It started with 100% full marks to Marlipops.
After two days of stewing things over mentally, she said to me at 6 in the morning, “ We are not stupid. We can figure out, between us, what is wrong with the slide room not working. Let’s get out the wiring diagrams and see if we can fix it.”
So we did, and we did. Not rocket science, but with two logical minds working together, with no arguing, we finally pinned it down to one yellow wire not doing it’s job. So, we will now go to a Cummins dealer, at our convenience, and politely tell them to put permanent fittings on the temporary ones we installed this morning.
Then, we left Whispering Pines RV park, via a field. The road we should have taken out still had a tree in the way, and the other path was too tight for the coach, so across a field we went, towing the peril, right across a drainage culvert. I did not stop until I was way across the other side of the road, in hopped the ‘Pops and we was off!!
Don’t know if the culvert survived, and don’t really care!!
We headed through Clarksville, by road, not the last train, and didn’t see a single Monkee.
We came to a tiny little village with the interesting name of Bell Buckle. It was their annual summer fair/fete thingy, and the whole town was there, all 50 of them. They had a fantastic old ice cream parlor, which we duly helped financially, and some great antique shops as well.
Also, because they knew we were coming, they had very nicely arranged for Miss Tennessee 2007 to show up!! I asked her if she would like her picture taken with me, coz we had come all the way from England to see Bell Buckle and her. (See, the accent does help)
She told me she would be delighted to pose with me, provided I stopped telling such whopping lies!
Very pleasant young lady, with a great personality. She will go far.
After that, we left, and headed towards Nashville. We did not stop, but drove past The Grand Ole Opry, and we were impressed with the size and quality of the freeway. Six and seven lanes each way, very smooth, and I was cruising at a steady 65 all the way through. Then I slowed down when I saw the limit was 55.
The weather today has been gorgeous, mid seventies and bright blue sky. There were literally hundreds of motor bikes out, with people of all ages riding them. We reckon there was a rally on somewhere.
So, on through Shelbyville and past farm and ranch after farm and ranch, with tobacco fields, and Tennessee Walker Horses. Rolling downs, all neatly kept, and miles and miles of white fences.
We then got to the little town of Lynchburg.
This is where Jack Daniels Whiskey comes from.
We took the guided tour, and our tour guide, Paul, was an absolute star. A real down to earth Tennesseean, with a dour sense of humor, and a brilliant guide.
We each got a squirt of 140 proof whiskey, from a can that looked like a weed killer can, and it was strong!!
We have learned a new word.
Functionable. Paul used this a couple of times, we are sure he meant functional, but Functionable sounds a lot better.
The tour itself was highly educational, even though we have been to breweries and distilleries before. There are only 400 workers here, yet this whiskey gets to 140 countries around the world, as well as all over the states.
It was the first still registered in the US, in 1866, and you can buy a whole barrel, 24 cases total, plus the barrel, for around $ 9000.00.
It stayed alive during 28 years of prohibition, when cough syrup became increasingly popular, and the county the still is located in is actually a dry county!! The only place you can buy whiskey in this county is right there in the company store!!
We then wandered around the little burg of Lynchburg, which is basically JackDanielstown, but still very pleasant.
We then drove on, through Winchester, and have landed at a rest area on Interstate 24, about 50 miles west of Chattanooga, Tennessee, that of the choo choo fame.
The back roads of this state are wonderful. They twist and turn, we cannot go much above 35 mph, lots of hills and valleys, but so much more interesting to drive than the freeways. Not being on a schedule has its advantages.
Wildlife watch today was some emus, turkeys and a couple of stray dogs wandering the highways and byways.
