The Big Drive

Knoxville's Sunsphere and World's Fair Park

When I left Baton Rouge, I tried my best to get to parking in Jackson, MS; I didn't make it there, nor did I make it far at all. The moment I recognized I was too tired to drive coincided with a sign for the "Welcome to Mississippi" rest area along the highway. I initially just wanted to nap for an hour, but at 0200, we all knew it wouldn't be "just a nap". With a security guard on patrol at this rest area, I felt comfortable sleeping here. This was the first time I slept in my car but not in a hospital parking garage/lot.

After a short night's sleep, I continued to Jackson, the city from which I would beeline to Knoxville, TN, by way of Tuscaloosa, Birmingham, and Chattanooga. A seven hour drive on straight shot.

I did all of the following in one day, so I could get to my Tufts fencing friend Shelby's for dinner. If I was ever in a hurry on this trip, now is it.

Jackson

Downtown Jackson

There is quite literally nothing here. Most boring capital ever. I hopped between the real capitol, then the old capitol, and then downtown.

Current capitol

The current capitol building is decent. It combined Baton Rouge's gothic feel with the usual domed top, but didn't come together as anything special to my eyes. It was rigged for repairs, so that definitely detracted from its appearance, as much as I tried to look past the rigging. The main monument out front of the capitol commemorates the Confederacy. Downtown, all I saw was a historical society signpost noting the location of the famous Jackson Woolworth's Sit-In (the store no longer exists).

Old capitol

Most of the city looks destitute. The only major park costs money to drive into, so I didn't bother. I got to wondering if the south's economy was so crippled by the abolition of slavery as to doom them into poverty, even a century later. When the slavery crutch was taken out from under them, was there any other possible course history could have taken so as to not end up with run-down capital cities? I didn't yet know when I was ruminating on this in Jackson, but my next major stop, Birmingham (Tuscaloosa doesn't count), would grant credence to the hypothesis that it was impossible to not end up here. Birmingham was and still is an industrial (as opposed to agrarian) city since the Civil War - never significantly dependent on slave labor within the city - and is doing well today. Abolition necessarily ruined a southern half of America whose economy was dependent on slavery (not to mention almost all Civil War battles taking place in the south, laying waste to their land). We can blast any of today's confederate flag wavers, but we must be careful not to judge history's ethics by today's standards.

Tuscaloosa

Roll Tide! Huge campus. 95,000 total city denizens, of which 45,000 are students, faculty, and staff at the university.

Relatively new engineering building on the left

Outside the student center

Birmingham

View of downtown from Vulcan

Downtown from a bridge artery

The Vulcan Statue

The main cool section of the town, also called Five Points as in Columbia, didn't have much. The city is just so spread out. More than any city I've seen so far I think. I hope the public transit is good, because it is not at all a walk-able city.

There's some neat architecture, including a castle. It's a very industrial city, as I mentioned above. Got some good ribs here. And then there is the imposing Vulcan statue flaunting the city's industrialism. I had never heard of this statue until Chad told me to go see it. It is the world's largest cast-iron statue. For $6, you can ascend it.

The Moon Over Homewood

Chattanooga

The Tennessee River, John Ross Bridge, and Lookout Mountain from Coolidge Park

A much better shot of Lookout Mountain.
Also the Walnut Street walking bridge and the top of the historic Coolidge Park Carousel.

This city is nestled at the foot of mountains, which I had to drive over coming from the southwest. I observed the city from Lookout Mountain, shown in the background of two of my pictures. The city looked fun and livable, but old. It was very crowded around the popular areas. I had trouble finding parking in the vicinity of Terminal Brewhouse, where I would get my next root beer. There is an aquarium which supposedly rivals Atlanta's that I obviously didn't have time to see.

Popular section of Chattanooga, near the park

Knoxville

View of downtown from atop the Sunsphere

Miss these guys

I was actually here once before, almost exactly three years ago, to coach Tufts' men's fencing team at the 2014 Collegiate Fencing Club Championship (I mentioned in a previous post a couple weeks ago they were out fencing in Michigan this year). A day-long event, I only got to see the convention center and, surprisingly, the hospital when one of my fencers got injured. I would get a more complete tour of the city this time through, arriving in time for two big Saturday events. Shelby hosted me for the whole weekend.

Llama racing back in 2014

Start with the March for Science. Ended up being a walking tour of the city for me, while losing my voice. Then to the Rossini Performing Arts Festival for lunch. Food, artisanal crafts, and reportedly over 800 performers/troupes. A whole stage devoted to opera, on which someone sang Stars from Les Miserables. Might be time for me to boot up that soundtrack in the car. Next I walked through the Old City part of town quickly, then over to the landmark Sunsphere and World's Fair Park. Before sundown, I hiked part of the Ijams Nature Center.

We marched through heavy rain.

A lot of us marched.

Even the dawgs marched.

Then we split off to the festival.

A view of the Tennessee River from the nature center

Wrap Up

I got lucky arriving in Knoxville on an eventful weekend, otherwise I don't think I would have liked it. Birmingham is alright, but I really worry about how decentralized the whole city is. Chattanooga was the interesting city of these five. I don't think I would at all mind being in the middle of those mountains. I wish I had more time there to explore.

I was going to leave Knox Sunday morning to start camping, but weather had other plans. With heavy rain all day in the city and flood warnings in the mountains, I burned my Sunday. Tomorrow morning I'll take off again. Thank you to Shelby for her flexibility and generosity.

Up next: A few backcountry camping trips planned. For the last of three spots as I work towards NJ, I need to decide between Shenandoah National Park or the George Washington National Forest. Ideas? I think I'd rather do Shenandoah, but it's a little further up the line, so I need to judge my daylight.

Walkin' to the south out of Roanoke
Caught a trucker out of Philly had a nice long toke
But he's a heading west to the Cumberland Gap
From Johnson City, Tennessee

On deck: Annapolis, Dover, home base

Might not hear from me for a while if I get lost in the mountains. Shooting to be back in Jersey by late Thursday.

Root Beers

Terminal Brewhouse

Hillbilly Bob's

Terminal Brewhouse (Chattanooga, TN) - Use a different manual technique, made on the spot in front of you by combining their homemade syrup and soda water, swirled with a spoon. It's really good. I guess it tastes a little syrupy, and could use more bite. But overall it's really good taste. 7 stars.

Hillbilly Bob's (Charlotte, NC) - Found this one at the festival. Getting it at jacked-up festival prices left a sour taste in my mouth. Nothing special about this one at all. A Mug imposter. I wouldn't be surprised if they were just serving Mug out of their fancy barrels. Maybe slightly sweeter than Mug. 4 stars.

On Repeat
Album: MIKA - Life in Cartoon Motion
Song: Scissor Sisters - I Don't Feel Like Dancin'
Clearly, I was dancing a LOT on this drive from Jackson to Knoxville. Dancing to falsetto. For 7+ hours.

Barq's got big in Jackson.