The World’s Largest Treehouse

Yes!!! Such a place does exist… We thought we were in the boonies, no man’s land, but it is there and massive in size…

It’s being built by a man named Horace Burgess and is located outside Crossville, Tennessee. The treehouse stands over 97-feet tall and is built on 7 trees, one of which is a 80-foot white oak tree, which also happens to be about 12-feet in diameter at its base. It has 11 floors, has around 8,000 - 10,000 square feet. It contains a miniature basketball court and a chapel (where services are held on Sunday afternoon. And according to Mr. Burgess, it was built from scrap lumber and is held together by roughly 258,000 nails.
  Our family with Mr. Burgess
We happened to have been lucky enough to have gone to visit on a Sunday afternoon and were able to meet Mr. Burgess and he was very gracious to talk with us and tell us all about his construction. He is a landscaper by trade and also a pastor and said that God was the inspiration for the building. He’s been building it for years and has spent very little out of pocket (he told us around $14,000) and has no intention to stop adding on to it anytime soon.

And the best part is there is no admission cost ~ yes it is a free activity. However, there is a donation box where you can donate to help with the costs and the care for the people who stay on the grounds.

Directions: Beehive Lane, Crossville, TN ~ Take I-40 exit 320. Turn north onto Hwy 298, then make an immediate right at the stoplight onto Cook Rd. Drive almost a mile. As the road takes a sharp right, instead make a sharp left onto Beehive Lane. Drive about a half-mile. The pavement will end, but keep driving. You'll see the tree house ahead and to the right. Remember that when you visit, that the treehouse is not a funhouse. There are no safety precautions. You visit at your own risk.

A look of….

TOTAL CONCENTRATION…

Our little guest…

Our fall camping trip was made special by a few little furry guests that chose to visit our camp site…

  our campsite…

   our little visitor’s home…

   just hanging out…

   a face only a mother could love…

Summertime fun in the Smokies….

One of our favorite places to go camping is Elkmont Campground in the Smoky Mountains. It is a rustic campground ~ meaning no electricity or shower facilities, but we love going there because it is in the woods, beside a huge wonderful creek, and we just love it!!
Here’s some pics of the kids tubing down the creek this summer…

Touring the Titanic

April 15th is the anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic.

The ship struck a massive iceberg late on the night of April 14, 1912. It took approximately 3 hours for the entire ship to sink. The Titanic became completely submerged about 2:45 AM on the morning of April 15, 1912.

So, I thought this would be a great day to take the kids to see the Titanic Museum in Pigeon Forge, TN.

We got a special homeschool rate and also had the use of the info speakers for the audio tour.

   The view from outside the Museum.

  The size of the iceberg.

It was a 2.5 hour tour that seemed incredible. Each person is assigned a character that actually was a passenger or crew on the Titanic and at the end of the tour, you find out if you survived the iceberg.

We actually saw a passenger that had the same surname as have and that has became a project for DS to trace it and see if he was an actual relation in the past.

The most magnificent sight for me was the Grand Staircase, constructed from the original Harland & Wolff plans with its oak carvings and cherub statue. There is a magnificent glass chandelier that reflects all the light and elaborate railings and iron scrollwork. Then you learn that the flooring was the most expensive of the day in 1912 ~ linoleum. That was a surprise to me… At that time it was more expensive than European Marble.

    Outside with the HUGE anchor

You are welcome to take pictures outside but they don’t allow any pictures to be taken inside.

And there are tons of learning activities “on board” for the kids that they can do that only helps to make the memory of the Titanic come alive. 

   

it’s easy to see the magnitude of the size of the museum from this picture.    

 

  No details were left out ~ even the life boats are on there…

It truly was like stepping back in time!!

Coming of Spring…

After our testing today, we went on a field trip with some friends. On the way home, we passed some beautiful daffodils growing on the side of the road, so we stopped for an impromptu romp in the flowers…

   Tommy exploring the field of flowers…

Taking some pictures together…

  Libby picking the flowers…

  Enjoying our friends…

It was such a beautiful day and a reminder that spring is just around the corner…

Planning Field Trips...

For spring I thought I would try something different when planning out our family trips and field trips... I ordered a great book called "101 PLACES YOU GOTTA SEE BEFORE YOU'RE 12" ...



Let's face it, it's not realistic for everyone to see the Taj Mahal and Patagonia (and when you have children, travel is alot more expensive and diffiucult when they are younger)... this book brings adventure closer to home, and is wonderfully flexible and affordable...

It lists places not by name but by category ~ like forests, archaelogical sites, haunted houses, famous ball fields, light houses, even the landfill...

For each kind of place there could be 5, 10, or even 100 specific examples for you to see all over North America... the kids get to help plan what they would like to see and stickers are included so they can keep track of what they have seen and where you want to go next.  They even have a reference section with links included to alot of the sites so you can see about prices and hours if necessary...

This is a great book for families that like to travel and I can't wait to get started using it...

Walking through Bethlehem...

Today DH and I took the kidlets on a journey... a "Walk through Bethelem"...

We discovered what the village of Bethlehem might have been like the night Jesus was born…We registered our family with the census taker at the gate (a card asking how many was in our party and if it was our first time there). We walked the crowded streets (and yes, they were very crowded). And we visited a bustling marketplace and talked with the vendors who were busy in their shops.

The kids got to hear a story in the storyteller's tent. We watched as grapes were crushed into wine by a young boy.  And learned of how people had used herbs, ecualyptus oil, and cinnamon to treat common ailments.

The kids got to make a clay "Star of David" at the pottery stall and a beautiful "jeweled" bracelet to bring home with them. They watched as sisters rolled and kneaded bread  in the street and tasted the bounty with nuts and berries...

We worshipped with a rabbi in the synagogue and learned about their cermonies at that time and the Tora. Then we met the Magi and saw dried myrrh and smelled the Frankincense while being aware of the Roman soldiers, who were patroling the streets to keep order in the Judean town.

We even went to the inn only to be told there was "No Room"....

Outside we talked with shepards and saw animals of that day ~ camels, 4 horned Jacob sheep, goats, and of course donkeys...  

It was a wonderful Christmas week activity and a great learning experience for them and us...

"THRILL the WORLD" ~ Knoxville

This year, we did something really fun as a family... We were part of "THRILL THE WORLD" ...

Thrill the World is an annual international dance event and world record breaking attempt, in which participants simultaneously emulate the zombie dance seen in the music video of Micheal Jackson's "Thriller".. The dancers perform in unison at locations throughout the world, and can range from pre-teens to the elderly.

We had over 150 dancers in our location and it was so much fun... We practiced at a dance studio one night prior to the event to learn the dance and then we were on our way...

I got clothes from the $1 sale at the Goodwill to cut up, found a great recipe for homemade blood from Steve Spangler science (thanks to my friend Fran), used alot of baby powder, and old make-up... and we looked quite scary...

\"THRILL the WORLD\" Knoxville

DD is the lil' girl in front in the white t-shirt and black leggings, behind the organizer (in the red jacket) who was the Micheal Jackson character...

You can see other videos of this dance around the world on YouTube...

Thrill the World, San Diego

Thrill the World, Sydney, Australia

Thrill the World, Moscow

Thrill the World, China

The night ended up raising money for the American Cancer Society and also donating canned goods to an area food bank...

Labor Day Camping in the Smokies...

This holiday weekend we loaded up and went camping in the Smokies... we stayed at the Smokey Bear Campground not far from Gatlinburg... It was lots of fun.. .we found some areas that we had never explored before... which is always fun for us...

We went to one of the National Park campgrounds looking at sites for future camping trips.. this one is located in Cosby, Tn next to the NC border.. It was very rustic, no showers, or electricity for those of you who like modern conveniences... But the beauty was breathtaking... We managed to get in a little school over the weekend also with some nature study... While we were out, DS noticed several groups of butterflies (25 or more in a group) sitting on some rocks in the area... we're not sure why they were doing this, but it was sure unusual for us to be able to see such large groups of butterflies in the wild.. It was certainly beautiful...

On day #2 the boys decided to go and play a round of golf at a beautiful course in the mountains... DD and I decided to get in some shopping and went and had a pedicure..a treat for both of us, since I rarely ever have one and she had never had one and then we topped off our day with some ice cream from the Marble Slab... YUMMY!!

 almost too small for the massage chair..   YUMMY ice cream!!!

On our last day of camping, we went down into Gatlinburg and played tourist.. There's something about the smell and the sights, it's almost like being at the fair and of course, you are tempted by all the wonderful goodies for sale... we managed a stop at Ben& Jerrys for ice cream and then sampled our way up and down the streets at the fudge vendors and eventually had some popcorn and sodas at the KarmelKorn Factory... Then we stopped at a place called the "Pepper Palace" where DH decided to be ina "horseradish" tasting contest... It wasn't the "prepared" kind you buy at the stores, but the real just below the FDA limit for heat kind of stuff... It was very amusing to see his eyes when he put that bite into his mouth... and even more amusing to watch the beads of sweat pop out... but the sample of  apple jelly BBQ that I had was mighty fine and I only wanted to cry for more... *LOL*

      eating it ~      "WHY DID I DO THAT?"

 His badge of honor after eating it!! I love the slogan "NASAL NAPALM"....

DD and DS competed in a "YeeHaw" contest at a candy store against some other kids and DS took home the prize (which happened to be a 2ft. gummy snake)... He was thrilled and I was slightly grossed out with it... *LOL*

 the group of competitors        DS with his prize...

On our way home, we managed to stop in for breakfast at Carver's Apple Orchard and had an impromptu field trip at the orchard...

       

        We even saw an "apple gourd" which we never knew existed... How cool!!! 

Asheville Weekend Adventure... (Part 2 ~ Saturday)

This morning we started out by sleeping in... or should I say that I slept in and DH and the kids went and putted a few on the greens next to the hotel.. I really enjoyed the good sleep, I must have needed it!! *LOL*

Then we headed out on our journey for the day, stopping to have breakfast at a neat restaurant downtown called "Tupelo Honey"  , where I feasted on homemade biscuits, milk gravy and country ham while DH had "Eggs Betty" (their version of Eggs Benedict)...while waiting on our table we walked across the street to a little street fair where the kidlets each managed to wrangle a cool and funky "spoon" necklace out of their dad...

                                                                          
This is a picture of what they look like... however my kidlets got spoons with "crop circle" patterns on them... I found out though how to make them, since I thought they would be a neat Christmas gift idea... You can check that out here...

After which we headed out and wound up at the Western North Carolina Nature Center ... This is a  is a living museum of plants and animals native to the southern Appalachian region and one of only 32 facilities in the nation to be participating in the "Red Wolf Reintroduction Program"... and the good news for us was that they are members of the zoo reciprocal program, so we were able to get in for free using our local zoo passes. 
Right now, they have the "Beauty of Butterflies" exhibit where you can walk through a butterfly house full of flowers... Your hands are sprayed with "sugar water" and the butterflies LLLOOOOOOVVVEE  it, landing all over the kids...
                                                                                                  

Then we visited the "Colburn Earth Science Museum"  where the kidlets completed a hands-on learning scavenger hunt and were given their choice of a small "gem" to take home with them... Now we need to go home and do a "RockHound" unit while their interest is peaked.. 

We finished the night off with dinner at a great Italian restaurant, walking around downtown and looking at all the cool shops, the kids drinking their first "COKES" from a bottle and DS coming away with some neat "Tiger Eye" marbles...

  We're so excited!!!

      YUMMY!!!!       

Happy Travels!!

Weekend Adventure in Asheville, NC... (Part 1~ Friday)

This weekend we took off to Asheville, NC, as a little celebration for starting our first week of the new school year and because we just like to take lil' weekend trips close to home... So, we took off Friday afternoon for ~ 2 hr. drive through the mountains in the rain... Checked in to our room, and sat and watched it rain for about another 40 minutes then the power went out and we decided to head out and check out the town...

Our first stop was for some dinner... We ate at a restaurant called the "Fiddlin' Pig'... Yep, it was BBQ and delicious!!   They have a live Bluegrass show and clogging... We got a front row table and enjoyed our meal and the music... DD even got to participate and square dance with the cloggers and other diners which was right down her alley... and now even DS said he thinks it would be fun to learn to clog after watching men of all ages dancing..

 

[caption id="attachment_772297" align="alignleft" width="225" caption="The bluegrass band at the "Fiddlin' Pig""][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_772295" align="alignright" width="225" caption="DD square dancing and having a blast!! "][/caption]

 



 After we ate, we drove out to the Grove Park Inn... It is a historical hotel that has had quite a reputation as being one of the world's finest since opening in the early 1900's... Presidents (President Obama recently stayed there and played a round of golf), dignitaries, and others have stayed there... We went inside and took a look at it... The architecture of the building itself with it's rock fasade and the gingerbread roof line (DD described it as a "fairy tale" hotel) is absolutely beautiful... They have on display the original china pattern that was used, as well as, a room bill dating back to 1914 for 7 nights that totaled $287.00, which was an incredible amount of money at that time...

Down several of the corridors are pictures of several celebrities that have stayed there... DS was thrilled to see pictures of Henry Ford and Thomas Edison there... I was thrilled to see a picture of Margaret Mitchell (Gone with the Wind) and Sandra Day O'Connor (one of my idols)... Our little impromptu tour provided a little piece of history for FREE...

 

                  

Junior Rangers

This year the kidlets finally completed their Junior Ranger Programs and were sworn in and received badges making them full "JUNIOR RANGERS"... This is a program sponsored by the National Park Service where kids visiting National Parks attend classes (which are FREE) and complete a workbook... My kids have been working on theirs for a couple of years as we have always been able to attend a few classes but never met the requrement for that summer... This year the number of classes was lowered to 3 and we were able to complete all of them and count them as school days  as well...

BTW, DH and I also got to complete our "NOT-SO Junior Ranger" programs and recieved our patches in the mail...

Kaleidoscope of Missions

Every year our "Children In Action" and "Mission Friends" groups at our church get to attend a mission function sponsored by the Tennessee Women's Missionary Union . This year it was called "Kaleidoscope of Missions" .
It was a wonderful opportunity for children and youth to get to talk to missionaries and hear about how their work in other countries had an impact on lives of children and others like them. They got to see and touch item from other countries that the missionaries had brought back from each of the various lands they were commissioned to.
They played a "Bible Trivia" game set up like Jeopardy, heard lots of different stories about distant lands and what life was like there, listened to songs of praise sung in different languages and just had a great time of learning and fellowship with people who had experienced so much doing the Lord's work.

Wonderworks...

In Pigeon Forge, Tn, there is a unique museum called Wonderworks... It is a children's paradise for hands-on learning...For the past few years,  they have offered a free admission to homeschool families in the area (with your teacher ID from an umbrella school)...

 

It is a great opportunity and we try and take advantage of it every year.. They have an inversion tunnel which puts me in a "semi-euphoric" state trying to walk through it... An illusion gallery, a space area, climbing wall, a great wind tunnel, an "Earthquake Cafe" with lots of shaking going on... and an area for light and sound...

Playing with the Bubbles

 

DD on the Climbing WallDS as an Astronaut

It is always a really a cool experience and we had a great time again this year!!

Adventure Science Center, Nashville, TN

This summer we went to the Adventure Science Center in Nashville, Tn... We loved it!!! There was so much to do there... The exhibits were great and they have a homeschool day too...

 

The have a wing dedicated to space called "Space Chase" where you can have the chance to undergo simulated astronaut training, tour the Solar System, experience a moonwalk or find out what you weigh on another planet.

The Human Body wing is called "BodyQuest" and presents a day in the life of your body. You get to see what goes on inside you every day, how your body systems work together and how hard your body works to try to keep itself in good working order...

There is the BlueMax which is a virutal flight simulator that offers a three minute flight for two people.. It is presented by Middle Tennessee State University and MTSU Aerospace. BlueMax allows the "pilot"  to control every thing..Including all the loops, spins, and dives associated with flight...

In the Adventure Tower, you find an area filled with amazing activities, it's more than 75 feet tall with seven levels and an observation area that looks out over the whole city. You can hoist a car off the ground without effort and actually see what the hunan epidermis is like on a   larger-than-life wall of skin...

Plus for an extra admission price, you can watch visit the Planetarium and view the show... This planetarium is one of only 7 in the world and the only one outside of Japan...  

And if you present you Teacher ID, you can get a discount on admission!!!