The Explore All 50 States Project
Let's Go!
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...]
The Cotton Museum is an outstanding place to learn about something we all take for granted in our lives and something that is such a huge part of American history. Think about all the clothes you wear and all the fabrics in your life that are made of cotton. Have you ever stopped to think about where that comes from? At one time, Memphis was the home of the Cotton Exchange, where cotton that was picked in the … [Read more...]
The Gibson Guitar Factory Tour is a wonderful place to watch American ingenuity and craftsmanship at its very best. We were fascinated watching and learning how guitars are constructed from start to finish. You cannot believe what goes into making these beautiful instruments and the incredibly talented folks who bring them to life. From molding and drying the wood into the unique shape, to the finishing process, … [Read more...]
Unlike Nashville and the Wild Horse Saloon, Memphis did not offer any kid friendly clubs to enjoy the Memphis music scene especially along Beale Street. So Yvonne and I did a little research on the fly and found Golf and Games Family Park. This place had everything: laser tag, mini golf, go karts, and arcade, bumper boats, batting cages you name it. Unfortunately it also had a ton of mosquitos, but after … [Read more...]
Just like you can’t miss the Opry in Nashville, so, too, you cannot miss Graceland in Memphis, the legendary home of the undisputed king of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley. It would be absolutely sacrilegious! On our way in the car we played a selection of Elvis songs that I burned to a CD so the kids good get familiar with Elvis' music. My first impression after stepping off the shuttle bus in front of the house, … [Read more...]
Walking up to the grounds of the Lorraine Motel it seemed that time had stood still here. The original 60's decor and the colorful sign were all left intact as they were on the day civil rights leader Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. Walking up to the hotel we found a beautiful marble plaque with a poignant inscription from the old testament marking the day those tragic events took place. A very … [Read more...]
