Nashville – Travel Journal USA 2012

Posted in Journalling, Travel, Writing by

<meta http-equiv="refresh" content="0; URL=/editnote.php?draft&note_id=10150970607739342&id=595753040&_fb_noscript=1" /Nashville 11.7.12 – 12.7.12

Well today we headed out to see the sites of Nashville. First stop being the Grand Ole Opry. We put the address into the GPS and everything was fine, until we got to the address. Dave and I followed the signs to park the car. Well we should of looked further down the street, as we parked in the hotel parking lot @ a cost of $20 mind you, only to find that the Grand Ole Opry was then another 20mins walk from the parking lot…boy did we get our exercise that day. Probably a good thing in hind sight, as we sit on our backsides most of the day, stopping to eat and then back in the car. We haven’t really found any attractions etc that have been strenuous activity. Didn’t help that I needed a pit stop…the bladder was working overtime that day. We finally made it to the Opry and had an hour spare to just sit and get the breath back…so unfit …hehehe.
Once we went inside it was a great tour backstage. Seeing where the stars play and their dressing rooms, entrances etc. I found it interesting to know that you can write to the stars at the Opry and they have post boxes there for the them. They are their for the stars to collect when they arrive to play there. So cool. It was also interesting to learn that the Opry went through a flood and 4 feet of the Opry was under water.  They never cancelled any of their shows, just moved them elsewhere and they had the place back up and running 2 months later. They managed to save the original circle from the stage and it has been placed back there. People like Elvis Presley, Brad Paisley, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, Trace Atkins have all stood upon this circle and today I got to stand in their shoes. That was super cool. We had our picture taken with the mike stand and our tour guide was a crack up. I really enjoyed it and would recommend it if ever in the area.
Fan Mail Wall
Dressing Room for the Stars
The Opry Stage

We then walked across to the Opry Mills shopping centre for some lunch. We saw a sign that said Underwater dining attraction. We had to check it out. I am so glad we did as it was awesome. They have built a restaurant that has huge aquariums in it, full of sharks and rays and all kinds of fish. You walk in there and you truly do feel like you are under the ocean, except you don’t need an oxygen tank to survive!!!! We decided that we have to order fish and chips..how could we not?? Well so glad we did, it was the BEST FISH AND CHIPS I HAVE EVER EATEN. So good and worth the 20mins walk from the car park. LOL. So after our fine dining experience, we ventured back out to walk back to the car.

20mins later we were back on our way into town to check out the main st.

We took a walk up the main drag and I had mentioned to Dave that I would like to get some real cowgirl boots. So we walked into one of the many stores and I tried some on, not expecting any of them to fit, as I have trouble getting boots to fit my calves. Well much to my surprise the ones I looked at fit me perfectly. Dave by this stage was running for the door with the credit card. So with my new boots on, we went walking. Stopped for a bite to eat and low and behold we walked past a store that said, buy 1 boot get 2 free…at first I thought they meant buy one get one free but no they actually meant…buy 1 pair and get 2 pairs free…I couldn’t believe it. Dave was frothing at the mouth. Just our bloody luck. So while I went to find 1 pair of boots , I now have 4 pairs of cowgirl boots 🙂 Dave took my hand and we were out of that place like a whirl wind.

So now its back to the hotel, to find somewhere to put the new purchases and get ready to head out tomorrow. We are off to see the stars homes in Nashville and then continue on our way to Pigeon Forge – Dollywood.

Road to Tupelo 9.7.12 – USA Journal 2012

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Today we headed out to Tupelo. This is the birthplace of Elvis Presley. They have a museum and a story wall , along with his original home that he lived in with his parents. They also have the church that he attended when he was a child with his parents. It was certainly worth the visit. They have done a wonderful job to preserve it all. They have a museum that houses personal items of his as well and those that have been donated to them from people who knew Elvis. It was very interesting to read the stories and see the items. Definitely a must do if visiting Memphis.

After leaving there, it was time to hit the road again and head to Nashville. We certainly drove around in a huge circle today, and felt like we didn’t get very far. We did stop at a great little cafe called Water Creek Cafe. It was run by the cutest lady. She has only been there for about 6 weeks, but it was going well. Her food was amazing. She got to talking to us and was fascinated with the accent. I actually left there giving her a recipe for a new sweet. I sure do hope she gives it a go. I think it would be a great hit.

We have decided to stop for the night in a place called Florence. Dave found a store he wants to go into in the morning. Oh what fun!!!

Anyway best be going.

Much love

JD

xx

South East Asia Cruise Journal

Posted in Craft, Journalling, Off the Page Projects, Photos, Scrapbooking, Travel, Writing by

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Sharing my travel journal I completed on a cruise to South East Asia last year.

The journal is from Kaszazz.

Unfortunately it is no longer available. Such a shame, as it’s a really a great product. I loved that it came in a kit with all the accessories needed to complete the journal. I packed it along with my Tim Holtz tiny attacher, journal pens, tape runner and my Fuji Instax camera. The sticker pack and metal embellishments were from the cruise ship journal kit.

Firstly I love how much room there was to journal. I did find it difficult to keep it on 1 or 2 pages though, as I love to write.

When I travel I like to pick up keepsakes that are relevant to the place I am visiting. I collect currency, postcards, receipts, ticket stubs and embellishments.

I love my little instant camera. I can place the photo’s straight into my journal capturing a special moment or place. I also love to use my Dymo to journal the pictures. It adds some element and texture to the page.

I had to buy this postcard for obvious reasons. My husband’s name is Dave.

Some of the embellishments I used are from a store called Stroberi in Indonesia. They have fantastic hair clips and brooches. They had some that were film rolls, planes, luggage cases , drinks and popcorn. I just removed them from the clips or brooch. They retail for approx $1-$2 making them a cheap way to embellish the page.

Washi tape is a great way to attach items to your journal, if you don’t have glue, tape runner or a mini attacher, while adding decoration to the page.

Through out my journal, I have added a little doodling to fill up the white space.

Whenever I travel, I look out for postcards. They are cheap and a great way to document where you have been and showcases the main attractions of that city/country. I also like the keep entry tickets from attractions or places we have visited as a visual prompt for that days activities. Envelope pockets are a great way to keep souvenirs, pictures, maps or ticket stubs.

With this page, I have used some stickers to create the beginning of my journaling.

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I also used an arrow brad to keep my brochure from opening and it works as an embellishment for my page.

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I have used my ticket stub as a photo mat to add some colour to this page and it also reminds me of the bus tour we took on the day.

A great way to keep your pictures in place is to use these fabulous adhesive photo corners. I found mine in a discount store. They also create a nice detail to the picture.

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With this page I used my washi tape to frame the photo’s. I found some Kaszazz beach rub-ons in my stash. They have hibiscus flowers on the sheet. This was perfect for this page, as this is the national flower of KL.

These pages don’t have a lot of photo’s on them as these were the days when we were at sea. This gave me more room to journal and I was able to use items from activities that we participated in on board the ship.

I really love this page in journal. I was able to take a photo from each place we visited and highlight the memory from that day.

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To fill up the back of the journal , I placed our luggage tags, vouchers and other memorabilia into the pocket for reference.

I was able to journal and attach most of the items daily. I found this a great way to scrapbook while we were on the cruise and it was fresh in my memory. Having it already in kit form made it convenient to carry and use daily.

Once I was home, I then finished the journal off with some added embellishments, rub-ons, dymo lettering and photo’s.

I am really happy with the finished project and it’s really nice that I am able to have it sitting on the coffee table for friends and family to view and not half finished in my craft room along with the other UFO’s.

Thanks for stopping by and I would love to hear your travel tips for scrapbooking or journaling on holiday.

I look forward to reading your comments.

Keep the Faith

JD

xx

2016

Road to Nashville – USA Travel Journal 2012

Posted in Journalling, Travel, Writing by

10.7.12

Well up early to get to the shop and then get on the road. Dave had a blast in this antique store. Lots of old tin signs. We struck gold. Now we don’t have to look any more for them. Thank heavens. I got him out of there before he spent all our savings…lol and he was worried about my spending on scrap booking. Mine didn’t even come close to adding up to what he spent. LOL.

We hit the road again with the agenda to make it to Nashville today, as we got no where near it yesterday.

We stopped in a little antique store to check out the items. Well that turned out to be a very eventful stop. We got talking to the owner, Mr Bob Moore. He was a scream. We ended up being there for over 2+ hours just talking about Australia and the States. He knew heaps of places to check out along our journey. He told us many a tale. His sense of humour was so much like Dave’s it was uncanny. They got along like a house on fire. I think we persuaded him to go to Australia for his holiday. Let him know to come check us out in Perth and that we would be more than happy to show him around. What an awesome person.

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He told me about the time his father was driving along the highway and this car went past him and then swerved in front of him and pulled to the side. His father stopped to see if he could help, turns out they had blown a tyre, so his dad helped changed it. Low and behold, who should step out of the car but Elvis Presley. He thanked him for helping them out. How cool. We managed to drag ourselves away from there and left with his email address and I think we made a friend for life. Sure do hope to catch up with them in Australia one day.

We finally made it in to Nashville and we will fill up our day tomorrow with checking the place out but for now its time to call it a night and get some shuteye.541654_10150962435638041_937530315_n

J

xx

Graceland – USA Travel Journal 2012

Posted in Journalling, Travel, Uncategorized by

8.7.12

Today would of had to of been a highlight of my trip. This was another bucket list item that I got to tick off.

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Today we headed to Graceland. Wow what an amazing experience. It was so surreal to think that we were in the same building, walking on the same ground that once was graced by “The King” himself. He truly was an amazing man and so generous. When you go through the house , you can clearly see how much he loved his family and how much he just wanted to help those less fortunate. He presence can still be felt there. It is just so hard to put it into words. Its such a shame that he had to leave us at such a young age, but boy did he make an impact on it while he was here. Even though I was old enough to know who he was, I remember growing up listening to his music as my mum is a huge fan. It truly was an experience I will never forget and would totally recommend to anyone to do it if you ever get the chance..you won’t be disappointed.

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I was amazed to learn that when Elvis purchased the property, he paid just over $100, 000 for it. Now while that would of been an obscene amount of money back then, it is a steal now. The place is huge. They have kept the house completely as Elvis had left it. The decor is unbelievable. No expense was spared. Elvis truly believed in over the top. One fact that I found fascinating was that he never wrote any of his songs. Amazing.

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Dave and I really spent some time here and it was kind of freaky when we came to his head stone. Elvis is actually buried here with his mother and father and grandfather. I kind of felt like I was intruding on a very personal place but feeling very privileged to be able to pay my respects to a wonderful musician, great man and a devoted father. What an unforgettable experience.

Dave and I left there in awe of a man that changed the world of music and the lives of many.

Rock on Elvis!!!

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We spent the afternoon on the riverboat learning about Memphis and those that worked on the Mississippi River. The historical cruise was very interesting. Our tour guide was great too. He knew his stuff. We are certainly learning a lot about this country and their history. I probably know more about this country than my own…lol.

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After the cruise we took a stroll down the main st with the many clubs, pubs etc. It has the same feel as New Orleans. I really do love the South and the people here.

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Anyway time to get to bed, ready to hit the road again tomorrow.

J

xoxo

Road to West Memphis – USA Travel Journal 2012

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7.7.12
Well not much to report today. We really just spent the day traveling. Being a Saturday, we thought that many of the shops would be open, but yet again they were closed. Might be that some people decided to take a break from the 4th July through to Monday.

We did stop in a place called Bald Knob in Arkansas…when I seen this on the map, I said to Dave we just have to check in there, just for a laugh. I can’t honestly believe that someone thought that would be a great name for a town. I think someone may have been pulling something when they named it.

Imagine telling someone you lived in Bald Knob. Dave and I cracked up as we traveled down the road, there was a new place in town, a Tyre shop called Hand cock…..seriously so many jokes here.

We are now in West Memphis and looking forward to heading to Graceland tomorrow. Then we plan on taking in the sights of downtown Memphis and finish off a sightseeing tour aboard a paddle boat up the Mississippi River.

We have just been to a place called Iron Skillet for dinner. Wasn’t really sure what to expect by the name but was pleasantly surprised. It was a buffet style restaurant. I finally found some real food. Roast meat and veggies with gravy….mmmmm so good. Dave stuffed himself again. Can’t beat mash and gravy. We couldn’t even fit in dessert.

Well I wonder if I will find Elvis tomorrow???

Till then.

Night all

J

xx

Road to Memphis – 6.7.2012 – USA Travel Journal

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6.7.12

Well today we set off to leave New Orleans and head towards Memphis. I had it all planned out. First I had to make a little detour and find Bon Jovi Blvd. Well I set the GPS and thought we were on the right track. I had checked in the morning before leaving so I knew exactly how long it would take. Well Macca (GPS) decided he wasn’t into directing us in the right direction and sent us on a wild goose chase. We literally drove around in a huge circle back to where we had come from 2 days earlier. Dave was getting so pissed. So out come the trusty phone and maps from google. Turns out we were literally 5 mins from our destination and Macca was telling us we were still 25 mins away..

We eventually found it and I got to take my pic and look at the homes that Jon and his foundation built after Hurricane Katrina. All I could think about was how I could manage to maybe borrow the sign indefinately without being noticeable. Also how cool would it be to have that for an address??? I just want to say that my man is the best in the world and I love him more everyday. Thanks for taking me there , even though you were heard to say ‘ All this for a fucking rock star”..

So we are now in a little place called Winnfield and will continue on to Memphis in the morning. We didn’t really stop at much along the way, as we needed to make up time for all the bloody farting around in Louisiana.

We decided to go into the restaurant that is next to the motel for something to eat and I really wanted a cup of tea. I asked the waitress for a hot tea with milk. She looked at me as though I had asked her to chop her head off. Seriously do I speak a different language. She told me she had never been asked for a hot tea. I then slowly had to explain what to bring me. Well she got the tea bag and cup of hot water right, but then proceeded to bring me the biggest glass of milk to put in my tea….mmmm Dave and I just cracked up. When I told her I only needed enough to place in the cup, she took it away and brought back a smaller cup but still too much for the tea….poor girl, she really didn’t have a clue. Might be that she speaks a different language to me??

Anyway must catch up with my kids.

See you all soon from Tennessee.

J

xxxx

New Orleans – 5.7.2012 – USA Travel Journal

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Well today we set off for our swamp tour. I wasn’t really sure what to expect. Just had visions of big gators attacking the boat.

We had set the gps to find the place and had to be there at 9.30am. Well we made it by the skin of our teeth. It was 9.30 on the dot, but luckily they still let us pay and join the boat. My stupid gps (macca) took us the long way round.

Anyway we got on the boat with the others and our Capt Troy. He was very cool guy and was a bundle of knowledge. He told us about the gators and then proceeded to throw marshmellows out to them. They actually know all of the gators by name and who is who. He told us about the swamp, plants and other animals that habitate in there. It was very cool.

He took us to one of the gators. Her name was Cindy. She is 11ft long and at the moment she has a belly full of eggs. But she was so lazy that she didn’t move a muscle when we approached with the boat. Troy tried to offer her a hotdog on a stick but he said that you practically had to put it in her mouth, to which my wonderful husband responds ‘ she is like most women, won’t eat it unless its put in her mouth’ I instictively slapped him.

                 

Troy asked us where we were all from. When it got to us, Dave replied Down Under…there were lots of strange looks came our way, we then explained from Australia, which in returned I replied ‘ we have really big crocodiles…man eaters!!! Troy agreed. Dave then proceeded to say that they would definately eat his “Black Arse”….I was like ‘ oh no you didn’t!!! This man of mine truely needs a filter!!!

As we continued on our tour, there were a family from Kansas. They had obviously never heard an Australian speak, as this woman turned to me and said *southern African American accent* You speak funny, where y’all from?? I cracked up…I speak funny!!! This family where a scream. They reminded my of those women on Springer or Oprah when they are excited. They were entertainment plus.

Troy then took us up to a tree which had a snake in it. They freaked out. They started saying they were allergic to snakes. Troy was cracking up…said they must be allergic to the swamp. Dave thought at this stage that it would be a great joke to pick up a piece of rope (used to tie boat up) and place it on one of the women…she just about jumped out the boat….everyone was in fits of laughter…her not so much. I did tell her that she had permission to whoop some American arse on him 🙂

As we were heading back to finish the tour, Troy told us that we had to pick up something from one of the other captains. He then said it contained a spider…at which point I was saying “oh no way” ..you can keep that fuckin shit right on the other boat…Troy replied ” well you were happy for my black arse to be eaten!!. Turns out it was a baby gator. He was about 2yrs old. He had been reared by the guys that run the tours. He had been handled from a baby. He was so cute and so quiet. Didn’t even try to snap fingers. But it was so funny when he pissed on one of the men on the boat. Troy said he doesn’t like men & that he peed on men all the time.

We had a great time and I would suggest this to any one who may visit New Orleans in the near future. We used Cajun Encounters.

After leaving the tour, we then went to find a place to stay for the night, this time a little out from the main centre and a little cheaper. We spent the arvo chillaxing and then we went to check out Bourbon St and go on our Vampire tour.

Bourbon St was a blast. New Orleans is definitely one of the places I have liked the most. Party Central. It reminds me of Kuta, Bali. There were certainly plenty of sights to see…mmmm .

We moved on to our Vampire tour at 8.30pm. We started outside the Cathedral. Well I wish they had written in the brochure that we would be taken on a historical walk/talk tour. I could of read it in a brochure. Unfortunately nothing untoward happened on our tour. Nothing out of the ordinary, but the information was very interesting. Vampires real or not??? Something to ponder. My feet are very sore, as we walked for miles and got very disorientated…felt like we walked in circles.

I am a little sad to leave here tomorrow, but I know that I have many more wonderful things to do and see. Can’t wait for Nashville and Memphis.

Well time to call it a night.

J

xxx

New Orleans – 4.7.2012 – USA Travel Journal

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4th of July

Today we set off from Lafayette to head to New Orleans. We took our time as we knew that it wasn’t going to take us long to get there. We only stopped for food and drink, as most of the shops were closed today for the holiday.

I did manage to take Dave kicking and screaming into another Hobby Lobby shop. He couldn’t believe the prices either. He was such a great trolley pusher!!! Got some insane bargains. They had 50% off albums and some stickers. So looks like his suitcase is getting filled up too. I’m sure the excess luggage is going to be a killer.

We have now booked into a place for the night after spending the afternoon/evening in the French Quarter. I have never seen so many one way streets in my life and only big enough to get the car down. Would hate to be driving a bus etc. It so busy too. Loving the feel of New Orleans. Very popular area I think. Looking forward to checking it out some more tomorrow.

                  

one of the street performers

 

While on our travels, we stopped at one of the stores and we are now signed up for a swamp tour and a vampire tour. This could be interesting. Dave is looking forward to the swamp tour, me not so much, but I am going to drag him along to the vampire tour. So we’re even. We are going to check out Bourbon Street too!!

After looking around the French Quarter we decided to go and get a place on the riverfront. There were thousands of people lining the riverfront. They had 2 barges and they let off fireworks simultaneously. It was so cool. It was great to see. Getting out of the parking lot not so great.

Anyway must go now and get some shut eye ready for the adventure to the swamp..

See ya’all soon

J

xx

Houston/Lafeyette – 3.7.2012 – USA Travel Journal

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Today we headed into the city to find the Hard Rock Cafe, so I could get me glass for the collection. We arrived to find that it was closed, so we decided to head to the nearest parking lot and take a look around.

I had read about some tunnels. So I wanted to check them out. We parked the car and headed towards them. These tunnels connect to the streets of central houston. You can travel from one end of the city to the other, exiting at certain points of interest. These tunnels are 20ft below ground and air conditioned. Dave and I walked for a while and didn’t even realise where we had gotten too. So we certainly got our exercise for the day. We hopped on the free bus and did the circuit and then continued back to the car.

some of the amazing art works around the city

We stopped at Appleby’s. It was cool. Great food. Love the chicken wings. The server Bobby was cool. She got Dave’s humour. So funny. She had a comeback for him every time. He thought it was fantastic. She kept hanging around just to talk to us, so she could hear our accent.

  

We didn’t stop in town for long as we wanted to get on the road and head towards New Orleans. We have made it as far as a place called Lafayette .

Tomorrow we head to New Orleans. I am extremely tired and need to get to bed. More updates tomorrow.

J

xx