SMOKY MTS, TN

We made it!!! We love TN and being by the mountains...WOW!! This is our first time here and can see us living here!!!

We decided to take a moderate hike(we thought!!)

Dan resting to continue on this moderate hike!!

 Half log bridge that we had to cross...I made It!

Then we had to enter a cave .....

                          With steps going straight up!!!!

We made it back and continued on

Okay we're tough

Another hike straight up!!

Look at Dan go!!

Half way UP!!

Almost THERE!!!!!

Our view at the finish line....AWESOME

Afterwards we thought about always wanted to hike the Appalachian Trail

  

UNTIL we saw this sign...1972 miles

Time to leave....

Last but not least... we stopped to visit friends in Loudon TN

Karen & Joe- fellow Postmasters from back home

Its always nice to take time and spend time with friends you know from sometime in your life

Who have started their own journey

                         Well I guess it's time to go back home to MI.....for a couple of months...
                                                  after that who knows?????

DOLLYWOOD

If you're in TN you have to go to Dollywood!! My cousins Junior & Rosemary took us for the day and we had a great time! They were having International Festival Celebrations which consisted of many different shows such as Cirque Shanghai-breathtaking acrobats, Mystic India- cast of dancers with colorful costumes, Mariachi Divas-three time Grammy Award winners, Pause Cafe-modern folk music from France, and lots of FOOD!!!

Hugh Desserts...they do things big here...Just like Dolly

Pause Cafe from France

Excellent show

                                                They walk around like it was nothing!!

Mariachi Divas

Junior & Dan really enjoyed these girls

Rosemary & I felt like we part of the Divas!!!

My cousin Junior and I just taking time to have a cold one in honor of my dad

(Junior's dad was my dad's brother & his mom was my mom's sister...so we're 100% cousins)

Now we're going to the Smoky Mts!!!!!

NEXT STOP.....GULF SHORES, AL

We camped in Gulf Shores, AL for a week looking for a new winter spot for next winter! We found one that will work..if we don't like it or the weather is cold.. we move on!!! That's what's great when your home is on wheels!! Our friends Linda & Dick are returning home...they had enough of us!!
 While here we drove to Pensacola, FL to see the Blue Angels. Due to the National Budget their program has been put on hold until further notice. Matter of fact this was their last performance!







NATIONAL NAVAL AVIATION MUSEUM

 My son Troy served in the Navy and worked in the Flight Deck Operations. This operations is in the top 5 most dangerous jobs...let's just say this didn't make me real happy&*?$

Changing of Commander's Celebration

It was AWESOME to see the Navy Sons & Daughters lined up for this celebration

The Blue Angels were formed in 1946 to demonstrate the meticulous training the Naval aviators can accomplish. Considered the Navy's best recruiting tool, the F/A-18 Hornets perform all over the world

There's a total of seven planes

AWESOME!!!!

 Our last evening we decided to enjoy the beach and what a BEAUTIFUL evening

Next stop...Smokey Mountains TN

NEW ORLEANS LA

This is our next stop for the next few days! Our friends Linda & Dick are hanging in there with us! They had been here a few years ago which was very helpful!!

What a town!! One word " COLORFUL"

We spent the day walking and playing Tourists. Went into a couple of pubs and had a brew BUT they don't sell Busch Beer!!! We ate canjun, gumbo, and alligator!!! Taste like Chicken!

Linda said we had to have BEIGNETS!! She was right...Mmmmmm

We took a drive to St. Bernard where Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005

What an eye opener...we went on a stretch of road where houses are still empty with

 a hugh red "X" on them...which means that house had been checked for survivors.

At one time beautiful homes and now...no windows, moldy, yards full of overgrown weeds

VERY SAD

Cross in memory of the victims

This is what you see now... Single wide trailers on high stilts

They have lots of stairs and some have elevators

Stopped by this cemetery AND was AMAZED

how many Perez's( my maiden name) were buried there.

This is just a few. I know that my dad told me that when my grandfather came into the states that his brothers continue on towards LA & GA. I'll have to do some homework on that

                                            
                                      The JOURNEY continues to Gulf Shores AL

TEXAS HILL COUNTRY

What a neat location!!! We stayed in Fredericksburg at the Lady Bird Johnson City Park. This is a German town with great unique shops and great wine shops! Great location between Austin and San Antonio!


                                                     DAY TRIP TO SAN ANTONIO

                                          The Alamo established in 1718 by Spanish settlers.

Girls having fun at the Alamo!

                                                         San Antonio River Walk 

What a beautiful walk

Dan knows all about this!!!!

Dan has patented this saying!!!

                                                           DAY IN AUSTIN

                                              Their motto is "Keep Austin Weird"
                                   It's different there but very INTERESTING FOLKS...
                                           especially musicians ( Dan fits right in)!!!
                Went into a local bar to get a draft beer BUT only Tequila is on draft!!

and the PRICES of SHOTS of TEQUILA......

GREAT TIME IN LUCKENBACH

It was established as a Trading Post in 1849 and consists of a Dance Hall, Joint &

General Store on 10 acres

In 1970 Postmaster Benno Engel retired and placed an ad in the local newspaper:

 " TOWN FOR SALE".

It was bought by Hondo Crouch and he formed a make believe town and proclaimed himself Mayor!

Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson brought Luckenbach to its ultimate worldwide fame with

their hit song "LUCKENBACH TEXAS"- # 1 on the Country Charts for six weeks!!

     No wonder Dan is also looking to play in a band!!!
         FREE BEER!!!!

          St Patrick's Day with great friends!!

Their motto"Everybody's Somebody in Luckenbach"

Time to move on to NEW ORLEANS!!!