Moving Across the Volunteer State

 

The time has come to leave the lovely mountains of Tennessee. The weather was cold, the bulldozers were loud ( some construction/destruction next door) and there was the brief whiff of smoke in the air from burning downed trees but eastern Tennessee really has a special place in my heart. There are some places in the world where you just feel rooted and this place is one of them for me. But when ya gotta go, ya gotta go.

Nashville – Music City – the Metropolis of Country Music – all not for me this trip. I'm only stopping for a brief time to head up to the Hermitage – the home of one of the most hated presidents that we have had. I am speaking of Andrew Jackson: the Slave Trader, the ethnic cleanser, the economic illiterate. Of course the Hermitage, while they do mention these traits in passing, chose to accentuate more positive aspects of Jackson. He won the Battle of New Orleans in the War of 1812, established the principal that states may not disregard federal law and founded the Democratic Party.

The front of the house

The back of the house - this is where all the pigs got slaughtered and laundry got done.

I've been to Memphis several times, the last time was with Tony. We went and did all the music things – Sun Studios, Graceland, Stax. I had no need to go see that again. I lucked out and got a spot at the Tom Sawyer Riverside Park in West Memphis. It had two things going for it – it was right on the Mississippi where you could watch the barges going up and down the river and there were trails through the woods that Miko and I could walk. Trails weren't much, but at least it was better than walking around concrete RV parks.

Da barge go up, da barge go down

This is a grassy field.  Walking on it was like walking on a trampoline. Super spongey. 
May I remind you - this is my blog and I can post whatever I want.  Deal With It!!!!

I started out with the Museum of Science and History (MOSH). This museum was rather unique in that the core of it was built around a mansion that was originally built by the guy who founded the Piggley Wiggley grocery chain in the early 1900s. The mansion was called the Pink Palace and they had a huge exhibit where they had set up a Piggley Wiggley store. They were proud of their native son.

There were also the standard natural history exhibits.

A circus where the circus parade went around the outside of the circus on a track

Spheres made from rocks.  They cut the rock into a square and then put it in a sphere polisher.
I think I need to get one of those polishers - it sounds like fun.

This guy moved and roared!

They had a special exhibit going on to benefit Le Bonheur Children's Hospital. It was called Enchanted Forest. I'm a little jaded, I grew up going to downtown Mpls at Xmas time to see the Xmas displays put on by our local department store, Daytons. Enchanted Forest ain't got nothing on Daytons. But...it was a benefit, so all is good.

Various local businesses would each decorate an individual tree

You have to have the Xmas train set running

This is how Santa is done now, talk thru the plexiglass

I think I'm into museums here in Memphis. I wanted to go to the Slave Haven Underground Railroad Museum, but when I got there, it was closed. Right down the street though was the Memphis pyramid. Evidently they built this giant pyramid for a sports team and the sports team moved on to greener pastures, so Bass Pro Shops bought it. I hate, hate, hate shopping but thought I should check it out. Rampant consumerism, but hey – it works for some.

The Museum of Ornamental Metal (one of only two Ornamental Metal Museums in the world) was open and well worth the trip. They had a special exhibit by Kim Crider which was pretty interesting.

Not Kim Crider's work: