That movie, and more specifically that line inspired me to get up out of my every day routine, dust off my map-reading skills, and go! Where? Well, being a stay-at-home mom & living on a single income surely narrows the choices. And while I may not be able to buy a ticket and fly across the world, I can surely hop in my Jeep and travel across the state! Who says you need a passport to marvel at something? There is such beauty in my home state of Tennessee, and while I have lived here all my life, I have yet to see so much of it. We have great culture, food, and natural wonders of our own, and I intend to experience as much as I can in the coming months. So, welcome to my newest project, Touring Tennessee.
Franklin/ Leipers Fork:
The first thing that I did was google "things to see in Tennessee" and I found http://www.tntrailsandbyways.com/ that features tours, complete with printable tour guides and maps, in each region of the state. I chose the Old Tennessee Trail to start, since the first stops are in Franklin, TN, just a short 30 minute drive from where I live in Murfreesboro. So first trip planned....now for a sidekick.
The first thing that I did was google "things to see in Tennessee" and I found http://www.tntrailsandbyways.com/ that features tours, complete with printable tour guides and maps, in each region of the state. I chose the Old Tennessee Trail to start, since the first stops are in Franklin, TN, just a short 30 minute drive from where I live in Murfreesboro. So first trip planned....now for a sidekick.
The first person I thought of to tag along on my journey is one of my best friends, Laura. She has a love for photography as I do, so I knew I wouldn't feel bad about stopping on the side of the road to "marvel" and take pictures of random Tennessean moments. She is also a stay-at-home mom so we have the freedom to pick up and go during the less-crowded weekdays, which is a major plus.
So Laura, her son Ethan and I loaded up and hit the road to see historic Franklin and Leiper's Fork.
Somewhere in Franklin, we got a little turned around...not a surprise if you've traveled with either of us before.
So I pulled out my handy smartphone loaded with a navigation app, and we got back on track and headed to Leiper's Fork. This location was important hunting ground for Native Americans more than 4,000 years ago, and was later settled by Revolutionary War veterans who were given land grants as payment for their service. It thrived as a small community with general stores, lumber mills, blacksmiths, churches, a school, and the Middle Tennessee Railroad. Today it's still a quiet but cute community, and it's the only historic village on the Tennessee portion of the Natchez Trace Parkway. Our tour suggested Puckett Grocery as a popular eatery, so that's where we headed first.
It's known for great burgers and BBQ, so I naturally chose a chicken salad sandwich, haha! The food was great, the people were nice, and the atmosphere was nostalgic. From the outside, it doesn't seem like much. In fact, it seems a little "sketch" but once inside, I couldn't help but love what I saw. Good people taking a break to eat good food. And Ethan had a fantastic time.
After lunch we walked next door to the gallery to check out the work from local artists. I was drawn to the kids' shoes made from cement...go figure :)
We walked down the street to snap some pics of the Hillsboro United Methodist Church. The original portion of the church is 100 years old, and was once shared by Methodists, Baptists, Presbyterians, and Church of Christ on a rotating basis. Can you imagine?
Our last stop in Leiper's Fork was a great little Antique shop owned by a girl named Alex. I envy her job, and the view from her back porch. She had everything perfectly placed and organized, and was easy to talk to. She gave us the inside on a few of the local traditions and invited us to come back. We snapped a few pics of some of her finds before we left.
yeah, those are artfully hung....from the ceiling
I had to snap a shot of the Ford...I'm guessing a 50's model because it reminds me of the '51 chevy I drove before I got married...love!
We stopped at the historic Carter House...which is known as the most bullet-damaged building still standing from the Battle of Franklin...but they charged a $15.00 admission so we declined and headed to the square.
We admired the Franklin Monument, erected in 1899 to commemorate the Confederate soldiers, while window shopping at the square. After walking around we decided that downtown Franklin deserves its own day...so many places to eat and see. So we rewarded ourselves with Starbucks coffee and headed back home.
Amish Country:
Laura and I made a last minute decision to travel to Amish country for our second adventure. After checking out the area's website, we had high hopes. I've always heard people rave about the goods that the Amish have to offer, so we packed up the car, strapped in Laura's son, Ethan, and off we went! An hour and a half drive to a small Tennessean town by the name of Etheridge.
The website that we had found, featured what they called the "Amish Mall." Promising a one-stop shop for all your Amish needs. Covered wagon tours were advertised, and they also promised a few local restaurants, one of which boasted of the "best fried Bologna sandwich in the south." With those images in our heads, we arrived in Etheridge. Our mouths were watering, our stomachs grumbling, and both of us speaking words of comfort to hungry Ethan riding in the back. We find and pull into the Amish Mall, only to find....
We are the only people there. So we drive fifty yards down the road to the next establishment with a sign that says "Start Here." There are signs for a restaurant and wagon tours...maybe this is it! So I walk in to check it out, and maybe pick up a map. I walk in to what looks like an antique shop, and a few antique-looking ladies sitting behind a the counter. I ask about the wagon tours-"Well he just left, but he should be back in an hour and a half." I ask if that's how long the tour is, she says "yes." I tell her that we were hoping to eat at one of the local restaurants, and she replies "Well, the place next door is closed for renovations, but will be open in the next few days. And the one behind the store has a party of 100 people, and they probably won't be able to seat you." I ask if there's anywhere else to eat close by and she points us down the road to either a BBQ joint or a local deli.
The BBQ joint ended up being Ricks BBQ, which is a chain, and we were feeling a little more adventurous. So we decided on the local deli...which turned out to be a gas station.
This was beginning to look a lot like Tennessee is depicted on Television, I'm afraid. This "deli" featured the usual gas station fare, home goods (dust ridden decor from the 70's), VHS movie rental, and in the back...the deli. Which was run by a few ladies and what looked like a 5 year old girl. However, it was a great BBQ sandwich, and we were trying to stay positive. With 3 full bellies, we decide that an hour and a half wagon tour of the Amish community may not be a good idea if Ethan gets fussy. So, armed with a map I picked up, we take the self guided tour in our car. Yeah, that's Yoder Rd!
Driving through this community is like traveling back in time. The Amish settled this region in 1944. They arrived in a railroad car loaded with their horses, farm equipment, and household goods. There are around 250 families in Lawrence Co, and make up the largest "Old Order" Amish settlement. "Old Order" means that they have no modern conveniences: no cars, no tractors, no electricity, no running water.
Their three main values are religion, family and love for the land. They sported dark colored clothing, and feel that not wearing bright colors keeps them from standing out in the world. They follow the peaceful examples of Christ in all they do. The children attend school in a one-room school house until the 8th grade. They study reading, writing, arithmetic, English, and German. They make their living by working the land, so I suppose continued education would be a waste of time for most of them. They do not believe in having their picture taken, so us shutter-bugs had to show some restraint. Every view was picturesque. Small children working in the gardens or driving horse-drawn wagons donning wide brimmed straw hats or bonnets. It struck me how much responsibility is given to children. We saw a young boy, who couldn't have been much older than 8 or 9 driving a donkey while father worked the plow behind. I was all of a sudden grateful for my care-free childhood. As we drove we realized that each home who had something to sell had signs at the end of their driveway that listed the things they sold.
So essentially you could shop around. We, however, needed to warm up to the idea of driving up the driveway, knocking on the door, and then possibly leaving without spending any money. We drove and drove looking for the least ominous house...there wasn't one. Every house looks like the one before. Gravel driveway, white clapboard siding, screen door, dark open windows, clothesline, red barn, minors working in the garden, ladies picking from the fruit trees staring at us as we drive by. Most would wave, but we felt so alien in our car with airconditioning and radio...with our bright colored clothing and short shorts. So each sign we passed, we'd peer down the driveway, look at each other, look back at the road and keep driving.
We drove up to a community pavilion and witnessed a produce auction. It looked as if a family could bring their fresh produce and auction it off to other Amish families or even outsiders. We saw an Amish man holding giant spears of broccoli while the auctioneer called for "fifty cents a pound. I see fifty. Sixty cents. I see sixty. Seventy. I see seventy. Seventy five cents..."
We also stopped to take pictures of this small church with an.....that's right....OUTHOUSE! Can you imagine?!
This family, I would guess, mills wood for their living.
It was impressive to see the men working at the wood mills. There are rows and rows of whole logs, then a place where each log gets cut and spliced, and maybe another area where longer boards are planed. All without electricity! We later took a look at some of the furniture that these men make, and it's beautiful. The seams sanded to perfection, screws nearly invisible. Just solid, well made furniture.
This community is self sustaining. Almost every house had a small garden, a few fruit trees, maybe a goat or a few cows. Some had wood mills. Some made rugs, quilts and baskets. They rely on each other, and there is something very noble about that. So simple. No fuss. No muss. Just the land, family, and the basic needs of life. I am impressed.
Well, 4 hours later, we worked up the courage to drive into a driveway. We were greeted by the stares of children from their garden. As we drove up, the smallest boy dropped his garden tool and ran inside (the messanger, obviously). They watched us as we shopped their small stand of canned goods, bread, plants, soap, and cookies. When they knew we were ready, the oldest of the children, a girl, greeted us and took our money. She went inside, and told her father what we had. Up close, and peering through the open screen window, I could see a kitchen. A counter along the wall and a small table. Bare and unfinished wood floors, and the sound of an infant or toddler inside. Nothing on the walls. No sound of a television or radio like would be playing in my home as "background noise." I think I might have heard the faint sound of a rocking chair or a creaky kitchen table chair. Her father's voice, speaking in what I assume is German. I turn around to see the three or four younger children behind me and staring. Maybe expecting entertainment? Conversation? Looking at my bright yellow silk top, and our fashion sunglasses, I'm sure. The one to my right pushes a broken piece of wood off the end of the porch...apparently embarassed that it was there to begin with. Then the screen door opens and the oldest returns with our change. We thank them, grab our mason jars of fresh goodness, and walk quickly back to the car. We did it! And it was only moderately awkward.
While this trip didn't go exactly as planned, it served its purpose in leaving us educated and in awe of a local culture. I love my modern conveniences, but it has inspired me to live a little simpler. Maybe turn the television off when I'm not watching. Maybe be grateful my hot showers and electric stove. While I'm not sure I'll make that drive again any time soon, I will take my son Carter when he is old enough to appreciate the way they live...and ultimately appreciate the way he lives.
Tullahoma & Lynchburg:
This week, I decided to cross off a few spots in the Tullahoma area.
I grew up just a few minutes from Tullahoma city limits, so to me, it's home. The town is home to a few historic stops on the Tennessee Trails & Byways "Jack Trail", so I thought I'd cross off a few while visiting my family this week. There are lots of great local places, but the Sweet Aroma Cafe at the old Coca Cola building is one that I've never been to. This was an original bottling plant built in the 40's. Once a state-of-the-art facility, it produced 120 bottles of Coke per minute until it closed in 1973. Locals remember attending school dances here, and the time when it served as a designated bomb shelter. It has recently been restored as a restaurant and retail destination. It's been featured in Southern Living Magazine...so I thought I'd check it out.
Next on the list was Historic Lynchburg, home to the Jack Daniels Distillery. I grew up being able to smell the sour mash from my house on a day when the wind blew right...but I've never been to take a free tour. It wasn't going to happen this trip, mostly because we had 2 toddlers with us, but also because my mother and sister aren't invested in this project enough to endure the 75 minute tour with me. So I will leave that for another blog. Because I will go soon...the visitors center alone was too pretty not to snap pics of.
The highlight of this trip was Miss Mary Bobo's Boarding House Restaurant.
It is a hundred year old boarding house turned restaurant, and is home to family style southern cooking that I've heard about in grown-up conversation for years. The restaurant has several dining rooms, and ours, The Motlow Room, was located on the second floor. So the dinner(yes, we call lunch "dinner") bell rang at 11 and we headed up the stairs to eat.
In Miss Bobo's hospitality tradition, each table has a hostess who shares local history and makes sure the food gets passed to the left. You are seated at a table with people you may or may not know, but by the end of the meal everyone has a full belly and a new friend or two. This might be my new favorite.
The restaurant was bought by the Jack Daniels company when Miss Mary died and works with the distillery to serve tourists and locals alike. A few of our servers were actually fulfilling a working scholarship funded by Jack Daniels. The distillery gives them a scholarship to attend Motlow University(Turns out Jack and Motlow were cousins), and in turn they serve tables at Miss Mary Bobo's. Pretty cool.
It was so yum, and we made it out-2 toddlers in tow and no catastrophes!
So until I take the distillery tour....To Be Continued
