During the height of the pandemic in 2020, we went on a 32-day roadtrip. We refused to lockdown.
Jack & Dodie Dennis at Ark Encounter
One of the most fascinating days was spent at the Ark Encounter in Williamstown, Kentucky. It is a type of historical and biblical theme park centered around a life-sized reconstruction of the massive ship, built at God’s command, that saved Noah, his family, and representatives of every kind of land-dependent, air-breathing animal from a global flood.
“The ark was 510 feet long, 85 feet wide, and 51 feet high and it housed the several thousand animals God brought to Noah,” their literature reads. “The global flood lasted about one year. The ark came to rest on the “mountains of Ararat” (Genesis 8:4), and Noah’s family, with all the animals that were saved from the flood, eventually spread throughout the world.”
Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight, and the earth was filled with violence. And God saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. And God said to Noah, “I have determined to make an end of all flesh, for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them with the earth.”
Genesis 6:11-13
Years ago, I came across this poster in one of my son’s Sunday School classrooms and always thought the lessons applied to adults as well as children. This wisdom is worth applying and sharing.
1. Don’t miss the boat
Ask for guidance from the Almighty, He will help you get through whatever obstacles you are facing right now.
Matthew 11:28 (NIV)“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
2. Remember that we are all in the same boat
As the old saying goes “No Man is an Island” just means were are connected with each other. Some people will leave a huge amount of memories, and others will cause us pain, both though will contribute to our learnings for us to become a better person. Every time you meet new people, it will become part of you forever because it can leave good or bad memories that will stay on your mind for the longest time.
Ephesians 1:3. “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.”
3. Plan ahead. It wasn’t raining when Noah built the Ark
Ephesians 5:16 (KJV) “Make the most of your opportunities because these are evil days.”
Lay down plans about your future regarding what you want to become in life. Make room for errors. Do not just rely simply on Plan A. Make some sort of Plan B and Plan C to deal with setbacks.
Ark Encounter (Jack Dennis)
4. Stay fit. When you’re really old, someone may ask you to do something really big
1 Corinthians 9:26-27
26 “I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:
27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.”
Work to remain healthy physically and mentally. You might need to be part of something amazingly big that is life-changing at least for the people around you.
Stay fit so that you may be able to live a longer life to see your children and grandchildren fulfill their dreams and become successful in life. Many grandparents are not able to see because they lead an unhealthy life and leave this world too soon.
5. Don’t listen to the critics; just get on with the job that needs to be done
1 Corinthians 15:58 “Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”
Be reminded not to listen to skeptics when you experience setbacks from time to time. Focus on what you want to achieve in life. Years after, the words that critics have said against you won’t even matter anymore.
6. Build your future on high ground
1 Corinthians 3: 10-11 10 “By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care.” 11 “For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.”
Make your future to be foolproof. Abraham Lincoln once said, “The best way to predict the future is to create it.”
7. For Safety Sake, Travel in Pairs
Romans 8:35-37. “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?”
Ark Encounter (Jack Dennis)
8. Speed Isn’t Always An Advantage. The Snails were on board with the Cheetahs
James 1:19 “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.”
Who remembers the race between the turtle and the hare? Consistency is more important than speed—or at least have both speed and consistency work together.
9. When You’re Stressed, Float a While
James 1:2-3 “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.”
Having trouble dealing with your personal issues? Take a deep breath, and relax. Learn to unwind for a while to cool down. Afterward, go back to the drawing board and deal with the issue again. A rested mind is more creative than a weary one.
10. Remember, the Ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic by professionals
1 Corinthians 1:20 “Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?”
Be humble. It doesn’t matter how mighty you perceive yourself to be, know when to tame your ego. Sometimes a low profile is best as situations may backfire on your part.
11. No matter the storm, when you are with God, there’s always a rainbow waiting
Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”
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The former director of materials management at Three Rivers Medical Center in Louisa, Ky., pleaded guilty March 1 for stealing over $780,000 worth of medical and office supplies from the hospital.
Hudnall
Lashea Nicole Hudnall, 36, appeared in federal court in Ashland, Kentucky to a charge of mail fraud, based on receiving hundreds of payments electronically, according to court records. The money was going to her personal Paypal account.
The former director of materials management at the 90-bed hospital, pleaded guilty more than two years after she was arrested and charged with stealing supplies from the facility. Hudnall admitted in her plea agreement that she took medical supplies and office equipment from the hospital and sold them online between January 2014 and August 2019.
Hudnall sold at least $781,699 in supplies she stole from the hospital to buyers in the U.S. and China, according to court documents.
Hudnall is scheduled to be sentenced in June. She faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
Being a registered nurse for 40 years, as soon as we heard about COVID-19 pandemic, I did extensive research to find the right supplements and foods for Jack and me to fight it. (Shown at the bottom of this article).
Both of us agreed we would not be taking any so-called experimental vaccines that were rushed into development and not adequately proven.
We elected to modify our vitamins, minerals and food intake instead.
Hard to get.
Hydroxychloroquine, which has been around since 1946, has been used to treat autoimmune diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis, in addition to malaria and others.
The more research I did, talking with and learning from physicans, nurses and researchers, I decided on a regimen for us.
Let me just say, we have taken road trips through Texas, Louisiana, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Washington D.C., West Virginia, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, California, and Colorado since June 2020.
Pigeon Forge was crowded in 2020
Vegas 2021
SW Desert Museum, AZ
Noah’s Ark Encounter, Kentucky
Some of the crowds we’ve been in included Graceland, Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg, D.C., Ark Encounter, Branson, Royal Gorge, Sea World, concerts, various zoos, museums and theaters.
We are not fond of wearing masks, but out of respect for others, we do so only in medical offices, hospitals, businesses or restaurants that require it (usually we go someplace else).
We have relatives that had COVID, some two or three times, even after taking the jab. We know more people who have died from it who were recently jabbed. We also know many nurses and even doctors who will not get jabbed. We are respectful to any individual for whatever their choice is, but we will not be jabbed.
Our Anti-COVID Regimen
🔹Today we eat a low sodium (under 2,000 mgs a day) diet. We emphasize more vegetables and fruit, and smaller entrees of meat, chicken, seafood, etc. We do prefer chicken (not fried) over meat.
🔹The #1 thing we take every evening is zinc with tonic water. It’s the closest thing to hydroxychloroquine that we know of. It’s inexpensive and doesn’t require a prescription.
🔹Tonic water contains quinine, which has been used for centuries to treat malaria. Chloroquine is a relative of quinine — both are extracted from the bark of the cinchona tree. Quinine has been around for centuries, discovered by Peruvian natives in the 1820s.
There are a few reasons why quinine and chloroquine work as an anti-viral. First they can change the pH in the cells, making them more alkaline (thus impairing virus’s ability to replicate).
Second, quinine and chloroquine help bring otherwise bio-unavailable zinc into your cells, and the zinc inhibits the virus’s ability to replicate inside your cells.
🔹Sunlight (vitamin D) also minimizes the effects of viruses. A 2020 study found that people with lower levels of vitamin D were more likely to die from coronavirus.
🔹Vitamin C is used to help our God given immune systems fight off any viruses we come in contact with. We take Emergen-C containing 1000 mg of Vitamin C as well as B Vitamins and other antioxidants.
🔹We also take a proprietary blend of CoQ10, Citicoline, and refined fish oil.
🔹In addition, we consume Green Pasture Products such as fermented Cod Liver Oil along with their Concentrated Butter Oil.
🔹Concentrated Butter Oil is made from milk produced by rapidly growing greengrass fed cows. It is extracted and concentrated through centrifugation. The speed of grass growth, timing of grazing, species of grass, climate, and extraction method are all-important factors in making real Concentrated Butter Oil.
Their blend contains naturally occurring Vitamins A and D. It’s a natural source of Omega Fatty Acids.
🔹This cod oil is so good for your heart, brain and joints. I’ve tried many brands over the years (former national champion volleyball player) and Green Pasture helped me in just a matter of days like no other.
🔹Last, but not least, we take probiotics that supports gut health–the basis for immune system health.
Highly recommended!
This article is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Health information articles provide general health information and are not a substitute for diagnosis or treatment by a physician or other health professionals. We advise you to contact a health care professional with any questions or concerns about specific health care needs.
Did you know Tesla Model 3 is the ‘most’ American car you could buy right now?
Check out the full list. Some of the results may surprise you.
Primary factors determining this ranking : – Location of final assembly – Percentage of U.S. and Canadian parts – Country of origin for available engines – Country of origin for available transmissions – U.S. manufacturing employees relative to the automaker’s footprint
The Biden Administration’s vaccine mandate will put an estimated 44,966,434 American jobs at risk.
Additionally, U.S. businesses will spend at least $1.29 billion in complying with the requirements of the mandate.
These figures and information were gathered from the U.S. Census Bureau, the Centers for Disease Control, and the analysis in the OSHA ETS.
U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, released reports for all 50 states in the U.S. on the economic cost of vaccine mandates.
“Under President Biden’s unlawful and unconstitutional vaccine mandates, our nation risks losing up to 28 percent of its labor force, not to mention it will cost businesses at least $1.29 billion,” said Dr. Paul.
“In a free country, people have the right to make their own healthcare decisions,” Paul noted. “President Biden’s command that working Americans and private businesses submit to his mandate upon penalty of loss of livelihood is a flagrant abuse of power that will destroy the U.S. economy and work force.”
What a week America is going through. Afghanistan, Experimental Vaccine Challenges, Protests, Healthcare Workers Walking Away, Thousands More Illegal Aliens Entering…
Over 3,000 state troopers from other states are being sent to the southern borders of Texas and Arizona to help with the Biden Immigration Crisis.
🔹Harvard-Harris poll indicates that 64% of registered voters think Pres. Biden should “issue new, stricter policies to reduce the flow of people across the border.”
🔹63% of Texas voters believe Kamala Harris’s appearance in El Paso recently had little purpose other than another worthless photo opportunity.
🔹The latest Fox News poll found that 54% of Americans disapprove of Pres. Biden’s handling of the border crisis.
President Trump. Greg Abbott.
Idaho
“The State of Idaho proudly stands with our fellow Americans along the United States-Mexico border and will do what we can to protect the American people – Idahoans – against the damaging consequences of the inaction of the Biden-Harris Administration,” Gov. Brad Little said in a statement.
“Smuggling of drugs and illegal weapons, property destruction, and the daily influx of increasing numbers of illegal immigrants into our country are problems that are getting worse by the day,” he noted.
“It is time for our nation’s Governors to do what the federal government won’t – secure the border. Idaho is evaluating our resources, and I will have more to share with Idahoans about our support of this important call to protect our country.”
South Dakota
Republican South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem tweeted on June 28, “Tomorrow morning I’m officially announcing up to 50 National Guard troops to Texas to help secure our border.”
Noem
“The Biden Administration has failed to keep America safe. We shouldn’t be making our own communities vulnerable by sending police to fix Biden’s border crisis.”
Iowa
“My first responsibility is to the health and safety of Iowans and the humanitarian crisis at our nation’s southern border is affecting all 50 states,” Gov. Kim Reynolds said in a statement.
“The rise in drugs, human trafficking, and violent crime has become unsustainable,” she said. “Iowa has no choice but to act, and it’s why I am honoring Texas’ Emergency Management Assistance Compact following assurances from the Iowa Department of Public Safety that it will not compromise our ability to provide all necessary public safety services to Iowans.”
Reynolds noted the deciding point for her action came through skyrocketing amounts of illegal drugs coming into the state.
Florida
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was the first state leader to response to the request for help from Texas and Arizona saying said no state is immune from the border crisis.
DeSantis
“America’s border security crisis impacts every state and every American,” DeSantis said in a statement.
“The Biden Administration ended policies implemented by President Trump that were curbing illegal immigration, securing our border, and keeping Americans safe,” he stated.
“Governors Abbott and Ducey recently sent out a call for help to every state in the nation, needing additional law enforcement manpower and other resources to aid with border security. I’m proud to announce today that the state of Florida is answering the call. Florida has your back.”
Nebraska
Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts soon followed saying his state would be sending about 25 Nebraska state troopers to Texas.
“Nebraska is stepping up to help Texas respond to the ongoing crisis on their border with Mexico,” he said in a statement.
“The disastrous policies of the Biden-Harris Administration created an immigration crisis on the border,” he noted. “While the federal government has fallen short in its response, Nebraska is happy to step up to provide assistance to Texas as they work to protect their communities and keep people safe.”
Georgia
Georgia decided to send state troops too.
South Carolina
South Carolina troops are on the way.
Oklahoma
Good neighboring state Oklahoma is sending troops.
Kentucky
Kentucky will also be joining other states lending support to protect the nation’s southern border, but their Democrat Gov. Andy Beshear put a political spin on his announcement Thursday.
Saying his commonwealth will deploy 220 National Guard members to the nation’s southern border–but not until October–he added, “This is a direct request from the federal government, from the Department of Homeland Security.”
Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado was the first national park established to protect human created structures and history, including 5,000 archaeological sites and 600 cliff dwellings of the Ancestral Pueblo people.
The diversity of plant and animal life, beauty of the mountains, and incredible campsites and communities in Tennessee and North Carolina make Great Smoky Mountains National Park the most visited (12 million people in 2020) national park.
The longest cave system in the world with more than 3,454 mapped miles of caves is located beneath Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky.
Speaking of caves, Carlsbad Caverns National Park in New Mexico is home to the deepest cave in the country at 1,593 feet.
Ironically, the first state, Delaware, is the only one without a single national park or national monument. Being the second smallest state, there’s plenty of options within driving distance though.
Residents of nursing homes in Kentucky and Arkansas died after taking COVID Vaccines has been confirmed. Four seniors died in Kentucky right after their vaccination. Three of these people had the virus before getting their vaccines.
Four seniors died in Arkansas, too. The deaths were reported a week after they got vaccinated. Each of the seniors tested positive post mortem.
The Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) provided nformation on these deaths.
According to VAERS, Kentucky seniors received the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. One of the seniors, an 88-year-old woman was “14+ days post covid” and received the shot while she was “unresponsive in her room.” She died an hour and a half later.
The same happened to an 88-year-old man.
Within 4 minutes of getting a vaccine injunction, another woman began vomiting, lost her breath, and died later that night.
Another 85-year-old died two hours after getting the vaccine.
CDC’s Dr. Sarah Oliver claimed, “Data from both clinical trials suggests that people with prior infection are still likely to benefit from vaccination.”
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) disagreed with that information, and the agency corrected the statement.
“CDC is aware of reports of increased reactogenicity (such as fever, chills, and muscle aches) in persons who have had COVID-19,” said a spokesman.
These deaths are similar of the December 2020 VAERS reporting four prior deaths in Arkansas. A 65-year-old got the Moderna vaccine and died two days later. Three other seniors died a week after getting their shot on Dec. 22. An 82-year-old died six days after getting his shot.
“After vaccination, patient tested positive for COVID-19,” the report stated.
An unnamed person reported the death of the 90-year-old senior. Another report indicated The death of a 78-year-old.
Norway has confirmed 23 people died right after getting their vaccine shots. In their reports, they noted “these side effects are common in patients vaccinated with the Phizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines. These shots cause fever, nausea, and diarrhea.”
The symptoms “may have contributed to fatal outcomes in some of the frail patients.”
“There is a possibility that these common adverse reactions, that are not dangerous in fitter, younger patients and are not unusual with vaccines, may aggravate underlying disease in the elderly,” said Steinar Madsen, medical director of the Norwegian Medicines Agency.
Who knew 2020 would be so limiting and stressful? From toilet paper shortages to wearing masks, our world definitely changed.
However, we decided to make the best of it–as much as we could. Defying the newscasts, Dodie and I even went on a 15-state (plus Washington D.C.) road tour for 32 days in June and July.
Don’t let all this negative news get you down! Love your family and friends. Do something fun.
For today or this weekend, pick just one!
Bike Ride
Bowling
Go to the Zoo
Cook Together
Split a Milkshake
Plan a Road Trip
Pick out Each Other’s Outfits
Son Brady joined us at SeaWorld.2020.
Go to the Gym
Aquarium
Go Tanning
Match Socks Together
Take a Nap
Have a Movie Marathon. (themes: comedy, select movie star, love, drama, horror, classics, sci-fi, etc.) We watch very little TV, but when we do we make it fun with popcorn, etc.
Recently we watched episodes of The Chosen series, Lonesome Dove and even the second season of the 1969s television series Lost In Space.
There’s a big difference in watching the space ones as a man in my 60s vs. the boy I was in the 1960s.
Kiss in the Rain
Plant a Garden
Kiss Underwater
See a Play at a Local Theater
We enjoy Boerne Community Theater.
Paint a Room in Your House
Shopping
Buy Matching Bracelets
Pigeon Forge in July 2020
Ride on a Ferris wheel
Watch Fireworks
July 4th Washington D.C.
Scrabble
Make Breakfast
Road Trip
Branson, MO July 2020
Ride Rails
Write Each Other Letters
Go to a Vineyard
Classy Date
Right before the pandemic we saw Michael Buble in Phoenix and Rod Stewart in Las Vegas.
Get Concert Tickets
Eat Ice Cream
Walk
Mini Golfing
Beach
Kiss at Midnight
Go Running
Play the Wii
Laser Tag
Paint War
Play Tennis
Make a Couple’s Video
Count Stars
Couple’s Scrapbook. Here’s an idea. We have pictures of us how we were in the 1960s.
Take a Picture Kissing
Put Together a Puzzle
Sing a Song Really Loud
Read a Book Together
Order Chinese Food
Slow Dance
Dancing and enjoying our sunsets in the Texas Hill Country.
Watch a Sunset
Build a Blanket Fort
Share Popcorn at the Movies
YOGA
San Antonio College Planetarium
Visit Planetarium
Get a Pedicure
Make Chalupas Together
Silently Stare at Each Other for One Minute Without Cracking a Smile
One of You Draw a Picture. The Other Color It.
Visit a Museum.
Jennifer, Jack, Dodie and Brady Dennis at the Witte Museum. 2020
Others museums we visited in 2020: WonderWorks (Branson), Elvis Car Museum (Memphis), Museum of Jesus Christ (Smoky Mountains), Andy Griffith Museum (Mt. Airy, NC), Alcatraz East Crime Museum (Pigeon Forge), Ark Encounter (Williamstown, KY).
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Our faith in America’s sense of humor was restored during the pandemic summer of 2020.
We escaped from the onslaught of negative news and propaganda by just getting away. Our travels through 14 states and Washington D.C. for over a month thoroughly offered a lighter side of truth and experiences.
Besides counting the number of Trump (159) and Biden (0) flags and banners along the way, we got a kick from some of the names and places we saw. Uranus, Missouri, Santa Claus, Indiana and Hot Coffee, Mississippi were three favorites that come to mind.
To pass some of the highway mile time away, we researched and gathered humorous and fun town names from all 50 states. Here’s are list:
ALABAMA
Screamer, an unincorporated community in southeastern Alabama, may have come from 19th century Native Americans who screamed and heckled white train travelers as they passed by what was then a reservation. Smut Eye, Alabama is doozie too.
ALASKA
Unalaska has over 4,500 residents, making it the largest city in the Aleutian Islands. Originally, Unangan residents named it Agunalaksh, a word that means “near the peninsula.” Eek, Alaska is noteworthy.
ARIZONA
Why a call a town?” Yes, that’s right “Why” is a small community near the U.S.-Mexico border namhed after the Y-shaped intersection of two nearby highways. But because of an Arizona law requiring place names have at least three letters, “Y” became the much more pragmatic “Why.”
ARKANSAS
Smackover, a town of 1800 people in southern Arkansas, was once a major oil producer. Settled by French trappers in the early 19th century, “Smackover” may have derived from the French name for a local creek, Chemin Couvert, which means “covered way”—and “sumac couvert” means a covering of sumac trees, a local plant. Goobertown is another fun one
CALIFORNIA
Rough and Ready, California, is named after an old mining company with that same label. It was the first to secede from the Union and become its own “republic” in 1850 as a protest against mining taxes, prohibition mandates, and laws that weren’t enforced. They rejoined the United States three months later.
COLORADO
Colorado has No Name. When government official first marked a newly constructed exit off I-70 with a sign reading “No Name” as a placeholder, it stuck.
CONNECTICUT
Hazardville, Connecticut, was an 1800s industrial village that made gunpowder. The town was named after Colonel Augustus George Hazard, who purchased and expanded the gunpowder company in 1837.
DELAWARE
Corner Ketch is an unincorporated community in New Castle County, Delaware. A rough-and-tumble local bar was known for warning strangers that if they didn’t get you in there, “They’ll ketch ye at the corner.”
FLORIDA
Two Egg, Florida, got its name during the Great Depression. When bartering transactions occurred with two eggs traded, almost like currency, for goods.
GEORGIA
Climax, Georgia sits at the highest point on the railroad between Savannah and the Chattahoochee River.
HAWAII
Volcano, Hawaii sits near the Hilo Volcano and several volcanic hot spots.
IDAHO
Slickpoo, near Culdesac, Idaho, was once a bustling village and site of a Catholic mission. Landowner Josiah Slickpoo donated acreage to the missionaries. Dickshooter, Idaho made us laugh too.
ILLINOIS
Sandwich got its name from Sandwich, New Hampshire.
INDIANA
Santa Claus, Indiana celebrates the spirit of Christmas every day, but especially at the Post Office in December. Gnaw Bone is an interesting name too.
IOWA
What cheer Iowa has in What Cheer, Iowa. It was derived from an old English greeting.
KANSAS
Gas, Kansas is the butt of many jokes. “You just passed Gas.” “Gas Kan.” “Get Gas!” Natural gas was discovered in the area in 1898.
KENTUCKY
Bugtussle is a tiny spot on the Kentucky-Tennessee border is an homage to doodlebugs. Personally, I think Kentucky has some of the best town names with Knob Lick, Bald Knob, Chicken Bristle, Fearsville, Hippo, Krypton, Mud Lick, Monkeys Eyebrow, Pig, and Raccoon.
Bald Knob (guess they licked it too much?), Chicken Bristle, Fearsville, Hippo, Krypton (say hi to Superman’s parents for us!), Mud Lick, Monkeys Eyebrow, Pig, and Raccoon.
LOUISIANA
Uneedus is the settlement site of the Lake Superior Piling Company. Their corporate slogan was “You need us.” Residents founded another farm community nearby and called it Weneedu.
MAINE
Burnt Porcupine is an island off the coast of Maine. Located near Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park, Burnt Porcupine has nearby sister islands with equally intriguing names: Bald Porcupine, Long Porcupine, and Sheep Porcupine.
MARYLAND
Boring, Maryland. Enough said.
MASSACHUSETTS
Belchertown wasn’t named for the aftermath of a particularly gassy meal. It’s named after Jonathan Belcher, a colonial governor of Massachusetts.
MICHIGAN
Hell is 15 miles northwest of Ann Arbor. In the 1830s, the town settler, George Reeves, traded homemade whiskey to local farmers for grain. The farmer’s wives said “He’s gone to hell again.”
MINNESOTA
Nimrod, Minnesota is full of nimrods. In the book of Genesis, Nimrod is described as “a mighty hunter before the Lord” and is credited with overseeing the construction of the Tower of Babel.
MISSISSIPPI
Hot Coffee is marked as the midpoint between Natchez, Mississippi, and Mobile, Alabama. A late 1800s inn was erected and capitalized on the spring water, molasses and New Orleans beans used to make hot coffee for weary travelers.
MISSOURI
Although Uranus was our favorite spot in Missouri, Tightwad has a cool name too. There’s also a Cooter and a Licking.
MONTANA
Pray, Montana. And they do. But the town of Pray, Montana, was named for then-state representative Charles Nelson Pray in 1907.
NEBRASKA
Magnet, Nebraska was named by settler B.E. Smith in 1893.
NEVADA
Jiggs, Nevada is about 30 miles south of Elko. It’s named after a top hat-wearing, cigar smoking Irish-American protagonist from an old comic strip Bringing Up Father. A women’s organization in town dubbed itself Maggie’s Club after the character’s wife.
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Sandwich is named after The Fourth Earl of Sandwich, John Montague, who actually invented the sandwich. In 1763, he chartered the town between the Lakes Region and the White Mountains of New Hampshire.
NEW JERSEY
Loveladies, New Jersey, was named from a nearby island owned by Thomas Lovelady, a local hunter and sportsman.
NEW MEXICO
Candy Kitchen lies between Zuni and Navajo reservations in western New Mexico. A local moonshine distiller needed a front to hide his illicit operations during Prohibition. To secure the sugar necessary to concoct barrels of hooch, the moonshiner established a confectionery that produced pinion nut candy on the side. Just 85 miles away is Pie Town.
NEW YORK
Neversink, New York is currently sunk under about 175 feet of water. Named for the Neversink River, the longest tributary of the Delaware River, the city of 2000 was a Catskill towns flooded in the 1950s to create reservoirs that would provide water to New York City. It relocated afterwards. But another town, Bittersweet, remains underwater. On land, are towns called Coxsackie and Butternuts.
NORTH CAROLINA
Why not Why Not? That’s the named settled upon when the post office was established in 1860. If not, try Lizard Lick, NC.
NORTH DAKOTA
Cannon Ball, North Dakota gets its name from geological curiosities called concretions. There’s also Zap.
OHIO
Knockemstiff, Ohio. Bar brawls and street fights during moonshine days, prompted the advice from a preacher. When asked by a woman on how to keep her cheating husband home and faithful, the preacher responded simply: “Knock ‘em stiff.” Take that advice however you want.
OKLAHOMA
Gene Autry, Oklahoma was named after the singing cowboy who purchased a 1200-acre ranch nearby that he would turn into the headquarters of his Flying A Ranch Rodeo. On November 16, 1941, the town of Berwyn officially became Gene Autry, Oklahoma. It’s home to a museum and film festival in his honor.
OREGON
Zigzag, Oregon, in the middle of Mount Hood National Forest, is named after the Zigzag River, which drains from the Zigzag Glacier. Notable is
PENNSYLVANIA
Intercourse is in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. “It’s okay, you can giggle!” the village’s website says. “We’re happy with our name. It’s the perfect conversation starter.” About 20 minutes away is the town Blue Ball, named after an 1850s inn.
RHODE ISLAND
Woonsocket is the sixth largest city in Rhode Island ands was originally known as la ville la plus française aux États-Unis, which translates to “the most French city in the United States.” Historians believe the name is an evolved variation of a word from a Native American language.
SOUTH CAROLINA
Ketchuptown got its name from a country store built by Herbert Small in 1927 were locals went to “catch up” on news and gossip.
SOUTH DAKOTA
Mud Butte was named for a nearby barren butte. In 1981, archeologists digging around unearthed the sixth Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton ever discovered, after a local rancher finally got around to calling a museum about the dinosaur bones he’d seen digging out of a cliff on his property for years.
TENNESSEE
Difficult, Tennessee isn’t too hard to remember.
TEXAS
Muleshoe, Happy, Dime Box, Gun Barrel City, Cut and Shoot, Telephone, Jot ’em Down, Loco, and Comfort were among my favorite town names in Texas until I came upon Ding Dong. Located in Bell County, the community was named after its founders, the Bell family.
UTAH
Mexican Hat, Utah, has a 60-foot-wide, sombrero-shaped rock formation on the northeast side of town.
SATANS KINGDOM
Satans Kingdom, Vermont is not the only state with that town name. Massachusetts and Connecticut does too. The land was said to be rocky and void of fertile soil.
VIRGINIA
Bumpass, Virginia is pronounced “bump-iss.”
WASHINGTON
Humptulips was a major logging center. The name comes from a local Native American word meaning “hard to pole.” Native Americans used to canoe by propelling themselves along with poles.
WEST VIRGINIA
Lick Fork, Virginia is basically known for photo opportunities with signs bearing that name. There’s more in Booger Hole.
WISCONSIN
Bosstown, Wisconsin takes its name from a William Henry Dosch, a storeowner nicknamed Boss. Wow! There’s also a Spread Eagle.
WYOMING
Chugwater, Wyoming was home of the Mandan tribe, whose chief was reportedly injured during a buffalo hunt and sent his son to lead the hunting party in his place. According to Chugwater’s website, the son determined that the easiest way to kill the buffalo was to drive them off the local chalk cliffs. “The word ‘chug,’” the town’s website notes, “is said to describe the noise that the buffalo or the falling chalk made when it hit the ground or fell into the water under the bluff, depending on which version of the legend you wish to believe. Indians began to call the area ‘water at the place where the buffalo chug.’”
We left the Texas Hill Country on June 19th on a roadtrip through the South. On our 28th day (We’re in Oklahoma City), we sharing some interesting facts about each state we’ve learned along the way.
Louisiana
Louisiana has the longest coastline (15,000 miles) of any other state in the U.S.
Louisiana makes up approximately 41% of the wetlands in the U.S.
The Lake Pontchartrain Causeway at 23.83 miles in Metairie is the longest continuous bridge over water in the world.
Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow were ambushed and killed (Bonnie struck 53 times and Clyde struck 51 times) by Louisiana and Texas state police near Bienville Parish, Louisiana. Bonnie was married to another man and never divorced him. The Bonnie and Clyde Ambush Museum in Gibsland, Louisiana, is located a few miles away from their death site.
In 1977, Luisa Harris, the only woman in U.S. history to officially be drafted into the National Basketball Association (NBA), was drafted by the New Orleans Jazz basketball team.
In 2010, the world’s record for the largest pot of gumbo was set by award-winning chef, John David Folse. The pot served 10,000 people. It contained 50 pounds of white crab meat, 85 pounds of oysters, 100 pounds of crab claws, 200 pounds of alligator meat, 450 pounds of catfish, and 750 pounds of shrimp.
Mississippi
In 1963 the University of Mississippi Medical Center accomplished the world’s first human lung transplant and, on January 23, 1964, Dr. James D. Hardy performed the world’s first heart transplant surgery.
In 1902 while on a hunting expedition in Sharkey County, President Theodore (Teddy) Roosevelt refused to shoot a captured bear. This act resulted in the creation of the world-famous teddy bear.
In 1884 the concept of selling shoes in boxes in pairs (right foot and left foot) occurred in Vicksburg at Phil Gilbert’s Shoe Parlor on Washington Street.
Guy Bush of Tupelo was one of the most valuable players with the Chicago Cubs. He was on the 1929 World Series team and Babe Ruth hit his last home run off a ball pitched by Bush.
Root beer was invented in Biloxi in 1898 by Edward Adolf Barq, Sr.
Tennessee
There are more horses per capita in Shelby County than any other county in the United States.
Davy Crockett was not born on a mountaintop in Tennessee, as the song says. He was born on the banks of Limestone Creek near Greeneville, where a replica of the Crockett’s log cabin stands today.
David Crockett
The capitol building was designed by noted architect William Strickland, who died during its construction and is buried within its walls.
Tennessee ranks number one among other states in the total number of soldiers who fought in the War Between the States.
The name “Tennessee” originated from the old Yuchi Indian word, “Tana-see,” meaning “The Meeting Place.”
Coca-Cola was first bottle in 1899 at a plant on Patten Parkway in downtown Chattanooga after two local attorneys purchased the bottling rights to the drink for $l.00.
Cumberland University, located in Lebanon, lost a football game to Georgia Tech on October 7, 1916 by a score of 222 to 0. The Georgia Tech coach was George Heisman for whom the Heisman Trophy is named.
Alabama
In 2004, Chad Fell of Haleyville was certified by the Guinness World Records for blowing the World’s Largest Bubblegum Bubble, Unassisted (without use of his hands) at Double Springs High School in Winston County. He used three pieces of Dubble Bubble gum.
In October of 1989, residents of Fort Payne built a cake to celebrate the city’s centennial. The 12-layer cake was 32 feet wide and 80 feet long and weighed 128,238 pounds. It was certified by Guinness World Records as the World’s Largest Cake.
The country’s first 911 call was made on February 16, 1968, in Haleyville. Alabama Speaker of the House Rankin Fite went to City Hall and called U.S. Representative Tom Bevill, who was at the local police station. The red phone used is on display in City Hall.
The actors who portrayed Goober and Gomer, fictional cousins on the Andy Griffith Show, were both born in Alabama. Jim Nabors, “Gomer,” was born in 1930 in Sylacauga. He died Nov. 30, 2017. George Lindsey, “Goober,” was born in 1928 in Fairfield. He died in 2012.
Virginia
About 1/2 of all the people in the United States live within a 500 mile radius of the Capital of Virginia.
Over 1/2 the battles fought in the civil war were fought in Virginia. Over 2,200 of the 4,000 battles.
The first Thanksgiving in North America was held in Virginia in 1619.
Yorktown is the site of the final victory of the American Revolution.
The first English colony in America was located on Roanoke Island. Walter Raleigh founded it. The colony mysteriously vanished with no trace except for the word “Croatoan” scrawled on a nearby tree.
Mount Mitchell in the Blue Ridge Mountains is the highest peak east of the Mississippi. It towers 6,684 feet above sea level.
Washington D.C.
Herbert Hoover and John Quincy Adams had pet alligators in the White House.
To date, nobody has beat Jimmy Carter’s record of watching 480 movies in the White House movie theater.
Washington DC is missing “J” Street. It uses letters for streets traveling east to west. But numbers are also used for streets. I was told it’s because “J” and “I” look too similar on street signs.
There’s a crypt under the Capitol building that was made for George Washington. Although he was not buried there, the crypt still exists; they also had a viewing chamber built so people could go by and see him.
John Adams was actually the first president to live in the White House. George Washington never lived there; it was built after he died.
There are 35 bathrooms in the White House. There are also 132 rooms and 6 levels in the residence. Even more staggering are the 412 doors, 147 windows, 28 fireplaces, 8 staircases and 3 elevators.
There’s only one U.S. president buried in Washington D.C. Woodrow Wilson is entombed at Washington National Cathedral.
Missouri
The first successful parachute jump to be made from a moving airplane was made by Captain Berry at St. Louis, in 1912.
The most destructive tornado on record occurred in Annapolis. In 3 hours, it tore through the town on March 18, 1925 leaving a 980-foot wide trail of demolished buildings, uprooted trees, and overturned cars. It left 823 people dead and almost 3,000 injured.
At the St. Louis World’s Fair in 1904, Richard Blechyden, served tea with ice and invented iced tea.
Also, at the St. Louis World’s Fair in 1904, the ice cream cone was invented. An ice cream vendor ran out of cups and asked a waffle vendor to help by rolling up waffles to hold ice cream.
The Arch has foundations sunken 60 feet into the ground, and is built to withstand earthquakes and high winds. It sways up to one inch in a 20 mph wind, and is built to sway up to 18 inches.
The most powerful earthquake to strike the United States occurred in 1811, centered in New Madrid, Missouri. The quake shook more than one million square miles, and was felt as far as 1,000 miles away.
During Abraham Lincoln’s campaign for the presidency, a dyed-in-the-wool Democrat named Valentine Tapley from Pike County, Missouri, swore that he would never shave again if Abe were elected. Tapley kept his word and his chin whiskers went unshorn from November 1860 until he died in 1910, attaining a length of twelve feet six inches.
Situated within a day’s drive of 50% of the U.S. population, Branson and the Tri-Lakes area serves up to 65,000 visitors daily. Branson has been a “rubber tire” destination with the vast majority of tourists arriving by vehicles, RVs and tour buses. Branson has also become one of America’s top motor coach vacation destinations with an estimated 4,000 buses arriving each year.
Indiana
The first professional baseball game was played in Fort Wayne on May 4, 1871.
Santa Claus, Indiana receives over one half million letters and requests at Christmas time.
Deep below the earth in Southern Indiana is a sea of limestone that is one of the richest deposits of top-quality limestone found anywhere on earth. New York City’s Empire State Building and Rockefeller Center as well as the Pentagon, the U.S. Treasury, a dozen other government buildings in Washington D.C. as well as 14 state capitols around the nation are built from this sturdy, beautiful Indiana limestone.
In 1934 Chicago Gangster John Dillinger escaped the Lake Country Jail in Crown Point by using a “pistol” he had carved from a wooden block.
Comedian Red Skelton, who created such characters as Clem Kadiddlehopper, and Freddie the Freeloader, was born in Vincennes.
Arkansas
Alma claims to be the Spinach Capital of the World, but Texas knows Crystal City really is.
A person from Arkansas is called an Arkansan.
The state contains six national park sites, two-and-a half million acres of national forests, seven national scenic byways, three state scenic byways, and 50 state parks.
North Carolina
The Venus Fly-Trap is native to Hampstead.
The first miniature golf course was built in Fayetteville.
Babe Ruth hit his first home run in Fayetteville on March 7, 1914.
North Carolina has the largest state-maintained highway system in the United States. The state’s highway system currently has 77,400 miles of roads.
West Virginia
On January 26, 1960 Danny Heater, a student from Burnsville, scored 135 points in a high school basketball game earning him a place in the Guinness Book of World Records.
Nearly 75% of West Virginia is covered by forests.
Outdoor advertising had its origin in Wheeling about 1908 when the Block Brothers Tobacco Company painted bridges and barns with the wording: “Treat Yourself to the Best, Chew Mail Pouch.”
Bailey Brown, the first Union solider killed in the Civil War, died on May 22, 1861, at Fetterman, Taylor County.
The first brick street in the world was laid in Charleston, West Virginia, on October 23, 1870, on Summers Street, between Kanawha and Virginia Streets.
Oklahoma
Boise City, Oklahoma was the only city in the United States to be bombed during World War II. On Monday night, July 5, 1943, at approximately 12:30 a.m., a B-17 Bomber based at Dalhart Army Air Base (50 miles to the south of Boise City) dropped six practice bombs on the sleeping town.
Sooners is the name given to settlers who entered the Unassigned Lands in what is now the state of Oklahoma before the official start of the Land Rush of 1889.
The world’s first installed parking meter was in Oklahoma City, on July 16, 1935. Carl C. Magee, of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, is generally credited with originating the parking meter. He filed for a patent for a “coin controlled parking meter” on May 13, 1935.
During a tornado in Ponca City, a man and his wife were carried aloft in their house by a tornado. The walls and roof were blown away. But the floor remained intact and eventually glided downward, setting the couple safely back on the ground.
Bob Dunn a musician from Beggs invented the first electric guitar in 1935.
Oklahoma has more man-made lakes than any other state, with over one million surface acres of water.
Kentucky
Cheeseburgers were first served in 1934 at Kaolin’s restaurant in Louisville.
Chevrolet Corvettes are manufactured in Bowling Green.
Mammoth Cave is the world’s longest cave and was first promoted in 1816, making it the second oldest tourist attraction in the United States. Niagara Falls, New York is first.
The song “Happy Birthday to You” was the creation of two Louisville sisters in 1893.
Daniel Boone and his wife Rebecca are buried in the Frankfort Cemetery. Their son Isaac is buried at Blue Licks Battlefield near Carlisle, where he was killed in the last battle of the Revolutionary War fought in Kentucky.
Boone Gravesite
The public saw an electric light for the first time in Louisville. Thomas Edison introduced his incandescent light bulb to crowds at the Southern Exposition in 1883.
The radio was invented by a Kentuckian named Nathan B. Stubblefield of Murray in 1892. It was three years before Marconi made his claim to the invention.
Joe Bowen holds the world record for stilt walking endurance. He walked 3,008 miles on stilts between Bowen, Kentucky to Los Angeles, California.
Miscellaneous
The most fun Dodie and I have experienced so far was riding the mile long Branson Sawmill Coaster. We were able to control the speed of our individual coaster pods.
Clever Journeys 