memphis to experience the one and only Graceland! Although Memphis was likely our least favorite Tennessee city, Graceland was lot of fun.

We toured Elvis's home and were quite impressed with it's unique furnishings - like carpeted walls, blue suede furniture, etc.. There was a beautiful outside pool, raquetball court and large yard for Elvis's horses. Elvis, his mama and daddy, grandma and baby twin brother were all laid to rest on the property and there is a little memorial garden where people can pay their respects. Did you know that Elvis loved his golf cart (as most people in the south) and was often spotted on the streets of Memphis zipping around!

We also went to a few other small museums depicting Elvis's time in the military and his movie career. Did you know that Priscella Presley is 10 years younger than Elvis - she met him when she was 14 years old! Needless to say, Emma and Leah have been on an Elvis movie marathon since our time in Memphis and have been watching Elvis movies like crazy (they just watched Speedway last night) Dang - Elvis was a handsome guy!!

Of course we also checked out Elvis's posh airplanes - we especially liked the Lisa Marie - Fancy! And then there were all of his cars and motorbikes.

And to end our Elvis experience in true Pilkington fashion - Ray felt the need to crank up the stereo on the motorhome as we drove past Graceland on our way out of town with "Burning Love" blasting and of course the motorhome air horn honking (and Ray waving as the waiting enthusiastic crowds waved back) - the girls and I were hiding in the back!

We are now out of Tennessee and in western Kentucky. Since it is the Memorial Day Long weekend down here we thought we would stay in one place for a few days and are camping in the Land Between the Lakes area. More about that later.

So since we are now out of Tennessee, we thought we would ask a final Tennessee trivia question - according to some travel books that we were reading - In Tennessee it is illegal to fire a gun at any wild game other than 1 particular type of animal from a moving vehicle - what is it? Trust me the answer is a bit of a stretch!

Bye for now.

Live from Nashville!

Well here we are live from Nashville Tennessee! We have taken in the sights and sounds visiting of course the Grande Ole Opry. We went to the Museum and Gift Store but didn't end up getting tickets to the show - Leah was really sad that Taylor Swift was not playing! 

We also went to the Country Music Musuem and Hall of Fame which is in downtown Nashville. We learned lots of the long and rich history of country music and learned about people like Hank Williams (and Hank Williams 2nd and 3rd), Little Jimmie Dickins, and of course the one and only Johnny Cash. 

Emma and Leah were interestedto learn more about Dolly Parton and we took some George Strait pictures for Mrs. Jackson.

So about our last trivia question - "Dang" (the Tennessee folks love to use this word) - you folks are smart! Pigeon Forge Tennessee is all about Dolly Parton - besides being our camp hosts second cousin, she has a whole theme park called Dollyworld and Dolly's DixieLand Stampede right in town. We were impressed with Grandpa's quick answer, the Pisko's skilled response and Laura and Georgia's correct guess (Yes Georgia - Leah did get to pet the stingrays but she thought they were kind of slimy!).

After a visit to Camping World in Nashville in the morning we hope to head towards Memphis for all things Elvis!

See you - Has the snow all melted?? It sounds like it was quite the May Long Weekend - from Sunburn to Snow!!

The Great Smoky Mountains (the North Side)

As promised here is the Great Smoky Mountains update from the north - Tennessee side.

We are currently in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee which is close to the gates of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. I think the best way to describe Pigeon Forge and the neighboring community of Gatlinburg is wall to wall touristy!! There are tons and tons of mini-golf courses, go kart tracks, wax museums, cheap hotel rooms and of course BBQ's.

We are camping at a nice little campsite owned and operated by some friendly Tennessee folks. In fact, the owner tells me his family has lived in the area for over 100 years and actually own a mountain! They have alot of deer heads mounted in the wall of the office and when we came in today - they were playing with a rifle! (Has anyone seen Deliverance??)

We went on a very scenic drive today up to the National Park and toured around an area known as Cade's Cove where about 100 years ago there was quite a thriving community in those hills. We had the opportunity to see old homesteads with some very interesting architecture. We even saw lots of wildlife - a mama black bear with her cubs, wild turkeys and of course deer.

We also went out for a yummy lunch at a local BBQ and Ray and Leah just loved those ribs!!

Tomorrow we are planning to head out and slowly make our way towards Nashville.

Our big trivia question is actually about our campground hosts (who really are nice folks) - they told me (and I saw pictures) of their very famous 2nd cousin - who is it??

Oh and finally - we forgot to tell you the big anouncement regarding Carmen's recent annoucement for mother of the year - see the news broadcast here (thanks to Uncle Phillip for sending it out).

Ta,ta from Tennessee.................

The Great Smoky Mountains (the South side)

Hi yea all,

Since our last blog we have travelled north to North Carolina - Transylvania County actually which is just outside of Ashville and on the south side of the Great Smoky Mountains. Wow - is it ever beautiful - very green and hilly with lovely pink and red wildflowers everywhere. For the first time in ages it's actually cooler - we had to wear pants and jackets!

We visited the Biltmore Estates in Asheville. This is America's largest home and we believe it, it took us about 1 1/2 hours to tour!! It was built in 1895 and is just beautiful - it even has an indoor swimming pool, excerise room and bowling alley!! Emma is quick to point out that there were 43 bathrooms as well! The estates also consist of amazing gardens, a winery, farm and inn.

We also travelled down the Blue Ridge Parkway which is a very scenic drive and very high up. Transylvania County is quite well known for it's waterfalls - there are many throughout the area. Our favorite was the Sliding Rock which is a very popular spot for folks. I will let Leah explain and show you all about them.





"After I got on my wet suit and life jacket, Emma and I walked across this rocky cold creek and then went up a sidewalk where we could get to the top of sliding rocks. In the summer, there are lifeguards but it was too cold for them to be there when we went. Emma went first and then I did. I went to the top of the sliding rocks and sat down and slid down in the water and it was really, really, really cold. At the end you land in a big pool of really, really, really cold water! It was lots of fun we went again 2 other times but cold!!!"

See my screaming video below! (removed)

So in our next back to back blog we will tell you all about The Great Smoky Mountains from the North Side perspective.

Ta, ta for now.

In the Deep, Deep South

Happy Mother's Day

Well after our PGA golfing experiences we headed north to the beautiful Savannah Georgia. We were totally blown away with how beautiful it was with the amazing trees (especially the magnolias in bloom) and the town squares and gardens were definately worth the visit. It was a bit of challenge to drive the rv down some of the roads though. Was it ever hot and humid in Savannah - wow!

We are currently in Augusta Georgia where we have been for the weekend. Another lovely city where we have taken in some interesting sites:

*We watched an outdoor movie on a hot May evening in our tank tops and shorts on the lawn of a park in downtown Augusta (they have mosquitos and ticks here).

*Walked along the Savannah River

*Shopped and dined on catfish and hush puppies

*Were chased out of the Member's Only Augusta National Golf Course (another Ray story)

*And the most exciting thing we did on Mother's Day was attend a regular church service at the oldest black Baptist church in the US. In fact the church is 227 years old! This was quite the experience for all of us, lots of lively music and dancing and "hallelujahs". We were made very welcome - we received lots of hugs and handshakes! So if you are ever in Augusta I would highly recommend attending a service at the Springfield Baptist Church. See their website here.

We are planning to head towards North Carolina in the morning to the Great Smoky Mountain region.

Regarding our last blog question about what Ray ran over on the way to The Players golf tourney - Taylor and Jocelyn you made a really good guess. You wouldn't believe how many parking pylons we have seen in the south! We actually ran over this really, really large snake - we haven't figured out what kind it was though.

Signing off from the south.

Dad - Dreams do come true

Perspective by Emma:

You know, for some weird reason I always get to tell all about my Dad’s wild adventures. Whenever something happens to Dad, it’s always my turn to write the blog. But anyway let’s get right into the story shall we.

Well now Dad’s life is complete. He’s lived his dream. Can anyone take a guess? Dad got FREE tickets to The Players PGA Golf Tournament. When he returned from visiting the World Hall Of Fame Golf Museum in St. Augustine Florida, he comes back with 2 golf tickets in his hand. (Kids get in free.) Dad happened to stumble upon people who know people, who just happen to have 2 extra tickets. So next thing we know we are all on our way to The Players at the luxurious TCP Sawgrass Golf Course.

Once we got there, we went through more security than you would traveling on an airplane. While Dad was shopping for golf stuff (and losing his wallet – a whole other story), Mom, Leah and I hung out at the famous 17th hole watching the caddies of the caddies try to par the hole. We soon find out that there is to be a special presentation on the 18th hole where Mr. George Bush the 1st will make an appearance and a short speech. It’s quite the ceremony with 200 military people in white that stood out in the bright green grass like a beach ball in a snow bank.

But just when we think all the excitement is over, Dad rushes us over to the practice field were a few men practice their putting. Not sure that they were actually famous golfers, we watch them for a few minutes. Then Dad realizes that one of the men is Vijay Singh and another is Padrig Harrington! Dad starts snapping pictures when suddenly another young guy walks onto the practice field. Suddenly the group of kids beside of us start screaming his name SERGIO GARCIA, or whatever his name is. (Apparently the guy who won the big tourney last year). The kids beside us, who were kind of annoying, keep screaming his name. I’m surprised the golfers didn’t start throwing their putters at them! But instead Sergio starts tossing out golf balls at them. All the kids started running for the balls. Dad quickly threw the camera to us, and dove down to try to catch the balls.

Determined to get one of the three balls, when the next one came rolling down, he was ready. He made a huge V-shape with his arms and grabbed the ball. I’m surprised he didn’t laugh in the kids’ face and say Ha! Suckers. I got the ball, and you didn’t! It even had a fiery red S on it for Sergio. Dad will probably sleep with it under his pillow for the rest of his life. Oh and I almost forgot to tell you about the clubhouse. My word Delburne needs to bump it up a notch! First of all it looked like a huge Palace, and you needed the special pass to get in. Well I think that wraps it up. And that was our “The Players Golf Experience”.

Because of all the golf going on I didn’t get to tell you about getting out of Orlando and St. Augustine (the oldest city in North America.) Getting out of Orland was crazy, as Dad would say. We went through 5 pay tolls, and we paid over $12.

And now I well tell you about St. Augustine. Mom loved St. Augustine. It is so old and pretty. We went to the Castillo de San Marco’s National Monument. It is a fort in St.Augustine that was ruled by the Spanish, until 1763 when the British took it over. It was very cute and quite an amazing design.

We have compiled all your Disney villains and it seems like the awful Maleficent off of Sleeping Beauty, Cruella deVille and the Evil Queen off of Snow White were the favorites! My vote would definitely be for Cruella de Ville.

And now what you’ve all been waiting for another nail-biting head-puzzling TRIVIA QUIESTION!!!! , in our rush to get to the Golf Tourney, what did Dad run over with the van??

Ta,Ta for now. Signing of from Savannah, Georgia. Bye.
Blog entry by: Emma

Step Sisters, Shamus and Sunscreen!

Hi there - Well it's official - we are "theme parked" out! We certainly aren't cold that is for sure, Florida has been having a spring heat wave, it has been 90 degrees for the last 10 days and the forecast is remaining the same for the next short while.

We visited the last of 4 Disney World parks which of course is a favorite - Magic Kingdom. Everyone enjoyed the Thunder Mountain, Splash Mountain and the list goes on and on. Emma and Leah just loved meeting the characters that roam around - Emma was thrilled to see her special friend Barney and Leah was happy to see Daisy Duck (but mad she didn't get to meet Donald). Getting to meet the step sisters and step mother from Cinderella was a highlight. Wow are they something - they made Leah do a dance for them. We wrapped the evening up by watching the fireworks over Cinderella's castle which were amazing - we even saw a special appearance from Tinkerbell.

Seaworld was our next stop where we got to watch sea lion, dolphin and whale shows and of course the fabulous Shamus show!! We saw a huge group of penguins which was quite interesting but are they ever stinky! The highlight though was getting to play and feed the dolphins - they are so cute.

Our final Orlando destination was Aquatica - a huge waterpark which is part of Seaworld. This was a great way to spend yet another hot day tubing down the rivers, sliding and riding the waves. The big excitement at this park was the waterslide which is a clear tube and goes through a dolphin pond.We are off tomorrow heading north to the St. Augustine area. Did you know that St. Augustine is the oldest community in North America and is also the home of the World Golf Village??

There were lots of great comments about your favorite Disney characters. Now for our next question which is inspired from the evil step sisters and step mother, who do you think is the all time worst Disney villian??

Bye for now.