Miles today: 163

Miles to date: 1698

Where are we again? Monteagle township, in the Sequatchie Valley, just west of Chattanooga, Tennessee

Fun fact: The ladybug is Tennessee’s state insect, along with the firefly. (?!).

The Day’s Events: We travelled on towards Atlanta first thing this morning, taking the I75 northwards for about 30 miles. Malcolm navigated us off the Interstate, into downtown Atlanta, and straight into the car park of the Martin Luther King Junior Birth House and Museum in the ‘Sweet Auburn’ section of Atlanta. The MLK museum was extremely well put together and incredibly powerful. The displays started off with an account of the rise of the ‘Jim Crow’ system of segregation after the Unionists’ attempt to ‘Reconstruct’ the South broke down. They covered the long slow rise of the Civil Rights movement, Ghandi’s influence on it, and its eventual partial successes. This focussed on MLK but was as much a story of everyday people who had had enough. We were very moved but a bit disappointed that we were two of only five white people there. However, it was nice to see three generation African-American families, school parties, and Youth careers trips all touring.

Anyway, from there, we went back on I75 North, through the very centre of Atlanta where it became the biggest and scariest road we have seen in America so far, extremely busy, and with as many 80 foot trucks as cars. At one point, Vikki was driving on a highway where three major motorways merged, with no less than eight lanes of traffic (sixteen if you count the ones going in the opposite direction). It goes without saying that our hearts were in our mouths for most of this drive, and Malcolm swears that gastric acid has eaten up half his stomach lining.

However, we eventually chugged on up to Chattanooga (Choo Choo!), where we stopped to look at the Tennessee River and the old Union Station. Chattanooga has tried to revitalise its downtown by building two big aquaria (fresh and sea water), turning the old Union station into a hotel and museum (you can sleep in the old railroad cars) and by encouraging the usual bijou chocolate shops and eateries in old warehouse buildings. But it has the most beautiful position in a valley below the tree-lined Tennessee Mountains.

Anyway, from there we drove out towards Nashville about 10 miles, crossing into Central Standard Time and stopping at America’s Best Value Motel, where we used the hour we had gained to have a swim (in the motel pool, pictured above). We’re off in a minute to get some fried chicken and a glass or two of Jack Daniels.

Y’all have a good day now.!

Ted’s Photo Blog

A picture of me, Train Driver Ted, heading north on the Chattanooga Choo Choo.