Posts
Just wanted to share a few pics of Mrs Holbrook (Dixie) just going through pictures and letting my mind drift off.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
pics of the past
Just wanted to share a few pics of Mrs Holbrook (Dixie) just going through pictures and letting my mind drift off.
Saturday, March 3, 2012
"You're Looking at Country" Guitars and Campfires tweet-up 2012
Hey Yall!!!
Well, It's been a while since my last post, so I figured I'd pop in and say hey!
So spring is almost here, and its time to start thinking about plans for the summer. What to do, what to do!! the possibilities are endless!! Over the past few weeks, with warm weather pushing me out of the house, I've been thinking about JUST what I want to do to kick off this wonderful time of year. Over the past 10 months or so, I have really gotten attached to so many of you on twitter, and been blessed enough to meet many of you in person. These "tweet-ups" as we like to call them, have turned out to be a wonderful way for those of us who are close enough, to meet up and get to know each other in real life. The friendships I have made with you all will truly last a lifetime!
Usually when we plan these tweet-ups, they tend to only last a few hours, and sometimes are planned pretty close to the actual "meet" date. I want to plan one this summer that actually lasts some time, and gives enough of a heads up to where some of you who live further away have the chance to plan it out, travel to the location and actually get to spend time with the friends you've made on twitter, and enjoy each others company. I can not tell you how much fun we have at these meet-ups. For those of you who have been lucky enough to come to one, you know what I am talking about! I personally, have been blessed enough to have friends drive in from as far away as Louisiana and Maryland for these parties. To kinda give you an idea of the friendships I have made, Meredith (@blakesaussiegrl) has driven down 4 times now from maryland, and Cheryl (@cheryl_3011) has driven up twice from the coast. Others that have made one hell of a journey would be Katie (@katiebelle04) Leslie (@ragincajunlady1) both from Louisiana and Rhonda (@RKAbernathy) from Kansas. Trust me when I say, we ALWAYS have one hell of a good time!
So this year, I want to attempt to plan one bigger and better than ever. So many of us have one thing in common (other than the twitter) and thats music. Be it country, rock, folk or bluegrass, music tends to be a common thread for so many of us. For the majority of us, country seems to be the genre of choice. Nashville has always made for a WONDERFUL place to have these tweet ups. Last summer, @andielynne from WSIX started these "guitarBQ's" at her house right outside of downtown Nashville. You can't imagine how much of a blast we have! Singers, songwriters, fans, executives from music row and so many locals, pile into Andie's yard, fire up the grill and the fire pit, bust out the guitars and chow down on some of the best BBQ you've ever had! Even though so many of us came from so many different backgrounds and heritages, we all found common ground with each other through the music that was made that night.
With all that being said, Let me run my ideas past you for the next tweet-up I want to host. PLEASE REMEMBER, THESE ARE CURRENTLY JUST IDEAS. I guess you could say that right now, I am just throwing some feelers out there to see what kind of interest I get back.
Obviously, there is NO way to plan anything at any venue to appeal to everyone's tastes, but I think I might have a good idea for a place that appeals to many of you.
***note*** The details I am about to give are things I have gathered from my own experiences, and not to be taken as hard facts. It's stories I have been told by family members and locals, and should be taken as such
Nestled deep in the rolling hills of Tennessee, about 70 miles west of Nashville lies a quaint, sleepy little town called Hurricane Mills. pop. 250 Hurricane Mills has one big claim to fame. Its the home of country music superstar, Loretta Lynn. Loretta and her husband Mooney, while out driving around one day, stumbled on a plantation mansion, condemned and abandoned, and decided then and there that it would be the home they would raise their children in. There was one big issue.... In order to buy the house, Loretta would have to buy the entire town. In 1966, Loretta purchased the 1876 plantation home and the town of Hurricane Mills as well. If you have never seen the house, let me tell you it is a sight to be seen!! Beautiful landscaped grounds, statuary and gates, porches, balconies and columns. Its a sight that would make Scarlet O'Hara herself green with envy. The Plantation was also the first house in the county to be wired with electricity. Loretta lived in the house from the late 60's until 1984 when she graciously decided to open it up to the public and share the beauty we now know as Loretta Lynn's Dude ranch.
The ranch is one of the most beautiful places you will ever see. Nearly 6,600 acres full of horseback riding, camping, canoeing, and shopping. Hurricane creek runs right through the center of the ranch, and provides visitors with endless recreation and relaxation. Along with daily tours of the plantation home, there are also several museums showcasing the life of the living legend. You can see her collection of gold records, memorabilia given to her by friends such as Patsy Cline, cars shes owned, and even go inside her iconic tour bus that Loretta spent so many years touring the country in, and was also used in the filming of "Coal Miners Daughter" If you have ever seen "Coal Miners Daughter", you will also recognize much of the inside of the home, and the famous Golden Eagle Jeep that Loretta and Mooney loaned for the making of the movie. (complete with the dented fender that Tommy Lee Jones put in it when he smacked a tree) .....and for those of you over 30 years old, you will quickly be taken back to your childhood when you walk in the kitchen of the house and see the Crisco can sitting on the stove. Loretta filmed the iconic commercials from the late 70's and 80's in her own private kitchen! There is also a simulated coal mine, replica of her childhood home in butcher holler Kentucky, and a completely restored mill that she has now turned into a museum and gift shop.
Loretta and her family still live on the ranch. Loretta lives about 25 feet behind the mansion, in a private estate she and Mooney built before his death in 1996. Her Daughter Betty Sue owns and operates a gift shop a couple of miles from the ranch, and Cissie Lynn will be more than happy to fix you up some of the BEST chicken salad you've ever had right down the road in her general store. Peggy and Patsy Lynn, Loretta's twins, are also close by, and tour with their older brother Ernie, and sing with their mom in nearly every show she does.
20 miles from the ranch, in Camden Tennessee, about 3 miles outside of town you will find a large stone marking the place where 49 years ago this week, on March 5th, Patsy Cline's airplane went down in the woods, claiming the young lives of her, Cowboy Copas, Hawkshaw Hawkins, and Cline's manager, Randy Huges. Patsy and Loretta were best friends. If you have ever seen Loretta live, you know she usually does a special tribute to her friend and sings several of Patsy's iconic songs.
Loretta will be celebrating her 77th birthday this April, and still tours the country singing her songs, and sharing the love shes given us for so many decades. Every year, health permitting, Loretta opens her tour season with a concert at the ranch, and ends it there as well. This year, that concert will be on saturday, May 26th. Memorial Day weekend. This past thursday I sat down and talked with her daughter Cissie, as she told me the plans for the opening weekend this year. Never before has a tribute ever been done for Patsy, and they plan on changing that this year. Its in the plans for not only the Loretta concert, but also a concert by Mandy Barnett. Mandy has claimed notoriety over the years for her broadway show showcasing the life of Patsy Cline. "Always Patsy Cline" just wrapped up a run in Nashville this past summer at the Ryman, and if you have never had the chance to hear Mandy, check her out online. She's truly amazing and will make you feel like Patsy is on stage singing just like she was back in the 60's.
Also in attendance this year for the tribute to Patsy, her husband Charlie Dick and daughter Julie Fudge are scheduled to be on hand at the ranch. That in itself is pretty exciting!! If you have never seen a LL show, I assure you that you won't be disappointed. The concert is held outdoors in a covered amphitheater, just a few hundred feet from the campgrounds and hurricane creek. Lo' will come out on stage in one of her signature ball gowns, and belt out most of her hits that we have heard on the radio for most of our lives. Along with Lynn, her daughters and granddaughters usually share the stage with her, and give us an insight to the Lynn legacy of tomorrow.
Now for all of you paranormal ghost chaser fans... Its no secret that the plantation at Hurricane Mills is haunted. Its on the list of top 10 most haunted places in the country, and sits on top of a civil war battlefield complete with 19 soldiers buried on the grounds. No matter if you are chatting it up with a ranch hand, a tour guide, or Loretta herself, any of them will tell you story after story of their encounters in the house with the supernatural. The original owner of the house, James Anderson is buried on the grounds alongside his wife and infant child. Rumor has it, Mr Anderson still walks the halls of the house, and Mrs. Anderson can be seen from time to time pacing the second floor balcony, grieving the death of her infant child. Just last year, Zak, Nick and Aaron from the Travel Channels "Ghost Adventures" show brought their cameras and camped out in the house overnight. Tour the house, and you just might get a tingle go up your spine while walking past the slave pit door on the back porch, or notice one of the album covers lining the staircase wall hanging just a little bit crooked. Either way, its an experience you'll never forget.
So what does all this rambling have to do with twitter and tweet-ups......so glad you asked.
Each year, I try to make it out to the ranch during one of her two shows, and take in that that IS country. Last year, I decided to go a step further and camp out the night of the concert. Roughing it, I went out to the creek, pitched my tent, and got the full ranch experience. I grew up running around that ranch camping, and boy did it feel good to go back and relive it again as an adult.
Country music is our heritage. Anyone can plan a trip to nashville, drop in on the Grand Ole Opry and hit the hotspots that downtown Nashville has to offer. Why not experience that heritage in person, and for one weekend, be a part of it. This year, my plan is to go to the ranch for the entire weekend. Friday through Monday, camping and sight-seeing the whole time. My thoughts are, come and go as you please. If camping isn't your thing, rent one of the many cabins availible at the ranch. If cabins are a no no, 7 miles up highway 13 on I-40 are a couple of reasonably priced hotels and restaurants. Nashville is an hour ride away. Me and my friends will be out there regardless. If any of you are interested, we would be more than happy to host a tweet-up complete with camping, the LL concert, home tours, museum tours, canoeing, swimming, campfires and guitars. I have mentioned this idea to a couple of artists you're all familiar with, and they may be joining us and bringing their guitars and sitting around the campfire with us just a "pickin and a grinnin"
Early plans are something like this;
arrive on friday. use the afternoon to set up camp, meet up with everyone wanting to attend, and just sit around and catch up with each other. Saturday would be touring the plantation and any of the stores/museums that interest you. I will be more than happy to personally take you on tours of the ranch and grounds, and some of the family will tell you themselves that I can give tours better than some of the tour guides there! ;) I'm also open to leaving the ranch and taking people into Camden if any of you are interested in the Patsy Cline crash site memorial. Saturday afternoon would be a good time to go have lunch at Cissie Lynn's store, then the concert that evening. I'm guessing saturday night might be the night most people come out. After the show, meet back up at the campsite for a bon fire, smores and country music. Sunday would be a day for relaxing and swimming. the creek is AMAZING. crystal clear water and plenty of rocks to jump off of into the water. Sunday would also be an ideal day for any other tours or museums that might have been missed on saturday. A canoe ride down hurricane creek is also a good possibility. Sunday night would be another campfire and music. Monday morning, packing up and heading back to reality.
Of course, you don't have to stay all weekend. If you wanted, you could meet up with the ones there saturday, stay just for the show then head out. or stay. whatever floats your boat.
for all information about the ranch, tours, concerts and rentals, please feel free to contact me here or on twitter, or go directly to the ranch website at www.lorettalynnranch.net or www.lorettalynn.com
Plan ahead now to come meet up with so many of the people you talk to on a daily basis, and spend an amazing weekend with the first lady of country music at her home. I hope to see each and every one of you out there, and welcome any questions, comments or ideas you might have to make it better.
Like I said, as of now this is just an idea, and I am looking forward to your input. Thank you all so much, and I'll see ya around the timeline!
-Jay
Well, It's been a while since my last post, so I figured I'd pop in and say hey!
So spring is almost here, and its time to start thinking about plans for the summer. What to do, what to do!! the possibilities are endless!! Over the past few weeks, with warm weather pushing me out of the house, I've been thinking about JUST what I want to do to kick off this wonderful time of year. Over the past 10 months or so, I have really gotten attached to so many of you on twitter, and been blessed enough to meet many of you in person. These "tweet-ups" as we like to call them, have turned out to be a wonderful way for those of us who are close enough, to meet up and get to know each other in real life. The friendships I have made with you all will truly last a lifetime!
Usually when we plan these tweet-ups, they tend to only last a few hours, and sometimes are planned pretty close to the actual "meet" date. I want to plan one this summer that actually lasts some time, and gives enough of a heads up to where some of you who live further away have the chance to plan it out, travel to the location and actually get to spend time with the friends you've made on twitter, and enjoy each others company. I can not tell you how much fun we have at these meet-ups. For those of you who have been lucky enough to come to one, you know what I am talking about! I personally, have been blessed enough to have friends drive in from as far away as Louisiana and Maryland for these parties. To kinda give you an idea of the friendships I have made, Meredith (@blakesaussiegrl) has driven down 4 times now from maryland, and Cheryl (@cheryl_3011) has driven up twice from the coast. Others that have made one hell of a journey would be Katie (@katiebelle04) Leslie (@ragincajunlady1) both from Louisiana and Rhonda (@RKAbernathy) from Kansas. Trust me when I say, we ALWAYS have one hell of a good time!
So this year, I want to attempt to plan one bigger and better than ever. So many of us have one thing in common (other than the twitter) and thats music. Be it country, rock, folk or bluegrass, music tends to be a common thread for so many of us. For the majority of us, country seems to be the genre of choice. Nashville has always made for a WONDERFUL place to have these tweet ups. Last summer, @andielynne from WSIX started these "guitarBQ's" at her house right outside of downtown Nashville. You can't imagine how much of a blast we have! Singers, songwriters, fans, executives from music row and so many locals, pile into Andie's yard, fire up the grill and the fire pit, bust out the guitars and chow down on some of the best BBQ you've ever had! Even though so many of us came from so many different backgrounds and heritages, we all found common ground with each other through the music that was made that night.
With all that being said, Let me run my ideas past you for the next tweet-up I want to host. PLEASE REMEMBER, THESE ARE CURRENTLY JUST IDEAS. I guess you could say that right now, I am just throwing some feelers out there to see what kind of interest I get back.
Obviously, there is NO way to plan anything at any venue to appeal to everyone's tastes, but I think I might have a good idea for a place that appeals to many of you.
***note*** The details I am about to give are things I have gathered from my own experiences, and not to be taken as hard facts. It's stories I have been told by family members and locals, and should be taken as such
Nestled deep in the rolling hills of Tennessee, about 70 miles west of Nashville lies a quaint, sleepy little town called Hurricane Mills. pop. 250 Hurricane Mills has one big claim to fame. Its the home of country music superstar, Loretta Lynn. Loretta and her husband Mooney, while out driving around one day, stumbled on a plantation mansion, condemned and abandoned, and decided then and there that it would be the home they would raise their children in. There was one big issue.... In order to buy the house, Loretta would have to buy the entire town. In 1966, Loretta purchased the 1876 plantation home and the town of Hurricane Mills as well. If you have never seen the house, let me tell you it is a sight to be seen!! Beautiful landscaped grounds, statuary and gates, porches, balconies and columns. Its a sight that would make Scarlet O'Hara herself green with envy. The Plantation was also the first house in the county to be wired with electricity. Loretta lived in the house from the late 60's until 1984 when she graciously decided to open it up to the public and share the beauty we now know as Loretta Lynn's Dude ranch.
The ranch is one of the most beautiful places you will ever see. Nearly 6,600 acres full of horseback riding, camping, canoeing, and shopping. Hurricane creek runs right through the center of the ranch, and provides visitors with endless recreation and relaxation. Along with daily tours of the plantation home, there are also several museums showcasing the life of the living legend. You can see her collection of gold records, memorabilia given to her by friends such as Patsy Cline, cars shes owned, and even go inside her iconic tour bus that Loretta spent so many years touring the country in, and was also used in the filming of "Coal Miners Daughter" If you have ever seen "Coal Miners Daughter", you will also recognize much of the inside of the home, and the famous Golden Eagle Jeep that Loretta and Mooney loaned for the making of the movie. (complete with the dented fender that Tommy Lee Jones put in it when he smacked a tree) .....and for those of you over 30 years old, you will quickly be taken back to your childhood when you walk in the kitchen of the house and see the Crisco can sitting on the stove. Loretta filmed the iconic commercials from the late 70's and 80's in her own private kitchen! There is also a simulated coal mine, replica of her childhood home in butcher holler Kentucky, and a completely restored mill that she has now turned into a museum and gift shop.
Loretta and her family still live on the ranch. Loretta lives about 25 feet behind the mansion, in a private estate she and Mooney built before his death in 1996. Her Daughter Betty Sue owns and operates a gift shop a couple of miles from the ranch, and Cissie Lynn will be more than happy to fix you up some of the BEST chicken salad you've ever had right down the road in her general store. Peggy and Patsy Lynn, Loretta's twins, are also close by, and tour with their older brother Ernie, and sing with their mom in nearly every show she does.
20 miles from the ranch, in Camden Tennessee, about 3 miles outside of town you will find a large stone marking the place where 49 years ago this week, on March 5th, Patsy Cline's airplane went down in the woods, claiming the young lives of her, Cowboy Copas, Hawkshaw Hawkins, and Cline's manager, Randy Huges. Patsy and Loretta were best friends. If you have ever seen Loretta live, you know she usually does a special tribute to her friend and sings several of Patsy's iconic songs.
Loretta will be celebrating her 77th birthday this April, and still tours the country singing her songs, and sharing the love shes given us for so many decades. Every year, health permitting, Loretta opens her tour season with a concert at the ranch, and ends it there as well. This year, that concert will be on saturday, May 26th. Memorial Day weekend. This past thursday I sat down and talked with her daughter Cissie, as she told me the plans for the opening weekend this year. Never before has a tribute ever been done for Patsy, and they plan on changing that this year. Its in the plans for not only the Loretta concert, but also a concert by Mandy Barnett. Mandy has claimed notoriety over the years for her broadway show showcasing the life of Patsy Cline. "Always Patsy Cline" just wrapped up a run in Nashville this past summer at the Ryman, and if you have never had the chance to hear Mandy, check her out online. She's truly amazing and will make you feel like Patsy is on stage singing just like she was back in the 60's.
Also in attendance this year for the tribute to Patsy, her husband Charlie Dick and daughter Julie Fudge are scheduled to be on hand at the ranch. That in itself is pretty exciting!! If you have never seen a LL show, I assure you that you won't be disappointed. The concert is held outdoors in a covered amphitheater, just a few hundred feet from the campgrounds and hurricane creek. Lo' will come out on stage in one of her signature ball gowns, and belt out most of her hits that we have heard on the radio for most of our lives. Along with Lynn, her daughters and granddaughters usually share the stage with her, and give us an insight to the Lynn legacy of tomorrow.
Now for all of you paranormal ghost chaser fans... Its no secret that the plantation at Hurricane Mills is haunted. Its on the list of top 10 most haunted places in the country, and sits on top of a civil war battlefield complete with 19 soldiers buried on the grounds. No matter if you are chatting it up with a ranch hand, a tour guide, or Loretta herself, any of them will tell you story after story of their encounters in the house with the supernatural. The original owner of the house, James Anderson is buried on the grounds alongside his wife and infant child. Rumor has it, Mr Anderson still walks the halls of the house, and Mrs. Anderson can be seen from time to time pacing the second floor balcony, grieving the death of her infant child. Just last year, Zak, Nick and Aaron from the Travel Channels "Ghost Adventures" show brought their cameras and camped out in the house overnight. Tour the house, and you just might get a tingle go up your spine while walking past the slave pit door on the back porch, or notice one of the album covers lining the staircase wall hanging just a little bit crooked. Either way, its an experience you'll never forget.
So what does all this rambling have to do with twitter and tweet-ups......so glad you asked.
Each year, I try to make it out to the ranch during one of her two shows, and take in that that IS country. Last year, I decided to go a step further and camp out the night of the concert. Roughing it, I went out to the creek, pitched my tent, and got the full ranch experience. I grew up running around that ranch camping, and boy did it feel good to go back and relive it again as an adult.
Country music is our heritage. Anyone can plan a trip to nashville, drop in on the Grand Ole Opry and hit the hotspots that downtown Nashville has to offer. Why not experience that heritage in person, and for one weekend, be a part of it. This year, my plan is to go to the ranch for the entire weekend. Friday through Monday, camping and sight-seeing the whole time. My thoughts are, come and go as you please. If camping isn't your thing, rent one of the many cabins availible at the ranch. If cabins are a no no, 7 miles up highway 13 on I-40 are a couple of reasonably priced hotels and restaurants. Nashville is an hour ride away. Me and my friends will be out there regardless. If any of you are interested, we would be more than happy to host a tweet-up complete with camping, the LL concert, home tours, museum tours, canoeing, swimming, campfires and guitars. I have mentioned this idea to a couple of artists you're all familiar with, and they may be joining us and bringing their guitars and sitting around the campfire with us just a "pickin and a grinnin"
Early plans are something like this;
arrive on friday. use the afternoon to set up camp, meet up with everyone wanting to attend, and just sit around and catch up with each other. Saturday would be touring the plantation and any of the stores/museums that interest you. I will be more than happy to personally take you on tours of the ranch and grounds, and some of the family will tell you themselves that I can give tours better than some of the tour guides there! ;) I'm also open to leaving the ranch and taking people into Camden if any of you are interested in the Patsy Cline crash site memorial. Saturday afternoon would be a good time to go have lunch at Cissie Lynn's store, then the concert that evening. I'm guessing saturday night might be the night most people come out. After the show, meet back up at the campsite for a bon fire, smores and country music. Sunday would be a day for relaxing and swimming. the creek is AMAZING. crystal clear water and plenty of rocks to jump off of into the water. Sunday would also be an ideal day for any other tours or museums that might have been missed on saturday. A canoe ride down hurricane creek is also a good possibility. Sunday night would be another campfire and music. Monday morning, packing up and heading back to reality.
Of course, you don't have to stay all weekend. If you wanted, you could meet up with the ones there saturday, stay just for the show then head out. or stay. whatever floats your boat.
for all information about the ranch, tours, concerts and rentals, please feel free to contact me here or on twitter, or go directly to the ranch website at www.lorettalynnranch.net or www.lorettalynn.com
Plan ahead now to come meet up with so many of the people you talk to on a daily basis, and spend an amazing weekend with the first lady of country music at her home. I hope to see each and every one of you out there, and welcome any questions, comments or ideas you might have to make it better.
Like I said, as of now this is just an idea, and I am looking forward to your input. Thank you all so much, and I'll see ya around the timeline!
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