The Bowen Knot ⌘: Day Trip: Elvis Presley and the Follow That Dream Parkway in Yankeetown, FL

Thursday, February 12, 2015

Day Trip: Elvis Presley and the Follow That Dream Parkway in Yankeetown, FL

This afternoon I had a doctor's appointment to get all of my prescriptions updated before we move to Cuenca, Ecuador. I also had him check a funky looking mole that I have. The mole is okay and the doctor didn't feel it was anything to worry about. Once I was finished at the doctors Mom, Dan, and I decided to take a drive and get some lunch.

We headed toward Yankeetown, Florida. It is a tiny coastal town on the west central side of the state. This town was flipped upside down in the Summer of 1961. During July and August of 61' Elvis Presley and a large film crew from Hollywood, CA showed up to film the movie "Follow That Dream." That is one of my all-time favorite Elvis movies and until we moved to the area I had no idea that the movie was even filmed here. Wow, I was just thinking that it has been almost 55 years since they were there filming the movie. Now Today, Yankeetown, Florida, looks pretty much the same as it probably did back then.

It was super simple to find the right road

And just after turning off US 19/98 there was this sign to let us know we were on the correct road

If you remember the movie, then you should know that the whole area was completely transformed by the Hollywood Film Crew and 2 local teen boys. This included adding a pretty white sand beach, a wooden house, and a fishing pier.

This is a picture from the movie, showing Elvis sitting on the bridge at Bird Creek

Almost 55 years later and there is a big difference

Nothing remains except for the bridge......not even the sand beach

It was fun to look around and just imagine Elvis being there and all the glamour of Hollywood.

Film Shot #1

Film Shot #2

Once we got to town, we headed to the Riverside Inn for lunch. It was located right on the water. The food was yummy. We all shared the Nachos, Soft Tacos, Fried Onion Strings, and Cokes

Nearby, the Withlacoochee River flows into the Gulf of Mexico. In the distance is the Crystal River, Florida Nuclear Power Energy Complex.

While we were having lunch mom read an article in the newspaper about a local bakery. So, on the way home we took a side trip to Dunnellon, Florida to the Just A Cupcake! Bakery & Cafe to pick up some Pre-Valentine's Day Yummy's!

Just a Cupcake! Bakery & Cafe

Yummy!

2 for $1.00 and we got 6 for $3.00

Cannoli's

$2.25 each

1 Dozen for $20.00

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Our blog is about a lot of things. Our daily lives, our move to Ecuador, and the vacations we plan to have. Please read and follow our travels through life. We welcome comments! Making friends along the way would also be great. People have described us as being colorful and animated. Our family looks at a glass and always considers it to be half full. We have an easy going attitude. We think things should get accomplished and that in the process you can still have fun. Feel free to come along on our families journey.

The Bowen Knot - Shamrock Rating System

One Shamrock: This indicates the worst service possible. If awarded, it means we would never EVER use the service again. If it was a food establishment the food was barely editable. This means a complete fail with little to no redeeming features. We will never go there ever again.

Two Shamrocks: This is a service that we might consider using again to give it a second chance. But, the experience that we had would normally cause us to award one shamrock if not for some key redeeming features. If it was a food establishment the food was okay, but still sub-par. We didn't like the food. Serious room for improvement exists.

Three Shamrocks: Normal middle of the road service. We might have had some bad or some good but they were offset somewhat. This is service we would use again but we will look for a better provider. If it was a food establishment the food was good. We like it and will return. There might be room for things to get better but it is still a decent meal.

Four Shamrocks: Great service. This is a definitive repeat for us. We like a lot about the service and recommend it. If it was a food establishment the food was excellent. We liked it a lot. We like the place enough to return frequently. There are very few detractors.

Five Shamrocks: Outstanding service. This is service that treats us above and beyond what we think we deserve. We consider this what we would want to find all the time and what we hope all service providers would want to obtain. If it was a food establishment the food was perfect. No issues whatsoever. We loved it and would eat there everyday.