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tennessee
gadfly homepage on the road home notes on places last contact: 1/2010 first contact: 7/2004

TN Trip Stats (6/09):

 

Counties visited: 38

Best county: Shelby Co.

Town visited most: Nashville

Places slept in: Meeman-Shelby SP (tent), Cedars of Lebanon SP (tent), Pigeon Forge, Cumberland Gap, Gatlinburg

Most impressive town: Gatlinburg

Least impressive town: Lebanon

Biggest town: Memphis

Most scenic area: Smoky Mountains

Most scenic spot: Morton Overlook

Highest Elevation: Newfoundland Gap (5048 ft.)

Three words: mountains, raccoons, musical

Unique Food: Waffle House, home of the Cracker Barrel, God bless it...

 

Long Trips: Southland Trip (7/04), Appalachia Trip (3/05), Katrina Relief Trip (10/05), Honeymoon (7/06)

 

Neighboring States: KY, MS, AR, VA, NC, GA, AL

 

Areas thoroughly explored: Beginning to wear a groove along I-65 corridor, although I rarely stop. Have been through the Smokies twice.

 

Major passes: In July, 2004, passed through state vertically from Dyersburg to Memphis and the next day traversed the state half-way horizontally from Memphis to Lebanon along I-40. In March, 2005, I passed vertically twice: once along I-75 from Kentucky to Knoxville and once along several roads from Greenville to Cumberland Gap. In October, 2005, crossed the state south to north along I-65 from Ardmore to Mitchellville. In July, 2006, crossed state twice.

 

Future Plans: Memphis was a great city and worth another few looks. I also want to visit the Civil Rights Museum which is located in the old motel where Martin Luther King was killed. Nashville is also a nice town worth another look. The Smokies and vicinity seem full of things to do for future trips. I also  think I should visit a few major Civil War battlefields if I want to call myself a history major in America. I drove by signs indicating the way to Shiloh, Fort Pillow, and Fort Donnelson without batting an eye. Maybe that should be corrected or maybe it would be boring...

tennessee.jpg (7067 bytes)

 First Contact: I first stepped foot in Tennessee at the I-155 bridge over the Mississippi 8 miles west of Lenox. The roadway toward US-51 at Dyersberg was quite plain and green. A sign told me I was on the Al Gore Sr. Highway when I got to Dyersburg, a small city in the northwest part of the state. From here I traversed the state travelling south through populated suburban areas along US-51.

Dyer Co. (7/2004)

Passed through along I-65 on the way home from Nashville. Bowling Green.

Lauderdale Co. (7/2004)

Passed through along I-65 on the way home from Nashville. Bowling Green.

Tipton Co. (7/2004)

Passed through along I-65 on the way home from Nashville. Bowling Green.

Shelby Co. (7/2004)

s and the town kind of gave me the creeps, although it was quite verdant. 

Fayette Co. (7/2004)

Passed through along I-65 on the way home from Nashville. Bowling Green.

Haywood Co. (7/2004)

Passed through along I-65 on the way home from Nashville. Bowling Green.

Madison Co. (7/2004)

Passed through along I-65 on the way home from Nashville. Bowling Green.

Henderson Co. (7/2004)

Passed through along I-65 on the way home from Nashville. Bowling Green.

Perry Co. (7/2004)

Passed through along I-65 on the way home from Nashville. Bowling Green.

Benton Co. (7/2004)

Passed through along I-65 on the way home from Nashville. Bowling Green.

Humphreys Co. (7/2004)

Passed through along I-65 on the way home from Nashville. Bowling Green.

Hickman Co. (7/2004)

Passed through along I-65 on the way home from Nashville. Bowling Green.

Dickson Co. (7/2004)

Passed through along I-65 on the way home from Nashville. Bowling Green.

Williamson Co. (7/2004)

Passed through along I-65 on the way home from Nashville. Bowling Green.

Cheatham Co. (7/2004)

Passed through along I-65 on the way home from Nashville. Bowling Green.

Davidson Co. (7/2004)

Passed through along I-65 on the way home from Nashville. Bowling Green.

Wilson Co. (7/2004)

Passed through along I-65 on the way home from Nashville. Bowling Green.

Sumner Co. (7/2004)

Passed through along I-65 on the way home from Nashville. Bowling Green.

Robertson Co. (7/2004)

Passed through along I-65 on the way home from Nashville. Bowling Green.

Campbell Co. (3/2005)

Passed through along I-65 on the way home from Nashville. Bowling Green.

Anderson Co. (3/2005)

Passed through along I-65 on the way home from Nashville. Bowling Green.

Knox Co. (3/2005)

Passed through along I-65 on the way home from Nashville. Bowling Green.

Sevier Co. (3/2005)

Passed through along I-65 on the way home from Nashville. Bowling Green.

Greene Co. (3/2005)

Passed through along I-65 on the way home from Nashville. Bowling Green.

Hamblen Co. (3/2005)

Passed through along I-65 on the way home from Nashville. Bowling Green.

Granger Co. (3/2005)

Passed through along I-65 on the way home from Nashville. Bowling Green.

Claiborne Co. (3/2005)

Passed through along I-65 on the way home from Nashville. Bowling Green.

Giles Co. (10/2005)

Passed through along I-65 on the way home from Nashville. Bowling Green.

Marshall Co. (10/2005)

Passed through along I-65 on the way home from Nashville. Bowling Green.

Maury Co. (10/2005)

Passed through along I-65 on the way home from Nashville. Bowling Green.

A scenic field just northwest of Chattanooga. (2006)

Signage from the heyday of the blues on Memphis' Beale Street. (2008)

tnwoods.jpg (7650 bytes)

My old Buick and I take a breather while climbing the Smokies.(2004)

Cotton field near Henning. (2008)