Headin’ into the South – Day 2

Even though we traveled 500 miles heading south yesterday, it was only today that we felt that we truly entered the cultural and geographical “Southern US”.

Heavy rain was our companion for the first 5 hours of our trip today (Friday) as we drove through southwestern VA past the home of VA Tech in Blacksburg and then on into Tennessee. During one of our rest stops Rick was interviewed by a reporter from the local Fox news affiliate regarding truck traffic and highway safety!

I emerged from the building to see him on camera!!  As we approached Knoxville we were disappointed to find that The Shack Out Back, the lunch option at RouXbarb has recently closed after, as they told Rick, 18 months of losses.  They still do takeout but it would have been rather messy.  After some Internet research Rick located a well reviewed burger shop called Welcome Home – We’re Cooking All American Grill founded by a political refugee from Poland (he arrived here with $168 in his pocket) who started in 1986 as a dishwasher in a North Carolina restaurant and worked his way up to  partnership in several restaurants in the Carolinas before selling his interest and starting anew in Knoxville in 2010. The concept is a very limited classic burger joint menu with top ingredients and a nicer interior than a chain. Rick says that “a lot of his readers” know Richard Blais  (top chef Masters Winner 2010) so he’d like to note that this was not as creative and good as his Flip Burger concept in Atlanta, but we liked the burgers and fries and suspect that the owner is thinking of growing and franchising. Quick and inexpensive lunch.

From Knoxville we had a bright and sunny drive through the rest of Tennessee and a small slice of Georgia. As we crossed the state line into Alabama and into the Central Time Zone we were looking forward to our evening at the Cobb Lane B&B and dinner at the Hot and Hot Fish Club. More on that in our next post.

The Patricia O’Neal room at the B&B – ours for tonight:

Rick’s Country Play List June 1st Leaving Va entering TN
Contemporary country and a little 60’s country influenced and roots music

Allison Krauss and Union Station
– You’re Just a Country Boy
– Bright Sunny South

Allman Brothers
– Statesboro Blues (originally released 1928 by Blind Willie Mctell) It is Statesboro Georgia, not North Carolina like I thought. Dedicated to Tom Lineweaver of iSI who is riding his Harley this weekend through NY State.

The Band
– The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down ( tribute to Levon Helm who passed this year) Joan’s pick for Song of the Day

The Byrds
– Ballad of Easy Rider

Johnny Cash
– Southern Accents ( Tom Petty original) on his last album
– I’ve Been Everywhere Man ( he’s even been to Knoxville, our lunch destination)

Linda Ronstadt
– I Fall to Pieces ( (Patsy Cline original)

Rolling Stones
– Sweet Virginia (inspired by Grahm Parsons’ short lived but much influence as one of the Flying Burrito Brothers and Emmylou Harris’ main squeeze). We dedicate this one to Tommy Sasso, always our Best Man.

Vince Gill
– Working on a  Big Chill ( not technically a song about the south but Vince Gill is Country at its best and he’s married to Amy Grant, so this song makes the cut

James Taylor
– Copperline ( about his childhood home in North Carolina, a kid’s forest fantasy playground now “all spec house and plywood, torn up and torn up good”)

I added some more recent playlist picks – will post them tomorrow.

We are a about 1,025 miles into our trip! Thanks everyone for your comments.