Gatlinburg, TN April 22, 2006

Gatlinburg is at the base of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. It is a great little town with a lot of charm. Between Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, you can find lots of entertainment and plenty of dinner shows. It's a great area to plan a family vacation.

Pigeon Forge, TN April 21, 2006

From Nashville, we headed to Pigeon Forge, TN. We wanted to visit the Smokey Mountains and Dollywood. We had heard a lot about the area and wanted to see it for ourselves. We arrived during a very busy weekend which made it difficult to get around. Traffic was backed up but we managed to find some backroads to Dollywood. The park wasn't what we expected. We felt it was a little over rated. However, we may be in the minority since quite a few of the locals visit the park frequently.

King's Mountain, SC April 29, 2006

Don took us to visit King's Mountain State Park in South Carolina. One of the many battles during the Revolutionary War took place at King's Mountain. There is a great museum in the park that describes the battle and its importance it played in our independence from England. Also, located in the park is an old homestead which reflects a typical homestead of the early settlers.

Linville,NC April 28, 2006

We visited Linville, NC with our friends, Don and Sam. It's a quaint community located near the Blue Ridge Parkway which is a national parkway that stretches between the Smokey Mountains in North Carolina and the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia. While in Linville, we hiked to the Linville Falls which were quite spectacular. Afterwards, we visited the Linville Caverns. Tony was a little apprehensive because he doesn't like anything subterrainium. However, Tony was fascinated with the whole experience and now wants to visit more caverns. Our pictures are of the falls and surrounding area. We couldn't take pictures in the cavern.

Nashville, TN April, 20-21, 2006

Our next stop was Nashville. Country music has become a multi-million dollar industry in Nashville. Downtown is full music driven businesses; such as record and music shops, recording studios and honky tonks where new talent can be discovered. The road to success for many musicians is through Nashville.

Grand Ole Opry Nashville, TN April 20, 2006

The Grand Ole Opry now resides in a new building located away from the downtown area. It is surrounded by the Opry Mills which houses shops, movie theather and the Opry Museum.

Two Rivers Mansion, Nashville, TN April, 2006

Nashville has many mansions and plantations. Two Rivers is just one of the mansions we visited.

Country Music Hall of Fame,Nashville, April 2006

We spent four hours at the Country Music Hall of Fame. This is a must see if you are ever in Nashville. It was so informative and the music was fantastic. The Hall of Fame currently has a special exhibition on Ray Charles which we really enjoyed.

Ryman Auditorium, Nashville, TX April 20, 2006

We visited the Ryman Auditorium. The Ryman was the Grand Ole Opry's first home.

Tunica, MS April 18, 2006

We made a stop in Tunica, MS. Tony had heard so much about how Tunica was the birthplace of poker. He had to play poker here. The actual town of Tunica is very quaint and charming. We spent one day at the RiverPark. It's a natural park area that is set along the Mississippi River. It's a great place to hike.

New Orleans, LA April 14, 2006

When we left Texas, we headed for Baton Rouge, LA. We had decided to stay away from the New Orleans area because of the devestation caused by Katrina. However while in Baton Rouge, the locals told us to go see New Orleans on a day trip. So we did.....

We were glad we decided to visit New Orleans. The French Quarter is in pretty good shape. There are few repairs going on; but most shops and businesses are open. We were told there are some areas closer to the levees on the east side that are still completely in shambles. However, New Orleans is trying to rebuild itself and needs tourists' dollars. So don't hesitate to visit New Orleans.

Galveston, TX April 12, 2006

From Corpus Christie, we headed to Galveston Island. This area is rich with history. It was surprising to see some old mansions that have survived numerous hurricanes. Galveston had beautiful beaches.

Kemah, TX April 10, 2006

Just about 30 miles northeast of Corpus Christie is a great little town called Kemah. The river has been developed with boardwalks which has shops, carnival rides, restaurants and entertainment. We were completely surprised by its charm.

Corpus Christie, TX April 6, 2006

We traveled from Phoenix to El Paso, TX. We spent a week in El Paso visiting family. After that we headed for South Texas. We wanted to spend some time on the Gulf of Mexico to determine if we might winter there later this year. Our first stop was Corpus Christie. This was a nice coastal city but we decided it wouldn't be our first choice for a winter destination. We took pictures of the USS Lexington which is moared downtown.

Farewell Apache Junction AZ - March 31, 2006

Well, it's time to get back on the road. We had a nice time wintering in Apache Junction. We met some great people and developed long lasting friendships. We are anxious to begin traveling again. Our first destination is El Paso to visit my Mom for a week. From there, we will head to South Texas and travel along the gulf coast.