A Tennessee State Park, Plus a Side Excursion

Another month, another park! Several blog posts back, I mentioned that Greg and I intended to visit one park a month throughout the warmer months.

So, a few days ago, we went to Henry Horton State Park in Chapel Hill, Tennessee. The 1,500 +-acre park is on the old estate of Henry Horton who was the 36th governor of Tennessee.

It has an inn, cabins, and a restaurant. It also has an 18-hole championship golf course, a skeet and trap range, a playground, and a swimming pool.

Since the park is located on the scenic Duck River, swimming and canoeing are also available.

When we first arrived at the park, it was lunchtime, so we headed over to The Governor's Table for their lunch buffet.

It looked really great as we were starved!

It was good. We ate almost every bite!

After our meal, we took off to explore the park...

One thing we noticed right away was the abundance of picnic tables. I've been to a couple of parks that had a shortage of tables during holidays like Memorial Day.

No shortage here! Many tables had a nice view of the Duck River.

And what a beautiful view it is!

F.Y.I.
www.tnstateparks.com

After thoroughly exploring the park, we decided to visit the nearby small town of Chapel Hill since I needed to mail an important letter. While there, Greg spotted a monument in honor of Civil War general, Nathan Forrest, who lived there as a boy.

We saw a sign about his boyhood home, so being the Civil War buff that Greg is, we decided to go check it out.

The house is rustic and attractive, outside...

and inside...

We took a tour which was only $5.00 each, and the money raised goes to the restoration and upkeep of the house. They also have periodic fundraisers. It was in bad need of repair when the Sons of the Confederate Veterans took over the house which is on the "National Register of Historic Places", and they have done a great job thus far, but there's more work to be done. Kudos to the dedicated men working on this project!

We had a wonderful afternoon at Henry Horton State Park, plus an unplanned side excursion to General Forrest's boyhood home.

We can hardly wait until our next trip! You just never know what adventure awaits!

Happy Father's Day to fathers everywhere, including my dear father who is in spirit.

Positive thought: "If you truly love Nature, you will find beauty everywhere."-Vincent Van Gogh
Thanks for visiting! Until next weekend, Becky

Buddy's bar-b-q Is Great!

Welcome!

                                         
Every time Greg and I go back to visit our folks where we used to live, we just have to stop at a Buddy's bar-b-q restaurant, one of a small chain of restaurants in East Tennessee.  (We love and promote local!)

                                               Kingston, Tennessee Location

We sometimes use their drive-thru and other times we dine inside which is attractively decorated according to where the restaurant is located.

                                                         Sevierville, Tennessee

The bar-b-q is great.  Greg's favorite is the pork.  In fact, their bar-b-q was voted # 1 in Sevier County by a local survey.

Besides bar-b-q, there are several other tasty items on the menu.

                                             I love their Hawg Back Potatoes!

                   A Hot Fudge Cake is a great way to finish your meal!  (Yum!)

We heard of one man who traveled a hundred miles to one of the Buddy's locations every time there was a big church function, so he'd have something delicious to take for the meal!

For great quality food served in a friendly, rustic atmosphere, you can't beat Buddy's bar-b-q!  What a great alternative to the big chains!

We can hardly wait until our next trip back to Buddy's!

They also cater.  Check out their web site.

F.Y.I.
www.buddysbarbq.com

         Notice our wedding anniversary gifts, including a Buddy's cap and gift certificate!

We also recently celebrated the birthdays of three family members all at one time!  Happy birthday Greg, Julie, and Nick!

Positive thought:  Celebrate life!
Thanks for visiting!  Until next Sunday, Becky

Miller's Grocery Is a Winner

Welcome!

Greg and I recently took a trip to Christiana, Tennessee where we enjoyed a delicious meal at Miller's Grocery.  Originally, it was a grocery store, but it is now a country cafe.  It has served the railroad community for over 75 years.  We first found out about Miller's Grocery when they were selling food at a festival that we attended last fall. 

Miller's Grocery has a distressed, rustic look both inside and out.

We were there on a Sunday when they have their buffet.  And, what a feast it was!  We certainly didn't leave there hungry!

We loved the salads,

the breads,

the main dishes,

 and especially the desserts. 

In fact, Miller's Grocery was Tennessee Magazine 's  winner for best "place for dessert" in Middle Tennessee for 2012.

Anna, who served our drinks, took our picture, since we were celebrating my birthday.  (We'll celebrate my special day with other family members later this month.)

We plan to go back on a weekend night when we can enjoy special live musical entertainment while we dine.

F.Y.I.
Miller's Grocery
7011 Main Street
Christiana, Tennessee 37037
(615) 893-1878
See http://millersgrocery.com for more info.

Positive thought: "You were born to win, but to be a winner, you must plan to win, prepare to win, and expect to win." -Zig Ziglar
Thanks for visiting!  Until next Sunday, Becky