The Explore All 50 States Project
Let's Go!
Arkansas felt sort of like Tennessee's little sister rich in country charm but missing the bits of glamour and flash. Lovely rolling hills dotted with beautiful towns echoed a simple and wholesome lifestyle. I have to admit that I expected Arkansas to feel plain and a little bit backwater, but driving through I didn't get that sense at all. Little Rock is a sophisticated city but it has an easy going air about it … [Read more...]
A trip to Little Rock would not be complete without a visit to the State Capitol Building. When we arrived at the stately building there was a protest about health care going on right in front. We headed in past the crowd gathered on the lawn, and walked around inside. The rotunda was kind of plain and there wasn't much to see in the way of artifacts or artwork with the exception of the stained glass state seal, but … [Read more...]
The Clinton Presidential Library has the most extensive collection of material and artifacts that we have seen in any presidential library that we have been to so far. Bill Clinton raised a fortune for this library, and it shows in the beautiful presentations and the recreations of the cabinet rooms and the oval office. Being able to walk through and sit at the Presidential desk or the table gave all of us a real … [Read more...]
The kids and I were amazed to see that Little Rock High School still functions as a regular High School especially since its place in history was cemented when the National Guard had to escort 9 African American students onto the campus so they could attend classes when segregation was ruled unconstitutional. This was one of the battlefields where the war for civil rights was waged—and won. Right around the … [Read more...]
As you may have already figured out, my crew cannot get enough of treasure hunting and so you can imagine, digging for diamonds at the Crater of Diamonds State Park is all anyone could talk about leading up to the trip. For some reason, this particular area holds a treasure trove of diamonds and on an average between 2 and 5 are found daily. The area is plowed twice daily in the hopes that the diamonds will come … [Read more...]
As we toured Tennessee I was struck by several competing visions. I was amazed by the big city cosmopolitan feel of big cities like Nashville and Memphis but in looking a little deeper their small town roots became readily apparent, each city is quite famous for it's music scene, Nashville being the center for country music, and Memphis being the home of blues and soul and what would later become rock and roll. In a … [Read more...]
Sometimes driving along the road you can encounter a really awesome experience that you missed when doing your research. That's exactly what happened when we came across the Bush Visitor Center in the town of Dandridge—What a fun little surprise this was. Of course we've all seen Bush's baked beans on the shelves at our local supermarket so we pulled over and headed right in wondering what we'd find. Inside … [Read more...]
Driving through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park was something I'd always dreamt about and the scenery was more beautiful than anything I'd imagined. It's truly magical and I could see how it inspired so many of Dolly Parton’s songs (which I had playing in the car to set the mood and provide the soundtrack to the imagery we were seeing). As we motored along through the peaceful forests, every now and … [Read more...]
The production of whiskey and Bourbon have a long history in Tennessee and one of the best places to learn about it is to Go to the Jack Daniels Distillery which offers factory tours. We arrived at the visitor center and got tickets for our tour and while waiting, walked around and saw many displays that explained the whiskey making process, and what make Jack Daniels brand so unique. When it was time to leave on … [Read more...]
For lunch or dinner try…The Pig on Beale- So if you’re a meat eater, you just have to sample the famous Memphis BBQ. Memphis BBQ is unique since it's more vinegary and spicy BBQ as opposed to Carolina BBQ which is sweeter or Texas and Kansas City which is more smoky tomatoey. So there you have it, American BBQ 101. As we were walking down Beale Street (which is the heart and soul of the Memphis music scene) … [Read more...]
