January 2021 Five State Tour Overview


 January 10-15 2021

This was our third tour of multiple states. The Covid-19 Pandemic was still affecting travel with varying levels of restrictions in different areas. The plan was to hopefully take advantage of some warmer weather and outdoor play in some of the southern states. Our first state was 11 hours away and we took two days to travel there with stops in Georgetown KY and Pigeon Forge TN. We packed our bikes, thanks to a suggestion of our friend Gene, to ride some trails. This proved to be a great decision. Our first night in Georgetown KY allowed us to ride the rolling countryside on the Legacy Trail. While it was in the 30s, there were many out on the trail. We froze our toes. Looking forward to riding it again in the future.  Our second night was in Pigeon Forge TN where we hoped to take in a show, but the virus had most of them operating on a very limited schedule and were all sold out. The next morning we visited Smokey Mountain National Park before continuing on our way to Greenville NC. Snow had fallen in the Smokey's causing the road to be closed. It was a good stop in the park nonetheless.

Our contact person from Greenville SC suggested we stay overnight in downtown Greenville. We booked a room at Swamp Rabbit Inn which was a great choice. Again, we mounted our bikes for a ride. Our ride was on a portion of the Swamp Rabbit Trail. The trail went along the Reedy River through downtown. What a fantastic ride. When we finished we headed off to the courts at Timmons Park. We did not expect to do as well as we did with a mostly younger group of players. We played multiple opponents and ended up winning all of our games. We encountered one of the most unusual home made paddles here. It was made out of wood with a handle like a fry pan coming off one of the corners. It was square and the edges were not rounded. There were players who would not play with him out of fear of getting hit with the paddle. The ball hardly made a sound when coming in contact with the paddle. We had a great time playing under the lights at Timmons Park with these upstate pickleball players. Greenville SC #20

Our morning in Clarkesville GA was sunny making outdoor play a pleasure. The group here was welcoming and gave us some good competition. Christine oversees play at a number of courts in the area and it was a delight to meet and play with her. Clarkesville GA #21

While the number of players at Huntsville AL was small, a total of 8 of us, they were talented and friendly. In fact, one of the players there was responsible for suggesting a blog for our Pickleball the States endeavor. Thanks Heidi. The facility was brand new and in great shape. There was no cost to play which is amazing for such an attractive venue. Huntsville AL #22

It's always fun to play twice in one day, and playing late afternoon at Old Mill Town Park in Tupelo MS was no exception. Prior to playing here, we had the opportunity for a quick trip to the birthplace of Elvis Presley. It's always a bonus taking in other activities. The courts at Old Mill Town Park are in dire need of a resurface, but the players couldn't be friendlier. We fit in with this group just like it was our group back home. Tupelo MS #23

The final play of our trip was just north of Little Rock AR at Greenbriar Event Center. Another fantastic facility with no fee for playing. It was here that a number of players had a connection with northern IN. All the players were welcoming and did not hold back when playing against us. We had a good balance of wins and losses. If you are in the area, we recommend that you stop and play at the Greenbriar Event Center. Greenbriar AR #24

  • Best nachos ever at Sabor Latin Street Grill in Greenville SC.
  • Best lodging Swamp Rabbit Inn Greenville SC
  • Best side trip Smokey Mountain National Park
  • Biggest let down Hatfield and McCoy Dinner show with no available seats
  • Most questionable Google Maps route Gatlinburg TN to Greenville SC
  • Biggest surprise NASA in Huntsville AL
  • Best pickleball logo Tupelo Area Pickleball


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Hanapepe HI #50 - Hawaii Five 0

Image
  January 9 2023 During the last 5 years we have actively been pursuing our quest to play pickleball in all 50 states. Our involvement in elder care necessitated making the most of our time when we had the opportunity. We finally completed our quest on the Hawaiian Island of Kauai in Hanapepe. It had rained the night before so the courts were a little damp, but players were working to get them dried off quickly. While the courts suffered from years of neglect and abandon by tennis players, the pickleball players were welcoming and we soon felt like part of their family. Lucia, the local pickleball ambassador, maintained communication with us as well as letting us know where play would be occurring. There was a broad range of skill level at Hanapepe and we felt right at home. As we played we could hear and see the waves crashing on the shoreline. In nearby Koloa, we had the opportunity to play with a family that was all in when it came to pickleball. The dedicated courts here were light
Read more

Bainbridge Island WA - Pilgrimage

Image
  September 2 2023 On our way back to the Seattle Tacoma airport after playing pickleball in Wenatchee WA and Hood River OR we felt it prudent to take the opportunity to visit Bainbridge Island WA where pickleball began back in 1965. It was our hope that we would be able to visit "court 1," but after making some contacts we realized that was not going to happen. We opted for the second best thing and went to Founders Courts. As we walked down the path to the courts, we spotted four ladies sitting at an umbrellaed table between the courts. We shared our story with them and even though they had already played for hours, they consented to play a couple of games with us to enable us to count Founders Courts on Bainbridge Island as another successful location on our Pickleball the States tour. It was a beautiful day. The sun's warming rays poured down on us as we played. Chris, Shannon, Lisa and Suzanne, with radiant smiles, made us feel welcome. They were adept players that w
Read more

Raton NM #46 - Cowboy Chaos

Image
  April 26 2003 The weather on this particular Wednesday was cold with a possibility of rain so play was scheduled inside at the Colfax County Event Center. Lobbing the ball inside was not going to be successful for those who like to lob. Our first game was against Leslie and Barbara. Leslie was our contact for play in Raton and she was faithful in seeing that players showed up the day we visited. Her pickleball partner Barbara was previously a tennis coach and her tennis skills transferred well to the pickleball court. Our next game was a bit different and something new to us. Leslie called it Chaos. On the sideline for each team was a third player who would replace the next player on their team that made a mistake. The photo at the top of the blog shows me, Leslie, Barb, Barbara, Jeanne and David just after our Chaos game. It was a great way to get players into the game and keep the game moving. We have used this method occasionally for play after returning home. We had a great group
Read more