Found another twisty-turny that took me thu the northern part of hill country Tennessee to Knoxville.  Passed by the Norris Dam which was part of the TVA that brought electricity to those small towns I’d passed.  Completed in 1936, it was named for Frank Norris, a senator from Nebraska.

I’d contacted Joy, a friend from Knoxville I’d met on the July Alaskan trip and she generously invited my sister-in-law, Janey and me to stay with her.  Our plan was to spend a couple of days in Knoxville, wander down to Nashville and then on to Memphis.  It became obvious we’d bitten off a bit more than we could handle in the time that Janey was with me so concentrated on the Nashville and Knoxville area.

Janey had contacted a stable owner in Knoxville about riding a horse.  Turned out he not only owned the stable, he boarded and trained show horses and sulky racers.  A woman in her mid-80s and a man darn close to that arrived to give their horses one last trot around the track before their upcoming events in Macon GA.

Tuesday, Janey & I left for a couple of days in Nashville.  A huge mix-up with my online ticket purchase for the Grand Ole Opry left us none for that evening.  On a fluke, I suggested we check with the box office and found there were two available; one was a mezzanine chair and the other standing room.  Snapped them up.

The Opry has become a huge complex with large theater, hotel, & shopping mall.  We found a comfy place to stay on the outskirts and began our Nashville experience.  Didn’t realize the show was a live radio broadcast, complete with commercials.  A great variety of performers including Dierks Bentley, Greg Bates, Lorrie Morgan & Pam Tillis.  Although I know little about the current music, the show was terrific.  Especially an elderly man who played one heck of a mandolin.

The following morning we visited The Hermitage, Andrew Jackson’s home and grounds. He was a study in contradictions – on one hand, the champion of the common man and democracy and on the other, a slave owner and the president responsible for the removal of Indian tribes from their land which became the Trail of Tears.

 Next it was the Country Music Hall of Fame. Great exhibits of the history, music, costumes and artifacts with the bonus of a special Patsy Cline exhibit. Got to re-live some of the old Roy Rogers/Gene Autry movies, see the Webb Pierce car with pistol door handles and beautifully beaded and embroidered performance costumes.  Spent over 2 hours there and if the legs and feet could have held out, could have spent more.

Took a walk down to 2^nd street where there are open bars with live country-western performances all day.  Just walk in, sit down and listen.  Found a group of rag-tag street performers and sat on a stoop and enjoyed.

While Janey & I were soaking up Nashville, our tour guide, Joy, was making plans for our Knoxville visit. Spent two days driving and hiking in the Smokies, including a drive thru Cades Cove, a town dotted with old log homes and churches whose residents were allowed to remain in the park until the original owners died off. Outside of Gatlinburg, we wandered a roadway lined with Appalachian art and craft shops where Janey became smitten with a horse sculpture and I bought a pair of earrings. Met a chatty Eastern transplant who steered us toward a hilltop restaurant for dinner that came with great apple fritters.  Also worked in a

misty Norris Dam river walk among the early emerging wildflowers, a visit to the Appalachian Museum (a collection of pioneer buildings and artifacts, including farm animals)  and a trip to the Oak Ridge museum (where a retired engineer became our personal  guide to the history of the bomb construction and the research facility’s present projects). Ooops.  Almost forgot the Zumba workout at the Y!  The pressure’s on Janey & I to come up with an equally lively experience when Joy visits us.

Dropped Janey off at the airport for her return to NY and I continued on thru Cherokee National Forest and my eventual date with Elvis in Memphis.  Somehow took a wrong turn and Patience & I ended up on a rutted gravel road that followed a lovely river.  Luckily, I was the only one on the road as I needed the entire width to avoid the potholes.  Decided the original route wouldn’t have been nearly as much fun and it was a beautiful way to begin the day. 

Stopped at Shiloh, names for a Methodist meeting house of that name. In addition to watching the film, I took the driving tour of the battlefield which had stops along the way commemorating the different battles.  The back and forth victories between the Grant and Johnson armies was finally settled by the arrival of Union reinforcements who came up the Tennessee River led by General Buell.  This battle secured the railroad lines for the Union and was the beginning of the end for the Confederacy holding the Mississippi Valley. 

The big attraction in Memphis is Elvis-town – Elvis everywhere.  Movies being played in hotel lobby, music coming from shops and exhibits, guitar shaped swimming pool. Glad I began early because the crowds were huge later in the day. Spoke with two sisters from IL who had dragged their 10 year old son/nephew on the tour.  Signed up for the house, plane (2), car and Old Tupelo exhibit.  Was surprised at the size of the home – a nice sized colonial but not overly expansive. Also thought I’d see red velvet but instead the theme was peacock blue, including stained-glass peacocks. The addition of a racquet ball court, turned into a museum, covered his history and included costumes and Pricilla’s wedding dress. Also exhibited were lists (and checks) of the little known donations he made to many individuals and community organizations in the Memphis area. The finale was his gravesite along with his mom and dad, covered with gifts from fans.

Took a short walking tour of downtown Memphis.  Very picturesque with the trolley coming down the middle of the street.  Had to stop by the Peabody to quack at the ducks.  I missed their entrance from the elevator but they were happily splashing around in the huge mid-lobby fountain.

Crossed the Mississippi into Arkansas and noted that the travel center was closed.  Not a good omen.