Day 16 of the Southeast Rhombus Rally Caravan with Friends – TN Fall Good Sam Rally

Every day of the Rally, they have coffee and pastry items for breakfast in the pavilion. We enjoyed that meeting new people and enjoying the company of friends. This morning at the rally, they have a few seminars, none of them appealed to us. So, some of us decided to head back to the Old Mill area and explore the shops.

Bob and Barbara drove the six of us to Patriot Park, we skipped the trolley today. Our first stop was the Old Mill Farmhouse Kitchen. In The Old Mill Farmhouse Kitchen, you can find everything you need for an exceptional old time breakfast, lunch, or dinner. They sell their famous corn chowder, signature bread mixes & signature salad dressings. The Farmhouse Kitchen also features oils and spices, bottled just for you. They have ample samples of their dips, jellies and sauces all over the store. They sell many kitchen gadgets, cook books and nick-knacks. Recently, they started to sell homemade soups and beans, hot and fresh and ready to eat now or take home and enjoy. You can have the staff help you specialize a custom gift basket.

Bob should have the nickname, the Candy Man, he does like his candy! We knew he would enjoy this shop! At The Old Mill Candy Kitchen, the confectioners use time-tested recipes and traditional cooking methods to create a unique and irresistible assortment of candies and sweets. They pull and cut the many flavors of taffy with machines that have been used for more than 75 years. They still cook in old fashion copper kettles and hand dip many of their chocolates. From homemade fudges and brittles to divinity and chocolate-covered cherries, you'll taste The Old Mill difference in every sweet, chewy bite. 

Keep an eye out for our famous Bear Paws, which are taking the South by storm! These are made from the finest milk chocolate, our homemade caramel, and fresh pecans. The name is true to the size of the confectioneries!

I love to browse the Old Mill Pigeon River Pottery Store. Since pottery has been made at this very location for over 50 years, they consider the in-house potters experts in this traditional mountain craft. In fact, the artisans created most of the plates, bowls, salt & pepper shakers, and other serving pieces used in the two mill restaurants. Formed and fired on site, selections at The Pigeon River Pottery include hundreds of specialty and serving pieces in many unique glazes, plus a collection of original sculptures from the Pottery's Mighty Bear series which showcases the American Black Bear. You can watch the potters at work each day, from 11am – 3pm.

Sassafras is the newest Old Mill Store. It is the only chic clothing store in the Old Mill district. Select a unique gift, for either yourself or someone else! This store is the perfect stop for the women in your party, although Jack found the "husband" chair and had a second one for a man who followed his wife into the shop. There are endless varieties of color and styles in this eclectic boutique. Sassafras has something for everyone, young or old, probably more for the young!

The Old Mill is one of the most photographed mills in the entire country and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It still functions as it did when it was built in 1830. The Old Mill General Store adjoining our Historic Old Mill, is a favorite shopping destination for a million plus visitors each year. At the General Store, you'll find all of The Old Mill's fresh-ground grains, such as yellow and white grits or cornmeal, a variety of flours, and our famous pancake and specialty mixes. You'll also find homemade jams, jellies, dip mixes, and other popular products from our Old Mill Signature line of foods, as well as a unique selection of gifts, Smoky Mountain memorabilia, and craft items to help you remember your visit to a true national treasure. We love to look at all the items crammed into this area, it is a lot like an old time store!

The Old Mill Creamery is our favorite shop in the Old Mill area. The ice cream parlor churns traditional flavors to scoop into sugar cones or dishes, turn into sundaes and shakes. They offer signature line of ice creams. The flavors incorporate local, farm-fresh ingredients from Lafayette Farm, grains from The Old Mill, homemade candies from The Old Mill Candy Kitchen next door, and spirits from the Old Forge Distillery. One of those signature flavors is Whiskey Ribbon, vanilla ice cream laced through with Old Forge Distillery moonshine and homemade fudge. My favorite is the peanut butter, others liked the Butter Pecan. None of us were brave enough to try the whiskey ribbon!

We got back in time to enjoy the afternoon games of SAMGO in the pavilion. We could not talk Charlie, Bully, Bob or Paul into playing. Jack was the only man represented during the games. Jackie was the one who was really lucky, she won three games! I was lucky and won two games. One game, I had to split with two other winners, so we each got $2, but at least I won! My second win was a solo and I won $5. Whooo Who! The caller was great, she was not too fast and not to slow! We played 6 games and a coverall in about an hour.

An add-on item to the Rally was a trip to the National Quartet Convention, if you were interested in going. The National Quartet Convention (NQC) is an annual gathering of Southern Gospel quartets and musicians. It is held this same time every year. A concert is held each evening, typically selling out for these shows. The shows run from 5:30 pm to 11 pm and feature non-stop music from the major Southern Gospel artists spaced at 10-20 minute intervals. That is a lot of music! Pattye & Bully and Jack & Jackie attended the event. 

For those that did not attend, they had a special SAMGO session. The TN State Director and another TN State Staff member, gave up their tickets to the NQC, to stay back and call SAMGO. I am thinking that some men, tell their wife they want to go, but really don't and these two guys are a prime example of that! Barb and I got Bob and Charlie to play, but none of us were lucky enough to be winners. But, living this life, we are already winners!

We watched a awesome sunset before we played SAMGO. Check back tomorrow for more TN Rally fun!