Date: Thu, 9 May 2002 20:35:03 -0500
Reply-To: Chris Mills <scmills@TNTECH.EDU>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Chris Mills <scmills@TNTECH.EDU>
Subject: Re: Tennessee from a Californian's perpective (was Bus Depot and
debate for Californians)
In-Reply-To: <OE61Mb1s7nlT2NqFJ3s000037a9@hotmail.com>
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>I had the wonderful opportunity to drive home (to Santa Barbara, CA) from
>Atlanta on September 12 last year in a rental car. For my first time, I
>traveled through the "middle" of our fantastic country. I have to say that
>some of the most beautful country I have ever driven through was around
>Chattanooga, TN.
I grew up outside Chattanooga. It's got it's short comings but for a city
it is alright. I still prefer a smaller town though. 6 years in the Navy
took me to live in Orlando, Norfolk, San Antonio, and Naples (IT). I got
pelenty of time in million person+ cities. Chattanooga isn't a million
person+ city.
>Needing some basics for the journey, I stopped at a Wal-Mart out in the
>boonies (I only had two suits with me). I even brought home a nifty
>camouflage tank-top t-shirt and a Johnny Cash CD as souvenirs
>(both evidently very popular in Tennessee, judging by their vicinity to
>the check stand). What a disappointment to find out, however, that the
>Jack Daniels distillery is located in a DRY COUNTY! No tasting room! :-(
You're in the south boy! <grin!> Rednecks everywhere here. For me there are
two categories - country folk and rednecks. I'll give you two guesses about
who I would prefer to spend time with and it doesn't start with an 'R'. I
love the country/boonies/hollers/woods (despite the fact that I am for all
intensive purposes a city boy). I don't care for modern country music,
cowboy hats or pickups but I guess they all have their place. Modern
Country Music is a factory product these days and the folks most commonly
found singing it grew up under the poor circumstances they sing about just
like me - poor sharecroppers sons and daughters. Yeah - right!!! Plenty of
folks here trying to ACT like they're country too. All image and no substance.
I don't take any of it too seriously and most folks I know get a chuckle
out of it... <grin>
We live in a dry county. What a joke. You can go to a dozen restaurants and
get a drink of liquor but you can't buy a bottle without the 25 minute trip
to the next county. I don't miss seeing the liquor stores though. We just
plan ahead and buy our spirits in Chattanooga when we travel there to visit
family. Always somebody passing laws to ensure your moral standards. I
don't care much about the liquor but I wish we could get a bottle of wine
from time to time to go with dinner. We get it during the day and stay away
from the little highway leading to Jackson county on weekend evenings
because the road is often driven by half-sloshed folks going back for
another bottle....
>I must also say that Kansas is highly underrated, at least the eastern
>portion of the state. Contrary to most perceptions, it is a beautiful,
>scenic place full of gently rolling hills and boundless vistas of open sky.
I only hear about the miles of flat corn country. Still would like to see it.
>I did get sick of eating at Cracker Barrel restaurants, though,
Is that possible??? <Grin> Next time try the oldest looking little diner
you can find. Usually you'll find good food and at a good price served by
good people. It's a good chance to see a fading piece of America under
siege by the fast food franchises and their customers. Cracker Barrel is
good. The selection is limited after a few dozen visits. They are just
cashing in on the country image too. Tastes good most of the time I think.
>and the
>scenery took a serious turn for the boring as I approached the Colorado
>state line. I also stopped at a winery in Kansas; they were very proud of
>the fact that out of the three wineries in Kansas, they were the *only* one
>that produced all of their own grapes. I bought bottles of "Spagetti Red",
>"Prarie Sunset", and a nifty "Eiswein" (ice wine) as gifts for my wine
>afficionado (aka wine snob) friends back home. I haven't opened any - I
>plan to keep them as reminders of that cross country journey, which will
>probably stay with me for a long time.
I thought Colorado was suppose to be scenic and Kansas boring... Tennessee
has many little wineries as well. One about 30 miles from here imports
their grapes from CA but does the rest locally. Very good table wines.
>Despite my wonderfully bizarre rental car (a Pontiac Aztek, as luck would
>have it), I did find myself really LONGING for my Westy and a week or two of
>free time to really enjoy the trip.
At least nobody would steal your Aztek. I hear that they are pretty nice
though if you can keep your eyes closed.
>I spent the first "night" (about three
>hours) at a motel in Columbia, MO, the next in Beaver, UT (about 4 hours)
>and then made it home the following day. It was amazing how as I got closer
>to the west, the "buzz" at the roadside restaurants gradually changed. The
>mood became more anxious and the motels with available rooms became very
>scarce. The population density and the vast migration of the people that
>had been "trapped" out west made it almost impossible to find a place to
>stay (which explains why I had to go all the way to "Beaver" to get a room
>at around 4:00 in the morning.) I tried to sleep in the back seat of the
>Aztek, but without any blankets or a jacket, and an outside temperature of
>about 40 degrees, I could only nap for a few minutes before the chill
>settled into the car. I dreamed of my Westy, with the blankets and spare
>jacket in the closet!
>
>Ever since that trip, I have found a new appreciation for both the people
>and places that I used to refer to as "Fly-over country", and my VW Vanagon
>Camper.
I wan to make a similar trek someday in our Westy or on my motorcycle (I'd
prefer the Westy). Slow and random - choosing direction with the persuasion
of the wind.
Enjoyed your trip report Brent. If you ever make it through again look us
up (we are on the AIRS list) and we'll go get dinner someplace other than
Cracker Barrel...
Ciao!
Chris Mills
Cookeville, Tennessee
ICQ# 5944649
