In September 2021, son David and I hit the road on a five-day cross-country adventure. We traveled through seven states, from Arizona to North Carolina, with overnight stays in Amarillo, Conway, Nashville, and Knoxville. The scenery was beautiful and the weather grand, and along the way we visited a handful of great attractions. Click HERE to read a short introduction to our great adventure.
In this story, part of a series, I've shared five great memories from our trip.
In this story, part of a series, I've shared five great memories from our trip.
Without a doubt, my favorite feature on Facebook is 'Memories.' As a prolific poster, Memories has been my window to the near past—an opportunity to remember, reflect, and reminisce on moments in my life…at least as far back as Memories has been ‘a thing.’
And so, it was this morning when this post, from October 3, 2021, popped up in Memories…
And so, it was this morning when this post, from October 3, 2021, popped up in Memories…
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“Wonderful 3 weeks with David—cross country road trip, sightseeing along the way & in Charlotte, & settling into his new digs. Here are some of the great memories we made. Priceless!!”
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This was my capstone post—a wrap-up of our seven-day road trip from Arizona to North Carolina and days of sightseeing in Charlotte. I included five photos in my post—each one of a different memory.
Hmm, I thought, perhaps I should write a story around these photos.
Sure as shooting I should…and so I have.
Hmm, I thought, perhaps I should write a story around these photos.
Sure as shooting I should…and so I have.
Amarillo, Texas (September 13, 2021) With David behind the wheel, we reached Yellow City—‘yellow’ is a direct translation of this city’s Spanish name—late afternoon, and before we checked into our hotel, we stopped for a look-see at an offbeat roadside attraction—Cadillac Ranch.
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This iconic art installation was the brainchild of Stanley Marsh, an eccentric Texas millionaire, who in 1973 invited three artists from a collective in San Francisco to create a unique work of art--“a monument to the Golden Age of the American automobile”--on his ranch just west of Amarillo.
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There are ten Cadillacs, ranging in model years from 1984 to 1963, half-buried nose first into the ground. Over the years, the caddies were painted a variety of colors. Then, in the mid-90s, graffiti artists started to tag the cars. Eventually, this gave way to an onsite vendor who sold cans of spray paint so that visitors could add their artistic mark on these once-luxury automobiles.
Neither David nor I channeled our inner artist that day, but we did admire the creative talent of others applied to these stylish autos from a bygone age!
Neither David nor I channeled our inner artist that day, but we did admire the creative talent of others applied to these stylish autos from a bygone age!
Nashville, Tennessee (September 15, 2001) We reached the Athens of the South—a lesser-known nickname for Nashville—on the third day of our trip.
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Why ‘Athens of the South’? The answer was simple: Nashville has many buildings inspired by Greek architecture, and the best example was a full-scale replica of the Parthenon. Yep—a reproduction of the 2,500-year-old Athenian temple that sits atop the Acropolis of Athens.
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This modern Parthenon, a museum in Centennial Park, was designed by architect William Crawford Smith and built in 1897 for the Tennessee Centennial Exposition. It has been renovated many times since. Among its treasures is a 41-foot-tall statue of Athena, the Olympian goddess of wisdom and war.
David and I wandered through the exhibit halls—and stopped to read from many of the storyboards—which included plaster replicas of sculptures that adorned the pediments of the Parthenon of Athens and a permanent collection of more than 60 paintings by 19th and 20th century American artists.
It was a treat to see the Parthenon of Nashville—the only exact-size replica of the original in the world!
David and I wandered through the exhibit halls—and stopped to read from many of the storyboards—which included plaster replicas of sculptures that adorned the pediments of the Parthenon of Athens and a permanent collection of more than 60 paintings by 19th and 20th century American artists.
It was a treat to see the Parthenon of Nashville—the only exact-size replica of the original in the world!
Knoxville, Tennessee (September 16, 2021) The Wall Street Journal referred to Knoxville as “a scruffy little city” when it bid to host the 1982 World’s Fair…and thus earned Knoxville the nickname Scruffy City.
Knoxville got the nod, and the 1982 World’s Fair—officially known as the Knoxville International Energy Exposition—opened on May 1, 1982. It closed 6 months later, having hosted more than 11 million visitors. And it certainly was a world’s fair, with more than 20 participant-countries from around the globe.
Knoxville got the nod, and the 1982 World’s Fair—officially known as the Knoxville International Energy Exposition—opened on May 1, 1982. It closed 6 months later, having hosted more than 11 million visitors. And it certainly was a world’s fair, with more than 20 participant-countries from around the globe.
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The fair—its theme was ‘Energy Turns the World’—occupied a 70-acre site along the Tennessee River near the campus of the University of Tennessee. There are only a few remaining landmarks of significance from the World’s Fair, and one of those was the 266-foot-tall Sunsphere—a giant globe of gold-tinted glass that sits atop a hexagonal steel tower. It was THE symbol of the World's Fair.
From the Fourth Floor Observation Deck, David and I had a 360-degree view of downtown Knoxville, the Tennessee River, the University of Tennessee, and other sights. It was spectacular! |
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Bristol, Tennessee (September 17, 2021) David has been a NASCAR fan forever, so when he learned there were two races ‘under the lights’ at Bristol Motor Speedway, he said, “Dad, how’d you like to see a car race tonight?”
Well, Bristol wasn’t too far out of our way, so I said, “Sure…let’s go.”
Well, Bristol wasn’t too far out of our way, so I said, “Sure…let’s go.”
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I’ve been to a handful of racetracks over the years—David’s been to most of the 42 tracks where NASCAR holds races—but I never saw a race at a ‘short track,’ which is a track shorter than one mile. And truth be told, I thought it would be more fun to watch a race at a short track because a tighter track meant more intense side-by-side racing.
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There were two races that night—the Bush’s Beans 200 (stock cars) and the UNOH 200 (pickup trucks). Ty Gibbs won the first race—it was his 10th win of the season—and Chandler Smith won the second race.
Both races were exciting from start to finish, and the competition around the short track—to say nothing of the deafening roar from the engines—was exhilarating. We had a great time!!
Both races were exciting from start to finish, and the competition around the short track—to say nothing of the deafening roar from the engines—was exhilarating. We had a great time!!
Charlotte, North Carolina (September 25, 2021) The Queen City—so named after Queen Charlotte, the wife of King George III, who ruled the Colonies before they became the States—is home to the Charlotte Knights, a Minor League Baseball team that is a Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox.
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One day, I said to David, “Take me out to a ballgame...I’ll buy you some peanuts and Cracker Jacks!”
Ok…maybe I didn’t say the last part, but I did suggest we go to a game. And that’s what we did. |
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The Knights hosted the Norfolk Tides, a Triple-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. The game was played at Truist Field, and David scored a pair of seats two rows behind the 3rd base dugout. From there, we had a FAN-tastic view of the high-rise building that dominate the Charlotte skyline—a view that was perhaps the most picturesque setting in Minor League Baseball.
I grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, and while I’m a long-time Indians fan (now they are called the Guardians—ugh!), I knew a bit about the Cincinnati Reds, as well. So, here's a bit of baseball trivia for you: The Knight’s manager was Wes Helms—the nephew of Tommy Helms, who played 2nd base for the Reds in the 60s. I was certain I had Tommy Helm's baseball card when I was a kid.
The scoring went back and forth, with one team leading and then the other. In the bottom of the 9th inning, the Knight’s scored the winning run. It was an exciting end to an exciting game, and a great way to spend an evening with my son!
I grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, and while I’m a long-time Indians fan (now they are called the Guardians—ugh!), I knew a bit about the Cincinnati Reds, as well. So, here's a bit of baseball trivia for you: The Knight’s manager was Wes Helms—the nephew of Tommy Helms, who played 2nd base for the Reds in the 60s. I was certain I had Tommy Helm's baseball card when I was a kid.
The scoring went back and forth, with one team leading and then the other. In the bottom of the 9th inning, the Knight’s scored the winning run. It was an exciting end to an exciting game, and a great way to spend an evening with my son!
Our road trip and the days we spent together in Charlotte were epic. We saw and did much. I’ve only scratched the surface with this story and a couple of others I’ve written. Stay tuned, as I will share more about our adventures over the coming months.