0-5 is a waste of time - from suckier to sucky
6- might be ok
7- worth a consideration
8 -definite possibility
9-don't pass it up
10- you won't be disappointed
10++ you better stop
12++ you can't miss this!!! Life will never be the same!
FM rating 10++ (epic idea)
The Plan: leave July 8 and hang out with Joanne and Mark in VA for 2 days, then head to Nashville to catch up with an old college friend Peri before heading to Colt, AR to see Bobby's new place. I had never been to AR so I figured this was as good a reason as any to make the trip. After 5 days in AR I was going to pick Melanie and Alani up in Memphis to make our way home, hopefully finding lots of blues and brews along the way. Then, I got sick, really sick. I came down with an infection that caused the lymph nodes on one side of my neck to swell to the point of not being able to even turn my head. There was talk of malignancy, there were a slew of tests including 6 biopsies. I was running a fever of 102. It reactivated the mono I had in 6th grade. I had to have a bunch of bloods drawn to check for auto-immune diseases. I was scared to death. How was I going to leave with results still pending? Should I even go? My doctor said no.
The Trip: I postponed it, but I went anyway!
Day 1-3: VA bound.
In all the years that I have been traveling this route to VA, I have always wanted to investigate the Carlisle Indian School grounds. The two hour delay made me feel like I was rushed though so I just stopped for gas and a gas station sandwich, don't laugh in Western Ontario this would have been a treat, but sadly here, it was exactly what you and I expect. The Carlisle exploration was left for another day. I arrive to dinner and a Dales Pale Ale! I have awesome friends (Oh tell Carrie I will replace her beer next time with another equally good Pale Ale)
I spent 2 days here, did almost nothing, except look at some land for my daughter and drink a few local craft brews. It was a perfect retreat, my only regret is my potter friend Kevin Crowe (Tye River Pottery) was not available for a visit.
Worth visiting in the Nelson County area:
Hike?
Shenandoah National Park FM rating: 8 if you drive 10+ if you hike
Crab Tree Falls - this is a hike up to the falls so if you aren't in shape you may have trouble. (this was one of the places in the Walton's) FM rating 8.5 - though the drive is a scary 10 (if you like adventure)
Be the tourist?
Monticello
The Walton's Mountain Museum
Breweries: Yes, you guessed it, I am into craft beer as a hobby thanks to the journey with my dazed and confused not yet EX other half. There are 3 in Nelson County:
Devils Back Bone- decent food and well developed palate of craft brews. It can get crowded on Friday nights.
Wild Wolf Brewing-I have not had the privilege of eating here but have enjoyed their beers. If you have a dog the beer garden allows you to enjoy the space as long as your best friend in on a leash. My favorites were their Festival Ale and their Alpha Ale. FM rating 10
Blue Mountain Brewery- This place sports a nice space with an outside deck and decent beers. Their palate has been available on the craft market for awhile, at least here in Northeast.
They have a sister brewery that is a short drive away called the Blue Mountain Barrel house. I don't know much about the place so I cannot comment.
For more info and up to date brew stuff happening in the area visit BrewRidgeTrail
Other important things of note
Don't forget to check out Kevin's Crowe's Studio Tye River Pottery and buy a piece of locally crafted ceramic art.
Saunder's Orchards has great peaches!
The Trip Part 2: Straight through to Albequerque (Haha- almost) - next stop Colt, AR
Who is Bobby? Both of our kids were accomplished speedskaters. A few summers ago we boarded with the same family in SLC as the boys trained. The house was crowded with kids and skaters. I was a coaching intern at the oval that summer and my mornings started really early. Since every available sleeping space was taken up, including the couch, I used to make my coffee and slip out onto the porch so I wouldn't wake Bobby (yes, he was the inhabiter of the couch). Somehow, the smell of coffee always managed to get him up and in short order we would both be sitting on the porch in the cool Utah air, drinking coffee and starting the training day. He moved back home to AR last spring. I wanted to see his new place.
I arrived in the small town of Colt about 12.5 hours after leaving VA. I had been making good time then I hit traffic, 2 miles from the exit I had to get off of, it took a good 60 min.
Colt, AR is a tiny town just north of Forest City but is on the Trail of Tears (how fitting) heritage trail. I say how fitting because this trip is my own trail of tears and civil war wrapped up into one nice little dirty package.
There is a great BBQ in town, small little place that is only open until mid day. There is also a restaurant and a gas station, that is pretty much it. I think the population sign reads 398, or something like that.
When I first arrived I was so road weary and feeling gross from half a day of public rest rooms, bubblegum country and eating fast greasy food (sonic) that I desperately needed a shower before we did anything.
After freshening up we headed out to Mikes Restaurant for catfish fry, though I ordered a salad and the BBQ plate. It was pretty decent. The place was packed. The food was decent enough and the company, Bobby and his mom was even better. After dinner Bobby and I headed to this col little place called The Clubhouse. It is in Forest City. I think its the VFW? Anyway, the staff and owner seem nice. The pool hall is big enough and there is a really nice room for concerts. The menu is limited for now. I understand its under new (better) management. The beer selection is pedestrian, though they did have one craft bottle. The discussion centered around my inquiry about the frito chili pie that is on the menu. I am still not sure, but kinda think it is a country version of deluxe nachos? (cheese and chili on chips only in this case fritos instead of tortilla's). Afterwards we went on to Frogs Bar. Here I watched Bobby having to throw a game of pool in a stupid manner in order to loose. There was not one good player in the house. The issue with this is that it caused me to have a nice little headache the next day (lol) because while he was playing I was occupying myself with some Makers Mark and bartender conversation. I thought my situation was dire and ominously expensive, she's 28 and on her third divorce. How does that happen so young?
The next day, we headed to Hot Springs National Park. I needed a nice long soak to clear my head. On the way we stopped in Little Rock to see the Clinton Library, which unfortunately did not open for another 2 hours. We walked around the park a bit, then got on our way. It was a shame really, as Chihuly has an exhibition there. His glass always makes me happy. In short order it was off to find the spa. A day at the Quapaw Spa (FM rating 10+) was a welcome treat. This place has 5 baths, each a different temperature. It has a real Romanesque feel to it and it was reasonable. Eighteen dollars gets you everything you might need for basic stress relief. After a very long pruning we headed to lunch, which was a cup of chili and a salad that the newly opened Superior Bathhouse Brewing. (FM rating 9) The food was great and they had an extensive craft list, except, and this is a big except, they aren't brewing their own beer? Not yet anyway? What?
That night, we cooked in and then I crashed. I fell asleep about 9PM mid-snetance I think. The enormity of my current situation caught up to me that day. I was so grateful to have an incredible ear to listen to my heartache and to tolerate my tears and frustration.
The next day I was in for a treat. I kept being told there was NOTHING to do in that part of ARKANSAS. What Bobby didn't realize is that I am the queen of adventure. I tend to invent them out of the air, like they are pennies from heaven. Maybe they are? Who knows? With a good sleep behind me I was energized into not giving up on seeing the local Eastern part of the state. Basically I was asking Bobby to act like a tourist. Before you knew it we had bathing suits in hand and were on our way to Village Creek State Park. (FM rating 9) Which by the way if you are looking to camp with your horse? We spent the better park of a few hours swimming, that is until we each got bit by something (something lurking in those waters). Grabbed a quick shower in the bathhouse and went to find lunch and craft beers for me to bring home (and for us to do our best King of the Hill imitations in the front yard watching traffic). Lunch was at Johnson's Freeze Inn (FM rating 7). It was extremely interesting but a bit too salty for me combination of frogs legs and alligator. The best part about it was that the waitress had gotten there early that morning armed with post it notes and started randomly tagging menus with inspirational quotes. Bellies full we were off to the liquor store in search of craft beer. Armed and ready (macro and micro) we headed home, set up some folding chairs, and proceeded to watch an incredible storm come it.
Two notes here:
1. We stopped at the local BBQ and deli to get ice - It was honestly the first time in my whole experience in AR where I needed a translator, even to understand Bobby.
2. When the storm hit the air and light reminded me of Korea. The air smelled of earth and the light across the rice patties was so blue gray with the rice blowing in a similar rhythm. It was incredible.
That night we went back to the Clubhouse for a pool tourney that really didn't happen. I learned that I still really stink at the game. Probably always will (sorry Bobby). We went in search of dinner, finding none, we retreated home where Bobby made me the most incredible spinach salad I've had in awhile, despite it being topped with the only protein in the house, processed chicken. The next day, I am homeward bound (but not short of adventure).
The Trip part three: in search of some music! (No boys allowed!)
First stop: Memphis, BBQ, Blues and Elvis, not in that order. I picked them up at the airport and we headed for lunch first. The BBQ we wanted to go to was closed so we found another one on the other side of the street called A&R (FM rating 9- only because its a meat only place otherwise it would be a 10+). A real local joint in a very diverse neighborhood. The woman running the place was so happy to see us. We felt immediately at home. On the menu? Sweet tea, pulled pork belly, BBQ spaghetti, BBQ beans, cole slaw. Absolutely nothing on this menu was vegetarian except the cole slaw (eventually this might be a problem). After lunch it was on to Graceland, (FM rating 3) which for the money was a MAJOR disappointment. I felt like I spent $34. to be herded through a small space in 10 min flat, not really being allowed to contemplate the gaudiness or anything other than his grave. You were required to use a headset, which also lessened the interaction with the place because you were in your own little techie world. This was Elvis tack at its finest but the joke was on you.
After Graceland we decided to go check in to our hotel. We were playing full on tourist here, and checked into the Peabody, (FM rating 8- because of the expense) which is known for its trained mallard ducks and is one short block from most of the Beale Street bars. The rooms here were wonderful but the expense was huge. So what did we do in Memphis?
We walked to the river first. Memphis has done a great deal to develop parkland along the Mississippi. There are many parks along the river that all seem to be connected. (Memphis Riverfront FM rating 10++)
Then there was (gag) Beale Street. This is where the dog and pony blues shows go on. Its staged for tourists not for scouting. Kinda like the difference between Bourbon Street and the Treme. We did however go to one club, the Blues City Cafe where Earl the Pearl Banks was playing with his band which redeeemed the night and there was a small selection of craft beers (FM rating 9.5) and another that had outdoor seating, Kings Palace Cafe , where the band that was playing was fairly decent but had no craft beers on tap. (FM rating 8.5). The other bar we stepped into and would have enjoyed if there was not a small group of really inebriated boys (20 somethings) that were obnoxious was the Rum Boogie Cafe. Nothing was really crowded because it was a Tuesday night. The band at the Rum Boogie cafe was decent, though not playing the blues, but were being heckled by these 3 boys, which was a shame.
We walked over to have dinner at Central BBQ, which was not all that great. The craft and menu selection was decent, but the BBQ was underdone and tough. (FM rating 6.5). The walk to this place was through a diverse community that reminded me of where University City and West Philadelphia meet. We encountered the Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Hotel. This is a MUST SEE!!! It is a very powerful memorial to MLK. (FM rating 12++ - meaning its off the charts and can't be missed!) The best part of my night happened here when this woman was trying to take a family photo and was trying to make the best of not being in the photo. The place was obviously so meaningful to her and her family, you could feel the deep reverence. I stepped up and insisted that she get in her own photo, and snapped a few shots for her. She was overjoyed.
Memphis in the morning, yep you guessed it, we were a dollar late… We found the Cooper Young neighborhood where all the REAL juke joints are. We had coffee and breakfast on the porch at the Otherlands Coffee Bar. If you have a dog on your trip through town the porch is dog friendly. There are a lot of artists that hang out on the porch in the morning (visual and performing). I left inspired to consider a ceramic residency there next summer, seeing how I will most likely be unattached. (FM Rating 10)
On to Nashville (which was kinda a bust). We had hoped to find the same kind of neighborhood in Nashville as the Cooper Young was to Memphis before we committed to staying. There is an interesting artsy enclave called Five Points however, it is so spread out that it is almost prohibitive to do pub crawl or even a shopping stroll. However, we did find an incredible vegetarian place called the Wild Cow. (FM Rating 10++). After giving up some hope, we finally ended up downtown in the tourist area and did a bit of shopping (I found a pair of Luchese boots that were way better than SEX! Instant orgasm!!!- too bad they were 900. so the new love of my life had to be left behind on a store shelf). Here is a shout out to my children - my 50th birthday? hint, hint, hint!!! Think of how much shit I can kick with these pointed toe beauties.After we ogled over some very expensive and pretty things, we headed to find some local craft to add to my stash before heading out. I found this bottle shop called the Filling Station . This was a great place, though only sells low gravity beers (under 6.75%). It is in this funky little neighborhood too. (FM rating 10). I picked up a bunch of things from Nashville that were recommended, mostly IPA's and one saison.
We headed out of town thinking we were going to Chattanooga but decided half way there that Knoxville had a much better night life and changed out minds. So we booked a hotel on the University of TN campus, checked in, walked the strip and had a blast. Of note: the Sunspot (FM rating 10), this place has a large craft beer menu downstairs and a considerably healthy one (for a club) upstairs as well, plus the bartender called me darlin. Let me tell you about most northern girls, they are swept off their feet by a good looking man with a southern drawl when he uses the word darlin.
Another place to check out is Jack and Diane's (FM rating 9- needs some craft beer) which is a dueling piano bar that plays stuff by request. By far this was our most fun night on the road. There is something about a couple of 20 something's so desperate to engage their parts, yet drunk enough that they would probably fall asleep, going after anything with tits. Granted Melanie and I are beautiful women but to get hit on endlessly by kids was a bit hysterical. One kid was working so hard at trying to pick me up, that he started commenting on the song Jack and Diane after he called me a freshman, I told him honey, this song was on the charts when I was a freshman. This prompted him to ask how old I was. When I said 49 his response was your older than my mom but he still pursued me, oh the wonders of being an inebriated testosterone tornado.
The last place of note, talking $5. orgasm here, is Insomnia Cookies (FM rating 12++). I am telling you forget those Luchese boots, this was heaven in a dish!To get to Asheville from Knoxville via the Great Smoky Mountain National Park (FM rating is off the charts!) you have to pass through the hell of tacky roadside attractions known as Pigeon Forge, even Moses and Jesus have their places on this strip right beside the Titanic and Wonderworks. We did stop at a few for photo ops and even went into the Smoky Mountain Knife Works, which was like the LLBean of the knife world. I was feeling like I got dumped that day, so I bought an exquisite knife from Finland.
Knife in hand we head into Gatlinburg to find a deli to get lunch to have a picnic with. This proved to be an easier thought than task. Eventually we went to a diner type place and bought sandwiches and headed into the park for a picnic and scenic drive. I was in love, one of my new favorite places to be, can't wait to explore it on a more intimate level. I will, in a few weeks when I rent a cabin nearby that is completely off the grid. Alani and I walked up to the Clingman's Dome tower and the three of us found a quiet spot to reflect for a bit. Of course we got the Day in the Park photo with my "goldie gear"
If you haven't guessed I am a huge Gopher fan! Gopher football is what I live for other than speedskating and clay.After the park we stopped in Cherokee, the origin of the Trail of Tears mentioned earlier, It seems fitting that I find the beginning of that journey here on my journey. We stopped at the Indian Crafts Market in Cherokee. I do have something to say about this. If you are going to buy "Native work" make sure its authentic artist made and not mass produced and labeled illegally. In other words shop at an Indian Artist Cooperative not the tourist shop. Also know that to be labeled Native American it has to be produced by a Native American. In Cherokee I acquired a wolf necklace at the Qualla Arts and Crafts market (FM rating 12++) . That seems to be my totem lately thanks to the repeated indulgence of this story being thrust upon me: Cherokee tale of two wolves encouraging me to find and feed my white wolf. No worries, the red tail hawk still rings just as strongly as well.
It was getting late and we still had no place to stay in Asheville so we hightailed it out of Cherokee and skipped the indian taco joint that we wanted to indulge in. We stopped at a roadside stand about 10 miles out of town for boiled peanuts and peaches. Melanie and Alani don't care too much for boiled peanuts but I love them. One we indulged in a snack we were off with high hopes of finding a room and something to eat. We decided that going to eat first was in our best interest so we headed to Wicked Weed Brewing Company (FM rating 12++) This was by far the best meal of the trip. This is one of those legend breweries where the beer is outstanding and the food keeps step with the same level of craftsmanship. The ambiance is a sheer joy as well. Of course I left with a box of beers to take home for a tasting party. After dinner we feverishly searched for a place to stay, too many things going on. We ended up 3 hours away and on our way home. We decided to end our trip early. The following day, our last day on the road we drove the length of VA, part of it through Shenandoah National Park (FM rating 12++) where were treated to a bear ambling across the road at one point. Before entering the park we hit up the Rockfish Gap Country Store for Virginia peanuts and sorghum molasses and then the popcorn truck and purchased 3 bags of popcorn for munching on in the park. We were planning on only the first section of Skyline Drive, it was a cloudy day and it was getting late. We headed into Harrisonburg for lunch at the Artful Dodger (FM rating 10+) which is this eclectic eatery on court square that serves great food, interesting soft drinks and coffee as well as local craft beer and cocktails. Last stop was the Midtowne Bottle Shop (FM rating- 8) which had just opened up that day. Of course I left with a box of VA beers from there too.
We arrived home around midnight after a very long but joyful journey with my resolve renewed. It really doesn't matter how this all plays out between he and I, but what does matter is that I restore my faith in myself. This RT gave me a good starting push in that direction.
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