Family Trip - Part 1: On our Way

We're back after a 13 days family vacation/trip.  We enjoyed the trip greatly, with activities ranging from relaxing at a mountain-top cabin, to attending the Defending the Faith Conference, to finally going to the Creation Museum, to visiting with family and friends.  It was an enjoyable, yet very tiring trip, and we're all glad to be home!

What I've decided to do is post about our trip in several different posts, so as to not make any one post too long.  So, this first post is all about what we did on our way to Sevierville, TN (where the DTF conference was held).

Enjoy the pictures, and come back very soon for more pictures from the rest of our trip!



















The first stop was Tyler, Texas.  We stopped off at a fuel station where we met Mom's parents (we call them Poppy and Grams) and off loaded a dryer for Mom's brother.  We were making the most of our trip. :)

We girls stood inside in the cool air visiting while the guys unloaded / loaded outside.

The guys: (L to R) Poppy (Ron), Joel, Jaden, Caleb and Dad (David).

We stopped for a couple minutes in Jackson, Mississippi at the state capitol and took a few pictures.  This was about the best one we got with our low quality camera. 

Dad and Joel did all of the driving on the trip.  Thank you Dad and Joel!!

We were able to stop in and attend the Scopes Festival in Dayton, Tennessee.  It takes place every year at the Rhea County courthouse where the actual Scopes Trial occurred.  We took a lot of pictures/video, went into the actual court room, and visited the Scopes museum, which is located in the basement below the courthouse. 

This sculpture of William Jennings Bryan stands on the front lawn of the Rhea County courthouse.  He was quite the hero in Dayton.

Us girls on the front lawn of the courthouse.  (Jo wasn't paying attention!)

Joel and Johanna looking at the different displays about the Scopes "Monkey" Trial.

Caleb checking it out.

Joel and Caleb by the Bryan statue in front of the courthouse.

The actual court room where the famous Scopes Trial of 1925 took place.

This historical marker stands out by the road in front of the Rhea County Courthouse.  (Click on the picture to enlarge.)

For dinner on Saturday we stopped in at Jason's Deli in Knoxville, which is about 30 miles away from Sevierville. 

This was my plate.  We all got the salad-bar choice on the menu.  And it was a good choice indeed! 

We finally got to our cabin on one of the mountain tops in the Smoky Mountains around 10:30pm.  We would have gotten there sooner if it weren't for the 3 wrong turns we took!  And one of the turns took us to the end of the road, and with the trailer behind us turning around wasn't too easy!  But, after many gray hairs developed and many nervous moments, we found our way to the cabin. 

And that night we slept well...