Family Trip, More Food and Miscellaneous Too

...continuing with Laurie's sister Bonnie and Bonnie's husband Bill's week long visit.  Relax, browse, shop, sightseeing, food, and then repeat the cycle.  While we had several meals at our house, (creamy chicken over rice, pork roast and potatoes, plus grilled ribeye steaks with sauteed squash), all of our food photos were taken during restaurant dining excursions.

So, I'll start with food, then sightseeing, furniture shop browsing, a little more food and then a bit of nature's whimsey.  

Bonnie and Bill love dining at waterside...(who doesn't?!)...so Laurie and I ensured that we stopped by The Mudpuppy on Tellico Lake in Vonore Tennessee for a relaxing meal.

We actually started out with an appetizer, the Creamy Queso with Chips. ($11.00) It was OK.  Bonnie ordered a burger.  It was cooked as ordered and she remarked that the French fries were superior! ($17.00)

Laurie ordered the "Bacon me Crazy" Cheese 'Sammie'. ($14.75) Basically this is a grilled cheese sandwich that comes loaded with bacon...and we all know that  bacon makes everything better!  Laurie decided to try the onion rings as her side.

She loves bacon and she loves cheese and this creation was a hit.  She thought that the onion rings were very good too...

For my meal I ordered the Southern Style Fried Catfish. ($18.00) It came with a pile of those great French fries and some of The Mudpuppies signature Mudpuppies, aka hushpuppies.  The fish was nice but I do prefer fried pollack or a similar saltwater fish.  The French fries are the best!

If its upscale seafood, its what Bill would order!  His entree selection was the Grouper Pontchartrain, grouper smothered in Cajun cream sauce, then topped with grilled shrimp and served over rice pilaf and broccoli. ($28.00) Bill reported that it was a very enjoyable and satisfying entree.

To view The Mudpuppy's menu, just go to https://www.mudpuppyrestaurant.com/menu.  To learn more about the related Cherokee Outdoor Resort in Vonore Tennessee, go to https://cherokeeoutdoorresort.com/.  For more photos...there is much more to see other than food...you can check out my previous post at https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/5617317794624015781/8258884590672429200.

Hurricane Helene had done considerable damage on the Tennessee side of the Smoky Mountains.  Of course the storm had a truly disastrous impact in the mountainous area of North Carolina.

Bald River Falls is a major tourist attraction here in East Tennessee.  However, Helene dumped so much rain that the bridge right below the falls where Bald River feeds into the Tellico river was impacted and the road leading to the bridge and its viewing area was badly damaged.  Repairs and improvements were recently completed and the crowds were appreciative... 

Of course photos were necessary...and Laurie took this selfie of her sister Bonnie and herself.

FYI, before the flood vehicles and pedestrians/tourists shared the bridge, creating a bit of a hazard.  The re-engineered bridge provides a commodious space for tourists that is our of harms way...

Laurie and your truly will have lived here in East Tennessee for 16 years as of this coming August.  This was the first time that we'd visited the Smoky Mountains at a time when the Rhododendrons were actually blooming.  The banks of the Tellico River were loaded with blooms stretching on for miles!

On the home front, we are remodeling a former breezeway that the original owners had turned into an enclosed space complete with HVAC.  Laurie has been looking around for a pair of comfortable chairs for the new space when its done.  During Bonnie and Bill's visit we perused several furniture stores looking for pieces that might work with the library 'feel' that Laurie is trying to complete.  These chairs at a local consignment shop were very nice but not all that comfortable for me, plus Laurie likes a head rest...

On day while we were out on our furniture browsing trek, we determined that we needed a break from our toils.  So we stopped in at the Water into Wine Bistro and Lounge in Farragut Tennessee.  Our party indulged in a couple of adult beverages and we ordered a Cheese Board with meat, olives, hummus, jam and crostini.  There are never enough crostini with a charcuterie board so we ordered extra.  Not including the adult beverages, this cheese board with the contents shown above...plus a double order of more crostini...came to a total of $42.00.  Yikes!  Thanks for buying Bill!  

Laurie and Bonnie...the sisters are just a little more than a year apart in age...really have a good time when they spend time together!

Bonnie's husband Bill was having a good time at Water into Wine as well... This is Bill smiling!  What...no photo of yours truly?!  I managed to avoid the camera and I am also 'notorious' for not smiling.

Water into Wine Bistro and Lounge's website can be found at  https://waterintowineknoxville.com/.  

I thought that I'd end this post with a touch of nature.  Laurie captured this photo of an excited and stressed Killdeer in this rocky area near a medical office in Lenoir City Tennessee.  Excited because she had a clutch of eggs in the rocks and stressed because the 'feels like temperature' was hovering around 104F.  She was excited because she didn't want to leave the nest/eggs.  She was providing the necessary shade for her expected brood.  

FYI, Killdeer are a large member of the plover family that is found throughout North America and even into parts of South America.  It has a shrill, two-syllable call that sounds like someone saying 'kill deer'.  In 2024, the Killdeer was reclassified as a near-threatened species due to a significant population decrease.

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge it...

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave