On Saturday, Joe and I drove up on Rocky River Mountain to the farm of Jimmy Yates known as Hard Times USA. Each year he opens his 700 acre estate to the public at no charge! This is the first time we've gone and we were so glad that we did. We had heard a lot about it and we were still surprised at what he has done there over the last few years. There were hundreds of people there to appreciate what one man's vision has produced in a relatively short amount of time. It was like entering a park where the past is remembered and honored. These pictures tell a little bit of the story, but definitely not all of it. In essence, he has created an ole-timey town - complete with saloon, barber shop, general store, livery stable, post office, doctor's office, cabins for rent, etc. He has plans to also build a church and a school. If ever you're in the neighborhood at the right time -- you'll definitely want to add this stop to your itinerary. It's a great place to take the whole family and is a real history lesson for children and poignant reminders of the past for those who are older. There were musicians, restored vehicles of all kinds - including a TN State Trooper car with lots of state trooper "stuff". The saloon was stocked with antique bottles (no alcohol allowed on the premises), the store was filled with antiques -- you get the idea. There was a covered dish luncheon in the old-timey fire hall -- the likes of which I've never seen anywhere. The amount of food was unbelievable! We didn't go for lunch since we'd only allowed ourselves time between conference sessions. Nothing was for sale (that we saw, anyway), except for fried apple pies and ice cream that were being sold to raise money for the Rocky River Fire Department. We saw several people we know, the weather was great, the generosity of Jimmy Yates was evident everywhere, and his vision was something to behold. We had a great time!
The wood inside the "saloon" was almost all cedar, including the tables. Smelled fantastic, which, come to think of it, would be just the opposite of how a real saloon would smell!
This is Mr. Yates house that sits right on the side of the mountain. I'll bet the view is really something once the leaves have fallen. I felt like I was on the Ponderosa!
This is a covered-walk-bridge down below the house. It crosses a gorge that has a rapidly moving mountain creek and waterfall. I took pictures but they didn't come close to doing it justice, so I didn't post them.
On Saturday, Joe and I drove up on Rocky River Mountain to the farm of Jimmy Yates known as Hard Times USA. Each year he opens his 700 acre estate to the public at no charge! This is the first time we've gone and we were so glad that we did. We had heard a lot about it and we were still surprised at what he has done there over the last few years. There were hundreds of people there to appreciate what one man's vision has produced in a relatively short amount of time. It was like entering a park where the past is remembered and honored. These pictures tell a little bit of the story, but definitely not all of it. In essence, he has created an ole-timey town - complete with saloon, barber shop, general store, livery stable, post office, doctor's office, cabins for rent, etc. He has plans to also build a church and a school. If ever you're in the neighborhood at the right time -- you'll definitely want to add this stop to your itinerary. It's a great place to take the whole family and is a real history lesson for children and poignant reminders of the past for those who are older. There were musicians, restored vehicles of all kinds - including a TN State Trooper car with lots of state trooper "stuff". The saloon was stocked with antique bottles (no alcohol allowed on the premises), the store was filled with antiques -- you get the idea. There was a covered dish luncheon in the old-timey fire hall -- the likes of which I've never seen anywhere. The amount of food was unbelievable! We didn't go for lunch since we'd only allowed ourselves time between conference sessions. Nothing was for sale (that we saw, anyway), except for fried apple pies and ice cream that were being sold to raise money for the Rocky River Fire Department. We saw several people we know, the weather was great, the generosity of Jimmy Yates was evident everywhere, and his vision was something to behold. We had a great time!
The wood inside the "saloon" was almost all cedar, including the tables. Smelled fantastic, which, come to think of it, would be just the opposite of how a real saloon would smell!
This is Mr. Yates house that sits right on the side of the mountain. I'll bet the view is really something once the leaves have fallen. I felt like I was on the Ponderosa!
This is a covered-walk-bridge down below the house. It crosses a gorge that has a rapidly moving mountain creek and waterfall. I took pictures but they didn't come close to doing it justice, so I didn't post them.
What a great outing! Looks like a neat experience in a picturesque locale. I'd love to go sometime.
ReplyDeleteMark your calendar -- first Saturday in October! Come on down . . .
ReplyDeleteIt is a beautifully designed 700 acres that takes you back in time. Thank you Jimmy Yates
ReplyDelete