018--Flying Pigs

Okay, we totally got suckered into the whole Pigeon Forge thing and stopped to play some mini-golf. The course was litter with strange talking/singing/trash-talking animatronic farm animals, including the flying pigs above. Ron won the first game by two strokes, but I hit a hole-in-one on the 18th for a free game--which Ron also won, but only by one stroke. I'll get even later with some Yahtzee wins.

017--Great Smoky Mountains National Park

We were a little ahead of the foliage on this trip--the trees were just budded out--but the park was beautiful nonetheless. Stopped to check out some wonderful vistas and the rocky stream that runs through the park. Icy cold, crystal clear.

016-Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg

Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg . . . imagine being surrounded by incredible mountains, rocky streams, gorgeous trees--and then crashing into a G-rated mini-Las Vegas. It's packed with people, hotels, go-carts, arcades, mini-golf, stores, ice-cream shops, old-time photo studios, enormous dinner theaters, celebrity impersonators, 3-D film places, and so much more (including a Bible-themed special effects show). There are even wedding chapels. We stopped at a place called the Hillbilly Village, which was the saddest gift shop I've ever seen. It was "hillbilly" not in the ironic sense, but in the "we're selling our toaster to pay the rent" sense (there was literally a used toaster for sale--as well as used shoes, a coffee maker, etc. all amongst the dusty, low-quality souvenirs).

015-The Show

Preservation Pub was great--it's a bar in an old part of town (walking distance to our hotel), on a pedestrian-only square with a lot of other little shops, restaurants, etc. Kind of like the commons in Ithaca.

As promised, Eric had us on the guest list. The show was terrific and had a chance to meet and chat with both bands throughout the evening. Nice folks. Also met a very interesting homeless guy named either Tim or Anthony (that changed from minute to minute) who decided that Ron looked just like some DJ from Ohio named Daddy Wags and proceeded to call him that all night. Met a guy who works as a river guide, too--interesting stories from working all over the US and South America. Also attending were some of our favorite DJs from WDVX (which Barbara and I listen too all day at work)--Red Hickey, Tony Lawson, and Matt Morelock. Had a chance to meet all of them as well.

After the show, which ended around midnight, everything on the square was closed. We were starving--hadn't eaten since leaving Memphis that morning. Came back to the hotel, but valet service was closed, so we could get our car only if we could find it, basically. Ended up getting delivery from a local Italian place, which turned out to be really good and a lot less hassle than wandering around a parking ramp trying to track down the car. A few games of Yahtzee later, it was nite-nite for us.

014-Knoxville

Arrived in Knoxville and checked into our hotel, which is right across the street from the WDVX studios, where we're planning to check out the live music every day at noon. Tonight, we're headed over to the Preservation Pub to see Christabel and the Jons--a great local band--and the Red Stick Ramblers.

013-Sun Records

Sun Studios--there's another site I never expected to be so moving. Everything that's rock-n-roll started right here. We watch I Walk the Line pretty regularly, so it was hard not to imagine the scene where Johnny Cash nervously walks into Sun with a few dollars in his hand to cut his first record. A few years before, an 18-year-old Elvis Presley walked in the same way--as did all the off-the-street rock and blues legends (like B.B. King, Roy Orbison, Carl Perkins, etc.) who were discovered there. The studio is exactly as it was when they were there--in fact, there's an X on the floor marking where Elvis Presley stood when he cut his first Sun record (he was so nervous, he had to stand with his back to the engineering room). The microphone that Elvis, Johnny, and all the others used is still there--and available for photo ops, as seen in the photo of Ron.

012-Mississippi 4 Lunch

The Mississippi border in on the southern outskirts of Memphis, so Ron decided we should head there fore lunch (to get some "decent" food, he says). Came across this little dive and decided to give it a try. Turned out to be an excellent choice. Lunch special was two grilled cheese sandwiches, fries, and a soda for $3.00! Ron went with the corn dogs (three for $5) and we split the fried dill pickles (yum). Heart attack on a plate, but what else would you expect of a backwater Mississippi drive-through?