Chew Toy
this orangutan really enjoyed whatever chew toy it found while I was visiting the Memphis Zoo in Memphis, TN
this orangutan really enjoyed whatever chew toy it found while I was visiting the Memphis Zoo in Memphis, TN
a silverback gorilla glances at me as I bring the camera up for a photograph at the Memphis Zoo in Memphis, TN
The blue eyes and orange fur of the tiger’s color scheme is very intriguing. At the Memphis Zoo in Memphis, TN
One of the leopards at the Memphis Zoo. The look on this leopards face means business. Leopards are well known for their spots, this one has great coloration throughout.
This large adult male orangutan at the Memphis Zoo in Memphis, TN is covering himself from getting wet in the rain.
A close-up of the eclipse used in ‘The Fast And The Furious’, at Rusty’s TV and Car Museum in Jackson, TN
Meet Rusty, the owner of Rusty’s TV and Car Museum. He toured Ant and I around his museum and has a load of interesting TV and Movie car knowledge. Make sure to catch him for a visit when you are in Jackson, TN!
Beautiful green pastures we saw near Lexington, TN. You can just make out some wildflowers beginning to bloom. One of the many reasons to stick to two lanes.
Ant’s tiramisu dessert from the Olive Pit in Paris, TN. A delicious Italian dessert that combines the flavor of cocoa, coffee, and cake.
An ocean of Hybrid Winter Canola near Fayetteville, TN. The beautiful blue sky and the field of yellow highlight each other nicely.
This statue of Jack Daniel stands in the Visitor Center of the Jack Daniel’s Distillery in Lynchburg, TN
The sign hanging in this hall of the original office building of the Jack Daniel’s Distillery in Lynchburg, TN is the motto which all employees strive for.
one of the labeled Jack Daniel’s Whiskey barrels at the Jack Daniel’s Distillery in Lynchburg, TN
Ant was inspired by our visit to the Jack Daniel’s Distillery before our lunch at the Square Market Cafe in Columbia, TN and had to try a piece of the Jack Daniels Chocolate Pie.
This sandwich screamed my name for lunch. Smoked salmon, capers, onions, a cheesy mayo, and romaine on a sun-dried tomato bread. YUM. At the Looking Glass Eatery and Gourmet Bakery in Clarksville, TN
Ant receives superb instruction from Paul as we are introduced to one of his toys. Paul spoiled us for the evening in his home in Nashville, TN.
Paul cuts the beautiful meat that was cooked to perfection as he spoils us in his home in Nashville, TN.
I was introduced to this wonderful bottle of eighteen year Scotch. Another one of Paul Jones’ many treats as he spoiled us in his home in Nashville, TN
a full-size replica of the Parthenon stands in Centennial Park in Nashville, TN. This replica has served as an aid in restorations of the original Parthenon in Greece.
Some of the pretty colors Carolyn and I saw as we strolled around Centennial Park in downtown Nashville, TN.
My delightful Zipper sandwich from the Silly Goose in Nashville, TN. Smoked salmon, goat cheese, caramelized onions and greens on rye. OH MAN.
A stop sign that looks like it has been target practice for quite a few BB’s. We stopped the car off a Tennessee two-lane to capture this stop sign near an older looking farmhouse.
Jenny the Jeep chills on the side of the road while Ant and Carolyn nosh down some picnic lunches. We are on a back country road somewhere between Nashville and Murfreesboro, TN. It was a gorgeous day for a picnic.
The clock that tops the Courthouse in the town square. You can notice the craftsmanship and detail that went into constructing to top of the courthouse. The American and Tennessee State Flag flank the building to the left.
A hidden building within the block that’s covered in awesome graffiti. Check out the sweet octopus with the anchor in downtown Murfreesboro, TN.
Beautiful and aromatic light pink rose bushes in the quaint square of downtown Murfreesboro, TN. There was a nice green space close to the City Hall.
As the sun was setting, bats were clinking for the Middle Tennessee State University’s Blue Raiders.
On a back country road in Tennessee we stopped for this beautiful scenery of barns and fields full of buttercups.
A beautiful old building in the square at Cookeville, TN, with a bronze sculpture in the foreground.
The sun is setting for the evening by the railroad tracks and a small downtown scene. You can see the Cream City Ice Cream sign lighting up for the evening patrons.
Not everything we eat on this trip is junk; a salmon caesar salad from Crawdaddy’s West Side Grill in Cookeville, TN.
Beautiful Tennessee country we drove through today near McMinnville, TN. A farm with silos off in the distance and mountains behind with what looks to be climbable rock faces. A front seems to be moving in with all the clouds in the sky.
A Negra Modela lunch beer from El Metate for a work stressed Ant. Ice cold beer mug and lime, AHHHHHH!
Edamame appetizer from Tokyo Japanese Steak House. Simple, steamed and salted edamame is a great way to warm up your stomach for some Japanese food.
A not so healthy jumbo shrimp hibachi dinner from Tokyo Japanese Steak House in Crossville, TN. Includes miso soup, salad, fried rice, and vegetables.
An outside view of the structure at the Minister’s Tree House in Crossville, TN. You can see nature and man combining the strength of their structures.
The Minister’s Tree House located in Crossville, TN. This structure is full of nooks and crannies to explore on all levels. There are also many porches and overlooks to view the scenery outside.
This amazing and fun structure is called the Minister’s Tree House. We spent a few hours exploring every nook and cranny on the many levels and outside porches of this place. It was like being a kid in a candy store.
The weather changes over this classic red horse barn surrounded by field of buttercups. We’ve witnessed a lot of beautiful scenery similar to this all over Tennessee.
The crow’s nest of the Minister’s Tree House pokes out of the tree tops in. The Minister’s Tree House provided a few hours of childhood fun; seven levels with outside porches, all to explore.
An upper level view of the Cumberland River in Big South Fork National Park. We took a moment to get outside of the car and enjoy the scenery while stretching our legs.
Carolyn takes in the scenery at Bean Station Overlook near Tazewell, TN. Cherokee Lake can be seen in the background. The flag is up in a Veteran’s memorial.
During our drive today we passed by Bristol Motor Speedway. This track is famous in Nascar and we had to take the opportunity to see it.
We stopped and enjoyed the beautiful views at the South Holston Dam and Reservoir. The day was crisp and chilly, off in the distance you could see the clouds moving over the mountains; beautiful.
A view from one side of the South Holston Dam. We all take some time to get out and enjoy the scenery from the top of the dam. The cloud coverage provides some nice lighting for the afternoon.
A slice of stuffed pizza from Scratch Brick Oven Foodworks. We estimate that each slice of pizza was about a pound of food. Our toppings included banana peppers, feta, and capicola ham.
A replica of Davy Crockett’s homestead built a few feet away from the actual site. You can look into the cabin and it gives a unique perspective into this famous frontiersman’s life.
Off in the distance you can make out snow capped mountains on this cold, near end of April day. The beautiful countryside provided some terrific scenery during our drive.
This amazing Unagi Special roll was slammed down out of shear delicious, hungry delirium by Carolyn at her required 5:00 feeding. This roll was half price at Nama Sushi Bar located in downtown.
An awesome reflection of a beautiful afternoon sky on one of the buildings downtown. The building almost seems to disappear into the background; kudos to the architect of this building.
After arriving at The Compound, where Craig used to live we adhere to a Monday night fire pit tradition. There are great stories and laughs shared by all.
A great way to start the day at Old City Java. Have a foam heart put into your vanilla latte and sip your morning good.
One of the many spectacular views from the Alum Cave Creek trail. The trail provides a 5 mile hike to the peak of LaConte, which is the third highest peak in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
The trees atop LaConte, the third highest peak in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The peak is over 6,500ft in altitude.
Jennie, Freg, and Carolyn at LaConte Lodge in the Great Smoky Mountains. Yes, that is real snow up on the peak in April. LaConte is the 3rd highest peak in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
The Caper Chicken Pasta from Downtown Grill and Brewery. The caper pasta actually contained plenty of capers, as well as two chicken breasts, providing plenty of sustenance for the consumer.
The stores, restaurants, and businesses on Gay Street create lines of parked cars, where people are tending to their daily routines. The skyline of the older buildings is noticeably shorter than those of newer skyscrapers.
Anna Eschbach an original Those Guys performs in the chorus at the dress rehearsal for the opera ‘Otello’. This scene portrays the character Cassio becoming drunk.
The inside of the Tennessee Theatre is spectacular. The ceiling is gorgeous, grande, and inspiring; you can feel the history of this theatre inside and I hope that does not change.
The main table inside the Compound where many festivities take place. On the left you see the main house and on the right is the garage and rental apartments.
The Compound has its own garden where they grow vegetables, greens, and lettuce to eat and enjoy fresh food from.
Hammocks in the Compound provide a nice place to relax and kick back when the weather is nice. Many naps were enjoyed in these hammocks.
The Three Rivers Market Food Co-op provides food harvested within 100 miles around the Knoxville area. Inside is also a hot bar and pre-made meal options, a neat local dinning option.
Lou, a younger male chimpanzee at the Knoxville Zoo. Lou enjoyed watching the visitors pass by from the closer viewing area of the enclosure.
Bo, an older female and George, a three year old chimpanzee at the Knoxville Zoo enjoying the afternoon scampering about.
At Oodles and Uncorked in Market Square enjoying the nice spring day and happy hour specials. People are meandering out and about also taking in the wonderful day.
Out at Market Square, Shifty and The Headmasters cover band got the crowd up and grooving to their fun tunes.
At The Compound Clive is a great announcer of any and all who roam the streets, or try and make an entrance.
The sun is beginning to set behind downtown Knoxville as we walk over a bridge crossing the Tennessee River.
The sun sets over downtown as we walked around late afternoon, nearing the end of the day during the Rossini Festival.
I believe our friend Wendy from The Compound stated it best when she described Five Guys as “doing classic very well.” Meaning Five Guys grills a great burger with traditional fixin’s and there’s no fancy avocado or fried egg to add on; not to say those don’t make delicious choices, but sometimes it’s nice to enjoy the old standard classic.
The front of Dead End BBQ, where Freg, Carolyn, and Anna enjoyed a wonderful evening of delicious food, a few beers, and great conversation, (mostly about how much they all missed Ant). I (Carolyn) highly recommend stopping in and enjoying the many entrees at Dead End BBQ, you will not regret that decision.
Carolyn ordered the pulled pork plate at Dead End BBQ, accompanied with two sides and cornbread. The two sides were southern style green beans, cooked with ham and had a slight but tasty kick of heat from red peppers, and macaroni and pimento cheese, very delicious and the first thing annihilated off the plate. The pulled pork was very tender and you had a choice of three different sauces on the table. Carolyn cleaned her plate and spent the rest of the evening digesting this delicious meal.
Anna Eschbach and her adorable dog Buddy. While in Knoxville we had the wonderful opportunity to hang out and catch up with Anna, an original Those Guys. Hanging out with Buddy is just icing on the cake.
Carolyn is ‘cheesing’ for the camera as Jennie and Roman look on. All are preparing for a wonderful evening of stand up paddle boarding on the Tennessee River.
A view of Henley Bridge which is being rebuilt, as seen from the deck of Calhoun’s on the River. A pleasant evening of food and new and old friends was had as the sun set over the Tennessee River.
Ant ordered the Rocky Balboa pizza from Hard Knocks pizza where they specialize in wood fired pizza. The Balboa includes onions, red and green peppers, provolone, red sauce, sweet italian sausage, and crushed red pepper which gives it a bit of heat. A delicious pizza.
Carolyn and Ant prepare to dig into their wood fired pizzas from Hard Knox Pizza. Our friend Anna joined us and we each ordered different pizzas and shared them all. A delightful evening of pizza and conversation.
Anna previews the beautiful and delicious selection of gelatos from Coolato Gelato on downtown Gay St.
The overlook point for Watts Bar Reservoir, this is one of nine dams along the Tennessee River that provides power to so many people.
Ant, Freg, and Carolyn stop for lunch at Bradley’s Pit Barbecue and Grill in order to ‘pig out’ and fill up on some sustenance. It was a quaint local joint on the side of the road filled with locals and bikers.
Lunch was had at Bradley’s Pit Barbecue and Grill, Ant ordered a ‘regular’ BBQ sandwich with a side of green beans. Ant complemented his sandwich with the ‘hot’ BBQ sauce, the meat had a great smokey flavor.
Ant ordered the Teriyaki Steak Bento box from Yamato Japanese Steakhouse. The meal includes a spring roll and four pieces of a california roll and prior to the meal a small salad and miso soup; quite the feast for dinner time.
The Terminal Brewhouse is an awesome restaurant with multiple levels of seating, as well as, outdoor seating. As you can guess The Terminal brews its own beer and do a damn good job of it. The atmosphere is inside was great and the staff provided great service and were very helpful. Go, Go, Go here… did I mention the beer is DELICIOUS.
Carolyn and Ant review the menu at The Terminal Brewhouse, sitting outside on the large patio. A great ‘must go to’ spot. The beers where much needed after some of Freg’s and other’s crazy driving antics. The home brews here are GREAT!
At the Terminal Brewhouse Carolyn ordered the Salmon Thompson salad for lunch. The salad consisted of spinach, feta, salmon, corn, onion, tomato, and croutons all topped with a cucumber caper dressing; that’s right it says cucumber caper dressing. YUM! Side Note: the salmon was cooked perfectly.
The grand entrance to the Chattanooga Choo-Choo Hotel. The large arch windows and detailed brick work displays the intricate craftsmanship from an era long ago.
The patio for Blacksmith’s Bistro and Bar. Sitting outside just makes eating and drinking so much more enjoyable. On this lovely spring evening you can see many people came out to enjoy the beautiful weather and great food and atmosphere that one finds at Blacksmith’s.
Ant went of a healthy dinner choice and ordered a Pear Salad from Blacksmith’s Bistro and Bar. The pear salad included mixed greens, toasted pecans, gorgonzola cheese, and of course pears. A tasty and lighter meal for the evening.
Oliver, Michelle our host’s dog, chews away at his toy; squeaky toy demolished. Oliver is a sweet guard dog, his likeness is more to the affect of a small white bear.
From an overlook in Park Point on Lookout Mountain you can make out the tip of the foot for Moccasin Bend. The Tennessee River bends around the peninsula and creates the shape of a moccasin.
A unique vantage point from Point Park puts the city on display. A unit of the Chickamauga and Chattanooga Military Park, it has several artillery displays. The view from this point has greatly changed over the past 150 years.
A monument erected on Lookout Mountain to honor the soldiers who fought in “The Battle Above The Clouds” is lit up by the moon. A portion of the Civil War was fought on Lookout Mountain and is a unit of the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park.
The Gourmet Bacon Cheeseburger from Urban Stack is an American Kobe-style, Wagyu beef patty, topped with bacon-onion compote, lettuce, gruyere and blue cheese sauce; accented with a side of sweet potato fries. One word: NOM!
