Country Rockin and Ribs - Tennessee - September 2009

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Another one of those spur of the moment things. We had a long weekend and Tennessee seemed like the perfect fit. Why not Kansas or Minnesota or Florida? I don't know. We do things just be random - most of the time. It's always funny when we go on these adventures. We laugh because the first question many people ask is, "Do you have family there?" We respond, "Nope!" and the puzzled faces are always amusing...the fact that we would pick a place on a map where we don't have a personal connection! Unheard of!

On to Tennesse: it was rainy our first day there, but driving aroung NASHVILLE we found Krispy Kreme (they closed the one in Albuquerque, but since then they have been reopened,) so we knew that TN would be good to us. (sorry Dunkin Donuts. Life is not fair sometimes.)

We headed to LYNCHBURG (a nice 2 hour drive south from Nashville) for the TENNESSEE WHISKEY TRAIL. We started at the famous Miss Mary Bobo's restaurant, anticipating Southern Soul Food. Unfortunately, we were not welcomed without a reservation, and they would not make an exception for a "South African that came all the way around the world to eat there," so we took our business to the Bar-B-Que Caboose Cafe. We had a delightful meal with some good lemonade and pecan pie. Next we visited Mr. JD himself - JACK DANIEL'S DISTILLERY. Neither of us are big fans of whiskey, but we figured it would be something fun to do. We actually prepared ourselves for spending several hours there and recover from the "tasting process" so we won't have to drive straight after. Much to our surprise, (freakin a) the county of Lynchburg, is a DRY COUNTY! That means NO WHISKEY for us! At the end of the tour, however, they did offer us some lemonade. Ha ha. The tour itself was very entertaining and is highly recommendable. We had a great guide, he was funny, involved with us, and looked like he has spent many decades at the distillary. It's astonishing how much whiskey they make each and every day and how they store these thousands and thousands of barrels for years and years. We left somewhat disappointed that we couldn't experience Jack with ALL our senses, but the tour itself was well worth it. I think we may have gotten "tipsy" just through all the whiskey aromas!

We hit the back roads (this was beautiful - winding roads through green pastures and rolling hills with barns and horses everywhere) and ended up in SHELBYVILLE for the TENNESSEE WALKING HORSE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS CELEBRATION. They have the TENNESSEE WALKING HORSE MUSEUM in Lynchburg and we quickly went through the museum and we could see that this was going to be an interesting event. The way the horses posed looked "different," and it caught our attention. Well...where do we start with this. They are like show horses, but it literally looks like the horses are walking. It's all showmanship and glittery dresses and big prizes. Later on we found that this competition is not very popular with people, because the horses are apparently treated pretty badly and it is a very strenuous process for the horse to learn to "walk" like this. There are even talks of stopping the show. Well we saw it - been there and done that now. We had some nice-greasy carnival food since you can only look at walking horses for so long. We wandered along all the tents where all the participants camp out for the week. It's a fascinating world of glitz and glamour and old money. Really another one of those Deep South things - or so it looked anyway.

On Thursday we decided to explore NASHVILLE and we went looking for LOVELESS CAFE - the "World's Best Ham and Eggs." Again we managed to find ourselves on the back roads amazed (our jaws hung open) at the big southern plantation homes with acres and acres of land. The ham, eggs, and homemade biscuts were great (they had "got biscuts? t-shirts) and Nikkie loved the grits. Next stop was the BELLE MEADE PLANTATION. Let's just say it took us a while to find it. It's southern style home that looks straight from the movies. Its a old plantation-style home filled with original objects with interesting decorations and styles of the times so it was a good TOUR. When inside, you wait for Scarlett O'Hara to walk down the hall 😉 There was a "salt" house and slave quarters on the grounds. The most interesting part is learning about the family histories: everything from love stories, business disputes and who left their mark on history.

Plantation hopping was the thing to do, so we crossed town to the famous HERMITAGE (home of President Jackson). (Actually we thought our hotel would be close to the Hermitage since we were spending the night at the Hermitage Hotel.) The house was located on massive grounds with a beautiful garden which a ANDREW JACKSON'S GRAVE. The house was a lot more modern than the Belle Meade and it was interesting to hear about Jackson and everything he did. We were off to our hotel for a night at the HERMITAGE HOTEL (what a beautiful LOBBY). What an awesome hotel. Great service and Nikkie loved the bath. Since we do not rest on our vacations we were immediately off to explore the NASHVILLE MUSIC SCENE - we had tickets for the GRAND OLE OPRY HOUSE. It was an experience and stage with decades of history not to be missed. Our hosts were Jimmy Dickens (funny old man and great entertainer) and Mark Willis. It just has this relaxed concert feel and everybody runs to the front stage to take pictures. It really is a great show and worth every penny.
Next was NASHVILLE FOOD. We did a quick trip to JACK'S-BAR-B-QUE. It wasn't amazing, but to me, barbeque is barbeque at most places. Rudy's in Albuquerque is just as good - if not better. We went into the ERNEST TUBB RECORD SHOP - many old records and some going for a $100 plus - crazy. We also got in some live music at "The Stage". Nikkie fell in love with the atmosphere and the buzz people. It's not surprising that this is a music Mecca. Unbelievible talent everywhere.

The next day we were off to MEMPHIS. Yeah one day in a major city is enough. We were starving by the time we got there (we were saving ourselves) and headed straight for RENDEZVOUS - world famous for their dry ribs. Yes - MEMPHIS RIB JOINTS is definitely a must here. And oh...we were not disappointed. It was 2 very happy New Mexicans that walked out of that restaurant. I love ribs and these are at the top of my list now - as far as dry ribs go. I guess this was also our trip of nice hotels because we also booked a night at the PEABODY HOTEL. Of course they are famous for their WALKING DUCKS. They have a big fountain in the lobby where the ducks hang out and then promptly at 5 every day the "duck master" walks them to the elevator to their little "duck home" on the 11th floor. Quite the spectacle. We barely saw any of it since the place was just absolutely packed and I think we finally just gave up since it just became a stampede. Better luck next time I guess.

After this we headed down to BEALE STREET FOR MUSIC. Oh my word. It was like a mini-Bourbon street. And it did not help that everybody was there for the Mississippi vs Memphis football game on Monday. Well it actually helped a lot and gave it even more of a party atmosphere. We saw the obligatory Elvis impersonator. We also got our fix of the MEMPHIS MUSIC MUSEUMS. The MEMPHIS ROCK N SOUL MUSEUM on the history of the combination of rock and soul and how they sort of influenced their generations and the NATIONAL CIVIL RIGHTS MUSEUM where we had to run through quickly since we got there right before close. We saw the MARTIN LUTHER KING ROOM where he spent his last night and the little area where he was shot. It was very moving and we both wished we had a lot more time to go through the museum since it is just a fascinating part of American history and it was portrayed in a very interesting manner. For example they had a full size school bus to demonstrate the Rosa Parks incident. Definitely a place I would like to go back to see more.

We of course also hit up the MEMPHIS MUSIC SCENE and so since Nikkie and I are so different I totally fell in love with the soul music (I call it my roots). We did a quick visit to the CENTER FOR SOUTHERN FOLKLORE where they had a small live band. At the time we were there they also had the MEMPHIS MUSIC AND HERITAGE FESTIVAL so there were just stages everywhere with people playing great music. It was awesome. As always it is the lone musician just doing his thing on a street corner that really makes you appreciate this place the most. And you can always find a musician under the W.C. HANDY STATUE sharing his tunes. Otherwise you can just walk around and in each park and on every corner you can see someone playing their version of something or their rendition of a golden-oldie. We did the BB KINGS BLUES CLUB for some food and music. What an experience. It was not Preservation Hall, but then again nothing is and ever will be. We had tons of fun. We also ate at Dyer's (we saw it on tv) for an out of this world FRIED-BURGER and FRIED TWINKIE. Legend has it that the oil they use to fry the burgers in is 90 years old. Go go go go go go go go go. I am not liable for any heart-attacks though.

Our last day we did - what else - visit the king himself - THE ELVIS TRAIL. Nikkie has been looking forward to TOURING GRACELAND for the whole trip. What a rip-off the whole thing was!!!! (Elvis made enough money, but people just throw more and more!) Sorry I just had to get that of my chest. They are selling crap around every corner and people are buying it (guilty). It was fascinating to see the house that is so widely talked about. The JUNGLE ROOM was fascinating. Green carpets on the ceiling. It was also incredible to see all the gold records he had, and memorbilia from everything he was apart of. Rows and rows and rows and rows and rows and rows... The ELVIS GRAVE was kind of a somber site and it is mind-boggling to see how many people still send things to his grave. When we were there they received a massive bouquet the previous day from Australia. I guess we would never know how big an icon he was. We also saw ELVIS'S PRIVATE PLANES and the PINK CADILLAC and the HALL OF GOLD was probably one of the most impressive things. You just get amazed at how lavishly he lived and yet he is also portrayed as this quiet person who just wanted to get away from it all and Graceland gave him this. We completed our Memphis rendezvous with the MEMPHIS WALK OF FAME - sort of like the Hollywood Walk of Fame (mostly musicians though).

On our way back to Nashville we stopped in FRANKLIN (outside Nashville) at DOTSON'S for some fried chicken. We also did a tour of the CARNTON PLANTATION. What a fascinating plantation. It played a big part in the civil war - you still see some blood stains on the floors and the stories were just incredible. There is the CARNTON PLANTATION CEMETERY that still has hundreds of unidentified graves. While we were there they told us someone showed up the week before looking for their great-great grandfather.

We had an incredible trip. Nikkie fell in love with Nashville and I with Memphis. She with the country scene and I with the blues. The trip was very productive for the books. We did 16 things including Graceland, Memphis Rib Joints, Nashville Music Scene, Franklin, Memphis Music Museums, Memphis Music Scene, National Civil Rights museum, Belle Meade, the Grand Ole Opry, The Hermitage, Nashville food, Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration, and the Tennessee Whiskey trail. So 71 down and 3,251 to go.

Good bye from the Music City
Labor Day 2009

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Photos

Rendezvous
Dry ribs!!!! 'nuf said!!!

Lynchburg, TN
Oh the South!!!

Loveless Cafe
Oh we are funny!!!

Belle Meade
Just refreshing my history!!!

Nashville, TN
I like the girl on the right better!!

Graceland
The famous Nikkie face!!!!

Graceland
Oh Elvis!!!

Memphis, TN
Oh the Mississippi fans were happy and verrrry wasted!!!

Carnton Plantaion
100's of unidentified soldiers!!!

Jack Daniels
Another Nikkie creation!

Memphis
We're in trouble if this is the first sign!

Grand ole Opry
Good tiiimmmeesss!!!!!

Graceland
Shootin' some pool with the king!

Beale Street
Getting inked!