The Butterfly Festival at the Fly Arts Center in Shelbyville featured plenty of arts and crafts along with music and some nature. 200 butterflies were released in the morning and a butterfly exhibit was present the remainder of the day. I was able to buy some bread and dog deodorizer while there. The crowd had dispersed by the time I got there around noon, but I hope the festival catches on and grows. The Fly Arts building has become the artistic center of Shelbyville. With a theater that offers good community productions and art exhibitions, the former factory has established itself as bringing the arts to a rural area. There is a small museum of Bedford County artifacts in one hall that is showing an impressive number of arrow heads right now. The Butterfly Festival also featured butterfly photography. I recently saw a production of The Crucible at the Fly and was very impressed with the quality for a small community theater. The Fly really puts in an impressive effort at continuing to grow.
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Stones River National Battlefield has some really good extra programs (that are FREE) that they often offer. I'm sure plenty of other state and national parks do the same, but Stones River is so close that it's hard for me to pass up on what they offer.
Last week they brought back the cavalry division. While re-enactments aren't unusual for battlefields, mounted re-enactments are a bit rarer. This mounted unit showed how cavalry would have fought in the Civil War and what their weapons would have been. Afterwards there was a Civil War band that played. There was a nice little crowd that came, but it was a great event to witness even in the heat. I suggest always checking the event listing at local national parks for free, well-orchestrated events. The Greenway in Murfreesboro at Old Fort Park hosts the annual Greenway Art Festival. Not to be confused with any number of craft fairs that happen this time of year, the Greenway Art Festival is home to mainly art objects for sale. Pottery, paintings, jewelry, and fabrics all feature with vendors from all over the state. This year I walked away with a jewelry stand made of bed springs, a stained glass wind chime, and a good number of Christmas presents for friends.
Growing in popularity, it's best to show up early as crowds were building by the time i left as was the heat. If you're looking for unique presents for someone, this is the place to go. I've actually come to prefer this one to the Bell Buckle Craft Fair. Did I ever have a chaotic summer. Between roadtripping to Pennsylvania to flying to London and Paris and going to Glacier National Park, it was a level of busy I had not really planned on. That being said I'm still trying to sort through pictures and events and finally organizing enough to make entries. I've been to London a long time ago and was thrilled to go back. I hadn't been to Windsor Castle so it was an entirely new experience for me. The crowds were enormous. I can't stress enough how vital it is to get timed tickets before you go or you will be waiting in line for hours. Our tour group was able to be whisked right through with our tickets, though unfortunately we were on such a tight schedule that we spent less time here than I would have liked. The inside of the palace itself is fabulous and as a historian there were some very recognizable paintings hanging on the wall (particularly the one that you see just about every time a book is identifying Richard III). Because the Order of the Garter had closed down some of the major areas because of their upcoming meeting, we were able to see the front of the chapel where Harry had recently been married, an area that isn't normally open to the public. Windsor is well worth visiting, just make sure you've thought through getting tickets and have plenty of time to see everything.
The Smokies are always heavily trafficked, particularly any trail that leads to something interesting to look at, be it a waterfall, cave or overlook. Therefore it's always a nice find when you can get somewhere that there aren't a lot of crowds at the end of the trail taking pictures.
Chasteen Cascades is one of the lesser known falls in the Smokies. It's a short, 3 mile round trip hike from the Smokemont campground to get there with very little terrain change. The trail is also used for horse riding, so expect to see some of that. Starting at the back campground entrance of the Smokemont Loop, veer off onto Bradley Fork after about a mile and you'll eventually see a horse tie off area to the left. That would be where the cascade is. The cascade is about 60 feet and unless a horse group is there, not very heavily trafficked. We managed to have it to ourselves, on Labor Day weekend no less, for about half an hour. Maybe not as spectacular as the always crowded Laurel Falls, but for feeling like you've just discovered a hideaway in the woods, much more relaxing. |
AuthorA librarian who likes to travel and experience life. CategoriesArchives
June 2022
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