Hiking to Buggytop Cave & Sewanee Natural Bridge @ South Cumberland SP Lost Cove Area (Sewanee, TN)

While in the Sewanee, TN area I needed to check some final destinations off my South Cumberland State Park list. We had not made it to the Lost Cove Area on other trips. Buggytop Cave was the first destination so we hiked a few miles to get there. It was worth it! Much more impressive …

Molly’s Nursing School Graduation

We’ve put 3 kids through college but this is our first college graduation. The first two graduated during COVID so no graduation for them (GRRR!). Preston is a 2nd-grade teacher in Nashville. Emmaline is an Event Coordinator in Orlando. Due to pent-up celebration anxiety, we went hard for Molly’s graduation from nursing school at the …

Tim’s Ford State Park – Winchester TN

We checked the box on Tim’s Ford State Park. We aren’t really lake people but we stayed in Winchester, TN at Tim’s Ford for an extended weekend where we did other activities (Jack Daniel’s, Molly’s Graduation, and some cool hikes). Gran was there and made us a delicious breakfast in one of their cabins. All …

Touring Jack Daniel’s Distillery and Miss Mary Bobo’s Restaurant – Lynchburg, TN

The whole family headed to Molly’s college graduation. On the way, we spent a day together in Lynchburg, TN visiting Jack Daniel’s Distillery. Gran found a great restaurant, Miss Mary Bobo’s, that was in an old boarding house near downtown. We headed to our tour full of delicious food. The tour of the immaculate grounds …

Splitting Logs For Firewood (DeanoFarms: Week 50)

Trees down…check. Logs cut into rounds…check. Time for splitting. I’d never done it before, but I decided to try to conquer them by hand. I immediately regretted this as the ax hit the center of the first round. After learning some quick lessons and getting my skills up to speed I finished my first round. …

15 Months To Grow A Tomato?!? – AKA Tackling My Patio Garden (DeanoFarms – Week 60)

Does it take 15 months to grow a tomato? No, absolutely not. Did it take me 15 months to grow a tomato? Yes, sadly, yes it did. My concrete jungle patio has always been a mess. I decided if I was going to move out to the country I could at least conquer 100 square …

Pinson Mounds State Archaeological Park – Pinson, TN

I took Emily and Max on the equivalent of a school field trip to Pinson Mounds State Archaeological Park (in Pinson, TN). Pinson Mounds is the largest mound complex in Tennessee and is one of the largest Middle Woodland (A.D. 0 to A.D. 500) mound complexes in the United States. It was much more interesting …

Chickasaw State Park – Henderson, TN

We visited Chickasaw State Park. Max joined us for a night of camping. Then I took Emily and Max on the equivalent of a school field trip to nearby Pinson Mounds State Park (which was much more interesting than I anticipated). We enjoyed some delicious food in Henderson, TN (hot fudge cake anyone), and some …

Cutting Blown Down Trees (DeanoFarms: Week 46)

My brother-in-law, Justin, really likes chainsaws (like really). When he heard I had some trees down he was all ears. I don’t know if he really (like, really really) wanted to spend a day on the farm sweating but that is what happened. I had 4 (then 5) really big trees down and needed to …

Amelia Island, FL and Fort Clinch State Park

We met up with Emmaline who was working in Amelia Island, FL. This had been on Emily’s list for a while. We stayed in cabins near the beach and explored the beaches, a lighthouse, and a giant fort at a nearby state park. I think Fort Clinch was the biggest (and best) fort we’ve ever …