Sunday, June 26, 2005

Jack Daniels

We made a spur-of-the-moment fishing trip to the Elk River in southern Tennessee.

I visited Lynchburg for the first time, home of the Jack Daniels Distillery. Though we do not drink, I thoroughly enjoyed the (free) tour of its beautiful buildings and grounds.

The Frontier Days festival and charming square of shops entertained us well while husband fished his heart out. They had some old timey gospel music and bluegrass for the street dance at night. I love walkable towns with old wooden houses!

We packed a big cooler for all our meals and (of course) stopped at the Russell Stover outlet for 90% off Valentine treats on the way.

I spent a lot of time studying a ladies' handicraft shop. Someone had made darling aprons and prairie bonnets for little girls, as well as hand-tatted lace edging, quilts, and linen baby pillows. I was glad that so many local seamstresses had found a market for their talent. I didn't buy anything, but I'm sure most tourists are happy to find an alternative to the Jack Daniels logo souvenirs.

Best finds:

  • kids' cones filled with home made ice cream ($1)
  • newly crocheted dish cloths from a local estate sale (5 cents apiece)
  • great advice from the fly shop on the square, Tim's Flies and Lies (the cost of a new fly)

Worst find:

  • Most B&B's do not welcome children. Even nice ones.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm sorry you had a hard time at B&Bs. I don't care for them myself for that very reason. Have you had a chance to try making the cream cheese coffee cake? It may seem difficult, but really it is quite easy. My husband usually makes it (he learned how from his mom) and that was the first time I tried it. It wasn't tricky at all. Good luck!

Meredith said...

No, I'm still waiting for some houseguests to try it out on! Although it sounds like a perfect menu item for a B&B, though, doesn't it?

Unknown said...

You must have driven right by our house in N Alabama not too far from Russell Stover.

We welcome children :)

Anonymous said...

I've never gone to Lynchburg, but always wanted to see the place. We need to use your example and make a trip of it eventually.

Meredith said...

I'm a small town junkie, but even I was surprised how fun it was. I would recommend going when they have a special event so there's more kid-friendly stuff to do.

Anonymous said...

That's funny! I like B&B's because they are geared towards adults! I love children, but sometimes it's a treat to really get away for awhile.

Do they still serve lemonade at JD's? I was there nearly 20 years ago, and they served all the lemonade you can drink, plus free postcards home.