12-4-12
It seems I am getting slower at my Blog entries....haven't entered any newsy updates since Dec 2011, when we had left for Chandler, AZ for Nathan Bies's graduation from The Virginia Golf Academy. If I tried to clarify where we have been since then...it would be pages....(so won't yet...maybe some in my historical Christmas letter)
Nov 19, 2012 Jeremy Swank married Hannah Beaton in Mitchell, SD. Jeremy is the 2nd son of Kim (Shafer) and Rick Swank. It was a beautiful wedding....Kim has entered facebook wedding photos if yu wish to view.
We left Mitchell Nov 20, 2012 and drove to Branson, Missouri....attended one show The Haygoods in the RDTV Theatre. Went to the Stone Hill Winery and learned a bit about how they prepare the wine, the best part was when they showed us how they cork the spumante as the bubbles would cause it to explode if they didn't put the wire rack on it. They showed both..and then drank samples of wine. It was all free, and we enjoyed viewing the demonstration of the Old 100 Year Old OVAL Barrels..AS THIS SITE they manufacture some of their wines grown in the Missouri area fields.
from there we drove to Hot Springs, Arkansas on the Scenic Hwy 7 thru the Ozark Mountains, and the Quapaw Mountains. It was similar to a zigzag mountain area for miles and what we view in the Black Hills in the Fall when the leaves fall off the Trees. There are Evergreens and Red Oak Trees with their goldish/red leaves still on their trees...more leafless trees. I will say...with the Motorhome...& car in tow...wouldn't do it again...possibly could have seen enough of the Ozark/Quapaw Mtns on the main highways/interstate.
Hot Springs was very Historical and we enjoyed it. They have preseved the Bathhouse Row with Hot Springs Mineral baths and we found the Quapaw Bathhouse our choice...it had a large whirlpool tub.... It was nice, but the best part was the Mountain Oberservation Tower up at 1296 feet, which overlooked all of Hot Springs, and gave a tribute the the fact that Bill Clinton attended high school there and graduated in 1964...same year as Gary and I did. We had eaten at McClards Rib Shack...(shack it was...we almost didn't go in...so quaint), but it was great place to eat Ribs and had been highly rated. It was at this Observatory that we learned it was THE PLACE THAT CLINTON ALWAYS ATE AT...when he was in town. He even had his favorite waitress...wished we had known we would have looked for her. It was then we remembered the signed 8x10 of Clinton on the wall...
We drove to Eureka Springs, AR the best of the best historical towns in this area. We toured an Historical CRESCENT Motel..ALL 5 Stories...on top of a hill, walked thru the main historical district...drove the narrow streets to view large Victorian Home. Beckie (Shafer) Beeners, and Keith recommended this to us...we would also recommend it to everyone who ventures near.
We then drove to Little Rock, Arkansas will head for Memphis on Friday Dec 7th, 2012 . They have an Eric Church concert here so we decided to get tickets and go on Thurs nite.
Our RV Park is beautiful right by the Arkansas River...6 bridges. We walk across the bridges (1100 steps..yes we have a pedometer)...each day we Total about 7000 steps as we walk from her to tour at the River Market area and visit Museums. It some ways it reminds us of Cedar Shore RV resort in Chamberlain, SD...water and evening lighting across the water...just more buildings..tall ones too.
Yesterday we saw the Clinton Presidental Library...awesome. Margaret told me that she and Bill had been there and enjoyed it too. they were in a bus on the way to New Orleans last year.
We have enjoyed their Historical Museum...plan to go view the Old State Museum where Bill Clinton announced he would vye for the Democratic Presidental Candiacy.
We plan to see the State Capital, and the building that educates us on the 1957 school segregation where the 9 students portray what they went thru and such. they built a building in 2007 dedicated to the cause...and all 9 students were there...so they have video in their own voices what it was like. Margaret told me that there are 9 statues of these students and she and Bill were impressed by what they learned here too.
We are going to try and visit all State Capital Building of each state as we pass thru, we didn't get to Jefferson City, Missouri however as we wanted to go thru the Ozark/Quapaw Mtns...so will do on the way back from Florida in the Spring, unless we go to the East Coast to tour New York & Washington DC.
Besides Elvis in Tennesee...I want to tour a Pencil company at Shelbyville, TN and see my high school/college friend Sherril Hohn Blair and hubby Jim in Germantowne, TN.
I hope to keep more up to date on My Blog...On The Road Again....Kay (Hemmer) Shafer
No comments:
Post a Comment