Below is Part 3 in my Spring/Summer ode to our 2006 Family Cross Country trip. The format is a blend of illustrative writing in the present, and excerpts from my journal that I kept during the two month journey. DISCLAIMER: This one is a bit long, as I am covering a number of days spent in the great state of Tennessee!

In the past 10 years it seems Tennessee has arrived! With the mainstream popularity of Country Music, Nashville has become a destination for tourism beyond just true Country Music fans. Vanderbilt University attracts top students from around the world. The amount of construction cranes in Nashville rivals most larger cities in the US. But Nashville is not what defines Tennessee. It was not what defined it in 2006 during our summer roadtrip, and it is not what defines it, here in 2021. There is so much more to this beautiful state beyond Lower Broadway and Tootsies! When our RV entered this “foreign”, yet intriguing state, crossing over from Bristol VA to Bristol TN, we were excited.

So, in late June 2006, after coming down from a couple of days in the Blue Ridge Mountains, we knew we had definitely entered a new world. The winding roads were lined with rolling mountain ranges and colorful small towns. Bristol was indeed a cool spot, but our sites were set on The Great Smoky National Park.

We left Bristol after a quick dinner stop, and some entertainment by the boys jumping from one state to the other over the Main Street center line ( Bristol is in Virginia and Tennessee…divided along Main Street). Our destination tonight would be our campground in Great Smoky National Park. It was late as we came through Pigeon Forge, home of Dollywood. The boys, who were sleepy, sprang to life as the NEON enveloped them. This tourist destination is a mass of Bible Belt entertainment. We passed Christian gift shops, amusement parks, multiple signs for Dollywood (lit up like Time Square), go carts, arcades…you name it…it was a a young boy’s heaven. Suddenly, we realized that it would be difficult to turn their attention towards the nature awaiting us. They begged us to stop, but we resisted. Another hour out, and a few more arguments about why we should have stopped in Pigeon Forge, and finally, we pulled into our campground. It was peaceful, rustic, and welcoming. The smell of campfires filled the air……

And so, here we were in Great Smoky Mountain National Park. This was our first real National Park, and we were…..intimidated.

We woke up after our first official night of sleeping in the RV. My sleep was pretty good, once the boys had settled down and stopped “shaking our house”. I looked outside and observed an array of tents, trailers, and RVs. Most everyone seemed to be more “professional” at camping than we were. There were gazebos, woodpiles and crafted firepits, clotheslines, and even outdoor living rooms. Everyone seemed to know one another. We were intimidated.

Our time spent in Great Smoky National Park was considered our awakening in many senses. It was our first time actually camping in a national park. It was our first real encounter with travelers from all over the country, and the world. We crossed over from intimidated, to exhilarated. The hi light of this stay was our hike to Abrams Falls.

We had scouted out an intriguing hiking trail from our Smoky Mountain pocket guide, and decided it was enticing enough to push the envelope and hike 5 miles roundtrip to Abrams Falls. There were still a few grumbles about Pigeon Forge as we drove a beautiful scenic loop towards the trailhead. We addressed those and also the complaints that 5 miles was akin to a “death march”. The trail was apparently flatter than Humpback Rocks and followed a stream that would eventually take us to the Falls. The water along the way, and the thought of a swimming hole at the destination provided the necessary incentive. We met other hikers along the trail, discussed the beauty of the park, potential bear sightings, and where we had traveled from and where we were going. These engagements were one of those intrinsic gifts that kept giving throughout our travels. Upon finally reaching Abrams Falls, we were rewarded with a swimming hole beyond our expectations. It was teeming with families swimming, and jumping in from the rocks above that framed the falls. The boys were instantly in their element, and there would be no mention going forward of Pigeon Forge or arcades. They swam, jumped, and became instant friends with strangers. They were not intimidated.

Nashville in 2006, did not look much like Nashville in 2021. We had never been to Nashville before 2006, and at that time, the city was basically known for The Grand Ole Opry ( ironically the updated Opry sits 15 miles outside of downtown), The Ryman Auditorium ( the original Grand Ole Opry), Lower Broadway, and The Country Music Hall of Fame. Lower Broadway was lined with some of the original honky tonks, not the multitude of multi level neon spectacles of today….. In 2006, there were no troupes of bachelorette parties, nor country wannabe baby boomers, nor roving bands of college students on break. Back then, there were few high rise buildings. There was no “foodie scene”, beyond the down home cooking outlets that were family owned. Our first impression was that it was gritty, but certainly a friendly town.

After an early evening visit to the Grand Ole Opry, and a dinner at a nearby roadside restaurant, where we indulged ourselves in catfish, fried chicken and hush puppies, we decided to wait until the next day to tackle downtown Nashville. Heading in the next morning, we informed the boys that the first stop was The Country Music Hall of Fame Museum. They protested that this was not an educational trip, but again, we invoked our dictatorial rights. This Museum is a must visit for anyone going to Nashville for a few days, and I suggest doing it before you hit Lower Broadway. What amazed the boys was that they recognized more names of musicians and bands than they had anticipated. They were drawn in by the interactive exhibits that introduced them to music they had not known well, and they especially loved Elvis’s gold Cadillac. We all emerged with a better appreciation of country music, and how it’s history is closely weaved into American history. Next stop was Lower Broadway. The boys were too young to enter any of the local bars, so we took note of some names for our future, kidless, return to Nashville! Instead we found a charming luncheonette, and ordered hot dogs and Cokes, all while being entertained by a live Johnny Cash protege, who was almost as good as The Man in Black. We wandered up and down Broadway, enjoying some western apparel shops and poking our heads into the doors of a few “joints”, wishing we could trust our 15 year old to watch the other three while we treated ourselves to just one beer……..

Memphis, the home of Blues and Bar-B-Que……and ELVIS. Our trip across Tennessee from Nashville to Memphis was a good three hours. It wasn’t especially pretty, as the geography began to flatten, leaving behind any trace of the majestic Smoky Mountains and green rolling valleys. We were headed towards the Mississippi Delta region! I did a bit of research on Memphis and, because we only had one overnight, I made a pretty firm itinerary for the 24 hours. We would visit Graceland, spend an evening on Beale Street, and we would stay at the Heartbreak Hotel. This last item, in hindsight, should have never been on the itinerary…..but it added some color to the Memphis journal entry.

Graceland was a wonderful eye opener. We weren’t sure what to expect. We weren’t Elvis fans, and had not done much research on the site. We just knew it was not to be missed while in Memphis…… and besides, I did love the Paul Simon song and imagined myself dancing in, singing, “I’m going to Graceland, Graceland”. I had envisioned Graceland to be a spectacular southern plantation style estate, set far from the masses. It was not. It is a mid century manor style home, set on about 6 acres in a suburban neighborhood roughly 10 minutes from downtown. It is large, but not what I had anticipated as the home of “The King”. Once inside, we were treated to a step back into the 1970s, and the personality of Elvis Presley. Each room was decorated in the distinct and somewhat garish style of that colorful decade. After all, Graceland was left exactly as it was decorated on the day that Elvis died in 1977. The home spoke to the innocent boyishness of its owner. Our boys loved the basement, which was a true “man cave” and is called “The Jungle Room”. They were also very curious about the shooting range! I think they would have been happy to spend a week or two living here. What did I take from this experience? I learned that despite everything the tabloids avowed about Elvis being flamboyant and living to excess, he was a deeply spiritual man, who loved and took care of his family and close friends. Graceland was purchased primarily for his parents, as he felt that they deserved comforts in life that they had never enjoyed. I was now a fan.

Memphis Blues and Memphis Barb-B-Que go hand in hand. When we decided to spend a day in Memphis, the night had to include both of these. Beale Street is the Lower Broadway of Memphis……it is where you can wander from bar to bar, enjoying live blues, convivial crowds, and a mouth watering selection of BBQ. Elvis Presley left his mark here, but he was preceded by BB King, Booker T, and hundreds of little known soulful musicians of the 40s and 50s. Their influence has provided the foundation for this city that prides itself as the Blues capital of the world.

The Heartbreak Hotel was, well, heartbreaking. Two factors played into this. First, I am admittedly, a hotel snob. The Heartbreak Hotel was nothing more than a 3 star motel with Elvis themed decor. The intriguing aspects of the “hotel” were the constant cycling of Elvis movies on the TVs in the rooms, and the heart shaped pool. We watched bits of “Clambake” and “Blue Hawaii” during the stay, and the boys had the opportunity to cool off in the pool. The other factor was the unexpected 4:30 am wakeup call the next morning, when some young pranksters decided it would be ok to pull the fire alarm. This was not the Ritz Carlton. As for our evening visit to Beale Street, that was the hi light after Graceland. Beale Street is an ongoing Blues party. The street is cordoned off from the traffic, allowing visitors to stroll along with a beer in hand and listen to various blues bands along way. We decided to eat at Blues City Grill, and I suspect any place we had decided on would have been just as delicious. We downed our ribs and pulled pork, listened to the in house band that was very talented, and then headed out for more strolling. The stores lining Beale Street are a collection of kitschy gift shops and record stores. We stayed out way too late, and upon returning to our digs at the “HH”, fell exhausted into bed…..but not before watching a half hour of “Clambake”

If you have not yet planned a late summer or early fall getaway, consider the great state of Tennessee. This state combines the opportunity to explore the beautiful Great Smokey Mountains National Park, immerse yourself in the birthplace of country music and blues, and not mentioned above….but very important to note…..decompressing at one of the country’s finest resorts, Blackberry Farm.

I can’t believe 15 years have passed since my first journey to Tennessee during our cross country trip, but I am happy to proclaim that I have made it back over the past few years……. and did eventually get into some of those honky tonks on Lower Broadway!