slinger1317

I'm a huge fan of his, especially some of his ballads. But I wouldn't see him live because I don't want to ruin my impression of him :lol:

I've heard his Hank Live album and seen plenty of clips on Youtube. I'm not a fan of singers changing the whole melody of their songs live. I may be an outlier but I want to hear the radio version that I'm familiar with.

A small anecdote re our naval fleet:

I was in San Diego a couple of weeks ago. I toured the USS Midway which is near the Navy base in SD. I asked one of the veterans on board the Midway about how impressive it was to see our Navy fleet in the harbor ready to go, and he said a year ago there were twice as many boats in harbor. He said once Trump was elected they almost immediately left port and headed out to sea.

It's okay for these people to obstruct law enforcement, barricade roads, etc. but this guy tries to enter a library and all of a sudden he's a problem?

Maybe he should get about 20 of his friends and just blow whistles the whole time they are having their workshop.

50 year old guys with dyed hear singing about teenage angst just doesn’t do it for me anymore

Another vote for Overlord Tours

We flew into Paris, got a quick bite and took a train to Bayeux. It is an awesome little town with tons of WWII history. We rented an AirBnB and the next morning our Overlord Guide picked us up at our apartment. We did the full day Band of Brothers tour. It was amazing. The detail and visual aids the guide provided were top notch. I get chills just typing about it.

We did 2 nights in Bayeux then back to Paris for 5 nights. It was cool to see all of the sights, but the people we encountered in Paris were very cold to us. We had heard that before we went, but I thought it was just a wives tale. The Louvre is amazing, as well as Versailles. Don't miss the Musee d'Armee- the amount of war history is incredible. They have full suits of armor lining hallways, including items from Napolean and other Kings. Then you finish it off at Napolean's Tomb. We thoroughly enjoyed it.

It's a beautiful area with plenty to do for kids. We call it "Kid Vegas"

Thanksgiving week is very busy, but if you are there before the weekend you may be okay. Pigeon Forge is closer to Knoxville, but Gatlinburg is more walkable. Food options aren't great, like the previous poster mentioned. Go fill up at a pancake house then snack through the day to get you to dinner.

We always hit the Old Mill restaurant when in the area, it doesn't take reservations and there is always a line. Try to hit it at an off peak time, say 2:00 and you may have better luck. For a nice dinner in Gatlinburg, try the Peddler steakhouse. You will need a reservation and ask for a riverside table. Our favorite breakfast spot is Crockett's breakfast camp, but it will also have a wait. Go early!

Dollywood is a big attraction, and if you get there before the weekend the crowds won't be so bad. If you go the week of Thanksgiving it will be crowded to the max. You can also visit the resort nearby at night to see it all lit up. There are tons of Alpine Coasters, we rode the Smoky Mountain Coaster on Wears Valley Road. It seems to be one of the better operations. Surprisingly the Titanic exhibit in PF is very nice. WonderWorks (the upside down house) is a good way to kill some time with the kids. The lumberjack shows are always good. Several options for Go Karts and Putt Putt along the strip as well.

Spend a day in Gatlinburg, you can park and walk the entire area. Anakeesta is a newer attraction, you ride to the top of the mountain and theres shops and a set of rope bridges. We stood in line forever to ride the Alpine Coaster there and it was underwhelming. You can also take a gondola to Ober Gatlinburg, but I have found it to be very dated and not a lot to do, but there may be skiing that time of year. Instead, take the chairlift to the glass bottom bridge.

Tons of hiking in that area, the Laurel Falls hike is one of the more popular ones. It should be back open by then and it is an easy out and back trail with a nice waterfall at the end. You can drive through Cades Cove and hit the pullouts along the way, it is a beautiful area and a good chance to see deer or bear.

Plenty of stuff to do, and a quick google search will give you tons of info. Just know that the whole vibe of the area is kind of hokey and rednecky, but it really is a great area for families.

I'll be as far away from that Trash Fest as I can get

Japanese culture and their respect for others has always intrigued me. I would live there in a heartbeat

Drove through BR today and noticed a strong natural gas smell from the split all the way to the bridge

Anything to prevent the Jetway Jesus effect is fine by me

I went to Ireland in late May a few years ago. We stayed mostly Dublin and south, and we thoroughly enjoyed it.

We landed in Dublin and spent an hour or two then went to Galway. From there we went counterclockwise along the coast eventually back to Dublin.

Dingle was our favorite area, but all of the countryside towns were great. Get takeaway from the Fish Box then a pint from Dick Mack's next door and eat at a picnic table and watch/listen to the passers by.

We would spend the day driving around and stopping at old Abbeys and castle ruins. The green hills really are captivating. From Dingle we drove the Slea Head drive and made several stops as we meandered along the coast. I found this drive to be more scenic than Hwy 1 in Cali.

I wouldn't skip the Cliffs of Moher, but everyone is different. We also kissed the Blarney Stone, which we could have skipped but it was a bucket list item for me.

Killarney was a nice town, we stayed at a cottage in the National Park and had a nice meal in town at a place called Murphey Brown's. We did horseback riding through the park, it was a fun experience for our kids.

Dublin was just okay, a typical big city. We did the Guinness Tour and the Trinity Library.

The best part of Ireland is the people. Make time to joke with your waitress or tour guide or anyone you interact with. Most of them have a great sense of humor and love to talk. Ireland is a great country to visit.