100 Tennesee

     March 29, 2014

      Saturday at the Honda shop went well, a new tire and front wheel bearings always help to give a person a little more confidence in their ride.          

      Today we had a destination Lynchburg Tennessee, we still wanted to avoid heading to far North, knowing that once we start the threat of potential severe weather would force us to push hard to get home.   Heading East we stayed as close to the Tennessee southern border as we could and found some interesting byways, roads with names like National bird dog highway on 18 north, walking tall byway, trail of tears and Bufert Pusser.  Bufert Passer?   Ring a bell? Famous sheriff from the area whose story was told in the Walking Tall movies.  The crash site that eventually took his life is along this road, was it just an accident or did the criminals finally get their revenge on the legendary lawman?    We waved but did not stop at the Bird dog museum in Grand Junction, I'm sure it would be interesting but sometimes you just have to make choices.  Maybe we will fit that into the trip when we see the "worm grunting contest".   At some point we started noticing beautiful flowering trees,   Ruthie probably photographed a hundred or more looking for the perfect one, I think we found it.   We were trying to guess what they were crab apple? Apple?  Turned out they were flowering dogwood trees.

     We tried to connect with a motorcycle member however it didn't work out so we ended up stopping in Pulaski Tennessee, our plan was to do a quick stopover and then head on to Lynchburg, sometimes plans get changed.

The Mar's mansion at Milky Way Farm

Following Johny to his home. More dogwood trees. 

       Trying to find reasonable lodging I made a couple of calls, one  of the voices on the phone was obviously from India.  Communication was difficult so I opted to spend a little more and stay at the one I could understand better,  (what you perceive is not always true).   A comfortable night and in the morning we headed to the lobby for our complimentary breakfast.   And then we met Johnny................   I think when we first noticed him he was giving a history lesson to an elderly well dressed couple, must have been on their way to church.  He could have been a history teacher or a local Historian, very interesting.  Soon we had gathered our food and sat where we could listen in.   Now we've done it, we made eye contact, we are involved. I think we spent an hour or more listening and visiting.  He and his wife own this motel and love the area, he marveled that

Ku Klux Klan birthplace, the plague is turned
backwards to face the building to not honor it's
creation.  Notice Trike, Ruthie and city center
in the reflection.                                    

General Washington would recruit a young Polish revolutionary and put him in charge of the newly formed Calvary.   Kazimierz Pulaski became an American Revolutionary War hero.  The town of Pulaski was the birthplace of the first Ku Klux Klan in a local barbershop.  Johny and his wife took us on a short tour of the area and visited their home and family.   He has been involved in boys and girls club for 14 years, his enthusiasm for the area and its history is infectious.  We stopped at Milky Way Farm the estate that Frank Mars had created when he fell in love with Tennessee.  It seems that Mr Mars had practically saved Giles county by employing as many of the local residents as he could during the depression.   And all because of a candy bar introduced in Minnesota.  I teased Johnny that he had kept us visiting so we would miss our check out time and spend another evening.  We spent the rest of the day riding the area and checking out places he had told us about.   

Read the inscription.

     He said to check out Lynnville just North of Pulaski and ask for Johnny Phelps at Soda pop junction store.  We headed North on 31/7 past Annie wade road, strip mine road, African Hollow road, Arrowhead, Milky way and Buford Station Road.  Turning right on Waco or 129 we arrived in Lynnville Tennessee.   Greeted by a refinished rail way station It was a step back in time.  A couple of blocks long, you could spend a lot of time here. 

     Soda pop Junction was there with its burger voted best in middle Tennessee 1/3 pound of goodness for $3.55 the store is filled with memorabilia from Johnnie Phelps friends and ancestors.  The store next door is Col. Littleton leather it was closed today however peaking thru the windows you could see amazing quality leather, it looks rich warm and comfortable.  A lady was looking in the window beside me, she said she lived locally and that the items I was looking at were higher than a camels back.  Never heard that expression before to describe higher prices than you are used to.   Take a look at the picture and judge for yourself.  I think the quality is amazing.  We wandered back to Pulaski on a winding tree lined road.  We have seen many wonderful things today thanks to Johny.  It was fortunate we had chosen his motel and gotten to know him.  

built in 1860, Soda pop Junction.



     We spent the night at Johnny's motel anxious to hit the road to Lynchburg. 

     Oh yes I almost forgot, Johnny moved here from India as a young man, thru hard work, education and thrifty habits made a success of his life.  Wish there were more stories like his,  Lord please forgive me when I judge!

Meet Johnny,