An East Tennessee Adventure

Welcome!

A few weeks ago, Greg and I went for a visit to East Tennessee which we thoroughly enjoyed.

The main purpose of our trip was to celebrate the birthdays of three family members.

Photo by John

The celebration was at Nick and Lisa's where we had an end-of-summer cookout, complete with...

hot dogs...

birthday cake and...

ice cream sundaes.

A great time was had by all!

Greg and I spent the night in nearby Jonesborough, Tennessee in the "Jonesborough Bed and Breakfast," which is a "quaint turn of the century Queen's cottage...", to quote the website. 

It is the number one B&B in Jonesborough, according to "TripAdvisor."

It even has a resident dog, Tori Amos.

The decor is bohemian.

The innkeeper, Brian Mills, who makes you feel at home right away, is from London, and speaks French and Spanish, as well as English.

The large Continental breakfast was delicious, especially the granola with fresh fruit and milk.

FYI:

"Jonesborough Bed and Breakfast"

232 East Main Street

Jonesborough, Tennessee

www.jonesboroughbedandbreakfast.com

After breakfast, Greg and I headed to downtown Jonesborough, the oldest town in Tennessee, where we...

explored around town which was all dressed up in its fall finery.

Jonesborough is well-known as the "Storytelling Capital of the World." It holds the "National Storytelling Festival" every October.

After a bit of shopping (including finding Christmas gifts!), we had a wonderful lunch at one of our favorite places, "Main Street Cafe."

Does this look good, or what! It was!

A little later, we stopped by "J J's" for some ice cream. So good on a warm autumn day!

You really ought to try Jonesborough. Bet you'd love it!

On my 9/18/16 blog post, I discussed things that I've found that made me feel happier and more positive. 

On this post, I'd like to add to that list-

Reading something inspirational, like Rhonda Byrne's new book How the Secret Changed My Life. This book is, to quote the ad, "...how everyday people completely transformed their lives by applying the teachings of The Secret." This book got five stars on "Amazon." Might be a book worth looking into!

Positive thought: "We are the creators of our universe."-"The Secret"

Thanks for visiting! Until Sunday, October 23, 2016, Becky

Delightful Day Trips

Welcome!

Glad you could join me as I fill you in on a recent trip that Greg and I took.  It was a day trip in which we went to a nearby destination for a delightful day of fun and relaxation.

On my previous blog post (October 6, 2015), I wrote about our trip to Memphis, Tennessee.  That was a long trip for us, and we spent the night.  We had every aspect of the trip planned, and it all went pretty much the way we had hoped it would.

However, day trips are different, because they are closer home and you don't spend the night.  While long trips are fun every once in a while, you can go on day trips more often, and you generally don't get as worn out or spend as much money on these short excursions.

Part of our recent trip was to a park that Greg and I had been wanting to visit for some time, Cedars of Lebanon State Park in Lebanon, Tennessee.  There are a lot of cedar trees at the park and 19 rare plants that grow abundantly there and nowhere else in the world!  The park offers hiking, picnicking, camping, and horseback riding.

Greg, at Cedars of Lebanon State Park

We enjoyed exploring the park and taking pictures of the few colorful fall leaves that were still left.

Afterwards, we drove a short distance to the small town of Carthage, Tennessee which Greg was curious about since it was the former hometown of a famous fellow Tennessean, Al Gore.

Sometimes, it's more interesting not to plan every aspect of your trip, but to just let things happen.  And, sometimes you are pleasantly surprised!

That's what happened to us as we left Carthage; we found a great place for our evening meal, Timberloft Restaurant in nearby Gordonsville, Tennessee.  Timberloft has steaks, barbecue, and southwestern cuisine.  It's the number one restaurant in Gordonsville, and was awarded a "Certificate of Excellence" from TripAdvisor.

Timberloft welcomed us with colorful fall flowers and pumpkins.

The interior is inviting and cozy!

The charming outdoorsy decor has whimsical touches.

After a delicious meal of perhaps a "Philly Steak & Cheese" sandwich and "Kale Salad" or a "BBQ Stuffed Potato," you might want to try one of their delightful desserts.  They even have gluten-free options.

F.Y.I.
www.timberloftrestaurant.com

We enjoyed our last day trip so much that we decided to go on another one soon, for shopping and for the opening of a tearoom in the charming little town of Bell Buckle, Tennessee.

You might want to plan your own day trip soon, to explore somewhere that you've never been.  Where would you go?  What would you do?  Bet you'd have a great time!  (Did you know that many people never take advantage of the entertaining and interesting places near or even in their own hometowns?)

Website you might find helpful: www.goodguide.com  On this website you can "Find safe, healthy, green, & ethical product reviews based on scientific ratings."  Over 250,000 products are rated on this site.

Positive thought: "Not all who wander are lost." J. R. R. Tolkien
Thanks for visiting!  Until Sunday, December 6, 2015 (or sooner!), Becky