More Zig and Zag across Tennessee

Thursday October 18, 2012
We spent last night on the Natchez Trace Parkway at the Meriwether Lewis Memorial CG. The weather was beautiful and we ate dinner at a picnic table in our shirtsleeves. It was nice and warm, the sunset was really pretty and it was after dark when we finished eating. The park ranger came around to tell people who were in tents that some weather was headed in our direction. About 11:30 the thunder and lightning started and went on for well over an hour. The light show was beautiful. Barney and Betty, and this morning Fred and Wilma all agreed that we were glad we were not in a tent. One of the tent campers had rigged a clothes line and had at least 4 quilts hanging out this morning. We can only assume they were wet. The campground fit in our budget since it was free, and that helps keep our nightly average down. The campground is nice, but Fred wasn’t too sure about the man curled up in his sleeping bag on the floor of the men’s room!
We left the CG and headed north on The Trace, then east on route 144 to Columbia, TN. Lo and behold there was a Waffle House in Columbia that just happened to be serving breakfast, so we stopped and enjoyed waffles. After we were sure we wouldn’t starve we headed north and east to Murfreesboro, TN for a stop at Stone’s Creek Battlefield where we got a stamp that was not available last year. From Stone’s Creek we drove into downtown Murfreesboro to the information center for another stamp. Fred and Wilma’s friend, Garman, led the way. Fortunately for all of us he rarely gets lost. 

Narrow and short, but we got through

Somewhere along the way we came to a very low looking underpass that was not marked. Wilma hopped out and had Fred creep into it to make sure we were going to clear. Made it, but there were a number of dings in the concrete indicating others hadn’t.  Later we came to another one that had some numbers painted on the side that we thought might be the height, and we cleared that one too, but they give you an anxious moment now and then.
From Murfreesboro we went south on I- 24. We pulled off in Manchester, TN to make a phone call to see if we could get on a tour of the Arnold Engineering and Development Center near Tullahoma, TN.
You are supposed to make reservations for a tour at least 2 weeks in advance, but we thought we would try anyway. They give free tours to 15 to 30 person groups and they require the advanced notice to make sure you are OK, since it is a secure facility. Obviously we didn’t get a tour, but it is going on our TTD (things to do) list.

Entrance to the grounds at the park

 Steep!

 At the top of Lookout Mountain - You can see 7 states

The incline at work!

 

Back on I-24 we continued on to Chattanooga, TN and went up Lookout Mountain to collect several stamps. The drive up Lookout Mountain in a rolling cave is definitely not a trip for the faint-hearted. There are several places where you go around corners that are so sharp you can see your own taillights.  We did get to the Chattanooga and Chickamauga National Military Park VC on Lookout Mountain where we got 7 stamps and learned about the “Battle Above the Clouds”. Considering the drive up the mountain with the rolling cave, it is difficult to imagine how artillery was moved into place on top of it. We stopped at the incline railway station on the top to make use of their “penny smasher”. With the narrow twisting roads up the mountain, and the tight metered parking once you get to the top, the incline railway would be a great way to do the mountain. Oh well, now we’ve done it the hard way!
Once off of that mountain we headed for Signal Mountain and are spending the night at Teresa’s house, in her driveway. Teresa fed us spaghetti and meat balls with brownies for dessert. We are also doing laundry and using her shower and electricity for the rolling caves. We are pretty much settled in for the night.
The hammer and chisel are put away for the night. More tomorrow.