1 year, 10 months and 16 days from today - A May 2016 PTR FINAL UPDATE 5/6/16

[ddstratton]

That's great that DD wrote and published a book. I will go on amazon today and order the book.

DD thanks you, as do I!

Joining in as we have just started our pre-trip report for what feels like forever away...

Our trip is still more than a year away, but we're looking forward to it!

15.... And an author....
Impressed!

Thank you! She certainly has more ambition at her age than I ever did...

WOW! Very cool to be an author! Way to go!

I am very proud of her. She worked on this for a little over a year, between writing, rewriting, editing...

 

[ddstratton]

May 2015 – Days 6 thru 8


Day 6 will just be a recovery day and a day to visit with family and friends.


Day 7 may see us doing a little site-seeing in the area. DH, DD and I may be taking off for the day to see a few things we haven’t done before.


I would like to go see the Linville Caverns. I love going through caverns, and we’ve never done this one.

Nearby is a little town called Little Switzerland. It’s really a little town – barely a dot on the map. But there’s a cute little restaurant there called the Little Switzerland Café. It looks like fun, and has pretty good TripAdvisor reviews.

Next to this restaurant is a book store. This could be dangerous. DD and I both love books. This is a three-story bookstore, filled with new and used books. We could spend a lot of time – and money – in a place like this.

After this, we’ll head back to Asheville and spend the evening visiting.


Day 8 will be our final full day in Asheville. We don’t have any set plans. We’ll just spend the day visiting, and likely go out to dinner all together again. We love this Asian buffet place…

And that will just about cover the Asheville portion of our little mini trip this year.

 

[KatMark]

Congrats to DD again on her book. Plans are sounding great. My husband would spend HOURS in that bookstore.

 

[pkondz]

Next to this restaurant is a book store. This could be dangerous. DD and I both love books. This is a three-story bookstore, filled with new and used books. We could spend a lot of time – and money – in a place like this.

I don't think I could tear myself out of there in less than a day!

 

[princessbelle2015]

I could spend all day in the bookstore. There is always treasures to find. The caverns look neat.
I received your DD book and I can't wait to star reading it. I always find it neat to read a book from an author who you have a connection with.

 

[ddstratton]

Congrats to DD again on her book. Plans are sounding great. My husband would spend HOURS in that bookstore.

Thanks! That book store looks wonderful!

I don't think I could tear myself out of there in less than a day!

It's gonna be a feat getting DD out of there, much less myself...

I could spend all day in the bookstore. There is always treasures to find. The caverns look neat.
I received your DD book and I can't wait to star reading it. I always find it neat to read a book from an author who you have a connection with.

I think she did a pretty good job on her book. She did all of the writing. I did proofread it for her, acting as editor of sorts. I made a few grammar/spelling changes and suggestions, but the story is hers. I actually enjoyed reading the story, and she did make me cry at the end of it.

 

[momabbate]

Wow, you must be so proud to have a young author for a daughter! And to think she let you edit it. My daughter wrote a lot growing up but only let her teachers read her stories. No way would I be able to edit them, or try to get them published. That didn't keep me from sneak a look at them. I need to look for her book. I missed where to order one. Can I get it for my Kindle?

Love the look of those caves. Only been in some in Mo.

 

[ddstratton]

Wow, you must be so proud to have a young author for a daughter! And to think she let you edit it. My daughter wrote a lot growing up but only let her teachers read her stories. No way would I be able to edit them, or try to get them published. That didn't keep me from sneak a look at them. I need to look for her book. I missed where to order one. Can I get it for my Kindle?

Love the look of those caves. Only been in some in Mo.

I am very proud of her! She has much more ambition that I did at that age! She didn't let me read it or edit it until she was "done" with it, but I'm glad I got to read it. I think it is pretty good (but I am biased!). I will say that the last line of the book made me cry, and that's usually what I consider good writing -- if you can make me feel something, it's good. Yes, her book is on Kindle, as well as Amazon. The title is "The Tales of a Gear-Jammin' Brother" and her name is Elizabeth Stratton. I think you can search by either one to find her.

We've been to caves in Tennessee before, but not this cave in NC. Should be fun!

 

[Steppesister]

Meloves some bookstore! Good choice to spend some hours. And who doesn't love caving?! Most excellent touring plans you have there!!

What a fun looking restaurant in Little Switzerland! YOu need to get a couple of photos there for sure!

 

[MEK]

I love going down in those caves. It's creepy and cool all at once! I think its neat how the temp stays so constant.

Great plans!

 

[ddstratton]

Meloves some bookstore! Good choice to spend some hours. And who doesn't love caving?! Most excellent touring plans you have there!!

What a fun looking restaurant in Little Switzerland! YOu need to get a couple of photos there for sure!

That bookstore looks like a lot of fun - I can't wait! Pictures will be had!!

I love going down in those caves. It's creepy and cool all at once! I think its neat how the temp stays so constant.

Great plans!

We really enjoy seeing caves, and this is one we've never been to.

 

[ddstratton]

May 2015 - Days 9 and 10


On Day 9, we’ll pack up from our rental house fairly early and head to the family’s house to pick up DD and MIL. From there, we’ll be traveling back North. We’ll stop for the night in Roanoke, VA, to visit with my Aunt. No real plans other than that.

We’ll spend the night at her house, and have supper together and visit for the evening.

Day 10 will see us having breakfast at my aunt’s. DH and I will likely go to a nearby Hardees (another thing we don’t have at home) and get some breakfast to take back for everyone.

After breakfast, we’ll load up the van again and start heading home. We’ll stop for lunch at an undetermined fast food location. I have to say undetermined, as I have no idea what time we’ll end up leaving my aunt’s, so I have no idea where we’ll be near lunch time. Whatever strikes our fancy when we get hungry!!

We should be home before dinner time, though. Unless we stay and chat at my aunt’s house too long. Which is entirely possible for us… If that’s the case, we’ll grab some supper somewhere on the road. And that’s the end of my little Pre-Trip within a Pre-Trip! I’ll carry on now with our regularly scheduled Pre-Trip report. Well, until I interupt it again, with a little trip report on this May 2015 trip…

 

[KatMark]

Plans sound great as you get prepared to head home. And I know how those visits can get with the chatting and leaving later than you wanted.

 

[pkondz]

I don't think we have Hardee's up here either.
Nice to fit in some family time.

 

[ddstratton]

Plans sound great as you get prepared to head home. And I know how those visits can get with the chatting and leaving later than you wanted.

Yeah... I've made no real solid plans for our last day traveling home. Who know's when we'll end up leaving my Aunt's house!

I don't think we have Hardee's up here either.
Nice to fit in some family time.

We don't have a LOT of things where we live... It's really very rural, and we've gotta travel quite a ways for anything "city". We love squeezing in family time, too.

 

[ddstratton]

Day 12


OK, back to THIS pre-trip report! We’re up to Day 12. Our full day in Nashville. We’ll get up and grab some breakfast at the hotel, then head into Nashville. We plan to visit the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Johnny Cash Museum, the Ryman Auditorium and whatever other sites in Nashville that DD must see. Lunch will be in Nashville somewhere – no clue where yet! Whatever strikes us when we’re hungry.

Ryman

Country Music Hall of Fame

Johnny Cash Museum

Our evening plans are already set, though. We’ll head back to the hotel to freshen up a bit, and have supper at a nearby Cracker Barrel – it’s actually NEXT to the hotel. DD really wants to go to this one, because Jerry Reed was there. Seriously. This is the only meal on the whole trip that she has requested. Apparently, she read a Jerry Reed interview in one of her old magazines, and the interview took place in this particular restaurant. So we’ll be having supper there.

You can see the sign for the restaurant in the hotel’s picture here…

After supper, we’re going to a showing at the Grand Ol’ Opry. We’ve been once before, with DH’s mom. My mom has never been. We loved the show before and are really looking forward to seeing it again.

Then it’s back to the hotel to rest up.

 

[Steppesister]

I'll be traveling to Kentucky and Tenn this summer too, I just found out, and a show at the Opry is at the top of my list! Hooray for fun shows!! Dig me some Friday Fish Fry at CB!!

 

[pkondz]

You know you're a fan when you insist on a restaurant because he ate there!

 

[ddstratton]

I'll be traveling to Kentucky and Tenn this summer too, I just found out, and a show at the Opry is at the top of my list! Hooray for fun shows!! Dig me some Friday Fish Fry at CB!!

We really enjoyed our trip to the Opry. It is well worth it.

You know you're a fan when you insist on a restaurant because he ate there!

Oh yes. She knows things about this person that are unreal. She even knows the VIN number from a vehicle he once owned! (it was for sale on eBay at one point, and it had the number listed in the ad -- but she memorized it!!!)

 

[KatMark]

Great plans. I love that your daughter wants to go to CB because Mr. Reed ate there (I won't eat at CB for any reason ).

Andy (my oldest) did the Country Music Hall of Fame when he went to Nashville to see Garth Brooks. He really enjoyed himself.

I would love to go to the Grand Ole Opry some time.