Roam With Friends

Category: Weekend Getaways

Our Shake-Down Trip at Basswood Resort
We live in a state with amazing state parks. We are spoiled with large spacious sites in beautiful locations at a very low price. So, for us, spending money for a private campground is a splurge.

There are a few private campgrounds near us that are worthy of a visit when you want to treat yourself. One of those private campgrounds is Basswood Resort. Basswood is located off of Highway 92 between Smithville, MO and Platte City, MO, just north of Kansas City. RV sites at Basswood run between $56 and $66 a night, which is significantly more than the $23 a night at the county campground a few miles down the road.

If there is a downsize to Basswood other than the price, it would be the proximity to the Kansas City International Airport. Air planes fly over head all day. They are loud. But they are also fun to watch.

We purchased our new camper, Ruby Lou, in September 2019 so we booked a shake-down weekend at Basswood joining Wayne’s extended family. For our first weekend in Ruby Lou, we wanted to have full hookups, be close to home, and have access lots of resort amenities to keep The Short Chic entertained. Our dates were September 20 and 21, 2019, which was Hero’s Weekend at Bassword Resort. Our site was number 95.

We arrived later on that Friday evening than we would have liked and it was rainy. I had planned for a grilled steak dinner but cooking in the rain did not sound fun. Luckily for us, Basswood has a Snack Bar/Pizza Kitchen. As Wayne checked us in, he ordered pizza that was delivered to our campsite just as we finished setting up.

The rain continued into Saturday morning and afternoon. Wayne and I played with every gadget in or on the camper and there were so many new ones to learn! While we played with the camper, The Short Chic and her cousins played with the resort. Basswood printed an entire directory of activities for the day:
- coloring contest
- themed word search
- scavenger hunt
- fishing contest
- craft time
- tie dye
- ice cream social
- candy bar bingo
- pancake breakfast
- outdoor movie
In addition to the organized activities, they also have a heated swimming pool (so despite the air temperature the pool is warm and inviting)! Next to the pool is a jungle gym/ropes activity center and not far away the resort has a tomahawk throw. We were able to borrow tomahawks from the registration area.

One of the funnest activities they had was the foam ride of fun. A tractor hauling a large trailer picked up kids of all ages. The trailer was equipped with a foam making machine. The tractor pulled the trailer full of kids producing foam all the way. The trailer paraded the kids through the campground leaving a trail of foam behind! The kids had so much fun playing in the foam. For hours after the foam ride of fun, foam floated through the air bringing a smile to my face.

The rain continued for the entire weekend but The Short Chic had a great time and we enjoyed shaking down the new camper. Due to the weather, we actually spent a lot of time inside the camper (something we do not normally do). During this weekend, we decided we are no longer campers. With our heated/massaging seats, fireplace, big screen television, convection oven we have become glampers. And glamping at a fancy RV resort is okay with me.

Maybe not all the time but occasionally it does make a very nice treat!
December 24, 2019
Reason #13 Why I Love Camping

I went for an early morning walk today.

By campground standards 8:00 am could be considered late.

But there was hardly anyone stirring so it felt even earlier.

A chorus of birds sang to me the entire walk. The sopranos and mezzos leading a lovely song I felt honored to here preformed.

The air was sweet; fragrant from the wild flowers. Beyond the sweetness was a hint of musky earth. And somewhere off in the distance was the smell of new rain waiting for just the right time for its release.

It is humid. The air is so thick you can feel it; the kind of air that sticks to you. The humidity building with anticipation of the upcoming rain.

It is peaceful. It is quiet. I realize that while I am alone with my thoughts, I am not alone. For I have so many other things to share this space with me, if I can just quiet myself enough to experience them.

As I am here in this space, I realize this is one of the reasons I love camping. It maybe hiking, a morning stroll, or just sitting outside under a shade tree but taking the time to enjoy the sights, sounds, and smells of the outdoors is reason number 13 of why I love camping.

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July 7, 2019
6th Annual Family Camp-Out

According to The Short Chic she has two camping trips that are her most favorite camping trips of the year. The first is our Annual Halloween Camping Trip and the second is our Annual Family Camp-Out. We started the Family Camp-Out six years ago in 2012. It started as a desire to introduce our kids to camping. We thought it would be “funner” if we could convince a friend or two who also had kids to join us. To our surprise, that first year we had about 35 campers. That is 35 people who wanted to go camping or introduce camping to their family as well. We have continued to gather every year since then. Some come for the day, some spend a night, while others have graduated up to three nights of camping.

In September 2017 we had our Sixth Annual Family Camp-Out at Smithville Lake. For the past several years we have camped in the same spot and this year, we moved the camp-out to Loop F. Moving to this loop gave us beautiful views of the lake and easy access to the playground, bike trail, and restrooms/showers.

This year we fought with the elements. It was super windy Friday night, which prevented us from showing our outdoor movie. It rained Saturday afternoon, which pushed us all inside our campers and threatened our Glow Party. I know now the maximum kid capacity of our camper, or at least the number that will lead me to uncorking a bottle of wine.

We ended up with an extra spot from a cancellation so we found out how nice it is to have a “party” spot. We also learned that total strangers will pilfer your party spot when they think no one is watching. Thankfully in a large group camp-out someone is always watching.

I personally learned that I am over tie dying t-shirts. I learned that walking taco’s are always a hit and everyone loves a glow party. Okay, maybe I love the glow party the most. Allen learned not to bet money on my Family Camp-Out knowledge or maybe he learned not to place a bet over Friday evening cocktails.

Each year we still entice someone new to try camping. Beth, Ken, and Martin joined us this year. The rain did nothing to woo them over. I do hope they know it has only rained once before. Two rain storms in six years is not bad, huh. Please try again, Beth! Not new to camping but new to the family camp-out was also our college friend, Joy and her family. There are three families who have attended every single camp-out: us, The Todd’s and The Bell family. We affectionately call ourselves the OG’s.

Each year the Glow Party inevitable draws a total stranger to the fun. Meeghan found this out during a game of Simon Says. Some random little girl just joined in the game. I wish everyone could have seen Meeghan’s face when the little girl told her she had no parents there. That same little girl proceeded to cover every inch of her body in glow paint during the glow party. I should make a mental note that I need more glow paint before the 7th Annual Family Camp-Out!

I am happy to say that our friends Jaime and Aaron made a return visit. Neither Dawn or Mary needed urgent care and no one was hospitalized during the camp-out. And I think no one was happier that Nikki was able to make it than Mary!

Plans are already under way for our 7th Annual Family Camp-Out. We are leaving the month of September as I heard so many tell me how busy that month is.

As I reflect back on the six years of our family camp-out and really look at that first year, I realize this was truly the beginning of our love of group camping and our Roaming With Friends.

See you soon at the campground!

March 14, 2018
The Adventures of Betty, Roxie, and The Rockwood: Spearfish Canyon

Social Trails. Ever heard of them? They are not formal trails but they are paths that have been made from visitors who learned about them mostly from word of mouth. On our That’s WY vacation, I was first told about social trails from a park ranger as I was trying to find a way of seeing Midway Geyser Basin from a higher elevation. The Park Ranger told me that there were no approved paths but only social trails. He explained that all the social trails leading to where I wanted to go were not safe and that the entire area in Yellowstone had been closed off due to serious injury and even death on the social trail that I was inquiring about.

Social trails often lead us to hidden gems. Hidden gems can be an out of the way. Not well publicized and generally something only locals know about. Not something you will find in a tour guide or on a map. We all want to find that hidden gem, but we all don’t always have the resources to do so.

Love it or hate it but social media has changed the game when it comes to hidden gems. Once discovered by word of mouth or from introduction by a person in the know to a newbie, these tucked away secret places are no longer secret. The wide spread use of social media has transformed these hidden gems to trending hot spots. People experience a hidden gem and then post about it and disclose the location. Those post are seen and shared with the hundreds of friends who share it with their hundreds of friends and soon hidden gems are no longer really hidden.

Heading into the Black Hills, Meeghan learned through social media about a few social trails in Spearfish Canyon that would lead us to some hidden gems. The warning was clear, these hidden gems butted right up next to private property and home owners had little to no patience with the public out hiking to find the once hidden now public site.

Wanting an adventure, we set out from Rafter J Bar Ranch and made our way north one hour and thirty minutes on Highway 385 North pass Deadwood to Spearfish Canyon. We had no real address, just a general direction as we set about to find a gem called The Devil’s Bathtub. (Side note: why is the Devil in the name of so many cool places?)

We drove up Highway 385 North from Hill City. The drive to Deadwood was beautiful. We passed Pactola Reservior and nearly pulled over for the day! The water was so blue and inviting. Thankfully, the pull of Spearfish Canyon kept up heading north. Although it was only the beginning of June, Deadwood was already full of bikers. This area is a mecca to the two wheeled community all summer long, so if you are visiting here, watch out for them.

Just south of Deadwood we got off Highway 385 and took Highway 85 North to I90. We passed another RV park that blew our socks off, so you if you are looking for a place to stay a little further north, closer to Deadwood, Sturgis, or Spearfish Canyon, look at Elkhorn Ridge RV Park. We took I90 West a few miles and found ourselves at Highway 14A, Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway.

Looking up you see tall pine trees and exposed granite rock. Spearfish Creek runs through the bottom of the canyon. We found our first water fall, Bridal Veil Falls, We were a little nervous that we would overlook the area we were searching for so while we had service we were able to pull up a map and found a road called Cleopatra Place. We knew that Devil’s Bathtub was off this road.

Parking was very limited and on the day we were there to visit, so many people were playing in Spearfish Creek that most of the available sites were taken. “Private Property” signs were everywhere we looked so we knew we had to be careful in selecting a parking site.

After a picnic lunch and refilling our water containers, we set off hiking a social trail. There was no map. We followed the trail that crossed and double crossed Squaw Creek up from the floor of the canyon.

The trail wanders. It is visible in parts and in other parts you make your own trail. It is dry and it is wet. When it is wet, you will find that the water is very cold. At first it feels nice and refreshing considering how hot it is but after extended periods of times in the water, you realize your feet are numb. It is flat and it is rocky. We climbed so many rocks! We were hiking with a wide range of ages (7 to 47) and we all made it. There is shade and there is full sun.

Sometimes walking in the water is the easiest path. You really can’t make it to Devi’s Bathtub without getting your feet wet. We joked this was a smaller, less glamorous version of The Narrows. This is not a joke: wet rocks are slippery. Ask Meeghan, she went under. Completely under. While holding her Canon. The Canon is fine. But Meeghan got wet.

Squaw Creek pools. I think there are three or four pools. One of those pools is Devil’s Bathtub. Being newbies, we overshot it and hiked way out of our way. We hiked so far that we no longer had a clear path to follow. So we doubled back and and we finally found the “right” pool.

The water is deep at Devil’s Pool and it is powerful. We were happy to see a bunch of other hikers hanging around to catch everyone as they came down the natural slide. I have a “thing” with water: we like each other in social circles but we don’t really want to get too familiar with each other. I tried to convince myself during the entire hike in that I was okay to go down the slide. I do believe if that water had been 10 degrees warmer I might have done it. But in the end, I stood by and watched. For those keeping score: Pam’s fear of water: 10,000 Pam overcoming fear of water 23.

The Boy quickly went down and then took all the littles down. He was having a hayday until he scrapped a rock and came up with a few nasty roadrash marks. Then he was done. Thankfully the dads decided they wanted to go and they each took a little down.

The hike in took longer than we expected. The hike out was quick and easy. We had planned to hit up a few more “quiet” areas in Spearfish Canyon but time just got away from us and we found ourselves rushing to get back to Rafter J Bar Ranch for dinner.

We left with mixed emotions, excited at the hike we had found and yet a little sad we had to leave. I can safely say this was the perfect ending to our time in the Black Hills and maybe a favorite of the whole trip. If you are looking for a scenic drive, take Highway 14A through Spearfish Canyon. If you are looking for a moderately difficult hike and like water features, then Devil’s Bathtub Hike is for you.

I put together a video of our time at Devil’s Bathtub. The video takes you from the bathtub to our vehicles. If you are interested in seeing this social trail/hidden gem take a peak.

January 16, 2018
Campground Review: Arrow Rock State Historic Site

Arrow Rock State Historical Site

Arrow Rock, MO

dates of stay: June 30 – July 4, 2017

Sites 44 and 45.

Winter solstice has come and gone and while we may not be able to see it the days are getting longer leading us right back to our favorite season: camping season. As I sit with my computer covered in my flannel blanket and watch the snow fall out my window, I am reflecting on camping trips of the past.

This past July we visited a new state park that I think is worthy of visiting again so I thought I would spend some time reminiscing about Arrow Rock State Historic Site.

I first visited Arrow Rock State Historic Site the summer of 2016 when I started the Centennial Passport. I am not sure what I was expecting the first time I visited Arrow Rock but it certainly was not an entire little town along the Missouri River. The town of Arrow Rock is rich with historical relevance to the westward expansion and the Sante Fe Trail to name a few. And a bonus, this historical site has a beautiful camping loop.

Arrow Rock is conveniently located just north of Interstate 70 between Marshall MO and Booneville MO. The first observation we made on our trip there was just how quickly we arrived, in fact it took us only an hour and half. Traveling with us on this trip was the Todd’s but we also had other friends in the campground.

In our research of Arrow Rock and things we should do while we were there, two things bubble up: J. Huston Tavern and The Lyceum Theatre, J. Huston Tavern is the oldest continuously serving restaurant west of the Mississippi with nearly 200 years of service to the public. Historically this tavern, which started as a family home, boarding house, served meals to traveling settlers and local citizens. Today, it continues to serve two meals a day to travelers and locals. Reservations are highly recommended if you plan to eat at J. Huston Tavern. I tried so hard to get reservations and the wait list was the best I could do.

Thankfully, my phone rang on the way to Arrow Rock telling us they could fit us in at 6:00 p.m. the night of our arrival. We were so excited! At dinner time the menu is streamlined; they serve fried chicken and country ham with all the fixings family style. Our meal was delicious! Everything, from the fried chicken to the potato salad to the mashed potatoes, green beans, corn, and even the buttermilk biscuits, was amazing. We left full and carrying giant to-go boxes.

Before you leave J. Huston Tavern take a moment to look around. We did not realize the restaurant was more than a restaurant and we did not look around. Later we learned about the restored kitchen and bedrooms upstairs so we had to make a second visit during the crowded lunch service.

After a large meal, we did a cursory walk around the town. The roads are flanked by cobblestone drainage ditches. Store fronts have boardwalks with large porches that provide shade from the summer son. First impression of the town of Arrow Rock, I felt like I was in the little town that Mark Twain was in when he wrote The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. What I did not know at the time is that in fact in 1973, Arrow Rock was the setting for a Mark Twain musical staring Johnny Whitaker (any other Family Affair fans out there?), Jeff East, and Jodie Foster.

On our first morning at Arrow Rock we got up early and went for a hike. We found a trail head to the Pierre A Fleche trail was at the end of our campground loop that looked to take us around the entire camping area. Somehow we managed to get ourselves off the trail. We lost the trail down by the original spring but we took a gamble by climbing a steep bank and found ourselves in the primitive camping loop. It may not have been the trail we were suppose to follow but we had a nice hike and by the time we made it back to the campground we were ready for breakfast.

Mid-morning we set out with the Todd’s to do a bike tour of Arrow Rock. The campground is less than 1/2 mile to town but the way to town requires biking on the blacktop highway. There was very little traffic and the vehicles we did encounter were very gracious to us. The entire town is about 8 blocks long and four blocks wide. We followed the self-guided tour. We visited the Shelby Log Cabin, the Masonic Lodge, the Lyceum Theatre, Courthouse, the Calaboose (jail), and the gun shop. We also visited several buildings with historical significance to the black community of Arrow Rock.

I should note that the Lyceum Theatre comes highly recommended. Each year they host a traveling performers group that preform several Broadway worthy productions at a fraction of the ticket price. When we were visiting Mama Mia was showing but we could not get tickets to the show. The 2018 schedule is out and you can find shows like: Mary Poppins, Crazy for You, Footloose, The 39 Steps, Souvenir, A Comedy of Tenors, Honky Tonk Angels, and A Christmas Carol. If you are planning a trip to Arrow Rock in 2018, or any other year, make sure you plan early and get your tickets to the Lyceum. I will give you an insider tip: J. Huston Taven is open every single day the Lyceum has a performance.

History lessons are not contained to the city limits. The Arrow Rock Ferry Site is a short hike/drive from downtown. The Sappington Cemetery State Historic Site and Boone’s Lick State Historic Site are two other historical relevant points of interest very near to Arrow Rock all worthy of day trip visits. The nearby town of Blackwater is also another great day trip destination during your visit to Arrow Rock. Blackwater is home to the Iron Horse Hotel and Restaurant, the Blackwater Telephone Museum (which was not open during our visit), a Calaboose, several antique shops, beautiful gardens and a train depot.

Another attraction in nearby Booneville MO is Warm Springs Ranch. Warm Springs Ranch is a breeding facilities for the Budweiser Clydesdale horses. Advance tickets are required and advance planning to get tickets is a must. We were able to secure 6 tickets but on two separate days. We took the Guided Walking Tour and we were able to talk to the horse handlers, see the harnesses, a 1903 beer wagon, the luxury semi trucks, we watched the grooming of a Clydesdale, and we we able to meet a brand new foal. Tickets cost $14 per person and you will spend 1 1/2 to 2 hours on the ranch.

We enjoyed our time exploring the town of Arrow Rock and the local community. We also enjoyed our time in the campground. Wayne spent some time fishing in Big Soldier Lake. He successfully caught some bass and tried out his new Whopper Plopper lure. Fishing came to an abrupt end when Wayne lost his fancy lure and my cousin’s lure landed in his finger and had to be cut out.

When we checked into the park we had the most amazing attentive campground host we have ever had at a state park. The host helped us with recommendations for local activities, fishing, and hiking.The shower houses were the cleanest in any state park we have ever been to. Unfortunately, they left during our stay to move to a new location. The new host arrives on site but were not ready to resume host duties. This caused a delay in cleaning the shower houses as well as there was no ice or firewood. to purchase.

Our sites at Arrow Rock were huge. They were very long and the mature trees provided great shade. We had lovely neighbors who played the guitar and serenaded me to sleep in the afternoons. I enjoyed it so much I ask them to consider camping with us for the rest of the camping season! When making our reservations, Allen and I carefully selected our sites. Insider tip: this campground is set up to have two campground host but only has one. That leaves one full hookup site to be rented by guest. It is worth it to plan ahead and book this one site if you can.

Overall, we found this to be a lovely place to visit. We loved the small town and the activities. We loved the sites. Arrow Rock State Historic Site felt like we were visiting a community an that community welcomed us with open arms. They even had a Fourth of July pot luck dinner at the campground the afternoon of the holiday.

December 29, 2017
Happy 100th Anniversary Missouri State Parks!
On April 9, 2017, Missouri State Parks celebrated it’s 100th Anniversary. In 2016, Missouri State Parks kicked off a quest to celebrate their milestone achievement: The Missouri Centennial Passport. The public was encouraged to visit all 88 state parks and historic sites in Missouri and get their passport stamped. Those completing the passport would be entered into a drawing for prizes. Angie and I purchased our passports last Memorial Day Weekend, and got our first stamp, at Onondaga Cave State Park (a side note: we were charged $10.00 when we saw passports on sale everywhere else for $5.00).

The passport quickly became more than just getting a stamp in a book. Instead it became about moments, bonding time with family and friends. It became about adventures. It became about family memories we will cherish for the rest of our lives. Here are a few of the exciting moments I have had in the last 11 months chasing stamps for the Centennial Passport:
- My coworker, and friend, Priscilla and I spent our lunch hour driving to Van Meter State Park during our break from training. We got all the way out there to find the office was closed for lunch. We did not yet know that you could still get a stamp even if the park was closed by taking a photo of the code and sending it to the Department of Natural Resources. That was an important lesson to learn.
- My Mother, Daughter, and even Brother spent and entire Saturday driving around the Central Region visiting parks and collecting stamps. The laughter and jokes in that car on that day linger. We got 5 stamps that day. We visited a civil war site, geocached in a park for veterans, and we learned that the descendants of Daniel Boone mined salt in Missouri from saltwater springs, and we visited the historical picturesque town of Arrow Rock.
- During our trip to the new Echo Bluff State Park last August we were blessed with a rainy day. We used that time to roam the back roads of the Ozarks to visit four different state parks. While visiting Current River State Park, my husband decided to throw a fishing line in the pond/lake there while waiting for me to get my passport stamped. He pulled the biggest bass out of that water that I have ever seen. (Don’t worry ya’ll he put it right back in there for the next visitor to meet.)
- Making it to Big Lake State Park over Labor Day Weekend with Meeghan and our kids to find a bald eagle in the midst of eating his dinner. He was only tolerant of my photo taking skills for so long before he flew away!
- Casually driving to Watkins Mill State Park and Watkins Mill State Historic Site and spying a beautiful spotted owl in a tree just off the road. The world stopped as I stopped the vehicle and just watched him watch me.
- Road Tripping with Coworkers to St. Louis via Jefferson City. We decided to take a less traveled road so we could pit-stop at Deutschheim State Historic Site in Hermann, MO.
- Having grown up in love with the house on the bluff (Bothwell Lodge State Historical Site) and getting excited to finally visit it. Only to have driven to it 3 times and never catch it open. While the grounds are pretty the little girl inside of me still wants to visit the inside. Maybe one day.
- In March 2018, Myself, The Short Chic, Angie, Z, and my mother all hopped into the Todd’s “carvan” and went for an 1800 mile road trip to collect stamps from the St. Louis and Southeast Region. We hit 32 state parks in three days! We went from Troy, MO to New Madrid, MO taking us all to the boothill for the first time in our lives. We walked to the point where the Mighty Mississippi River meets the Missouri River. We met a former Kansas Citian at the home of Scott Joplin. We met a current Northlander at Dr. Edmond Babler Memorial State Park. We arrived at Sandy Creek Covered Bridge an hour before the park opened. We visited Don Robinson’s grave site on the anniversary of his death while visiting one of the newest state parks on the land he donated. Angie and I made a late evening trip from Popular Bluff to Thayer just to arrive at Grand Gulf State Park after hours. Despite a locked gate and darkness we did got that code!
- This past weekend, with only 6 parks left, my family took me to Joplin, MO for a weekend getaway. We visited 4 parks on Saturday including Big Sugar Creek State Park and Nathan Boone Homestead State Historical Site. We hiked at Big Sugar Creek and followed the creek bed for miles. We found morel mushrooms and all kinds of spring plants blooming. While at Nathan Boone Homestead, we enjoyed a wonderful chat with the park ranger and leisurely strolled around the grounds.
- Sunday, April 9, we had 2 parks left to visit. We decided to go to Prairie State Park first and finish at Harry S. Truman’s Birthplace. We found wildlife before we formally entered Prairie State Park, we almost ran over a water snake on the road. Luckily for him, we missed him but he did have to deal with us backing up and snapping photos of him. At the park the ranger, Katie, was so nice that I felt guilty for not picking Prairie as my ending place. Katie gave us some direction to find the bison that roam freely in the park and we set off to find them. We did find the bison along the Standstone Trail with no real effort other than fighting the wind. As we went to grab our cameras for photos, my dearest husband realized he had dropped his cell phone somewhere along the trail. Unbelievably, he found it and we bailed on the rest of the hike and proceeded to our last stop.
- As we approached Lamar, MO it was past lunch time. We were hungry but we decided to grab a snack and eat after we visited Harry S. Truman’s Birthplace. Wayne kept joking that the ranger could get sick and close early so we had to finish as soon as possible. We arrived at the park office around 1:30. Bubbling with excitement I told the ranger that I was not only just there for a stamp but I was there for my 88th stamp. She was super nice and helped me finish the certification process. Afterwards, she provided us with a tour of the home Harry S. Truman was born in. I loved seeing my kids realizing how privileged they are when they see a home without running water, or electricity, or in my son’s case a full size bed that is smaller than his own bed.
The most common question that I have been asked is what is my favorite park. I have decided that is a hard question to answer. I have so many favorites, but I have come to realize that my favorites are all from places where I had a conversation with someone. A connection. Maybe not a forever one but an “in the moment” connection. So thank you to the rangers at Trail of Tears State Park and Nathan Boone State Park for just being nice and chatting with us. Thank you to the employee at Rock Bridge who did not close early that day so I could rush in from site seeing to stamp my book at the close of business (or maybe a little after)! Or the employee at The Battle of Pilot Knob who allowed us to explore the historic site even though he had reached the end of his day. To Aaron at Onondaga Cave State Park for helping us get into the park last year among the flooding. Thank you, and I am sorry, to Katie at Prairie State Park. I do wish I had certified with you! To all the Park Rangers and Volunteer Staff, you are the face of the Missouri State Parks system and you do a great job! There would not be a celebration without you all and your hard work.

When I walked into Harry S. Truman’s Birthplace State Historical Site on April 9, 2017, I did not realize it was the actual 100th Anniversary. I was trying to finish my passport before my own birthday. Angie told me after I called her with the news that I had finished. I can’t think of a more perfect way to finish this journey.

So, what is your favorite Missouri State Park? I can now say, “Oh, I have been there!”

Thank you to everyone who walked a part of this journey with me.
April 12, 2017
45 Hours In Nashville TN

Travel dates: July 14-15, 2016

Park: Jellystone Park, 2572 Music Valley Drive, Nashville, TN

The women agreed. After spending a week in the Great Smoky Mountains we wanted at least two nights in Nashville, Tennessee on our way home. The resort did not matter that much to us, as long as we were able to take in some of the sights, sounds, and flavor of Nashville we were going to be happy girls. Wayne is the one who selected Jellystone, I think he has a thing for BooBoo or maybe it is Ranger Rick. I dunno but which ever one it is, he was insistent on camping at Jellystone.

The drive from Townsend, TN to Nashville took us approximately four hours. As we neared Jellystone, large dark storm clouds threatened rain. Although check in was not until 4 p.m. we called ahead and the manager gave us the welcome mat to come early to try and beat the storms. We got checked in, unhitched, and leveled just moments before the skies opened. Lesson learned; sometimes those check in times are more of a guideline than a rule so be sure to ask.

Day 1: 2:00 p.m. Music Valley, Opryland Neighborhood

Despite the fact that our first afternoon was wet, we were determined to get out and enjoy the city. Our first stops were super convenient to Jellystone; they were a few hundred feet away on Music Valley Drive. We found several RV dealers that had a variety of campers that our local dealers at home don’t have. We looked at 5th Wheel trailers, Class A motor coaches, and even little girl campers. The fun abruptly ended when Angie slid down the steps of a Class A cutting her ankle requiring medical care.

Day 1: 5:00 p.m. Centennial Park:

The Todd’s second stop in Nashville was to a local urgent care center where Angie received five stitches.

The second stop for The Taylor family was to visit Centennial Park and check out the Parthenon. Lesson learned, in planning I thought the draw was to see this beautiful building….from the outside. I did not realize there were amazing things to see on the inside. So, we were not concerned with business hours and by the time we got to the park, the Parthenon was closed for the day. We milled around the building and Centennial Park. The park itself is beautiful with ponds, manicured lawns, beautiful flowers in bloom, and plenty of walk ways to stretch your legs.

We expected a lot of people to be in the park, this place came highly recommended so I figured it was a tourist destination. On the date we were there, it was packed. People milled every where. Families, groups of friends, people driving by in cars. It took us no time to realize that while this park was a tourist destination, it was being invaded by locals all playing….Pokemon Go! Under duress, I got a few photos of the family in front of the Parthenon before I gave up and consented to letting them play (and by that I mean be on their phones).

We will add the inside of The Parthenon to our return trip to Nashville.

Day 1: 7:00 p.m. Hattie B’s Hot Chicken, 112 19th Avenue South, Nashville, TN:

While trip planning we knew that a visit to the famous Hattie B’s Hot Chicken Restaurant was high on our list. With heat levels that range from Mild (with a touch of burn) to Damn Hot (Fire Starter) or the Shut the Cluck Up (burn notice) we were a mixture of excited and intimidated to cross the threshold.

We met back up with The Todd’s, newly stitched and bandaged, late in the afternoon and the line was already out the door and around the building. Wayne and I easily agreed to split the large dark but choosing sides was super hard for us to agree upon. With options like Southern Greens, Pimento Mac and Cheese, Black Eyed Peas, and Baked Beans it was a tough decision. We found a seat on the covered deck and soon our meals were delivered. The chicken, slightly reddish from the spices, is fried to perfection. Crispy on the outside and tender and juicy on the inside. Hattie B’s is the kind of chicken that makes you visit Nashville over and over.

Day 1: 9:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Printer’s Alley and Pedestrian Bridges:

Every vacation has that moment when things just did not work out as planned. Well, for us, on this leg of the trip it was the time after Hattie B’s. We decided we would walk down Printer’s Alley and listen to the sounds of music pouring out of the buildings. However, we found parking to be a struggle for our large Ram trucks and when we did find a parking lot big enough to maneuver the trucks in, the spots cost $25. The price tag would have been one thing if we had one vehicle and we had planned to stay for many hours but we found it too steep for two vehicles and an hour or so of mingling in the area.

We decided to try out a pedestrian bridge. Siri failed to recognize the Seigenthaler Bridge downtown and gave us directions to the Cumberland River Pedestrian Bridge. It was very close to the campground so we did not mind. Reviews said this bridge offers great views of the Nashville skyline. Althought we found it easily enough we could never find any access to it. We ended up driving around for some time looking for a way to access the bridge and never found it. In the end, we drove around the suburbs a lot and called it an early night.

Day 2: 10:30 a.m. The Ryman Auditorium:

After breakfast our group split in half. Angie and I along with the two teens made arrangements to take the shuttle to downtown Nashville while the husbands and two girls stayed at Jellystone.

We used The Downtown Shuttle to pick us up right at Jellystone Registration and drive us downtown. The cost was $10 per person round trip. The shuttle picked up tourist from all the local RV parks/hotels in the Opryland area and transports them to Lower Broadway. The Downtown Shuttle runs late hours so you get to determine how much downtown Nashville you want to see and have a safe way home. Our shuttle driver was very familiar with Nashville and with country music. She teased us all the way downtown with places we should see and she quizzed us with trivia all the way home. Considering how well we navigated downtown the night prior, using this shuttle was a no brainer for us…and it allowed the men to stay behind and not worry about us banging up their trucks!

First up on our day of sightseeing was the Mother Church, The Ryman Auditorium (Tickets were $20 per person). I do not think it matters what genre of music you grew up with, odds are your favorite artist has probably performed at The Ryman or at the very least dreamed about performing there. As a lifelong fan of country music I have wanted to visit the home of the Grand Ole Opry for my entire life. Being there was completely surreal.

The Ryman dates back to the 1880’s when a riverboat captain attended a good ole fashioned church revival. He was immediately converted and set out to build a permanent place for his preacher to preach in. After his death in 1904, the Union Gospel Tabernacle was renamed to The Ryman after the riverboat captain, Thomas G. Ryman.

Quick Trivia before I introduce Ms. Naff: this hat was made famous by Minnie Pearl. Any idea how much is written on the price tag so famously forgot to remove?

Thomas Ryman may have been the architect who built the Mother Church, but Lula C. Naff morphed the Ryman into the iconic building that we know. Under her management The Ryman became a premier performance hall and in 1943 she opened the Ryman up to the popular radio show. The rest, as they say in show business is history.

There are two types of tours at the Ryman; the self guided and the back stage. Both tours start at the same place, watching a movie titled The Soul of Nashville. The Soul of Nashville describes how the Ryman came to be the Mother Church, how it was abandoned, sitting in a state of dilapidation and nearly demolished, and finally, how it has once again rose to be the icon of Nashville. We followed a well marked path through the Ryman, reading well placed plagues full of historical information. We were able to see historic clothing from some of our favorite country music stars, sit in the church pews that makes up the audience seating, and we could even walk up on stage and stand near the unbroken circle.

Day 2: 12:30 p.m. Honky Tonk Highway (aka Lower Broadway):

Our shuttle driver informed us on our way downtown that Nashville had become one of the most popular destinations for bachelor/bachelorette parties. Four city blocks known as Lower Broadway is one of the main reasons tourist flock to this city. All day every day, you can catch live music in every bar in this area. There is no high dollar cover charge to join this party and if you get lucky you might catch site of a country music legend or at minimum catching the next big star as they work to make a name for themselves. If being inside is not your cup of tea, we also noticed numerous bachelor/bachelotte groups cycling through Lower Broadway on Pedal Taverns where you get to take the bar and music with you outside. It is so very easy to see why this has become a party destination. One thing is clear, this town is full of memories and legends. Every one you chat with has a story to tell. One of the stories we were told is about the alley between The Ryman and Tootsie’s Orchard Lounge. Performers of the Grand Ole Opry would sneak out of the Ryman and visit Tootsie’s in between sets, some of them not finding their way back to the stage in time. One artist even told Tootsie Bess that there were 17 steps to get to Tootsie’s and 34 steps to get back!

The four of us walked down Broadway, listening to the music as it flooded out into the streets. We stepped into every boot store we could just to smell the leather and try on hats. We ate lunch at Tequila Cowboy enjoying live music and a cold beer.

Day 2: 2:30 p.m. Country Music Hall of Fame:

Our last stop in downtown Nashville was the Country Music Hall of Fame, which was a two block walk from Lower Broadway. We paid around $25 per person to get in and we lingered in the Hall of Fame for a couple of hours walking from one exhibit to the next. The Hall of Fame is three floors and is also attached to Hatch Show Print, a printing company that has become famous for printing handbills.

From Roy Acuff to Hank Senior, from Patsy Cline to Taylor Swift and from Johnny Cash to Blake Shelton. Lead singers to bass guitarist and from managers to producers. If it is country music it at the Country Music Hall of Fame. The amount of history collected and displayed here is unbelievable. I felt like I was reliving moments from my childhood as we walked from one exhibit to the next.

Quickly some of the highlights from our time at the Hall of Fame; we loved the collection of cars, music, video’s, clothing, and instruments (Barbara Mandrell’s steel guitar!!). We saw the Hee Haw corn field, so many gold records, and we were super excited to see a painting by a famous Missourian (Thomas Hart Benton) hanging in the Hall of Fame room. The Hall of Fame had a Blake Shelton exhibit full of personal treasures of his rise to fame.

The Hall of Fame concluded Angie’s and my time downtown. We were tired, maybe a little hot, and ready to relax. We left the two young men with us and caught the shuttle back to Jellystone. The boys stayed and shopped until they found a new pair of boots and a cowboy hat to take home.

Our Nashville experience was almost complete. We had eaten hot fried chicken, walked around the Parthenon, seen The Mother Church, walked around Lower Broadway visiting honky tonks and western outfitters, and even hit up the Hall of Fame. There was one last thing for us to do….go to the Grand Ole Opry!

Day 2: 7:00 p.m. The Grand Ole Opry:

After a rest, nap, and a shower, we joined the rest of the family for a night out at the Grand Ole Opry. We were actually pretty lucky that our campground was in the Opryland area so it did not take us long to get to the Opry.

With a combination of old country and new/upcoming country we enjoyed our time at the Opry. The Opry started as a radio show and it continues to be. The show is divided into four segments, four different sponsors, one fifteen minute intermission, and over two hours entertainment. On the night we were there, we saw legends Connie Stevens, Whispering Bill Anderson, John Conlee, and Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers. We enjoyed rising stars, Jimmy Wayne, Kalisa Ewing, Keith Anderson and Craig Campbell. Merle Haggards son, Marty was there along with Mike Snider and bluegrass legend Bobby Osborne and the Rocky Top X-press. I will forever be thankful that I had the opportunity to see Mr. Roy Clark at the Grand Ole Opry.

From the youngest in our group to the adults, from those of us raised on country music to our vacation guest who had never listened to a moment of country music before this trip, we all had a great time. It would seem as if we could not get enough as we have found ourselves tuning into SiriusXM to listen to more.

I might have dragged my husband to the Opry that night but in the end, he became a fan. We ended our evening walking through the Opryland Hotel, which is right next to the Grand Ole Opry. We woke the next morning headed home ending our first two week vacation in the RV. Since our return home, I have heard several songs on the radio that we were introduced to at the Opry. Which is kinda cool.

By 10:00 a.m. the next morning we said au revoir to Jellystone and Nashville. Overall, it was a whirlwind 45 hours and in true Roam With Friends fashion, we packed as much in as we could. We enjoyed ourselves and I think we all can say we have had a taste of Nashville and we left wanting more.

January 14, 2017