We departed Arnold AFB FamCamp, we did not hook up the tow car.
We drove separately about 10 miles to the Walmart to fuel the car and the
motorhome. We hooked up there and began our trek up US 41 N.
In Manchester, there were 2 awesome murals. One created
quite a stir in this little Tennessee town. The local Murfreesboro artist painted a new mural for the
side of the Wheeler Construction building, on North Spring Street at the
entrance of Historic Downtown Manchester. It replaced a fading American flag
painted in the exact spot. The old flag painting was grandfathered in to the
exterior building guidelines set by the zoning commission. The flag had the
words “Welcome to Historic Downtown Manchester, Tennessee” written below it. The
city-wide Manchester Murals program went head-to-head with the Historic Zoning
Commission over the mural painted on the side of Wheeler’s Construction and
Restoration, Inc. The mural, painted by Tara Aversa, is an American flag in the
shape of a magnolia with the word “Manchester” on it. The Historic Commission
finds it to be disrespectful and wants it covered up. While many believe the
owner is within their right to have it.
The building owner went to the Historic Zoning Commission to
seek approval for the mural, painting of his building and a new awning. The
commission approved the exterior paint and awning, but asked the owner to wait
on the mural until they could create guidelines for mural projects. The owner
and the mural committee moved forward with the fresco. The move shook the
zoning commission. “It doesn’t represent anything,” “It has nothing to do with Manchester
history” were the thoughts of some of this Historic Zoning Commission. They
would have preferred a recreation of a historic photo, such as horse-swapping
events, or submitted designs. The commission called the police to stop the artist
on Sunday, but law enforcement is not in charge of zoning codes and couldn’t do
anything as the painting is not criminal. The mural committee claims the art is
within code – color choices matched those set by the commission and they did
get their approval to paint the building. The meeting’s minutes also show an
approved motion that states “the commission embrace the use of murals within
the Historic Zone to promote tourism and economic improvement.” What do you
think? I like it!
The 2nd mural is an effort to teach kids to be
drug free. The Manchester Police Department commissioned the mural on the side
of 602 Hillsboro Blvd. The painting faces the Sonic Drive-In. It was painted by
the same artist who decorated the walls of the First Methodist Church
children’s room. The mural features a group of kids in front of a playground,
with members of the Manchester Police Department standing behind them. The
photo depicts the department holding a bike safety day. The artist, Randall
Oldrieve, came down from Cleveland, Ohio to work on the painting on and off for
about three months.
Oh, I forgot to tell you about one unique natural feature at
Arnold AFB. There is a unique pond on the base. It is called “Sinking” pond. It
is an almost 400-acre site that contains 149 acres of bottomland hardwoods. It was
designated a National Natural Landmark in 1975. Maximum winter water depth
varies from a few inches to 15 feet in various parts of the site. But, the
entire pond is usually dry in late summer and early fall.
It also contains one
of the largest great blue heron rookeries in the state. In the late 1990s, Dr.
Jon Evans and Sarah McCarthy Neumann surveyed the trees of Sinking Pond, a
karst depression that fills with water for a large part of the year, November
through July. This wetland is punctuated with overstory overcup Oak, but the
population is experiencing regeneration failure. They concluded that rainfall
patterns must have changed in the last 60 years, making it impossible for
overcup oak seedlings to grow tall enough to survive.
In Murfreesboro, we passed the Discovery Center &
Murfree Wet Lands. The Discovery Center is a children's museum, nature center
and wetlands boardwalk near downtown. Exhibits include themed exploration areas
for town life, science, trains, cars, a fire engine and farmers market. I wish
Tripp and Randy had been feeling better, when we visited them. This would have
been an awesome place to take him! Next time we come into town!
Okay, no wonder women don’t do directions well. We are currently
traveling on 41 North and 70 South, but heading west …. Now what sense does any
of that make!
Stones River National Battlefield is the site of one of
Lincoln's military victories for the North, which bolstered support of the
Emancipation Proclamation. A fierce battle took place at Stones River between
December 31, 1862 and January 2, 1863. General Bragg's Confederates withdrew
after the battle, allowing General Rosecrans and the Union army to control
middle Tennessee. Although the battle was tactically indecisive, it provided a
much-needed boost to the North after the defeat at Fredericksburg. President
Lincoln later wrote to General Rosecrans, "I can never forget...you gave
us a hard-earned victory, which had there been a defeat instead, the nation
could scarcely have lived over."
The 600-acre National Battlefield
includes Stones River National Cemetery, established in 1865, with more than
6,000 Union graves; and the Hazen Brigade Monument, believed to be the oldest,
intact Civil War monument still standing in its original location.
We turned onto Tennessee Route 254 W. This road skirted
around the south side of Nashville. We could tell that this area has recently
seen a growth spurt. There were several malls and neighbors with new homes. We took
TN 100 to TN 251, back onto 70 S (still heading west) and finally got onto
Route 70.
The Harpeth River State Park is a linear park that manages
nine river access sites along 40 river miles. Sites include several natural,
archaeological and historic areas. The park is popular for kayaking, canoeing,
fishing and hiking. The Harpeth River is a Class I river, meaning that it is appropriate
for beginners and above. If you don’t have your own canoe or kayak, we saw many
local outfitters offering guides and rentals. Inside the park, you can find the
Narrows of the Harpeth. It is an ideal spot for hiking, picnicking, fishing,
and canoeing. The Narrows provides an upstream and downstream access, a 5-mile
float and a unique portage. Three hiking trails originate at a common trailhead
near the park entrance.
Another trail offers a half-mile hike through the
forest and along majestic bluffs to a small lake with a one mile spur trail
ascending to the top of a ridge where the remains of an old marble dance floor
are all that remain of a 1940's resort. A half-mile bluff overlook trail
includes a steep ascent to a narrow bluff offering hikers a panoramic view of
the Harpeth Valley. A half-mile trail along the backside of the limestone bluff
leads to the site of Montgomery Bell's Pattison Forge where a small waterfall
is all that remains of the iron forge operation. It is also the site of one of the oldest
man-made tunnels in existence today. Montgomery Bell, an early iron
industrialist had the tunnel built in 1818. The 100 yard tunnel was hand cut through solid rock and is
considered one of the great engineering feats of the time. It is an industrial
landmark on the National Register of Historic Places.
We followed the Screaming Eagle Trail for part of our travel
today. The complete trail starts in downtown Nashville and covers 353 miles. We
followed it from west of Nashville all the way to Waverly Tennessee.
Along a great deal of the roadways we traveled today, we saw
signs commemorating Tennessee’s First Road Highway 1. The Tennessee Department
of Transportation highlighted the old “First Road” as part of the department’s
100th anniversary. The original Highway 1 stretched some 538 miles across the
state. Actually the road was the first designated state route to stretch across
the state. In Tennessee’s early history, before the settlement of West Tennessee,
the Walton (or Avery Trace) and Emory Roads took horseback and wagon travelers
from Knoxville to the Nashville area. These were not paved or even graveled
roads but mostly dirt routes that followed, for the most part, old Native
American routes. The popularity and use of the automobile prompted the
development of paved routes.
We crossed the Tennessee River for the 2nd time
this trip. Often we see small creeks or rivers that meander back and forth and
you can cross them more than once. But I cannot remember when we did it over
such a large river.
Traveling on Route 70 in Benton County, reminds us of 17
along the GA coast …. Yikes! Bump, bump, bump ….
In Rosser, we turned onto Route 22 N aka Cotton Junction
Trail. The trail actually starts in downtown Memphis and travels 320 miles. IT
takes you on a rural journey through west Tennessee. It is named for the
hypnotic beauty of the region’s signature cotton fields in early fall.
As we headed down Route 22, toward Reelfoot Lake, we joined onto the Great River Road National Scenic Byway. This trail actually sprawls through 10 states, from Minnesota to Arkansas. This self-guided takes you by the 25,000 gorgeous acres of nature at Reelfoot Lake State Park. History is everywhere along the Great River Road.
We arrived at Reelfoot Lake State Park South Campground, our
home for the next 7 nights.
Enjoyed our first sunset here, too! Good night!
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