Frog Legs!

OK, so Bruce and I are in Mississippi now at Harrah's Casino Mid-South RV Park. We decided to go over and check out the casino for the fun of it. We are not big gamblers, especially Bruce. Wandering around the casino we came across Paula Dean's Buffet. We hadn't planned on eating there but a women tapped me on the shoulder and gave me a buy one get one free coupon. We avoid buffets for obvious reasons, but this was our chance to try Paula Dean's food. Mississippi has the highest rate of obesity in the country and now I know why. I tried to choose the least toxic food. So much of it was fried from chicken to fish to okra to dill pickles and even fried green tomatoes, which I love, but scrape off the coating. If it wasn't fried it was swimming in butter. Speaking of swimming or should I say leaping, they had frog legs on the buffet. I saw a man fill his plate and had to ask what they taste like. He said chicken and I would be surprised at how good they are. They aren't fishy. Bruce proceeded to put one on my plate. I walked around adding a few other items, looking at those frog legs. They were kind of grossing me out. I didn't let any other food touch the frog legs. By the time I got to my table I was totally grossed out and told Bruce I cannot eat those. He took them off my plate and put them on a pile of plates on the table next to us. I know I said I wanted to try different foods around the country, but I guess I draw the line at amphibians that croak in the night and leap during the day.
Ribbitt!!! Ribbitt!!!

Mississippi is the Hospitality State

Things I like to learn

I've decided it would be fun to learn something regional as far as food is concerned in each state we visit. If it's all natural the better. I try to avoid as much processed food with all those toxic chemicals added as possible.

In Kentucky it was the bourbon they produce and especially the American Honey Bourbon. I know alcohol is toxic, but all they add to bourbon is water.

In Tennessee I have discovered a wild grape. They are called scuppermong or muscedine. These grapes are native to southeastern US. Bruce and I had gone to a Music and Molasses Festival at the Tennessee Agricultural Museum, where I had a chance to try some. They are much bigger than the grapes we get in the grocery store. The skins are very tough but the meat is so sweet.

At the festival I also learned about sorhgum syrup. In some regions people call it " sorhgum molasses" but molasses refers to a sweetener made from sugarcane or sugar beet cane production not sorghum cane. It's used on biscuits in the morning.

Tennessee The Volunteer State

Tennessee got its motto Volunteer State, from the fact that the state provided the most volunteers for the War of 1812 and the Mexican War.

We arrived in TN on the 17th of Oct. and the first place we went was The Grand Ole Opry. I didn't know it is the country's oldest running live radio show. They haven't missed a radio program since 1925. The radio announcer stood to the side and every ten or fifteen minutes he had to read a commercial. The sponsers were Dollar General, Humana, Bass Pro Shops and Cracker Barrel.

I expected the theater to be more glamourous then it was, but it was nice anyway. The show was in four 1/2 hour sections with each having a host. The only performers I knew where Rider's in The Sky and Vince Gill. We enjoyed all of them.

Kentucky Unbridled Spirit

How could we spend three days in Lexington KY, "The Horse Capital of the World" and get nothing but these photos of fake horses. Not to mention I took them in Louisville KY not Lexington!! Oh well, at least we saw lots of horses. In fact we spent three days at the Kentucky Horse Park Campground. We hadn't planned on three days but were told an Endurance Race was going on. This race was in preparation for the 2010 ALLTECH FEI World Equestrian Games. We've never been to a horse race so we thought here is our chance. Unfortunately, we woke to pouring rain and decided to leave. We headed to Elizabethtown KY. Kentucky is known for their bourbon distilleries. The limestone that filters the water as it seeps through is suppose to make nice bourbon. Our first distillery was Wild Turkey. We had an extensive tour of the distillery and learned the process of bourbon making. We were able to stick our fingers in the fermenting tubs and taste the mash at different stages of fermentation. They went from sweet to sour. We also got to sample the high wine(moonshine) about 130 proof. At the end of the tour we got to sample a smidgen of Derby Pie with honey bourbon on it. Yummy!! I love honey, so just had to get myself a bottle of American Honey Bourbon. It's sweeter and goes down real smooth. The photos alongside are of Wild Turkey Distillery. Next day we toured Jim Beam. All we got to see was a seven minute video and did get two shots of their bourbon and a piece of bourbon chocolate. My favorite way to get a taste of bourbon!!!
Our next stop was Louisville KY. Here I found The Little Loomhouse. This is a group of three 19th century board and batten cabins. They are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Kentucky State Historical Site, and Louisville Landmark. They teach weaving here and preserve the work, research and collection of master weaver and author Lou Tate Bousman. I went in and had a private tour by one of the ladies. I told her my story of the Little Spinning Wheel I wanted when I was a kid, for Christmas. You know how TV makes stuff look real. It turned out to be plastic, of course, and mom just didn't know what to do, because that's all I wanted for Christmas. I don't think I ever made anything on it. She had me repeat my story to another woman who came in. The Esta house was the first place that the Happy Birthday song was sung.
Bruce decided we should go to the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory. Out side the museum is a 120 ft, 68,000 pound steel bat. It is a replica of the bat Babe Ruth used.
Our last stop in Louisville was at Glassworks. We watched some glass blowing and wandered around the shop. Very pretty things.
Today we are in Park City where Mammoth Caves are. We took a 4 mile 41/2 and hour tour of the cave. It's not pretty but is the biggest cave in the world. Tomorrow we are going on Lantern tour which is 3 miles and takes 31/2 hours. We haven't seen the sun in days and it is chilly if not cold, so going down 270 ft below the ground is nice. It's warmer and dry.

Tamarack The Best of West Virginia

Every state should have a place like this. Just off of I-64/77 at exit 45 is this wonderful place. It is a showcase for West Virginia's cultural heritage and traditions. It has West Virginia made juried arts, foods and agricultural products. Bruce and I bought a yummy BBQ sauce and had a delicious lunch. I had to have their green fried tomatoes with swiss and bacon and Bruce had a bowl of chilli. There was anything you could want from quilts, wooden kitchen utensils, furniture, art, clothes, ornaments, wine, food stuff, pottery and coal figurines.

New River Gorge Bridge

New River Bridge was completed in 1977. It is the longest single arch bridge in the world. At 876 feet above the river it is America's 2nd highest bridge. Once a year, the third week of October, the bridge is closed for six hours. Extreme sport fanatics gather in Fayetteville. Hundreds of BASE jumpers, rappel teams and highline riders leap, jump and descend from the bridge while 200,00 spectators watch. Yikes!! Bruce and I hiked and drove around this park and saw beautiful views of this bridge.

Wild, Wonderful West Virginia!!!

Bruce and I have spent several days camping in West Virginia. We've hiked, biked, walked and drove visiting the sights. The trees are beginnning to change and are beautiful. Tonight we are camped in Milton WV and had severe storms passing through. There were tornado warnings for this county. I couldn't decide if I liked it better on a boat or in a motorhome if a tornado passed through. Luckily I didn't have to experience one in a motorhome because the warning had expired.

Heading south

My bus is prettier than your bus!!!

After the Special Olympics State Games yesterday Bruce and I headed out for parts unknown. Our first stop was Attica, to check on his mom's house. We couldn't get into the driveway so I called the neighbor and asked if we could park there for the night. Ray used to own the bus company for the schools but now leases the property to another company. Bruce and I were getting settled when someone knocked on the door. It was the manager of the buses. He used to be the chief of police in Attica. How do you go from the chief of police to managing a bus garage? Anyway, someone had called him and told him we were there. The Robbins name has pretty big clout in Attica, so we were good to go. It saved me a couple of speeding tickets years ago. Oh! You're Al Robbins daughter -in -law? OK slow down.

Next morning Bruce went to pick some beets from the field behind the bus garage. When I saw he had picked two full grocery bags I thought we were going to start our own farmers market from the motorhome. He gave one bag to Pat and Ray. Thank goodness!!!

Tonight we are at Keystone State Park in PA.

Medals Awarded

Keith, Paul and I don't know the other guys name receiving their medals!!

It's not only about the athletes!! Janet,Barb and I had fun making pennants and decorating hats with foam stickers at the Olympic Village. Hey!! Why not. The athletes weren't playing with them so we did.

Special Olympic Fall Games 2009

My son Keith participated in the Special Olympics Fall Games in Seneca Falls NY. The weather was perfect for a cycling competition. Keith came home with two silver medals. The 1st was the 15k road race and the 2nd was a 5K road race. He said he just couldn't catch Paul. Paul trains by riding 90 miles a week and participated in a fund raiser for his training club where he rode 200 miles in a couple of days. Lance Armstrong may have had a hard time catching him!!! NOT!! But Paul is good.