The Travelin' McCourys

A few of you have asked me about this group. I suppose that since Del's name isn't included there is a little confusion. So here is a photo of the group and the link to a website with more information on it. We know you are going to enjoy them as much as we do. www.myspace.com/thetravelinmccourys

The Boxcars

During JuneFest this year you will be treated to performances by many bands including a new formation of some familiar faces and voices. Here is the link to the webiste for The Boxcars. Check them out and get ready for a good show in June.
http://www.theboxcars.com/

iPod Swaps

Yesterday on my way home from Denver I was seated next to a very nice young lady from Johannesburg, South Africa. Noticing that she was using the earphones for her iPod, I decided to see if she might be interested in passing the time on our flight by swapping iPods. We already had our earphones out and hooked up to the in flight tv's.
I find it interesting to see what other people are listening to.....especially someone from another country. So, she was all for it except for the fact that she couldn't reach her iPod. You see............a lady had fainted in the aisle next to our row and my seatmate couldn't get up to get her iPod from the overhead bin. But I had a book to read and was more than happy to let her listen to mine. I asked her if she liked bluegrass (even though my iPod has all kinds of music on it) and she said "What?" so I repeated it and then she informed me that she didn't know what bluegrass was. It only took me a minute to explain it a little and then I handed over my iPod and I can only assume that she was really enjoying it because she was dancing in her seat and looked very happy. At one point she handed me the earphones and said "what is this instrument?". It was a banjo! I glanced over and she was scrolling through a bunch of songs and really was enjoying herself. Hopefully, we now have a new bluegrass convert in South Africa. Since she comes to the states quite often, maybe she will visit us here.
Unfortunately, I didn't get her name and I couldn't reach my flyers for the same reason she couldn't reach her iPod. She was really impressed with Rhonda Vincent when she landed on her music. It was fun to see her discover a new genre of music and enjoy it. Think I'll try that again on my next long flight.m

Morning DJ

Good job, Joe. Proud of you for getting up before the crack of dawn this morning and heading to WDVX for your morning with Freddy on his Rise and Shine show. I'm just sorry I didn't get to hear it myself. I was still in dreamland at the time. You should have woke me up and I could have gone with you. We had a good time last year visiting with Freddy. So it looks like someone else is going to have to give me a detailed account of what you said this year. One never knows what you'll say on the air. Maybe someone who heard it will send a comment. It's easy.............just click on the envelope or pencil below this blog and make your comments. We love getting feedback from the blog. Most people just e-mail me their comments but it really is easy to leave your comment here. Until next time........M.

Old Photos

I am working on a project involving the old "extinct" tourist attractions from the Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, Sevierville and Smokies area. I know many of you have been vacationing here for years and should have some family photos which most likely will have some of these places in the background. The attractions also include popular restaurants, gift shops, motels, etc. Do you remember Rebel Railroad? The Mountain Ocean Wave Pool? Porpoise Island? How about Mystery Hill? Homespun Valley? The bear who drank Yoo-Hoos? The list is long.
How many of you got dressed up in your Sunday best and went to Pigeon Forge or Gatlinburg for an Easter Sunday or Mother's Day lunch back in the 50's & 60's? There are bound to be photos of events such as those around somewhere. Anyway, if you or someone you know has some photos and would be willing to share them with me, it would be greatly apprreciated. I'm going to need lots of photos. I've already been through our family's stash and I know some of you are bound to have better pictures than I have. And if you have any good stories about something you experienced during your visits here (or if you live here..............something you remember about going to some of those places) we would love to hear about it. You can contact me at: dumplingrass@comcast.com. Our snail mail address is 525 E. Dumplin Valley Road, Kodak, TN 37764. THANKS SO MUCH!

JuneFest Coming Soon

Yes, it's getting closer. JuneFest is just around the corner. We are eagerly anticipating the arrival of our JuneFestivarians! For us the highlight of any festival is the gathering of our bluegrass friends and acquaintances. The days leading up to the performances are full of last minute duties but also full of opportunities to jam with all you pickers who come ready for some pickin' & grinnin' fun.
Over this past weekend we talked to several people who are planning to attend this year (some for the first time & and some who come every year). And at this time there are still a few campsites available for June. They all have electric and water hookups. The sewer sites are already reserved but the "honeywagon" will come around to pump your tank if needed and there is also a dump station here for your convenience.
For those of you who prefer to "camp" in a hotel, there are plenty of those here, too. The Quality Inn at the I-40 Exit 407 is one of our sponsors and they would be happy to hear from you. Be sure to tell them you are coming here for a special discount. Their phone # is 865-933-1719. There are also several other hotels located on this exit. You can get info on them by contacting the Sevierville Chamber of Commerce. There are also rental cabins in the area as well as more campgrounds just off Highway 66 near Sevierville. The closest campground to us is the Riverside Campground (about 5 miles).
GPS Reminder: If you are going to be approaching us from the East. Do not listen to your GPS if it routes you off another exit. ONLY use Exit 407 on I-40. You will exit onto Hwy. 66; head toward McDonald's & the Cracker Barrel (north side of interstate.....oh...don't stop there unless you are hungry....just keep going.....you can go back there later!); travel 1 & 1/2 miles from Hwy. 66 on East Dumplin Valley Road to the venue at 525 East Dumplin Valley Rd., Kodak 37764.
Hope to see you here in June!

6th Annual Jimbo Whaley Concert

Our friend and staple of the Dumplin Valley Bluegrass Festivals, Jimbo Whaley (along with his band,Greenbrier + other guests), will be presenting his 6th Annual Concert in Gatlinburg on April 10. You can find all the information on his website: www.jimbowhaley.com. We never fail to enjoy those shows. They are always entertaining with wonderful music (much of which is original) and there are plenty of familiar faces there. This band brings out lots of folks who are ready for a new festival season to get rolling. And speaking of "rolling"..............we always love hearing his song, M R's Rolling Store. By the way, do you know what a rolling store is? If you don't, ask your parents or your grandparents. It's a little like a Walmart on wheels.
And there are some great songs with a blast from the past theme that are especially appealing to Sevier Countians. But everyone can identify with them as we all have places from the past of which we have fond memories. For me...........it's Remac's Drive In Restaurant(good old steak sandwich basket!) and the Midway Drive In Theater.
If you haven't attended one of these shows in the past, now is a good time to give it a try. Just hop on over to his website for info. We hope to see many of our Dumplin Valley Festivarians there.
M

Is Spring Around The Corner?

Well...............after a couple of beautiful days here in Kodak, we are keeping our fingers crossed that Spring is on it's way. However, it is still March after all and that means that we could have plenty more snow and cold weather. But let's hope that isn't the case this year.
We finally got the website updated last night. I know that a lot of you have been watching to see when we were going to accomplish that. Thanks for your patience. There are still a few items to add to it such as a photo gallery and then the daily schedule for September.
Several of you have been calling to make your reservations and make arrangements for getting tickets. Thanks for letting us hear from you. We enjoy hearing from you and look forward to having you all here in 2010.
Did any of you make it down to see The Ledbetters with Earl Scruggs, Paul Brewster and Lizzy Long last week? I think a lot of you must have been there at Wild Wings as the place was packed. It was a great show. I especially enjoyed hearing Paul sing Kentucky Waltz. And it was a treat to watch Earl do Foggy Mtn. Breakdown. The Ledbetters do regular shows there. Check out their website or facebook page for dates and times.
M