Knock'n on Stone Door (Part 1)

       On the day before New Year's Eve my dad and I decided to take our annual holiday backpacking trip at the South Cumberland State Park.  Our trip was focused specifically on seeing one of the awesome natural features the park has to offer, the Stone Door.

       We started our hike around mid-day at the Stone Door trail head.  One of the first sights to greet us was the Laural Gulf Overlook.  This view offered a sweeping profile of the rest of Savage Gulf which makes up a portion of the park.

Me, looking out dramatically into the horizon.

       A short distance from the Overlook is the Great Stone Door.  This massive rock-outcropping is a marvel to behold.  At the top of the cliff you get another fantastic view of the gulf.

       But one of the best features of the Stone Door is the rocky stairwell that runs in the large crevice between the two parts of the "Door."

To quote my dad, "This looks like
something straight out of Lord of the Rings."

       After climbing down the Great Stone Stairwell, we headed off on the Big Creek Gulf Trail which quickly led us to a large boulder-field at the bottom of Stone Door.

Soon the trail led us to the creek, which we traveled next to for the majority of the trail.

The creek, still partially frozen on the surface.

After following the creek for about a mile or so, we came to a crossing that led to Ranger Falls.  With plenty of daylight left, we opted to see the falls.

      Eventually the spur trail led us to Ranger Falls.  At first we thought there would be no falls, since the creek we were following was bone-dry.  But when we got to it, it turned out to be in full force.  The falls and surrounding area were amazing.  Green moss draped everywhere on the rocks and trees.  The falls cast a huge mist, which gave the place a nice cool and moist climate.

Ah, refreshing coke.

We returned to the main trail.

Along the way we discovered a really cool swimming hole.  We would totally have gone swimming, except it was January, so that might not have been such a great idea.

After a steep, long climb out of the valley we reached our campsite at Alum Gap.

Our makeshift bear bags.

A nearby stream.

BCS vs Non-AQ

TCU won the Rose Bowl to run the BCS record of non-AQ vs AQ to 4-1, and leaving three years in a row that an undefeated non-AQ school will not play for the national championship despite winning its BCS bowl game.

Time to pull the plug on the BCS.  Put on a play-off or stop pretending its a national championship.

And Brother/President Gee, the 0-5 New Year's Day of the Big 10 makes your comments about the Big 10 being a "murder's row" of a conference into a joke.  Maybe its time for you to apologize to the humble non-AQ schools and finally admit that their hard-working student athletes deserve the same opportunity as students from so-called "power conferences" who are living off the hard work of these school's former generations of athletes.  (Kind of like the rich kid students at a certain university you used to be head of.)  Its a shame that the best teams of the non-AQ have had to break their ties with their old conferences because they are tired of being left out of the right to play in the big games and the recognition and money that comes with it.  The good news for TCU is that now they will have a truly easy schedule and that for the Big East, they will finally have a school that can compete in a bowl game.

Bluebird Cafe

       

        This past Wednesday we (jpd, sd, am, m&m) paid a visit to the famous Bluebird Cafe.  The Bluebird Cafe is a local attraction where local singers and songwriters perform their own music in a very intimate setting.  The cafe consists of a small stage to the side with enough room to fit a drum set and a couple of stools.  In the back there's a bar and the middle consists of a bunch of small dining tables.  All together it is very small and just a little bit crammed.

       We had decided to go to the cafe to show m&m some of the country music that our area is known for.  It was also a first time for me, although my parents have gone several times before.  When we got there we were seated right next to the small stage.  A few minutes later some of our friends who had moved out of our ward were seated right next to us, so that was a pretty cool coincidence.

      The line-up for the night consisted of four singer/songwriters performing on guitar.  The group was headed by Ashley McBryde.  The environment was very chill and relaxed and made it a pleasure to listen to these fine musicians.  Their music was outstanding, with songs ranging from mournful ballads to howling rebel songs.  I personally am not a huge fan of country music, but their music was actually quite fun to listen to.  Like I said, there was a great mix of songs and lots of laughs going around.  A lot of the songwriters had written songs which big-time artists had recorded.

Ashley McBryde

Craig Monday, one of the performers

    We had a great time and I can see why its a hot-spot.  I am definitely looking forward to going again.

  
 

White Christmas

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;

        As was the case for our humble abode.   For Christmas Eve we had gone out to Applebee's to celebrate M&M's birthday, and then come home to watch 'The Polar Express', which has become a sort of tradition in our family.  The movie does a great job in describing the point where a young child who believes in Santa is now starting to have their doubts.  We've all experienced this feeling of realization and the film explored that which we can all relate to.  

      

        Another interesting thing about the film brought by my Dad was the "Animated Zombies Effect."  Apparently he was listening to his ScienceFriday Podcast and they were discussing how difficult it is in animation to get the eyes right.  By right, they meant that the eyes looked real.  One of the primary examples they used of animators not quite getting it right was 'Polar Express.'  So when I should of been admiring the Christmas spirit shown by the valiant protagonists, I was instead thinking about them all being zombies.  Thanks Dad.

ZOOOMMMBBBBBBBIIIIIIIIEEEEEESSSSSS!!!!!!!

        To switch to another topic, let's talk about the weather.  We in the south have the bad fortune (or good, depending on your view on inclement weather) of being at the crossroads of warm air rising from the Gulf of Mexico and storms from the West.  This crossroads usually ensures that we stay snow-free until the middle of January. However, through some Christmas miracle, we managed to have our own White Christmas.    With heavy snowflakes falling around 11:00 PM Christmas Eve, our entire neighborhood was covered in a white blanket, creating a wonderful effect on the next morning.

       Christmas morning came bright and early (6:30 AM, too bright and early in my opinion) and soon the wrapping paper carnage ensued.  Within minutes the once cheerful scene of the tree with neatly-wrapped gifts underneath was transformed into a devastated battlefield filled with the twisted sounds of delight of children.

        All in all we had an excellent haul this year, with plenty of entertainment to last us to next year's Christmas.  Especially the guitar ME received, which has gotten the whole family hooked.  My dad has vowed to learn a chord every week.  I too have resolved to learn to play the guitar.  It may take ME a little longer than us because the guitar is about as big as she is!  But she has taken an interest in music and should definitely enjoy the gift.

A Visit To The Gaylord Opryland Hotel

This Monday our family and M&M (our cousin) paid a visit to the Gaylord Opryland Hotel to see the Christmas decorations before they were taken down.  For those who have forgotten, last May a major flood hit Nashville and one of the major places that took a heavy hit was the Opryland Hotel...

Flood waters fill the hotel.

... so it was great to go back there and see it all spruced back up.

                      When we got there it took us about 20 minutes to find the entrance because so much of the complex was fenced in for rebuilding.  

  Starting at the Delta Concourse, we made our way around the hotel looking at all the many decorations.  The hotel has this feel about it, like it's its own small village.  There are dozens of small stores, fancy restaurants, bars, and plenty of places for entertainment.  And the whole village thing is surrounded by the hotel rooms, with their balconies looking out over the plaza.

                     

                      

    An enormous Christmas tree made-up of Poinsettia plants

Our cousin, M&M.

One of the best decorations in the hotel are the lights that hang from the glass ceiling. 

Also within this hotel of many wonders are small trails that intertwine with the main path, and which let you see several pretty waterfalls and small grottoes.

Here are some more pictures of the many decorations in the hotel.

A sample of the real flora that helps create the outside effect.

One the many fountains.

We also saw some of what we thought to be Chihuly glass work.  Turned out not to be Chihuly, but instead another artist (Hroch) whose work oddly resembles the aforementioned master's art.

At the center of one of the wings of the large hotel is a water fountain with a bright neon light show.

It was great to see the hotel back in full swing.  The decorations were breath-taking as usual and it still has its grandeur and elegance.