Growing up in the Greater Los Angeles Municipality, I know from “Sprawl”…and the resulting traffic. However, LA is contained by mountains and ocean, unlike Atlanta, which just keeps seeping out in every direction. Trying to accomplish our adventure goals in all parts of the “City” and its’ immediate suburbs meant hours of inching…along…in…traffic. We were also on a cleansing diet for a week and couldn’t even drink cocktails at the end of these long days on the road (see the blog, “Fried and Battered”, November 2012 to explain why the extreme diet was necessary). However, the sites we visited were just outstanding and we stayed here for a full week. The Arts and Music Scene is well funded here by Coca-Cola Chairman of the Board, Robert Woodruff of the eponymous Art Center Atlanta. But other adventures called to us as well:  Silvercrest rail/bike trail conversion (goes West to the border with Alabama),  4 tango events with our new tango pals, and the outstanding exhibit, “Black Jaguar, Shamanistic Arts of the MesoAmericas” at Emory University’s Carlos Museum.

The CDC Musuem (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) promised to be filled with ghastly pictures of Ebola Virus and Guinea Worms (Yippee!!), but was really too geared for younger children to be very interesting to anyone who reads even a little science or is thrilled by really disgusting photos of the effects of tropical diseases.

An exhibit, a monument, an inspiration to what one person with resolve and great sacrifice can accomplish, is displayed at the Civil Rights Museum. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s efforts along with many regular citizens, far braver than most of us, ensured that, “Freedom and Justice for All”, meant something. We spent 6 hours there and were speechless most of the day with emotion. Martin Luther King, Jr. was raised in the Ebenezer Baptist Church, now owned by the National Park Service. His grandfather and his father were the preceding pastors here, as pictured below on the pulpit. We sat in the original pews listening to recordings of Dr. King’s sermons here, with Mahalia Jackson singing back-up hymns. So strong, so brave, and so loving.

We were struck by how young he was, age 26, when he led the Montgomery Bus Strike and led the Southern Baptist Leadership Conference. His intense study of Mahatma Ghandi and application of the principles of non-violence gave the protests national coverage as the world watched passive protesters including elders and children be set upon with attack dogs, clubs, tear gas, firehose spray, and horses…just for demanding that the U.S. Constitution, keep its’ promise to Black Americans. For this he and his family received up to 40 death threats a day and a bombing of their home, he was jailed 14 times, and he was criticized by other Southern Baptist pastors for creating unnecessary trouble and risk for the Black Community.

A turning point in public support was the coverage from Chicago, where Dr. King said he met greater animosity than any other city, including Black Sunday during the Selma/Montgomery march. Dr. King just used that abusive experience to call for the “March Against Fear”, and filled the Washington, D.C. Mall. He clearly presaged his death as he begged that the struggle continue, stating that he may not be around to see it to its end. Below is his wife and youngest child at his 1st memorial service.

His lasting message to us after a life of sacrifice for the principle of freedom…

…in need of a great, high end burger joint! Otherwise, this small city in Western North Carolina has it all. We were impressed by the number of independent book stores.  With this greater sophistication, there are of course, higher prices for services like the YMCA, organic food, and high end chocolate stores. The city also gets an A+ for window design. One clothing store is well known for a yearly window display created by the staff, all made of paper.

  I can’t remember what this store sold, but it was eye catching and invitingly weird.

I guess when you have the Biltmore in your town, you would just have more sophistication than the average WNC town. Vanderbilt’s 255 room home, was done up for Christmas. Their floral design curator has 12 full-time staff, as every inch of the place is decorated with fine detail…65 tall trees, wreaths, swags in the house, the visitor center, the onsite hotel, Village and Vineyard. His goal was a castle bigger and finer than any in Europe.

Okay, Vanderbilt, you won, but we find the Hearst Castle on the California coast more of a realistic size for an American magnate, and featuring more American Art and Design. Wouldn’t most of us choose a weekend riding horses, having cocktails at the Neptune pool, while hanging out with the artists of the day? Perhaps, that is just this California Jewish cowgirl’s bias.

Right after earning my brand spanking new driver license at the age of 15 and a half, I celebrated by driving for a long five hours through the nicest country – all the way from my Kentucky hometown, Louisville, to the Great Smoky Mountains right on the borders of Tennessee and North Carolina.  Right up there at the highest point, Clingsman Dome (6,643 feet), my friend and I backpacked and camped out for several days.  It is the highest mountain of the entire 2,174-mile Appalachian Trail and the third highest east of Mississippi.  Imagine my heightened excitement being in the deep wilderness on the top of that old mountain as a teen!

Forty years later, I was so much looking forward to it once again.  Alas, to my dismay and shock, the drive is obviously not the same, especially the last twenty mile or so before the west-end of the entrance to the mountains.  Gone were those wet lushly green forests, now flattened and filled with a near-nauseating, heavy-traffic drive through some of the most extreme tourism business sector I’ve seen in a while.  Included there were stacks of blinding flashing billboards, massive gigantic factory stores, and especially these massive theme parks – along the stretch.  There were a Titanic ship, promising that you can touch its iceberg (Ha!), a “King Kong” clinging on a skyscraper tip, “Dollywood” ads everywhere.  It felt endless!  I can just see Henry J. Potter’s smirk of appreciation.  At last, we entered the National Park, the cool stillness of the blue misty air.  The Great Smoky Mountains have not changed.  Whew!

The misty mountains are part of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which was established in 1934.  This park we were told proudly while we were in Tennessee is the most-visited national park in the United States.

As we drove into the National Park, the view of the Smokies was just as you might imagine – the smoky bluish haze sitting serenely just above the mountain tops. The name “Smoky” comes from this natural fog, giving the impression of large smoke plumes from a distance. This fog is most often seen in the morning and after rainfall.  Mainly, it is formed because warm humid air from the Gulf of Mexico cools quickly as it reaches the higher elevations of Southern Appalachia.

This is a lovely area of natural stunning beauty and a hiking paradise.  We spent only two days relaxing at the Smokemont Campground where we hiked 8.2 miles along side pristine mountain creeks and rivers, and picturesque mountain ranges, with pristine mountain streams and rivers. Ah, I felt the serenity floating within me, just like when I backpacked here as a teen. <smile>

Sally

The Western approach to Great Smoky Mountain National Park is a blighted landscape of billboards (in Sevierville, pronounced “severe-ville”) and goofy monuments to American Family Entertainment (Pigeon Forge)…and we didn’t even get near Dollywood Theme Park, on the outskirts of town. Sevierville is all about shopping, and during this season, you know they pull out the stops to get your buck: the biggest drive through neon light exhibition ever! Dancing Cleopatras doing the King Tut walk, rock bands drumming, genies popping out of bottles…you get my drift. However, a Best Buy-sized store that only sells knives is more like a museum. Cool!

Thinking we had already finished with the craziness, we were shocked by 10 miles of main road lined with wacky architecture to lure the needs of the American Family for….entertainment of  course! You can travel the world without leaving town…

Home Sweet Home in Appalachia…

Manhattan…

We definitely prefer tin-can pigs pulling sleighs!

We Americans know how to have a good time!

We got to Knoxville, TN just after the front page story in The Tennessean (Nashville newspaper) celebrating Knoxville’s status as one of three completely economically recovered cities. Unemployed residents we met at a Tango Practica here, disagreed.

However, the Downtown area on a Sunday morning was thriving with locals and their dogs enjoying the pedestrian art park that runs for blocks with outdoor dining and a creek. There’s even a downtown dog park!

Old structures are preserved, and new amenities make it inviting. The University of Tennessee campus (400 acres) and the Tennessee Valley Authority (which oversees a regional network of over 20 dams) have shaped this city. Where else can you find a Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame?

Replete with 60 miles of dogwood trails, art laden bike paths, and free transportation on the Trolleys, it is easy to get around. We are just sorry we missed the Boomsday Festival on the river waterfront during Labor Day weekend, the largest fireworks show in the South.

President Andrew Jackson had his home in Hermitage, TN. It is very well preserved. However, President Jackson is an evil jerk and historians agree…sort of.

He was asked to lead very poorly performing troops against the British. Instead he chose an army of freed Blacks, and Indians as he believed that they wouldn’t flee in the heat of battle against seasoned troops. He was right. He ascended all his public offices and survived a hard fought battle for his second term in the White House, based on his win in the Battle of New Orleans, and earned the nickname these brave troops gave him for his ferocity, “Old Hickory”.

Here comes the evil jerk part. He then turned around and engineered the Trail Of Tears, wherein four thousand Cherokees, Choctaws, and Seminoles died, of the 15,000 forced to relocate by U.S. troops. Their lands provided space for frontier development.

In just 41 years at The Hermitage, Jackson’s original 425-acre frontier farm evolved into a diversified 1,000-acre cotton plantation by the time of his death in 1845. He pulled that off with the free labor from his slaves. He even advertised that he would give a reward to anyone who would give his escaped slave 300 lashes.

He betrayed the same people that gave him his success and reputation. Any question he is an unapologetic evil jerk?

After visiting the museum, I could not enjoy the house with fine original wall paper and furniture; it made me too angry to hear the “spin” that the costumed docents are trained to give. They say his evil acts are balanced by the “rights” he put in place that Abolitionists, African Americans and Native American Indians later used to argue for their equality under the law. Puh-leeeeze!

I left the manse and wandered out to the fields, imagining humans toiling there against their will. Instead, my mood improved when I found these Belted Galloways from Scotland! Apparently the CEO here is a Scotsman and found a good tax loophole for his darling herd.

Lety, our Mexican rescue dog, dressed in her white goose down vest for the cold, thinks they are just copying her fabulous fashion sense.

We agree with her as we now see her style copied everywhere we go.

Shouldn’t Bill Cunningham be documenting this new fashion trend in the New York Times?

Many also call it, “NashVegas”. You can see their point when a fat white Elvis waits with you at the traffic light. They also have an exact scale model of the Parthenon in Athens, Greece …Okay… there is some flamboyance going on here!

Otherwise, it is better than Vegas as the live music venues (called honky-tonks here) are everywhere, in volume, with talent, and charging no cover. Usually, starting at 2 PM daily, four acts are booked at each so you can wander from place to place all evening to pick your favorite style of country…and we found two blues clubs.

Named the “Buckle of the Bible Belt” due to the huge volume of religious publication centered here. There are also more than 800 churches, a lot for a population of 600,000. Yet, music reins. Although country rock and rockabilly (think Presley) preponderates, it is balanced by the lovely harmonies of gospel crossover and old tyme music. There was a good bit of the ballad/pop/modern country fusion, fortunately counterbalanced by some fiddles playing irish trad, bluegrass, and of course the banjo and strings that Bill Monroe and the Clinch Mountain Boys introduced at the Grand Ole Opry in their “Hillbilly” music lineup. Did I mention the influence of Earl Scruggs? The entire 2nd floor of the Country Music Hall of Fame is devoted to these Hillbilly artists. The exhibit is immensely well researched with evidence of the banjo’s primacy in Africa before being brought here by enslaved Africans. Musicians jam on the streets and these parking signs show the priority on music in Nashville.

The Ryman hosts the Grand Ole Opry live radio show twice a week. There’s nothing like Minnie Pearl’s traditional greeting, “How-Dee-e-e-e-e!” and  her advice, “Hey Northerners! Put something fried on that salad”! However, some of the modern country tunes with goofy titles like, “If I Could Have A Beer With Jesus”, were not sung like the humorous “achey-breakie” country style, but as a slow and mournful prayer. Yep this is a thoroughly, seriously Christian town. There are no “Happy Holidays” greetings here, as one is corrected with a pointed, “Merry Christmas”.

I learned that Bud Isaac was the first musician to create and play a pedal steel guitar. He said everybody started to try to tune their guitars differently to get that sound, but it was not possible to get it without building a whole new instrument, with a new sound.

Nashville is booming with new construction. The new convention center is being constructed on three downtown blocks, while Patsy Cline supervises.

The old and the new mix comfortably in Nashville. The mounted officers are proud to tell you that they ride only “Tennessee Walkers”, as they should as it is a really comfortable riding gait, faster than a walk, and smoother than a trot.

Boots. Western Style dress. Very big here. Every block seems to have a boot shop with some quirky marketing…

The Frist Center for the Visual Arts provided amazing eye candy. Carrie May Weems, photography exhibit was moving as she unflinchingly shoots poverty and beauty all over the world. Also, “Degenerate Art” was on view as well in the German Expressionist exhibit owned and developed since 1943 at the Detroit Institute of Arts. Hitler denounced this art and proceeded to put on the biggest and best represented expressionist art show ever produced. Over 20,000 people in Germany went to see it. Kinda backfired, I’d say. Expecially as Peggy Googenheim and Valentiner swept in to purchase and export everything they could get their hands on. Unfortunately, many of these artists later suicided when they were fired, not allowed to paint, not allowed to rent, and were shunned by Germans fearful of the Nazis. We were disappointed that none of the galleries on 5th (Gallery Row) showed local artists.

…and if that is not enough entertainment for you, how ’bout serene fishing on a lake within Nashville that has no houses on it and makes you feel deep in the country as you head out in the boat? …or perhaps 3 hours of bowling, including the shoes for $6…or maybe covered tennis courts for $30/month so you never get rained out? We really enjoyed all these things in Nashville so much and want to come back soon, but maybe we will wait for the nightmare traffic due to all the construction to end first!

Are we lucky, or what?  An invitation to a real Southern Thanksgiving, joining our dear friend Diane, her wonderful sister Laura, and their kin. Even though Laura is the Superintendent of all Middle Schools in Nashville, and works long hours, she always hosts the holidays. We watched as all the family chefs began to lay out huge platters of their signature dishes.

Normally, I don’t take pictures of food because it requires special skill to look edible in photos. However, I break my rule here to showcase Bertha’s chopped collards in ham hock pot liquor. I also vow never to eat another piece of sweet potato pie if it doesn’t look like Bertha’s…souffle light, straight forward splendor. Diane used TV Chef Alton Brown’s brined, roasted turkey recipe (no basting, and no opening the oven door to peek), as did my mother in Los Angeles: moist and delicious; even those who hate white meat asked for more. At dinner, I also received instruction on making my favorite: hot water cornbread (no leavening and fried of course!)  According to, “Southern Belly”, by J.Edge, Tennessee is famous for the “Meat N’ Three” plate lunch. It usually is a meaty entree and sides of coleslaw, greens/veggies in pot liquor, and of course, cornbread. Pork and cornbread are for sure the heart of Southern cooking!

Okay, so where does the “Battered and Fried” come in? A delicious restaurant by that name creates light, non-greasy, crunchy fried products. We had never tasted rich molten hot cheesecake and brownie bites in a crispy coating before. Fortunately, we don’t live here as the richness and texture is addictive.  We also had to try fried Hostess Twinkies with a bourbon vanilla sauce, only because there may never be a fried Twinkie opportunity on the planet ever again, with Hostess’ demise. The “Twinkiness” just disappears into molten and crunchy sweetness.

With all the good food available here, we knew what was required. Diane dragged us to three sports a day: tennis (covered courts!), golf (three affordable, gorgeous courses), a huge modern YMCA, free to us for our first 14 visits, and took us out fishing on Lake Percy Priestly! We just cannot find all these amenities at these prices at home. We danced at a (free) Tango Milango downtown, as well as taking a tango lesson. We keep meeting Californians who have moved here for the affordable real estate and the culture: food, arts and entertainment, sports, and the extremely friendly people. We love Nashville…and haven’t even told you about the arts and culture part yet! We were deeply honored when Laura said, “So where is the rest of the family?” when Steven and I were out for the evening.

At last we are at the great divide. Most Southerners say the West ends here, but we’ve seen no cowboy paraphanalia, red rocks, or profusion of tex-mex restaurants since we left OK; Arkansas is definitely not “western'” in feel as it oozes southern charm and cuisine. Tennessee, however, is all about music, fishing and pit BBQ. Now we are hearing sentences beginning with, “Hon” and “Ya’ll” on a regular basis, along with “Crick” instead of Creek, and you can’t buy wine or hard liquor in the grocery stores, even the Walmart.  The Pyramid in Memphis, the former convention center was recently purchased by Bass Pro, who will renovate until 2014 and open the ultimate mega fishing store.

Memphis showcases the Alabama and Mississippi blues players who came north to record with Sam Phillips at Sun Records. B.B. King is their major hitter of course but the list includes, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis, and of course, Elvis Presley. People make a big deal about Rock-a-billy because Graceland is 10 minutes away. However, Sam Phillips always claimed that  Howlin’ Wolf, was, above Elvis and all others, “His Greatest Discovery”. The staff and I had a rousing discussion about the identity of the King of Rock and Roll. They are convinced the King is Ike Turner (and the Rythym Kings) in 1951; I remain convinced it is Chuck Berry (1956). I guess reasonable minds can differ on this topic. Nonetheless, November is W.C. Handy month in Memphis so we enjoyed the free concert in the eponymous park by the Juke Joint All Stars, and enjoyed a blues solo performer in a club on Beale Street.

We also went to STAX records, A.K.A. “Soulsville, USA” (in competition with Motown’s “Hitsville, USA”). Their proceeds support an on site grade 6-12 charter school and an audition based music academy, primarily for at risk youth. STAX  major hitter was Otis Redding, but they produced for Albert King, Booker T. and the MGs, and Isaac Hayes. Of course we hummed “Dock  of the Bay” for a while after our visit. What I took away from the exhibits is the understanding of Gospel as the roots of Soul Music.

We had to try the BBQ at the Cozy Cafe in Memphis. We could smell it from blocks away, whole turkeys roasting for Thanksgiving, along with the ribs, pork shoulders and the unusual cornish game hens. We tried to limit the calories by just going for a slab of ribs, without the sides, even though their banana pudding, another specialty made by a local school teacher, was calling out to us.  I realize as I am making a study of pit BBQ cuisine, that I like dry-rub, where it is all about the meat, not the sauce. I asked the older guy working the pit here how long he had been pit cooking. “All my life”, he responded. It showed in the product; best BBQ I have ever had.

A visit to Memphis must include a visit to the Lorraine Motel. I stood on a second floor balcony, next door to the second floor window from which James Earl Ray shot and killed Dr. King on the balcony of the Lorraine Hotel on April 4th, 1968. I re-experienced the anger and loss of such an amazing and inspirational man. His assassination made me understand how deeply he rocked the rascist assumptions inherent in this country, and enabled us to see that we had the power to change it. The comments he made in the days immediately before the assassination, presaged his demise, calling for all of us to take it forward after he was no longer there to lead.  A chilling reminder of what one person with a dream can accomplish for a nation.

The following day we visited the Shiloh National Military Museum/Battlefield/Cemetary. The numbers are staggering with over 20% of the soldiers, Union and Confederate, killed in battle at the site, most of them young recruits. This site is noteworthy as the first major battle of the Civil War. The Union was in retreat, as the Confederate soldiers mounted a surprise attack before Union reinforcements had arrived, yet prevailed with reinforcements, sending a message that the Union would sacrifice everything to win this war. Tennessee was also the site of the most decisive battle at the end of the war, and Tennessee was the first of the Confederate states to join the Union. I felt appreciative of the many sacrifices made to end slavery. I hope that “Lincoln”, the new movie with Daniel Day Lewis, can stand up to the dramatic story of his leadership. Again, I am reminded that one person, with sufficient wisdom, conviction and vision can make a world of difference, especially with a support team. General Ulysses Grant was supported at Shiloh by an amazing staff, many of whom went on to great accomplishment: Two became Presidents (Grant and Garfield); John Wesley Powell lost an arm at Shiloh but became one of the great explorers of the American West (see previous blog 11/2/2012: “How do you HooDoo?”); Henry Stanley, a newspaperman who tracked down Dr. David Livingston in Africa; William Jenney whose Chicago multi-story engineering feat gained him the name “Father of the Skyscraper”; and Lew Wallace who penned the novel Ben Hur. That’s the kind of folks I want on my team when I need to accomplish a task requiring extreme bravery and intelligence.

The Fall colors are still blazing here the week before Thanksgiving. The rolling, forested hills are a welcome relief from the flat prairies of OK and the Top of Texas. Hot Springs, AR is a charming town for a hot soak, gangster tour and BBQ. Although most of the 47 springs have been capped, there is one next to the Arlington Hotel where it is left to flow down the hillside. Otherwise you can go to 2 bathhouses for private or public baths. During Prohibition this town was jumping! Gambling and booze were available as the police were well paid to look the other way. Gangsters like Al Capone travelled in tunnels from the hotels to the gambling halls; Lucky Luciano was arrested by the g-men while hiding out here.

So much history makes you hungry. That, and reading John T. Edges book, Southern Belly. He is well respected in the Southern Food Alliance; when he says something is still great because it is made exactly as it was by the grandparents, we have been counseled to believe it and go there. We study his book, and we eat. We try new things, and then dab the last of the sauce, pick up the last crumbs with our fingers, and wonder how much exercise would be required to burn off the ribs with 3 sides. McClard’s in Hot Springs is one such spot, as is Lindsey’s in Little Rock. Lindsey’s has the unusual, “Fried Pies” (peach or apple, of course we had to try both!) Lindsey’s was also our first fried, hot water corn bread, a crispy, dense and hearty delight the size of your thumb…and of course Eleanor is the very friendly daughter-in-law of the owner, who keeps coming in just to make sure the “children” are still doing it right.  They are, she reports. We certainly cannot disagree…she brought us a smoked link on the house just to make sure we didn’t miss anything! I tried to take pictures of the food, but it looked disgusting. I guess food photography is a unique art form, beyond my abilities at present.

President Clinton Museum is a gorgeous cantilevered building overlooking the Arkansas River. It is filled with gifts received from foreign dignitaries, timelines of his accomplishments, photos, speeches, documents, and accomplishments (but no blue dress with semen sample!)

We caught the end of the “Mothers” exhibit, introduced by Chelsea Clinton, with material about her grandmothers. Bill Clinton’s mom was a hoot! Narcissistic, dramatic, extravagant. He must have loved to make his mother laugh. Whereas Hill’s mom is purely smart and pragmatic, as noted in the quote above.  Both are clearly warm and generous women.

We missed Bill’s visit to the museum last week, but I enjoyed hanging out with Hillary. I wore my signature Hillary pantsuit for the occasion but she upstaged me with the blue suit. She is a hard one to follow as she has won the mileage plus award; she is the Secretary of State who has put in the most miles representing our nation’s interests and in pursuit of whirled peas. I got to shake her hand once in San Francisco on Julia’s dare. Of the gazillion women trying for the same thing, I yelled, “Hillary for President” (a year before she announced her intention to run) and she reached over other people to shake my hand.