Carol and I traveled across Tennessee on some scenic rural highways.
Here's Carol entering a hairpin curve,,,this is where she decided her engine was overheating.
Somewhere in there my odometer hit Lucky 7s.
We stopped in Columbia to visit the James K. Polk ancestral home.
Taken from across the street, Polk's home is on the left. The home on the right was his sister's, and now houses a museum about his life and presidency.
The Polk house
Some items in the museum: The White House grocery list...
How about that!
What the Washington Monument was supposed to look like, before budget cuts. At least in those days, they didn't spend money they didn't have...
Inside the Polk home. Furniture is from his retirement home in Nashville, which was torn down.
One of the First Lady's gowns. The table was a gift from Egypt...inlaid Egyptian Marble on top.
Presidential portraits before and after...the office ages a president. Pres. Polk, already a sickly man, died just 3 months after leaving office.
Polk's office furniture.
The gardens in back.
This temporary flag exhibit was an unexpected bonus to our visit:
The Presidential Hall
There have been 3 US Flag Acts
All of the flags on exhibit were original/authentic, except this first one which is a reproduction of the original:
A reproduction of the Grand Union Flag:
Carol is really studying this Pre-Civil War (Circa 1830), 13 stripe, thirteen star flag. It was made of wool (hence moth eaten), but the stars were made of cotton. All was hand sewn.
Carol has concluded that more than one person sewed on the stars...notice the stitching on this one.
This star is sewn with a different stitch, leading to Carol's conclusion.
Speaking of sewing...my history teacher must be rolling in her grave...
Some flag toys and games on display:
The flag when James K. Polk was President:
The story of "Old Glory"
This painted flag has 13 stars representing the seceded states plus Kentucky and Missouri. It was at Gettysburg (See Smithsonian letter of authenticity), and allegedly carried in the last charge of General George Pickett on Cemetery Ridge on July 3, 1863.
I was told the owner bought it at a flea market....amazing.
This US flag was also at Gettysburg for the dedication of the National Cemetery and Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address.
Flag Trivia Quiz...no peeking ahead
The answers:
Some of Admiral Nimitz's personal effects were on display:
Mostly all you see is the reflection of me taking this picture...sorry.
About the Great White Fleet
The flag of the Great White Fleet
There were many, many more, but you know who was waiting...
We spent the night at the free campground on the Natchez Trace near the grave of Meriwether Lewis.
The monument erected over the gravesite. These are not the original foundation stones which were removed to another location for preservation....we found them later.
Where he died:
Not much left of the Grinder House, but a reconstruction of the house is next to this spot.
Our next stop was in Hohenwald where Carol got a radiator hose replaced...remember her overheating problem?
While we waited we ate lunch in this cafe that had neat murals on the walls.
And then visited the Lewis County museum.
The museum has some interesting additions to the Meriwether Lewis death story as well as a large collection of safari animals.
Letter from Lewis written shortly before his death.
About his reported suicide.
All that's left of the Grinder House is the key.
Some of the collection of animals.
Outside, a pretty butterfly garden.
With butterflies,
bumblebees,
and hummingbirds.
Also, the original stones used at the Lewis gravesite, said to be too porous and so removed to this spot.
After Carol's RV repair we spent the night at this TN State Park.
The official greeters
We were the only humans in the campground.
In the morning we had many 4-legged visitors.
We visited the Interpretive Center to learn more about Nathan Bedford Forrest.
In a nutshell, he was a Confederate hero whose forces won the Battle of Johnsonville, successfully, albeit temporarily, disrupting the supply line to Sherman's army.
A monument in his honor overlooking the Tennessee River.
We also watched two videos. One about Forrest and the other about life on the river.
The story of Old Betsy, a mussel boat on display. Click on the picture to make it larger.
oh Liz where do you get your energy! thanks for showing all of the pictures you take... so glad you were there for Carol...
ReplyDeleteKathleen