War Eagle

Jessica

Josh on Tiger Walk

Tennessee

Since I haven't received any post from anyone I'm going to start highlighting one state a week that we each live in. I figured it would be a fun thing for us to see what goes on in the states we live in and maybe encourage people to get outside and enjoy the fall weather with their families. This week it's going to be the best scenic drives in Tennessee for fall foliage. Enjoy!

Fall Creek Falls State Park

Pikeville, TN

Natchez Trace Parkway
Follow in the tracks of bandits and preachers, slaves and soldiers, old "Kaintucks" and new settlers. Explore this National Scenic Byway by car or bike. Take in the living history demonstrations along the way, or just enjoy the waterfalls, the brilliant leaves, and the leisurely pace. The northern terminus lies just 17 miles southwest of Nashville, off Tennessee Highway 100.

Overhill Agriculture Trail
Enjoy the back roads, small towns, scenic rivers, and rolling farmland of the Tennessee Overhill area. Stop to see native gardens, wineries and corn mazes. Meander along the Ocoee Scenic Byway, Tellico River Road, the Cherohala Skyway, or the Hiwassee River Road for spectacular scenery.

Tennessee River Trails
Follow the Tennessee River from Paris to Pickwick, and take in the historic sites, festivals, and beautiful scenery.

Cherokee National Forest
Follow the roads along the ancient mountaintops of the Southern Appalachians, home to more than 20,000 species of plant and animal life, as well as a wealth of history and scenic beauty. The forest encompasses some of the drives in the Overhill region as well as breathtaking Northern District routes along gravel roads.

Mississippi River—From Memphis to Reelfoot
Follow the Big Muddy along the Chickasaw Bluffs, 200 feet above the Mississippi floodplain. Start out in Memphis, rich in history and culture, and travel north to the eerie beauty and natural wonders of Reelfoot Lake.

Tellico River
Take the Cherohala Skyway south on Hwy. 68 for a beautiful drive ending in a short hike to Conasauga Falls. Or try the 20-mile drive from Tellico Plains to Rattlesnake, followed by a 1.4 mile hike to Falls Branch.

Lawrenceburg to Manchester
Travel through historic Davy Crockett country, take in the origins of Tennessee sippin' whiskey, and visit Native American sights.

Appalachian Quilt Trail
Stretching across the eastern part of the state, the AQT links scenic rural drives with shopping, locally grown produce, arts centers and outdoor activities.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park
America's most visited national park offers an abundance of scenic splendor.

Tennessee River Gorge, Chattanooga Loop
A 126-mile drive along the Tennessee River, from Chattanooga to the Cumberland Plateau, ending at Cumberland Mountain State Park in Crossville.

Antebellum Trail: Nashville to Columbia
Mansions, horse farms, and Civil War sites line the roadway from Nashville, through Columbia, on to Mount Pleasant, on this 78-mile drive through Middle Tennessee.

Cumberland River: Nashville to Land Between the Lakes
A 110-mile trek along the banks of the Cumberland River travels just north of Nashville through historic Clarksville.

Center Hill Lake to Cedars of Lebanon State Park
Enjoy breathtaking views of the Eastern Highland Rim, Caney Fork River Valley, red cedar forests and the natural rock gardens called cedar glades.

Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area
The Big South Fork of the Cumberland River passes through 90 miles of scenic gorges and valleys containing a wide range of natural and historic features while offering a wide variety of recreational opportunities.

October is here

October, to Erin and I is a wonderful month. We enjoy the fall colors and the coolness of the mornings and nights. After the kids got too old to trick or treat I kinda forgot about Halloween, that is until I married Erin and she forced me to recognize it and participate in it once again. I have hundreds of memories of the kids and all the costumes they wore. And I remember the year each of the them became too "cool" to go out begging for candy.
~Tommy

I love October! Fall is in full swing, the leaves will start to change soon, the air smells a little sweeter, fall festivals all over north GA are beginning and Jacob is going to be the cutest pumpkin ever this year. I figured I needed to do it now before he can start talking and tell me that being a fat little pumpkin for Halloween is for babies. Last year he was a bumble bee, he was only about 7 weeks old last year so this year should be more fun for me...I mean him. HA! I think my favorite Halloween costume was when I was Miss America. I loved that dress my mom may for me. I remember telling her that I was going to wear it to prom when I got into high school. Boy am I glad it got ripped before I had to live up to that promise.
~Rachel

Halloween will be a little different for us this year. Corey is too old for trick-or-treat so we will be going to some of the festivals at the nearby orchards. Jennifer and Corey have been picking out costumes for Booh and Chester. I think Chester will be superman and poor old Booh is going to be completely humiliated in a pumpkin costume.
~Andy

I don't really remember any Halloween costumes that I had. Like probably most of us with our kids, I remember Rachel's better than my own. I can't really say that this was my favorite of hers but it was the one I remember the most. It was one of, if not the last year she really went trick or treating, with Mom along anyway. She wanted to be Miss America, or some kind of beauty queen. I bought a pattern and cut it down & I found some awful teal colored taffeta. I made her a long dress with 1980's big puffy sleeves, and if I remember correctly a peplum. I guess she liked it, she acted like she did. Like everything else she hung on to it for the longest time before she finally through it out. All I remember was that her crown got caught in the limb of a tree she walked under, and her feet were killing her by the time we got home from the heels she was wearing. But like every year, after the kids went to bed Mom snuck in and raided their candy sacks. This year I'm sure Jake will get a ton of candy, he looks adorable in his pumpkin costume. I guess Granny and Mom will be raiding his candy sack after he goes to bed.
~Diane

If anyone has anything they would like to post about fall/October, November/Thanksgiving or just general post send them my way. Let us know what is going on in your lives.
Love to everyone!
Rachel