I Remember Yesterday

Donna Summer: The Queen of Disco, and my heart. 

I have been feeling a bit nostalgic lately for Donna Summer. I have been a huge fan of her music ever since I was very young, during the height of disco music. I remember hearing all of her hits on the radio as a young kid for the first time, and being totally in love with each one.
The pure joy I got when I heard "No ore Tears (Enough is Enough)" for the very first time, was immeasurable. I thought it was the greatest song I had ever heard. Two musical divas duelling it out in song, each a powerhouse vocalist in her own right. Two different types of singers, who came together for this one song, and it was brilliant. Barbra Streisand and Donna Summer: a young (gay) boys dream collaboration.

Donna passed away on May 17th, 2012. This is my husband's birthday, and so I will always remember the day. When I heard that Donna had died, my heart sank, and I was filled with so much emotion that I never thought I would have for a celebrity. You hear of people crying, mourning, and being inconsolable over the passing of a favourite celebrity, and I always thought that was silly. You don't know these people. There is a definite disconnect between you and them, how can you possibly feel that way?  Well, until the day Donna Summer died, that is how I felt. When she died, I was deeply saddened. A stable force in my life, was gone. Although I did not know her, it felt like a family member had passed.

In the Summer of 2012, we embarked on a Roadtrip, as we do every summer. This year we were headed to Nashville and Memphis, Tennessee. I had heard that Donna Summer was buried in a cemetery in Tennessee, somewhere, but I never gave it much thought.

On our way out of Nashville, we decided to stop at Belle Meade Plantation, and after we left there, we kept going along Hwy 100, with no particular destination in mind. I don't know what kept us going that way, but for some reason, we knew this was the path we had to take. As we drove, we came up to the Harpeth Hills golf club, and that name rang a bell. I remembered that I had heard Donna Summer was buried at Harpeth Hills Memorial Gardens. So, we asked a local grocery store where this was, and they directed us. This woman was obviously a fan, as she teared up a little at the mention of Donna Summer. She told me how she had met her many times, she came in to the grocery story often and was very unassuming. She was just a local girl when she was there, she was not the huge celebrity. She talked about how absolutely wonderful Donna was to everyone. The town loved her, and she loved them back. They simply adored her, and she was going to be missed terribly.



 When we arrived, we drove around the cemetery, and every grave was marked, but it was impossible to find what we came for. We circled this beautiful garden that looked newly planted. There was a fence of shrubs, and a beautiful floral arrangement in the centre. I suspected this had to be what I came for. With a little uncertainty, I went up to the offices, and asked this very nice woman: "Is Donna Summer buried here?" This woman was so sweet. She not only told me that Yes, Miss Summer was in fact buried here, but which plot was hers (yes, that beautiful new garden). She then began to tell me about her run ins with Miss Summer over the years in town,  and how amazing she was. We talked for like 10 minutes about Donna, and it made me wish I had met her.

When you love a celebrity, and then get a chance to meet them, They don't always meet your dreams or expectations, but I got the feeling from these people, that Donna was everything you would hope for. She seemed kind, gracious, loving, and well -liked. I really wish I had had the chance to get to meet her. In my life, I have never even had the chance to see her in concert.

Dear Donna- I remember yesterday.

"From the very start, you stole my heart I knew right then we would never part"

I created this post to share my love and respect for one of the greatest singers of my generation, whom I have adored for my entire life. I know cemeteries are not on everyone's road trip itineraries, but at Roguetrippers, we look for out of the ordinary travels, and Paying my respects to Donna Summer at her final resting place, is definitely something I will remember forever.
Love to Love you baby.

Oh, The Places you will go

Where are you headed for Vacation in 2017? 

Many people enjoy going to an all inclusive resort to relax, unwind, and enjoy pampering.
Others are more adventurous, and enjoy going on a hiking/outdoor type of adventure.
Some are more into Sight seeing with group tours, or cruise lines.

And then....there is our personal favourite type of traveller:
The ROADTRIPPER.

As avid road trippers ourselves, we always love piling our gear into the back of our Nissan Rogue, and hitting the open highway on a destination of fun and adventure. We often don't have a specific destination in mind. We just pick a direction, and see where we end up.
We love offbeat adventures, attractions, museums, and random roadside attractions and so we plot out the map looking for the best to see along the way.

One question we are guaranteed to get when we come back is: "How do you find this stuff?"

Well, we use a combination of tools. Of course our favourite is Social Media. There are many great posts that come across your news feeds on Facebook, and twitter, if you have a lot of travelling friends. I flag the ones that are of interest to me, and I create a mental itinerary for future.
another great tool we always check out before we go anywhere are a couple of websites that cater to the offbeat:  Roadside America, and Roadtrippers. These websites are a treasure trove of offbeat attractions, and unique destinations that will surely keep you entertained.
We never go anywhere without looking there first to see what they suggest.

One other resource we like, but it is very specific to one area, is the book "Along the I-75". This book is a fantastic resource for any one taking a road trip along the I-75 from Detroit to Florida.
It has detailed information on every turnoff, rest stop, facts about each area along the way, and places to eat, sleep, drink, and get a great photo.

I am always looking for the next great Road trip adventure, full of unique places to visit.
IF you have any suggestions, I would love to hear them.

Let us know:  travel@roguetrippers.com

Check us out on Instagram at:   @Rogue_Trippers
to see our travel adventures

Happy Travels. 

RogueTrippers

We will be creating a new website, entitled RogueTrippers

As avid RoadTrippers, who drive a Nissan Rogue - we created RogueTrippers.com
Be sure to check us out there, where will be using our knowledge, and experience with travel and tourism to help other travellers make memories for themselves.

You can also Find us on
Facebook:
Instagram:
Twitter:
TripAdvisor

If you would like to sponsor a post or join us on our journey:

travel@roguetrippers.com

where will the road take us next?

Elora Ontario

WWW.ELORA.INFO

If you are thinking of taking a road trip in Ontario - the Historic Village of Elora is a destination one should consider. 

Located 20 minutes north of Guelph, 1 hour from London, and Toronto - Elora is situated on the Grand River - and boasts an amazing Gorge, Quarry, and many trails perfect for Hiking. 

The Town has many unique shops and restaurants, that cater to people who are looking for something a little different. 

Antiques, collectibles, jewellery, and doorknockers galore can be found at Mermaid Antiques

Fine French tableware, gifts, and culinary items are at Pariscope & Provence Soleil. 

Great Candy, Sweets, handcrafted Ice Cream, Gelato, and Sorbetto can be found at Sweet Distractions. 

There is a great repertory cinema The Gorge Cinema. 

Fine Vintage women's wear, clothing, and accessories at Sweet Trash Vintage Salon. 

........and so much more. 

There is only one place to find out everything you need to know about Elora, Ontario to plan your visit. 

Check out the ELORA BIA website, and Facebook Page. They have all the details on every business in town, activity, or event. 

When you look for Elora Tourism sites - there is one facebook page that has over 10,000 followers. DO NOT follow this page. It is NOT a representation of what Elora Ontario is all about. This page is run by a man who is only out to promote his own businesses. 

if you see /pawsinElora in the weblink on facebook - that is the WRONG facebook page to follow. 

he owns 2 businesses in Elora and you will begin to see that he promotes those ad nauseum. He is not out to help boost tourism, just to further line his already well padded wallet. 

Country Music Hall of Fame

hee haw show logo

I admit I am not a huge country music fan, but I do appreciate several country artists and am always open to discover new artists whom I enjoy. I love Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, Reba McEntire, Patsy Cline, and so many more. As a kid, I always loved watching the hillbilly and country shenanigans of Hee Haw! I never missed an episode. My favourite stars on the show were Minnie Pearl, Lulu Roman, and Cathy Baker.

On a recent road trip which included Nashville, Tennessee; we stopped off at the Country Music Hall of Fame. The CMHoF is quite impressive. The walls are covered in memorabilia, gold and platinum records from various country artists, and an extensive history of Country Music dating back to the early days of bluegrass, hillbilly, honky tonk, and mountain music. I was quite impressed with the the representation  of what appeared to be every major star in country music and some lesser-known stars and pioneers.
In country music, the costumes have always been as much of a star as the artist wearing them. Its hard to imagine some country artists without their iconic fashions, and many of these costumes are on display.  There is even a station for the 'kiddies' where they can design their own country music stage costume.

Classic Minnie Pearl costume

World's Longest Covered Bridge is 111 years Old

Hartland Bridge

The Hartland Bridge in Hartland, New Brunswick is the longest covered bridge in the world. 
It crosses the St. John River in New Brunswick and it was officially opened July 4th, 1901 and today is the 111th Anniversary of it's opening. 


The Town of Hartland is situated along the picturesque and scenic St. John River Valley.  Hartland is located approximately 72 miles ( 120 km ) west of Fredericton, New Brunswick and approximately 100 miles ( 160 km ) east of Edmundston, New Brunswick, when travelling on the Trans Canada Highway (Route # 2). We are only a short drive from the Maine/New Brunswick border crossing at Woodstock.

Ice Cream Month

Cool Scoops Ice Cream Parlor
Wildwood, New Jersey

July is National Ice Cream month in the U.S.
It is a designation President Ronald Reagan made back in 1984, but there is no reason why we can't show our appreciation for this tasty treat here in Canada.
Ice cream is enjoyed by millions of Canadians every year, and it comes in such a wide array of flavours, and it seems to be a universal treat world wide.
While on vacation, I am always trying ice cream from where ever I am hoping to find unique and interesting (and local) flavours.

What is your favourite local Ice Cream Parlor?