It began last Saturday when intrepid travelers Punky Dias and Heidi Herbon landed at the Nashville International Airport. I was right there to meet them and soon had them bundled into Stella for the ride to the tiny flat in Knoxville. After a long day of flying for them and a long day of driving for me, I ordered in Chinese food, an astonishing innovation for Mom who can get nothing but pizza delivered to her humble Sacramento home.
An early night was called for, so Mom was installed in the plain-but-serviceable guest room while Heidi settled down on Lovie the loveseat. I was nicely asleep in my gorgeous big bed when a figure appeared in my doorway. Just like when she was little, Heidi wanted to sleep in my bed. Nothing could have made me happier. Of course, I paid for it the next day because Heidi and I stayed up talking into the wee hours. But it was worth it. It was sooooo good to have her to talk to!!
We decided to just take it easy the next day, so we grabbed what breakfast we could from the larder. Then back into Stella for a drive to campus. I showed my guests the construction nightmare that is the strip and the long stretch of Lake Avenue that I climb up each morning. We went into Dunford Hall, but Mom and Heidi did not seem too interested in my unadorned office or the plain little lounge where I spend a lot of my time. We went next door to the library--so they could see a little of it and I could return some books. Back into Stella and up to the hill, the only part of campus worthy of a photograph.
Leaving campus we meandered over to Market Square. Peeking into the shops and eating frozen custard made for a very nice visit.
Being good NASCAR fans (except Heidi), we came back to the tiny flat to watch the race--boring without my beloved Smoke. For dinner, Mom had to please her youngest daughter by having Southern food. We went to a place called Aubrey's just a few minutes from the tiny flat. God, it was good, especially the banana pudding with macadamia nuts.
On Monday morning, Heidi and I left Mom at the tiny flat with a refrigerator of food, a book, some knitting, many blankets, and the TV remote. Heidi and I then headed off to the West Town Mall for some pretty serious shopping. My bank account took quite a hit but we had a blast. Thank goodness Heidi came to Knoxville with an empty suitcase.
We even got all the items necessary to finally decorate the guest bathroom.
Monday night was time for more Southern food, so we went to Calhoun's on the River. Not only did we enjoy a delicious dinner (fried okra!!!) but Mother Nature gave us a terrific rain storm followed by a rainbow. As it was 3.15, we got key lime pie to go.
Tuesday meant it was time for some shopping and some more Southern cooking before we began our sightseeing. We began our day by running to Joann's for fabric for me to recover my desk chair and buttons for a baby sweater Mom is making. Buy Buy Baby was also on the agenda (a little something for the future granddaughter of pal Marijo). We needed sustenance by this point so we had breakfast at The Egg and I, a spot discovered by Yvette and Maddie last August when we first got here. Then it was off to the Knoxville Zoo.
Now, sadly, Heidi was not a big fan of the zoo. Too many children and too many BIG BLACK BEES!! While they didn't sting, they really managed to freak out my youngest daughter.
To help her recover from her near-BEE experience, Heidi and I went over to Super Cuts for trims and bangs. While that helped, it wasn't until she had some decent Mexican food that Heidi truly recovered.
Wednesday morning was our last day for real sightseeing. Into Stella and off down Highway 40 east to Greenville, Tennessee, home of our seventeenth president, Andrew Johnson. First stop, though? Cracker Barrel--Heidi's first time.
For those readers unfamiliar with my madre, she has a passion for all things First Lady. Andrew Johnson and wife Eliza can now be added to the list of presidents she has visited.
Now here's a little review of the Andrew Johnson State Historic Park. While it's a nice place, well kept, excellent NPS ranger for a guide, the overall narrative of Johnson is a little lopsided. In his Staye Historic Park, this AJ is remembered as a fierce defender of the Constitution, not as a guy that allowed himself to be flattered and cajoled into pardoning Southern leaders. Amazingly, in a little ballot box in the museum, visitors were encouraged to vote whether AJ had been guilty in his impeachment. Hands down, Trump style, people found him not guilty. I wonder how such a vote would turn out in a Charles Summer or Thaddeus Stevens museum?
No visit to a president is complete without a pilgrimage to his final resting place. This AJ got a nice spot on the top of a hill.
We drove back from Greenville along some back country roads, getting a real feel for just how rural life is outside of the towns and cities of Tennessee.
For our last dinner in Knoxville, we enjoyed a fancy meal at Copper Cellar. Early to bed for everyone as we wanted to make an early start back to Nashville in the morning.
As the flight back to Sacramento was until late afternoon, we had time to visit the Ryman Auditorium before heading to the airport, fulfilling my mother's wish to see the Grand Ol' Opry.
A snack at the Ryman, then off to the airport to send my visitors home. As these were my first house guests, I sure hope they had a good time. It's funny, but on Thursday I couldn't wait to have my flat to myself. I woke up on Friday to wish they were still here. May seems a long way off.
Well, that's the story of Spring Break 2016 and the Great Visitation of Family from Sacramento. I spent yesterday recuperating, and today Annie and I went for a short walk along one of Knoxville's many beautiful walking/riding/skating trails. Then, I did something that will slow the pace of Annie's academic endeavors--I introduced her to Ancestry.com. God have mercy on her soul.
Knighty-Knight from Knoxville....
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