Monday, March 16 we moved into Memphis via Holly Springs then by Hwy 72 through Collierville. As we were driving down the highway there Olivia said, “Fundcraft, we have to stop!”
This was the publisher of her cookbook back in 1984 and yes, Jo and Nancy, it is still in the cookbook business. It was exciting to Olivia to see this business.We parked the trailer in the Agricenter RV park and took off to see cousins Judy & Lyn Gorman. She is Fred’s first cousin on the Harrington side. They took us on a driving tour of Memphis
and showed us the mighty Mississippi and the M bridge for Memphis. 
And by the Civil Rights Museum where the front of the museum is the Lorraine Motel.Then on to the famous Peabody Hotel and the
walk of the ducks 
from the fountain, on the red carpet,
up the elevator, 
to their penthouse palace. The crowds were large (about 250) with everyone wanting to see.
We stopped to see the view from the roof top.
We walked down Beale Street witch is famous for blues and barbecue. Judy pointed out how the original facade walls were being preserved with an out door restaurant behind them. 
Then we went to Paulette’s for a beautiful, delicious, gourmet dinner. Fred had salmon and Olivia had tenderloin with lump crabmeat and bournaise sauce. YUM! This is a MUST on your fine dining tour.Tuesday, March 17 took us to the Gorman’s to meet all available members of their family.
Fred, Judy, Asleigh, Aron, ?, Hunter, ? ?, Shelly , Shannon, & Lynn. Not necessarily in that order. Off to Graceland with Fred, Olivia, Judy and four of the grandchildren. This was a big adventure for Judy and the kids and we enjoyed all. Graceland is owned by the family and they are certainly organized with tours and ways to make more money. 
We took the house tour, but also available is the car and airplane museums. We also paid $10 to park. First on the tour was the 
lavish Living room along with fancy dining room, kitchen, jungle room, basement with 3 TV’s, one for each network channel. Out back were several other buildings and two were museums with his gold and silver recors and his awards. The halls and walls were full of records. We didn’t know he made so many records and movies. Along with the awards were his costumes.Across the yard was
the cemetery and 
his grave.We wished for Lillian as we knew she had wanted to see this house when she, Anna Kay and Olivia went to Washington DC. The timing was off on their return trip for them to detour to see it. She would have enjoyed this tour.
Then we split up and Olivia and Fred went to
Saint Judes to see if we could see what ESA has donated, but we missed a tour so we looked 
at all the buildings. It is truly a huge hospital with lots of buildings and we know they work lots of miracles there.Olivia & Judy compared genealogy notes before going to
Corky’s for Memphis Barbecue. go to www.corky’smemphis.com for the whole menu. We stated our meal (Angie & Bobby these pictures are for you!)
with onion rings. 
And had ribs and 
pork sandwiches (with slaw on the sandwich) for the main course. We were stuffed. This is another MUST for your dining tour.Wednesday, March 18 saw us heading out of town on HWY 64 going east across Tennessee. We stopped for a break in Selmer to see the preserved office of the famous Sheriff Buford Pusser.
Once he wrestled and defeated a live grizzly bear. He led a violent but successful campaign against moonshiners, gamblers, prostitutes and organized crime figures. His unusual methods of law enforcement earned him notoriety. He became a logal legend for his heroics and at the same time gained dangerous enemies. His career skyrocketed with WALKING TALL, WALKING TALL: Part II AND WALKING TALL:: FINAL CHAPER, a television documentary “The Great American Hero.” We could only look through the window to see his office.Our next stop was the Shiloh National Military Park. We watched the video and drove through the park to the
restored Shiloh Methodist Church.
Olivia went inside then snapped the picture of the 
current Shiloh First United Methodist Church, services 9:00 am each Sunday.This Shiloh meeting house, the log Methodist Church is what gave the battle its name. On the morning of April 6, 1862, Sherman’s division held this area of the battlefield until forced to abandon it. Later Beauregard established his headquarters here. The present church and cemetery are privately owned, but park visitors are welcome on the grounds.
We finished the day at a
TVA park on the Tennessee River below Pickwick Dam. 
You can see the dam through the trees and we occasionally saw barges coming and going through the locks.Thursday, March 19 we drove north to Savanah, TN where we visited the Tennessee River Museum, then on east on Hwy 64 to Davy Crockett State Park near Lawrenceburg. We drove through the park and
saw Crockett Falls, where Davy lived for four years. He established a diversified industry consisting of a powder mill, a gristmill and a distillery. All three were washed away in a flood in Sept 1821 and he moved to west Tennessee where he was elected to Congress.We drove east to Pulaski, Giles County, TN where a wagon train had left in the 1880’s to Ellis County. Olivia’s ancestor Anna Caroline Bridgforth West was in the wagon train. We found a RV park in Elkton AL and cousins Willa Dean Berzett and her daughter Susan Sandlin drove in behind us. Susan went home and Willa Dean stayed with us and
guided us to the Daly Cemetery, where 5 of Olivia’s ancestors are buried. Fortunately Olivia had taken pictures of those stones on previous trips as they were badly deteriorated and vandalized. From there we drove by David Bridgforth’s (Olivia's ancestor) home place on State Line Road, 
but didn’t climb the fence and trespass as we did before. We could not see if the old house and log barn were still there. If so, they were behind the hill and trees. It is a beautiful place with lush pastures surrounded by trees. We can see why David chose this place to live. North of Daly Cemetery was Pleasant Hill Methodist Church (no picture) and Willa Dean said the family attended this church.
Willa Dean then guided us to the
home of Burwell Abernathy, grandfather of Caroline Daly Bridgforth. She married David's son James. Both of Caroline E's parents Burwell & Ann Abernathy are also buried in the Daly Cemetery. Olivia had not seen this house before. It is on Hwy 31 at Rose Road just south of Pulaski, TN.
Sunday, March 22 we rushed to leave camp so we could go to church. Olivia looked on line to find a church. The closest started at 11:00 and we didn’t want to wait, and on the other side of Chattanooga at Cleveland there were 14 churches and the chosen one started at 10:45. Good enough, we could do that. But uh oh, we didn’t count on the Eastern Standard Time Zone change between the two churches. We arrived there at 11:15. So much for the best laid plans of mice and men! So we slowed our pace and enjoyed the drive up the Ocoee River through Cherokee National Forest into North Carolina and a
beautiful road side park, then started hunting for a parking place. Along the way we could see miles of Rhododendron bushes in the woods. Also along this drive the trees met to make a tunnel and rafters and kayakers were in the river. This will be a gorgeous drive in a few weeks. The Rhodies bloom from May 15 through June. We attempted one campground in the Smoky Mountain national park, but it was not open until next weekend, so we drove on to Harrah’s in Cherokee NC. We ate a hamburger in the casino, then Fred investigated Texas Hold’um, this set up doesn’t have a live dealer. It is all electronic, except the other players are sitting at the table with him. and Olivia took the shuttle back to the trailer to write this. She hopes he wins! Fred won BIG!!!! So we celebrated the next night at KFC’s buffet. Actually it was the best we could find on a Monday night!
Monday, March 23 we drove over the
Smoky Mountains to Gatlinburg where we saw lots of tourist traps in a small space, so we turned around and drove back to the Blue Ridge Parkway and took it to Maggie Valley and 
Lake Junaluska, which is a Methodist Conference and Retreat Center for the Southeastern Jurisdiction of the UMC. There are hotels, conference centers, small cottages, bed and breakfasts for those wishing to relax on a front porch in a rocking chair gazing at the panoramic vistas of the Blue Ridge and Great Smoky Mountains. For almost 100 years they have been home for people seeking relaxation, recreation and renewal. The center surrounds the peaceful Lake Junaluska. We enjoyed seeing the large artistic creation in the visitor center. 
The organ pipes, which form the framework for this sculpture, draw on the musical traditions of the African-American churches while the cloth wrappings express traditions of visual art and craft. De-commissioned organ pipes came from all over the region, each one bringing its own story. Many people generously gave their treasured textiles as well as the organ pipes themselves to help bring this artistic manifestation to reality. We wish the old pipes from our church had been saved for something like this. Does Brad Yates still have the ones he bought at auction?
Tomorrow we move to Ashville, NC.
Willa Dean then guided us to the
home of Burwell Abernathy, grandfather of Caroline Daly Bridgforth. She married David's son James. Both of Caroline E's parents Burwell & Ann Abernathy are also buried in the Daly Cemetery. Olivia had not seen this house before. It is on Hwy 31 at Rose Road just south of Pulaski, TN.Back at the trailer we briefly met our neighbor from Milton, Ontario. They came to our trailer after supper with a list of places to see in Canada. Olivia brought out maps and she wrote and circled lots of places. We now feel a little better prepared for their country. He has been a bus driver for tour groups and knows the tourist spots. We loved their card, which said,
“Jo– Navigator, Advisor, John– He better listen! We work and Play Together”
They said they had been going to Florida, but it was getting too expensive and thought they would winter in Texas next year, so we gave them a Texas Map and the latest Texas Highways. We also told them about the Rockport Fulton area, Hill Country Bluebonnets and where we live. We hope they stop to see us on the way south.
“Jo– Navigator, Advisor, John– He better listen! We work and Play Together”
They said they had been going to Florida, but it was getting too expensive and thought they would winter in Texas next year, so we gave them a Texas Map and the latest Texas Highways. We also told them about the Rockport Fulton area, Hill Country Bluebonnets and where we live. We hope they stop to see us on the way south.
March 20 we met Willa Dean and she again guided us to Salem and the location of James Bridgforth’s home. To our surprise the house was gone and a new one in it’s place. We back tracked to Daly Cemetery and took pictures of 
Burrell and 
Ann Abernathy’s tombstones and 
William Daly. We did not find William’s wife Lucy nor Josiah and Jinny McKinney Daly’s stones. Fortunately Olivia previously took Caroline E Daly’s stone because the top has been broken and the piece thrown into the raised box. We could not reach it. (Glynda this James Bridgforth’s daughter, Anna Caroline Bridgforth West came to Ellis County in the Great Giles County wagon train. Olivia believes ECGS has done a story on the migration.) We drove back by the land of David Bridgforth, the patriarch of this branch of the Bridgforth family. We took a picture to show just out pretty this country is. David and his wife Mariah Dandridge Hobbs Bridgforth are buried behind this hill, and in the front yard of the old home, hidden behind the hill. When Olivia was here in 1984 she had to climb the fence into a pig sty to take pictures of the graves. About 1994 we were back there and trespassed to see the place. We were caught and courtesy escorted out, so we didn’t try this time.
Susan, George and Willa Dean took us for barbecue and we enjoyed the visit with them all.
Susan and George live in this old house in Elkton, AL. They have cattle and are big in the Cattleman’s association. That day Susan made and served 900 Rib-eye sandwiches for a scholarship fund. They have also been to Texas for a Cattleman’s meeting and met someone in the Waxahachie Class of ‘61. Who is this? They also told us a story about cattle always grazing north or south and following that line until they ran into a fence...then moving to an ungrazed area turning the other direction. Is there anything to this? It was news to us.
Saturday, March 21 we drove through pretty land, rolling hills, pastures and farm land. Daffodils growing wild in the right of way as well as in yards, pear trees and forsythia have decorated our route.
We toured
Jack Daniel’s Distillery and saw 
the four stages of making the famous Tennessee Sippin Whiskey. Or rather the product depending on where it is placed in the barns. The higher up the darker and more expensive. It all starts out with the 140 proof clear liquid when poured into the barrels, which are made by Jack Daniel’s. 
They also make their own charcoal for the filtering process. We learn that Gentleman Jack never married and when it came time to name his new product he had seven girl friends, so to keep from hurting feelings he named it #7.
We joined Jack Daniels on the Rocks!
Learned about making the charcoal out of specially milled sugar maple wood, the making of the barrels, they only use once and how they let the 140 proof liquid drip through the charcoal for a long time, then fill the barrels and place them in the big barns for aging. We toured 
the distilling building where the guide bounce the lids of the dripping vats so we could smell the distilling liquid. She also reiterated that every drop of Jack Daniels is bottled HERE! There are over 400 employees and on the first Friday of every month each employee gets a bottle to take home. Every employee shows up for work that day! Some of the whiskey is bottled as a Single Barrel. 
The picture represents a single barrel and a barrel may be purchased and the owner received this many bottles AND the barrel. After the tour they offered liquid refreshments of coffee, water and lemonade! Ah, Tennessee liquor laws!
At the first of the tour they took a
group picture of our group and told us it would be placed on their web site of www.jackdaniels.com so look for our picture there posted 3-21-09. Of course we had to read all about the product before scrolling down to the picture.
After leaving Jack Daniels we enjoyed the scenic drive east We have been surprised to see daffodils growing in the right of way, the multitude of pear trees as well as other flowering trees and
lots of Forsythia. They are as vivid as the Aspens were in Colorado.
We drove up on a plateau or maybe call it a mesa, or maybe a flattop mountain. While hunting for a landing spot for the night, in a State Park visitor center we saw a relieve map of this area. This flat top mountain has lots of hollows around the edge, with waterfalls, hiking trails, and views. We located at Foster Falls in a TVA campground. This was our first dry camp on this trip. It was beautiful with lots of trees and only a few campers. We had planned to make more miles, but exhaustion set in. This is the benefit of having your home attached and a flexible schedule. Also, there is a benefit of traveling in the off season. We are sure this campground fills up in the summer.
Burrell and Ann Abernathy’s tombstones and William Daly. We did not find William’s wife Lucy nor Josiah and Jinny McKinney Daly’s stones. Fortunately Olivia previously took Caroline E Daly’s stone because the top has been broken and the piece thrown into the raised box. We could not reach it. (Glynda this James Bridgforth’s daughter, Anna Caroline Bridgforth West came to Ellis County in the Great Giles County wagon train. Olivia believes ECGS has done a story on the migration.) We drove back by the land of David Bridgforth, the patriarch of this branch of the Bridgforth family. We took a picture to show just out pretty this country is. David and his wife Mariah Dandridge Hobbs Bridgforth are buried behind this hill, and in the front yard of the old home, hidden behind the hill. When Olivia was here in 1984 she had to climb the fence into a pig sty to take pictures of the graves. About 1994 we were back there and trespassed to see the place. We were caught and courtesy escorted out, so we didn’t try this time.Susan, George and Willa Dean took us for barbecue and we enjoyed the visit with them all.Susan and George live in this old house in Elkton, AL. They have cattle and are big in the Cattleman’s association. That day Susan made and served 900 Rib-eye sandwiches for a scholarship fund. They have also been to Texas for a Cattleman’s meeting and met someone in the Waxahachie Class of ‘61. Who is this? They also told us a story about cattle always grazing north or south and following that line until they ran into a fence...then moving to an ungrazed area turning the other direction. Is there anything to this? It was news to us.Saturday, March 21 we drove through pretty land, rolling hills, pastures and farm land. Daffodils growing wild in the right of way as well as in yards, pear trees and forsythia have decorated our route.
We toured
Jack Daniel’s Distillery and saw the four stages of making the famous Tennessee Sippin Whiskey. Or rather the product depending on where it is placed in the barns. The higher up the darker and more expensive. It all starts out with the 140 proof clear liquid when poured into the barrels, which are made by Jack Daniel’s. They also make their own charcoal for the filtering process. We learn that Gentleman Jack never married and when it came time to name his new product he had seven girl friends, so to keep from hurting feelings he named it #7.We joined Jack Daniels on the Rocks!
Learned about making the charcoal out of specially milled sugar maple wood, the making of the barrels, they only use once and how they let the 140 proof liquid drip through the charcoal for a long time, then fill the barrels and place them in the big barns for aging. We toured the distilling building where the guide bounce the lids of the dripping vats so we could smell the distilling liquid. She also reiterated that every drop of Jack Daniels is bottled HERE! There are over 400 employees and on the first Friday of every month each employee gets a bottle to take home. Every employee shows up for work that day! Some of the whiskey is bottled as a Single Barrel. The picture represents a single barrel and a barrel may be purchased and the owner received this many bottles AND the barrel. After the tour they offered liquid refreshments of coffee, water and lemonade! Ah, Tennessee liquor laws!At the first of the tour they took a
group picture of our group and told us it would be placed on their web site of www.jackdaniels.com so look for our picture there posted 3-21-09. Of course we had to read all about the product before scrolling down to the picture.After leaving Jack Daniels we enjoyed the scenic drive east We have been surprised to see daffodils growing in the right of way, the multitude of pear trees as well as other flowering trees and
lots of Forsythia. They are as vivid as the Aspens were in Colorado.We drove up on a plateau or maybe call it a mesa, or maybe a flattop mountain. While hunting for a landing spot for the night, in a State Park visitor center we saw a relieve map of this area. This flat top mountain has lots of hollows around the edge, with waterfalls, hiking trails, and views. We located at Foster Falls in a TVA campground. This was our first dry camp on this trip. It was beautiful with lots of trees and only a few campers. We had planned to make more miles, but exhaustion set in. This is the benefit of having your home attached and a flexible schedule. Also, there is a benefit of traveling in the off season. We are sure this campground fills up in the summer.
Sunday, March 22 we rushed to leave camp so we could go to church. Olivia looked on line to find a church. The closest started at 11:00 and we didn’t want to wait, and on the other side of Chattanooga at Cleveland there were 14 churches and the chosen one started at 10:45. Good enough, we could do that. But uh oh, we didn’t count on the Eastern Standard Time Zone change between the two churches. We arrived there at 11:15. So much for the best laid plans of mice and men! So we slowed our pace and enjoyed the drive up the Ocoee River through Cherokee National Forest into North Carolina and a
beautiful road side park, then started hunting for a parking place. Along the way we could see miles of Rhododendron bushes in the woods. Also along this drive the trees met to make a tunnel and rafters and kayakers were in the river. This will be a gorgeous drive in a few weeks. The Rhodies bloom from May 15 through June. We attempted one campground in the Smoky Mountain national park, but it was not open until next weekend, so we drove on to Harrah’s in Cherokee NC. We ate a hamburger in the casino, then Fred investigated Texas Hold’um, this set up doesn’t have a live dealer. It is all electronic, except the other players are sitting at the table with him. and Olivia took the shuttle back to the trailer to write this. She hopes he wins! Fred won BIG!!!! So we celebrated the next night at KFC’s buffet. Actually it was the best we could find on a Monday night!Monday, March 23 we drove over the
Smoky Mountains to Gatlinburg where we saw lots of tourist traps in a small space, so we turned around and drove back to the Blue Ridge Parkway and took it to Maggie Valley and Lake Junaluska, which is a Methodist Conference and Retreat Center for the Southeastern Jurisdiction of the UMC. There are hotels, conference centers, small cottages, bed and breakfasts for those wishing to relax on a front porch in a rocking chair gazing at the panoramic vistas of the Blue Ridge and Great Smoky Mountains. For almost 100 years they have been home for people seeking relaxation, recreation and renewal. The center surrounds the peaceful Lake Junaluska. We enjoyed seeing the large artistic creation in the visitor center. The organ pipes, which form the framework for this sculpture, draw on the musical traditions of the African-American churches while the cloth wrappings express traditions of visual art and craft. De-commissioned organ pipes came from all over the region, each one bringing its own story. Many people generously gave their treasured textiles as well as the organ pipes themselves to help bring this artistic manifestation to reality. We wish the old pipes from our church had been saved for something like this. Does Brad Yates still have the ones he bought at auction?Tomorrow we move to Ashville, NC.
