2019 – Page 4 – THE TRAVELING SENIORS

April 1, 2019

CADES COVE in TENNESSEE’S SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK

Following Cades Cove Loop Road in the Smoky Mountain National Park, Tennessee is like driving into a pastoral painting! This drive has been on our bucket list for many years. Friends have told us about the wildlife, the beauty and history of the road, but no description is adequate! WHY CADES COVE? One reason we wanted to visit Cades Cove is because wildlife of all kinds fills me with wonder and excitement. (I should clarify that all wildlife does not include snakes!) After I retired, I lived in a 400-square foot cabin in the North Carolina mountains. My cabin was across a dirt road from a bear sanctuary…

written by Barb Bradley - Posted in 2019, Blog, Road Trips, Tennesse, Travel, Trip Planning

March 25, 2019

MARK TWAIN’S HOMETOWN: HANNIBAL, MISSOURI

We are HUGE fans of the writings of Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens)! His book, Roughing It, written in 1872 is a side-splitting comedic recounting of Twain’s misadventures in the Wild West. Just think about his “River Novels”-the hair raising and hilarious tales told in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn! Have you wondered about the setting for those childhood stories of Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn and others? That setting is Hannibal, Missouri! Twain was deeply connected and devoted to the Mississippi River. We recommend reading his book, Life on the Mississippi, written in 1883. His love for the river began when he was a boy in…

written by Barb Bradley - Posted in 2019, Blog, Missouri

March 18, 2019

50 GREAT AMERICAN ROAD TRIPS: THE BEST BACK ROAD BY STATE

We hope spring makes you want to get on the road! To help you decide where to go, we have a treasure trove of backroads information for you. Just where are the best back roads, by state? You already know we take back roads on every trip we take. Check out our blog post, “Take Backroads to Explore America” at: http://thetravelingseniors.com/back-roads-forever/ In that post, we share some of our favorite backroads. As our friend, Scott of the blog, Take Back Roads, says, “America is home to countless back roads, side roads, and country roads… scenic routes, historic routes, and tourist routes… National Byways and Historic Highways…. and more road trip possibilities than…

written by Barb Bradley - Posted in 2019, Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Blog, Florida, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, North Carolina, Road Trips, Tennesse, Texas, Travel, Trip Planning, Utah

March 9, 2019

42nd Annual McGuire’s St. Patrick’s Day Prediction 5K Run

Saturday, March 9 was the 42nd Annual McGuire’s St. Patrick’s Day Prediction 5K Run taking place in Pensacola Florida. Over ten thousand runners and walkers took part in this annual event. This was a 5K (3.1 miles) that started and finished at McGuire’s Irish Pub in downtown Pensacola, Florida. McGuire’s Bagpipers https://youtu.be/vhEwtRJtI-Ehttps://youtu.be/Xv4GpCEULBY Off They Go And They Keep Coming

written by Stuart - Posted in 2019, Blog, Florida, Travel

March 7, 2019

HOW TO TRACK Davy Crockett IN TENNESSEE

As seniors, we all grew up with Davy Crockett! (well, Fess Parker) He was brave enough to fight bears, courageous enough to tame the frontier and stood for always doing what is right. He was also a real American. This particular senior travel was meaningful to us because Davy is a childhood hero of ours. My brother and I actually had a Davy Crockett clubhouse in our backyard! We decided to track Davy Crockett through Tennessee to learn more about the man who preferred to be called David Crockett! HOW DO YOU TRACK Davy Crockett IN TENNESSEE? We tracked Davy to four locations in the state….

written by Barb Bradley - Posted in 2019, Blog, Tennesse

March 4, 2019

2 of AMERICA’s BEST QUILT TRAILS

The Amish purposely include a mistake in their quilts because only God is perfect. During the Dust Bowl, worn-out clothing was re-purposed into quilts to keep families warm. Like you, I have quilts made by my grandmothers, great aunts, and my mom. Growing up, I snuggled under the quilts, tracing the pattern and fabrics with my finger as I settled down for the night. One family quilt went to my daughter and son in-law as a wedding gift. Quilts are family heirlooms; symbols of the creativity and strength of women. Quilting Circles find women (and some men) “solving” world problems and sharing the warmth of friendship while creating works…

written by Barb Bradley - Posted in 2019, Blog, Kentucky, Road Trips, Tennessee

February 28, 2019

A ROADSIDE WONDER:a fabulous surprise from the road

One of the greatest thrills of taking back roads is when we happen upon something interesting and unusual completely by accident! We call these finds “roadside wonders.” They are not historically significant or tourist destinations. Sometimes, they are colorful, at times ugly, kitsch, and even hilarious. We love sharing some of our favorites with you! We stopped at a drugstore while driving through Sylva, North Carolina and look at the colorful “roadside wonder” we found! Hiding on a side street was CT Auto Service, Inc., a three-generation business that offers car repairs, towing and more. When we stopped, Anthony told us that his grandfather began covering the building with license…

written by Barb Bradley - Posted in 2019, Blog, North Carolina

February 25, 2019

HOW TO FOLLOW THE FOOTSTEPS OF SGT. ALVIN C. YORK IN PALL MALL, TENNESSEE

We just HAD to follow the footsteps of Sgt. Alvin C. York in Pall Mall, Tennessee! We wanted to learn more and pay homage to Sgt. York-one of the most decorated American heroes of WWI. New generations of Americans became familiar with York through a 1940s biographical Hollywood movie, starring Gary Cooper. Gary Cooper won an Oscar for best actor for his portrayal of Sgt. York. York’s military service in WWI and the movie (made much later) made Alvin York a household name. For we seniors, Sgt. York’s story has been a part of our growing up years. So, who was Alvin C. York? YORK’S BACKGROUND Alvin C….

written by Barb Bradley - Posted in 2019, Blog, Tennesse

February 21, 2019

THE BIGGEST 3,000 Year-Old PETROGLYPHS IN North America: JUDACULLA ROCK IN North Carolina

There are times when we see a sign by the side of the road that leads to an American treasure! Judaculla Rock is just such a find! We were driving 107 N in Jackson County, North Carolina when we noticed a silver road sign which said, “Judaculla Rock.” We had never heard of Judaculla Rock and were uncertain if the sign actually referred to a rock. Boy, does it ever! Judaculla Rock is approximately 16 feet long by eleven feet wide and is a soapstone boulder covered with strange drawings that have been studied by researchers worldwide. Quarry tools were found nearby and scientists have speculated that Judaculla Rock…

written by Barb Bradley - Posted in 2019, Blog, North Carolina

February 18, 2019

WHITE SANDS NATIONAL MONUMENT IN New Mexico: A BUCKET LIST DESTINATION

Gypsum sands sparkle during sunset and the views are absolutely amazing! The dunes of White Sands National Monument begin at the park road and go on like a sea of sand! White Sands National Monument turned out to be a spiritual stop in our travels and should be a true bucket list destination for retirement travel. Huge dunes of gypsum extend over 275 square miles of desert in New Mexico. White Sands was established as a National Monument in 1933 and is said to be the largest gypsum dune field in the world. The gypsum is from 250 million years ago when the southwestern U.S. was covered by the…

written by Barb Bradley - Posted in 2019, Blog, New Mexico