Read on as our intrepid adventurers ford the mighty Mississippi River, befriend some natives, and get some much-needed car repair.
Day 6: Memphis, Little Rock, Fort Smith
States: Arkansas, Oklahoma
Distance: 380 miles
Breakfast: Memphis Brew
Lunch: River Market, Little Rock
Dinner: Landrys, Fort Smith
We awoke in our newly-christened tent better rested than we'd anticipated. 'Dem buuuuugs' hadn't bothered much over the night, and the heat had abated a bit. Before traveling further, though, we needed to have the car looked at. It had developed a pretty nasty front-end wobble and we were nervous about driving it further. Off to Car Talk! We found a mechanic with good reviews and set out.
Memphis is a city of wide, inviting boulevards. Molly was traveling along, doing about 45, when we got pulled over. It seems the speed limit was only 40. Our Massachusetts-honed driving skills taught us that we should drive as fast as the road could possibly handled, not whatever speed limit some bureaucrat had posted. The cop was very nice - admitting pretty much instantly that if we took it to court, the ticket would be thrown out.
The auto shop was a busy place, but they managed to find a lift and take a look at the car. We all decided that the wheel needed to be balanced, and they sent us to a front-end shop that was "just around the corner. Take a left, then stop where you see the stacks of tires." These directions, while well-intentioned, were so inaccurate as to be almost comical. True, there was a left turn involved, and the tire shop did have stacks of tires, but several other turns were definitely omitted. And the stacks of tires were completely hidden behind bushes. The iPhones saved the day, though, and the front-end guy happily balanced the tire. Car geeks: it needed an ounce and a quarter. The automotive guys implied this was a very large amount.
Then it was off to breakfast. We'd spotted a nice looking coffee shop next to the first mechanic's, so we headed back. Memphis Brew was a great find. The owner shared the secrets of her amazing sausage, egg, and cheese biscuits (though I promised I wouldn't tell!), while in the back, a few guys in very thick southern accents talked about the details of coffee production and roasting.
Read on as we explore the cities of Asheville, Knoxville, Nashville, and Memphis.
Day 4: Asheville, NC
States: North Carolina
Breakfast: Mosaic Cafe
Lunch: Asheville Pizza and Brewing Company
Dinner: Jack of the Wood
We woke up late, exhausted from a very full day before, and headed off to grab brunch and explore Pisgah National Forest. We chose the Mosaic Cafe, which was a little out of the way but had the best meatloaf sandwich I've ever tasted.
Then, we drove up in to the hills of the forest and re-joined the Blue Ridge Parkway. In the forest, we hiked Mount Pisgah: only a 1.6 mile climb, but it sure is steep. At the top is a hideously ugly TV tower and a fantastic view of the Smoky Mountains. True to their name, the persistent haze gives the appearance of clouds of smoke. This was the first exercise we'd had in days, and doing it in the high humidity weather
made it even more of a surprise.
After the hike, it was time to go and see what downtown Asheville had to offer. Asheville has recently gained a reputation for a funky city, focused on art, culture, and excellent beer, so we were quite excited. Our first stop was the downtown branch of the Asheville Pizza and Brewing company, for post-hike fuel. I got the "Old School", a British style pale ale with lots of extra flavor.
So, Molly and I decided to pack up and move to the Bay Area. Since our movers were going to take about 10 days to get there, we decided to make it a bit of a trip and see the Mid South. Read on for a list of our travails!
Day 0: Boston
We decided to dip our toes in the Atlantic Ocean at Fort Independence.
