Midwest Adventures: Where Golfers Go To Push Season
Nestled In Tennessee
Music, Relaxation Come Naturally In Volunteer State
Nashville's Union Station hotel lobby, once a rail station, is now a member of Historic Hotels of America.
By MARY ALICE WENZL Special to the Journal & Topics Newspapers
Midwest retirees who decide to move to warmer climes to enjoy their retirement years, and for many snowbirds fleeing the impending snow and cold, Tennessee is a halfway point on their trek to a southern destination they call home for the winter.
Tennessee's moderate climate, especially in winter with only occasional dustings of snow, attracts some of these snowbirds and retirees to stay, thus becoming "halfbacks" referring to the fact that they return half way back north. With the south's hot, sultry summers and the north's frigid, snowy winters, the Volunteer State is a welcome respite with its serene seasonal conditions.
Divided into three regions, East, Middle and West, each section of the state furnishes a unique variety of geography. West Tennessee is the most geographically defined of the three regions bordered by the Mississippi River on the west and the Tennessee River on the east. Middle Tennessee has more height with rolling hills and smaller streams. East Tennessee offers the scenic beauty of the Great Smoky Mountains, with the Tennessee River meandering its way from the west, dipping down into Alabama and making its way back to this picturesque section of the state.
Nashville, the permanent capital chosen in 1843, is in the Middle region. Becoming "Music City" was a natural as music has always been the common thread connecting the life and soul of the city and its people. Nashville's first celebrity was frontiersman and Congressman Davy Crockett who was well known for his colorful stories and fiddle playing.
The Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, the world's longest running live radio show, showcases new stars alongside legends of the music industry. Going backstage at the Opry was a goose-bump producing experience learning about the history and some of the stars that we've come to know.
Mail simply addressed to "Grand Ole Opry" will be delivered with no problem.
Located in West Tennessee, Memphis is known as the "Birthplace of Rock ‘n' Roll" or "River City" because of its location on the east side of the Mississippi River. A must-see in Memphis is the fascinating Rock ‘n' Soul Museum. An interactive museum, one can hear the music and see the instruments that brought rock and soul music together. Displays highlight the history and legacy of musicians from the 1930s to the 1970s. Exhibits tell the stories of black and white sharecroppers who worked side by side and shared their music. The sharecroppers' porches were used for relaxing, courting, singing and storytelling. Religion and religious music were very important
Tennessee earned its nickname "The Volunteer State" because of the prominent role played by volunteer military during the War of 1812, especially the Battle of New Orleans. Situated in the middle of the country, Tennessee is within a day's drive of 65% of the United States population. Besides "Music City"---Nashville and "Birthplace of Rock ‘n' Roll"---Memphis, there are treasures to discover that run the gamut from Nashville's Union Station Hotel; Graceland; George A. Dickel Distillery; Jack Daniels Distillery; Hockaday Broom Factory or the Rock ‘n' Soul Museum in Memphis.
Nashville's Union Station Hotel is a picture of history that has been recreated as a boutique hotel from the railroad station it had once been. Opened as a train station in 1900, it is now a member of Historic Hotels of America after being converted to a hotel after the decline of passenger rail traffic. It is a favorite spot for travelers, executives from Music Row, fans of country music and history buffs alike.
George A. Dickel Distillery in Tullahoma, Tennessee was founded in 1870 by George and Augusta Dickel. Arriving in Cascade Hollow, which is halfway between Chattanooga and Nashville, in 1867 the Dickels' dream was to create the finest sipping whisky using the pure water that runs from nearby Cascade Springs. Dickel spelled "whisky" without the "e" because he believed it was as smooth as the finest Scotch whisky. To be qualified as Tennessee whisky, it must be filtered through charcoal otherwise it is bourbon. George Dickel Whisky is distilled from 3 to 12 years and evaporation occurs over the years of distilling and is called the "Angels' Share".
Another well-known distillery is the Jack Daniel Distillery. When the U.S. Government began to regulate and tax whiskey, Jasper Newton "Jack" Daniel was the first to register his little distillery in 1866. Jack was only 16 years old at the time and had owned the distillery since the tender age of 13. Although very young, he turned out to be a very smart businessman because he had the foresight to locate his distillery near a source of limestone water flowing from a cave spring in Lynchburg. The water was iron-free as iron ruins the character of fine whiskey. Today the Jack Daniel's Distillery remains America's oldest registered distillery and is on the U. S. National Register of Historic Places.
Corn brooms are something I never gave much thought, but this folk art is shown at its finest at Hockaday Handmade Brooms. Owner Jack Martin who refers to himself as an "old hippie" continues the tradition of making corn brooms, which began in the early 1900s to provide an extra source of income for the Will Hockaday family. Hockaday Brooms, established in 1916 is still a family-owned and operated business. The broom-wrapping table, still used by Jack, was built by Jack's great-grandfather, Will Hockaday in 1916 and put together with parts of other equipment and blacksmith tools. Types of brooms Jack makes are beauty shop, kitchen, house and shop brooms. They are all built in layers and last 6 to 10 years. Jack Martin and his broom-making craft were picked to perform at the Smithsonian tent at the Atlanta Olympics as a cream-of-the-crop folk art demonstration.
For travelers to Tennessee, check out the following websites:
www.TNvacation.com or tollfree 800-GO2-TENN;
www.unionstationhotelnashville.com;
www.opry.com;
www.jackdaniels.com;
www.GeorgeDickel.com; www.retiretennessee.org