Smoky Mountain Vacation

David, the vacation planner in the family, scheduled a couple of vacation days during our trek to Princeton.  After several long driving days, we were all happy to stay more than one night in a hotel before moving on down the road. Our vacation destination was Gatlinburg, Tennessee. The sun was setting behind us in the west as we took the 407 exit off highway 40 towards the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. 

WonderWorks amusement park in Pigeon Forge

Much to our surprise, we quickly drove into what looked like the Las Vegas of the Appalachian Mountains. Both sides of the street, starting in Pigeon Forge and on into Gatlinburg, were lined with dozens of zany entertainment attractions: several wax museums, Hillbilly Miniature golf, comedy and magic show venues, an aquarium, zip lines up the mountain, a Hatfield vs. McCoy Dinner theatre, go-carts, bumper cars, bumper boats, water slides, laser games, indoor skydiving, pulled taffy shops, a T-shirt store with a huge shark mouth entrance, a Titanic museum (almost life-size replica), an upside down mansion, and of course, Dollywood.  The only thing missing was gambling. I was thankful that our hotel was up the mountain, away from all the mishegoss (my new favorite Yiddish word.. as in “ Oy! No more overnight birthday parties for Emma.  I am getting too old for all this mishegoss.”)

The next morning we made our way into the national park.  As we are heat and drought refugees from Texas, we decided to drive to Clingman’s Dome, one of the highest peaks in the Smoky Mountain range.  The park ranger told us it would be nice and cool there. When the car’s exterior thermometer said 85 degrees, we did something we rarely do in Texas during the summer: we turned off the AC and rolled down the windows.  

I put my hand out the window and flattened my hand like an airplane. Like a snapshot memory back to my childhood, I lost myself to the cool air blowing on my face.  I forgot the stress of my recent research work project and the anxiety related to our cross-country move. Instead, I focus on the air pressure against my hand.  With the slightest tilt, the wind lifts my hand up and then down.  Too much tilt and the hand flips up, slightly out of control.  A level hand lets my airplane surf the powerful airstream with grace.

Later that afternoon, we went whitewater rafting on the Upper Pigeon River. On the drive back to Gatlinburg, I rolled down the car window and played airplane again with my hand.

Emma demonstrates airplane hands here in this series of pictures.

East Nashville: The Austin of Nashville

We spent Thursday in Nashville, Tennessee. I have always been aware of the musical connection between Austin (Janis, Willie, Stevie Ray) and Nashville (Hank, Dolly, Merle).  I have known, read, and heard radio interviews about musicians moving between the two cities, comparing the music scenes of the these two southern cities and the like. So, I was in search of the Nashville that lured musicians away from Austin.

         

After eating all that beef in Little Rock, I felt like we needed a nutritional intervention. David searched for “Vegetarian Restaurant, Nashville” on Yelp and we were off for a 15 minute drive via several highways to the Wild Cow Restaurant in East Nashville.

When we walked into Wild Cow, we saw several college-aged guys with tattoos and musician hair sitting at a booth.  Ahhh, we felt like we were still in Austin. After I asked the waitress exactly what is seitan (wheat), David asked the young woman what would she do if she only had 2 hours in Nashville. We told her we were from Austin looking for a Nashville experience. She came back after a few minutes with little handwritten directions to the Five Points neighborhood of East Nashville.  She listed recommendations for a handful of antique shops and a coffee house.

David actually agreed to follow me into a couple of the art galleries, then we all enjoyed some coffee at Bongo Java. People in the Five Points neighborhood told us this is where some of the musicians and artists live; that it is “different here, in East Nashville.”  

We then drove into downtown Nashville and found Nashville’s version of Austin’s 6^th street...Nashville’s 2^nd Avenue had the same feel with music blasting out of clubs and restaurants. Like Austin, I am sure this is just one of many music districts in Nashville.

Rather organically-with a little technology and by simply talking to people--we found at least one “Austin” neighborhood of Nashville.  Clearly, I can’t compare the music scenes, but I can tell that both cities have neighborhoods that are more vibrant and diverse because of the community of musicians that call each city home. Here are some pictures from our visit to East Nashville.

Bongo Java Humor

Travels in Clinton Country

August 25, 2011

Little Rock, Arkansas

To get us in a southern mood, we have switched the car satellite radio station to one of the county music stations (Outlaw Country)… Emmylou Harris is singing us “Two more bottles of wine.” The announcer just made a station ID….."You are in Outlaw Country, playing music made when wearing a seat belt was a good idea, but not the law.” That little phrase does a nice job of capturing the era and attitude of the music on this station.

I got my soaking-wet rainstorm in Little Rock yesterday.  The rain came down hard. At various points along the way, we had very little visibility because the wipers couldn’t keep up with the pounding rain. Nice.

Rain!

While in Little Rock, we stopped at the Clinton Presidential Library.  We could have spent the whole day there, but we rushed it and made it out in 3 hours.  The library was dense---lots of detail about the accomplishments of Clinton’s two terms in office. For me, however, the memorable image was this collection of books inside a glass case within the ‘Education Reform’ section of the library. “Encyclopedia of Southern Culture” …not just a book, but an entire encyclopedia full of everything that makes the South southern!

I knew for sure that one of the sections in the “Southern Culture” book would be about food, specifically barbeque and all the sides. Our good friend Tiffany, who grew up in Little Rock (correction, North Little Rock), told us the best BBQ in town was at Sims.  Even with navigation, we had a hard time finding the restaurant. Sims was tucked at the end of a tired old shopping strip.  Like many great things, the BBQ joint was humble and unassuming.  But Wowza!  I broke my “no red meat” policy and ate this entire dinner entree.

Sliced Beef Bar-B-Que Dinner--$8.00

Let me describe (with delight) what we have here.  Starting at 12:00 we have Arkansas style BBQ which means that the sauce and meat live and commune together.  As Tiffany says, in Texas, the BBQ is about the meat; the sauce is an after-thought (the ‘separate but equal’ nonsense). But now here in Arkansas, the sauce gets equal billing with the meat.  At 4:00 we have green beans.  At 7:00, we have fabulous “greens”  (that’s collard greens fixed southern style with bacon and onion). Yes, that’s a cornbread muffin in the middle.

A picture captures Clinton's visit to Sims

A local favorite

Texas In the Rearview Mirror

August 24, 2011

Texarkana, Texas

I write this entry as I sit on the passenger seat of our car.  We are on I-30 about 30 minutes form the Texas/Arkansas state line. David is driving and working with Emma on her multiplication tables that remain rusty. Salsa music plays on the car CD player.

David has a one-year appointment to continue his research in randomness and computation at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey.  Emma is still young enough (9 years old) to be optimistic and excited about making new friends in new school.  My mom in Austin remains in good health and has mastered Skype. And as for me, I am flexible with my work.  I just need Internet access, a laptop and an airport. So with a flurry of packing, an almost manic intensity to last minute household errands, (me, not David), and lots of well wishes from friends and neighbors, we set the car’s navigation for Princeton zip code 08540.

We are driving to New Jersey via Arkansas, Tennessee, West Virginia, Virginia and Pennsylvania.  Still in the 100’s here in far Northeast Texas, but last night I turned on the windshield wipers as a few water drops speckled the windshield. When we got out of the car, it smelled like rain.  The air was moist. Emma and I held hands and did a rain dance in the parking lot of the hotel. With trees now dying in Austin because of the severe drought, the most welcome change in our life outside of Central Texas will be cooler weather and the possibility of rain----soaked-to-your-underwear, hair-dripping, squeaky-tennis-shoes, type rain.

We just crossed into Arkansas. I see thunderclouds up ahead.

Texas shaped waffles at La Quinta. Part of what makes Texas so easy to brand:  the iconic shape of the state.  Somehow Colorado shaped waffles wouldn’t be as picture worthy.