Cumberland Plateau

I think my main purpose for coming on this trip was to help D negotiate the three flights (four airplanes and four takeoffs, but only the three with working landing gear actually count) and to hand him enough cash for three days of pizza.

But that gives me time to explore. Saturday I left early and headed east to spend the day looking for waterfalls and natural bridges and rocky bluffs. The bridges and arches are a great contrast to the ones I know better on the Colorado Plateau - they're all sandstone, but in the southwest, they're easier to find. Here, you walk through the forest until you notice that the shadow is actually a 100' arch of rock passing through the canopy above your head!

I checked out the Big South Fork (of the Cumberland River) - including Twin Arches (interesting to contrast to yesterday's Double Arch bridge on the Natchez Trace), Leatherwood Ford, and the high bridge at Rugby. And then drove south to the Clear Fork and the Obed River before driving back to Nashville and Opryland, arriving somewhere in the middle of Round Five.

Natchez Trace

Last Friday, I was driving the Coulees of the Columbia Basin, this Friday I'm exploring central Tennessee . American Airlines delivered us to Nashville late this morning - after an unplanned overnight in Dallas - and I managed to get D to Opryland half an hour before Round One started. I checked in, then hit the road. I drove south an hour or so on the Interstate and then cut over past the Saturn factory to pick up the Natchez Trace Parkway for the drive back to Nashville.

The Parkway is one of those wonderful winding two lane, protected corridor highways that makes you realize that roads can be beautiful. Sure the setting helps, but it's mainly about landscape planning and highway design. This one runs 400+ miles from Natchez to Nashville - following the route of the original overland route from the lower Mississippi into the interior on the back side of the Appalachians. Remnants of the original road can still be seen, abandoned when steamboats began running up the Ohio and the Cumberland rivers.

There were few people on the road this perfect spring afternoon. I checked out waterfalls and the great double arch bridge near the north end. And then waited an hour for a table at the Loveless Cafe, where I had ham and biscuits and a Nashville beer.

Road Trip Redux

I've tried recreating our Nashville trip using Google Maps. Clicking here, or map above, should take you to Google maps, where you can zoom in and link to earlier blog posts.

SuperNationals

The tournament wrapped up Sunday evening and the players started heading off on buses and airplanes for New York, Arizona, Florida, and 40-odd other states. Some of the players (ours, for example) stayed up until 3am playing bughouse in the hotel hallways. No big trophies, but the three musketeers all walked away with 4.5 wins out of 7 in the championship section.

Cumberland River

After D began the last round, I dropped M at the airport and then spent an hour or two exploring a little bit.

Opryland - the resort, the mall, and the Grand Old Opry - are located about 6 miles upstream of downtown Nashville. Just downstream of the Gaylord complex there's a new pedestrian bridge that links the bike trail on the right bank to Two Rivers Park. The suspension bridge provides great views of the river and one is only barely aware of the Briley Parkway or Opryland. You can see the General Jackson paddlewheeler moored upstream, which adds a historic effect to the image.

Nashville Waterfront

Nashville is built on a low bluff along the west bank of the Cumberland River. Like so many old river cities, the waterfront is been fixed up and turned back into something positive. The Shelby Street Bridge has been turned over to foot traffic and provides great views of both downtown and of the renovated east side of the river, where the East Side Machine Works used to be. Too bad D wasn't along to appreciate the LP stadium where the Titans play. The cool red sculpture along shoreline is Alice Aycock's Ghost Ballet.

Nashville

Saturday, we left the guys to their games and headed into Nashville for lunch. We had barbecue at Jack's and then wandered around downtown and the waterfront in sunshine. The ATT tower dominates the skyline and contrasts with the older buildings along Broadway and the Ryman Auditorium (the Grand Old Opry, before 1974, when it moved out to Opryland). As you approach the river, the honky tonks give way to more generic tourist spots like Hard Rock Cafe, the Old Spaghetti Factory, and Hooters.

D and I skipped Graceland when we drove through Memphis, so I was glad to have another chance to see Elvis.

Opryland

D and I arrived yesterday evening after driving hours through severe thunderstorm and flash flood warnings. At least by the time we got to the hotel, the tornado warnings had been relaxed and they had let folks back into the atriums (atria?) - of which this place has several big ones. I might worry as much about big hail stones as about twisters.

The Gaylord Opryland is a huge hotel - maybe one of the biggest in the world that isn't a casino. It's sort of a grown up Disneyland - no rides, but lots of waterfalls and shrubbery and overpriced stores. Sort of like really big cruise ship that ran aground on the Cumberland River.

We were here four years ago and must have raved so much about this mega-bubble that M decided to come out and join us this time. Bad weather screwed up her connection, so she spent last night in a Ramada near Dallas, but she arrived on a morning flight around lunchtime today.

The main event began this afternoon and right now over 5000 players from all over the country, of all skills and grades, are in the second of their seven rounds.

Memphis

We didn't spend much time in Memphis -- long enough to confirm that Mud Island and the River walk wouldn't be open for the season for another week. We drove around a little, glanced down Beale Street, and I walked down to the river in a couple of places, but then we headed off for Nashville, and one hell of a rainstorm.

Rock City

Rock City is a labyrinth of rocky slots and cliffs with a pricey admission. But for that price you get background music along the paths, gnomes, a cavern filled with fairy tale dioramas, and at night, I assume everything is lit with colored lights. The waterfall (fake, I think) beneath Lover's Leap is tinted turquoise. You also get some spectacular views (although today is pretty gray) and a great swinging bridge.

D tolerated the 30 minute walk, but said it reminded him of the decorated wait lines at theme parks - not that it was crowded, but you kept expecting a sign saying "the wait from here is 45 minutes."

Lookout Mountain

Lookout Mountain rises on the western edge of Chattanooga. Perched on top is an upscale residential neighborhood (great views), several tourist traps, and a National Military Park. We wandered out to the point overlooking the Tennessee River and the city, before checking out the small visitors center describing the events of 1863.

We passed by, but didn't stop at, the Tow Truck Hall of Fame.

Road Trip

The objectives of this trip are a bit fuzzy, though they involve multiple states, maybe some of their highest points, a couple of civil war battlefields, and making it back to Nashville by Thursday night.

We've already checked off several states. Yesterday it was Washington, Colorado (15 minutes at Denver International), and Tennessee. Today it was Alabama (just the northeast corner), a brief swing into Georgia (more tomorrow), and North Carolina. That's where we are tonight - and given their current lead against Oklahoma, I suspect the dinner crowd will be in good spirits.