Thursday, July 15, 2010

Summer Road Trip 2010 - Day 3


This was a good day from the start. It started with our very own Elvis sighting. Yes, folks the worlds wonder can now be resolved Elvis is alive and well and he was delivering muffins and other yummies to our hotel that we had just checked out of. Some things in life are just to rich to not include on your vacation memories.



Next we were headed back to Tennessee. On this leg of the trip is where we noticed how the agriculture had changed. Back in Oklahoma it is the waving wheat but we noticed here it is the corn. We saw farm after farm after farm of corn fields. We also saw them spraying the fields from air planes. I was to busy watching and forgot to get a picture of that. Evidently these fields needed the spray too. I think this was about my 6th attempt at the above photo. In every one someone is slapping or jumping at or from a bug.


Our next stop was one of my favorites from our entire trip. We stopped at Falls Mill in Belvidere, TN. Let me just say if you are ever any where near here it is a must stop and see. This is a working grain mill and museum. The museum by no means done up fancy like the city ones but is more like a family has taken the time to preserve history and make it a learning experience for those who want to know. When we first arrived we were greeted by a really nice lady. We paid only $12 for admission and the tour. We were seated to watch a brief little video of history about the mill. Then we were briefly shown around the mill and left to our own devices. As you walk through the mill there are wheels and straps moving just about everywhere. I believe we were told that the wheel provides all of the electricity for the mill. Once again I was to busy watching to take enough pictures. I missed getting one of the grinding stones. On this day they were making corn meal and grits. They also grind wheat on other days. I was just as fascinated as the kids on this one. The operator took as much time as you wanted to explain and show you the process, incredible. Of course they sell there product in their small gift shop and of course we bought some. Once again it seemed very affordable for a souvenir. They use no preservatives at all and all of it is ground fresh there on site.


Obviously this is at the top of the wheel. We were amazed that the gate that was open to let the water run was only lifted an inch or two and it was enough water to make that huge wheel turn.




This to me was one of the most unique machines they had there. It was a butter churn but not just your normal one. One operated by the family dog! On the right is a treadmill for your canine to walk on. Then as your dog walked it the wheels and pulleys would shake the churning part (the part that makes the butter) of the machine. How ingenious is that! I think the guide said at the time this could even have been ordered from the Sears catalog.


As you can probably imagine while getting to the mill we traveled through a lot of back country roads to get there. This picture was taken at a building that nature is in the process of reclaiming. We just thought it was special.

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