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Finding the not so quiet side of Tennessee on Day – actually Night – 13!

Posted in Country, London, Road trip on September 22, 2010| Leave a Comment »

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Today was night and day – or I should say day and night. It started off peaceful and quiet in Rock Island, with a visit to the idyllic Rock Island State Park, complete with picturesque waterfalls and meandering streams. But that was the end of my days of rest. My folks saw me off and I headed for the home of country music: Nashville.

En route I stopped at the airport and picked up my London girlfriends Helen and Keira. They were fresh from a stop in Atlanta, seeing their friend Slash in concert. Believe it or not, even though she’s from London and a true Brit, Helen is Country Music Queen – it seems she knows everyone here. I’m thankful to be along for the ride, since I can’t think of anyone better to show me the city.

I say city, and I guess officially it is – in fact, it even looks like a city as you drive into it. But once here it has a distinctly small, intimate town feel. Maybe it’s the cosy bars, the cowboy hats, the country music or the friendly atmosphere, but it doesn’t at all give you the cold, impersonal vibe that you get (at least at first) in most cities. It’s almost like Nashville’s an old friend rather than a new acquaintance you have to work to get to know. You’re instantly comfortable. 

After some delicious ranch pizza (yum), we went straight to a bar where one of her friends was playing, and then left for another bar for a while to meet other friends (another musician and his sweet wife) for drinks before returning to the first bar for the full show. It wasThe Stage featuring Craig Campbell and he and his band were amazing. They’ll be playing their first show at the Opry in October, and I’m sure it won’t be the last. 

After that we went and saw yet another one of Helen’s friends perform at yet another bar. This time it was Leslie Craig at Tootsie’s. Leslie has an incredible voice and she, along with the very cute and talented Tyler Bailey, covered everything from Johnny and June to Bon Jovi. We had a blast – and yes, Keira, we’re deleting the pics of us dancing on the stage!

Needless to say, it is late and I’m exhausted! Can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings…

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Day 10 – at home in Tennessee

Posted in Country, Road trip on September 19, 2010| 4 Comments »

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I woke up in Nashville, Illinois, and got on the road to head toward the ‘real’ Nashville in Tennessee. I was pretty eager to get to my parents’ house, which is half way between Nashville and Knoxville, so I didn’t plan any other stops today. Of course, you know me, something caught my eye…

Actually, it was a someone who caught my eye: Superman! I saw signs for ‘Giant Superman Statue’ in Metropolis, Illinois, and how could I resist? (Yes, I passed on the jolly green giant, but this is Superman!) It wasn’t too far off the exit, and worth the stop. It seems the only thing in Metropolis is the statue, a small Superman museum (very well done, from the outside, anyway), and a Harrah’s casino. I passed on Harrah’s. (I was amused to see the town’s Meals on Wheels van is sponsored by Harrah’s. I have a feeling they bring the area a bit more money than the Superman museum. Just a hunch.)

Back on the road, the only other stops were for sustanance – for both me and the car – and for information at the visitor’s bureau just over the Tennnessee border. I think I have every Tennessee brochure known to man. I apologize to all the trees. (I should note that I did drive through Kentucky. I pretty much blinked and it was over. Afraid I didn’t give it much of a chance – may have to go back.)

It was so nice to arrive in Rock Island and see Dad and Mag! I instantly relaxed. It will be nice having a home base for a bit. I’ll be staying here until I head into Nashville to meet up with my London girlfriends early next week. And I think I especially need rest before meeting up with them!

After a fabulous home cooked meal (thank you, Maggie!), we went to find one of my favorite deserts: funnel cakes at the Warren County Fair. I was thrilled to find out that I made it here for the last night of the fair. I love county fairs – the homemade goods competitions, the children showing their pets, the rides, the games, the excitement in the air and the yummy food! I restained myself and only had the funnel cake. It’s a good thing it was the last night!

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Detours on Day 9

Posted in Alone, Country, Road trip on September 18, 2010| Leave a Comment »

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Three states, five stops – and only one was planned. The destination for today was St. Louis, Missouri. (Originally it was Springfield, Illinois, but I decided I can get my fill of Abe Lincoln in DC.) And while it was great to see the Arch, today’s impromptu detours were even better.

The first happened by accident: I was on the phone, talking to Tina, and realized I was running out of gas. I pulled off the highway at the next exit (Aidan was not happy – he hates it when I stray from his instructions) as Tina mentioned that I should try to see some covered bridges while in Iowa, ala Bridges of Madison County. (Never saw the movie, but covered bridges would be cool to photograph.)  Just then, I looked up and saw I was entering Ottumwa, The City of Bridges! Talk about perfect timing. I gassed up and set off to explore Ottumwa. While I didn’t find any covered bridges, I did see several uncovered bridges, and took a nice long walk along the river, photographing them along the way.

The second stop was just as easy – I simply saw a sign for ‘American Gothic House – 1 Mile’ and was intrigued. Figured what was a mile out of my way? I was surprised to find it was actually the house featured in the famous painting of the old farm couple with the pitchfork. Turns out it was painted by Grant Wood, who was from Iowa, and it’s actually his dentist and his sister in the painting. He sketched the house and each of the people all separately and put it together in his studio. They asked if I wanted to get dressed up (they have costumes) and have my picture taken in front of the house, but I politely declined…

The third stop of the day was my favorite: Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer!!! (I always loved Huck.) When I saw the signs for Hannibal, Missouri, home town of Mark Twain and the setting for many of his stories, I knew I had to stop and explore. I saw their homes, the fence Tom got his gang to whitewash, the bank of the Mississippi, Becky Thatcher’s house, the whole neighborhood! I can see why it’s called ‘America’s Hometown’ – it’s a very traditional American town – just like you always wish you grew up in. I’d love to go back and go on the riverboat cruise!

The fourth stop was the only one on the original itinerary: St. Louis. I arrived later than I expected due to my surprise stops, so only stayed a bit. I parked by the river front, and on the way to the Gateway Arch discovered a statue of Lewis and Clark on the bank of the Mississippi. (I swear they both look like George Bush – and based on the year the statue was made, that could’ve been the artist’s intent…) The Arch was cool, but it was harder to photograph than I expected – being further away would’ve been better, but I did get a few nice shots. Have to say the area, at least by the river, was a bit sketchier than I expected. I wasn’t 100 percent comfortable being there by myself, so left before it got really dark.

I briefly contemplated driving straight on to Tennessee from there, but after an hour more of driving I gave up and pulled off the highway – stop five. I found myself in Nashville…Illinois! Not exactly the same, but it will do for the night.

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