Tennessee Country

Last Friday we arrived at Raccoon Valley, an Escapee park in what else - Raccoon Valley, TN (actually Heiskell). This is not one of the nicest parks that we've been in but the friendly staff and campers make up for it. Saturday morning we went to the French Toast Breakfast at the clubhouse - very good. Sunday evening was the Ice Cream social. Wednesday we are going along on the "dine out" and Thursday is the Bluegrass Jam session. A very busy place!

Our MS parked very conveniently near the clubhouse, laundry etc.



Sunday we went to Heiskell United Methodist Church. I guess we picked the right church as it was Homecoming Sunday with dinner on the grounds following the service. We weren't going to stay, but members said that no one was allowed to leave without eating, so we stayed. Talk about a spread of food - wow! For a small church - there were about 50 in attendance - I never saw so much food. Just the dessert tables themselves must have had at least 30 different cakes, pies, brownies, cookies and other items. We stayed, we ate - God is Good and so was the meal.

Today we went to the Museum of Appalachia in Norris, TN. Their slogan is "Preserving the Past for the Future" and they mean it. This is much more than a museum - it's a village that shows how the mountain people of Tennessee lived then and probably some even now.

Some of the animals/fowl roaming the museum property....



Just one of the many handmade baskets on display .. very beautiful.......



Can you spot the "Ham Can" fiddle?



Or how about the toilet seat or bed pan mandolins?



Some handcrafted items - this is how a lot of the men spend their spare time.



The Mark Twain Family Cabin - from Possom Trot, TN. His parents lived here before moving to Missouri where Mark Twain was born five months later.



A Overhang or Cantilever Barn found in Eastern Tennessee. Gristmill in the background.



And of course there is the JOHN - this one is a double!



The pictures posted here depict only a small portion of what you will see if you visit the museum. I strongly recommend doing so if you are ever in this area. Well worth the time (allow at least a half day) and the entrance fee.