Day three...and home

This morning I bid a fond farewell to the Country Inn and Suites and headed up Lookout Mountain to Rock City.   Barns with "See Rock City" dot the countryside, and I have seen them all my life, but I have never been there.  It was lovely...a little hokey and commercial, but the rock formations and the flowers were incredible.  I will admit that I sort of attached myself to a couple (they didn't know, but I kept them in view) as we went through the caverns.  There were a lot of creepy Mother Goose characters lit with black lights in the caverns and it felt scary and I felt a bit claustrophobic.  I went through Fat Man's Squeeze, and seriously, a fat man could not have made it through.  I saw 7 states from Lover's Leap Lookout, but I saw them away from the edge.  I was transported to the waterfall with Daniel Day Lewis in Last of the Mohicans. 

After my walk through the gardens and rocks, I had two white chocolate covered graham crackers to keep my strength up as I contemplated driving back down the mountain.  I seriously thought about getting a room at The Chanticleer which is a fabulous B&B across the street from Rock City, but I decided that I wanted to come home instead.  41A was to be the route I followed, except for the brief stretch at Nickajack where the bridge is closed.  I saw lots of men fishing there. 

I was really surprised at how desolate the area was, especially, along the Tennessee River.  I expected to see more vacation homes and resorts.  Lunch was at the Dutchmaid Bakery in Tracy City.  After lunch, I went to Sewanee and the University of the South.  In our next life, Mr. Lincoln and I are going to be history professors at Sewanee and live in a yellow clapboard house with a big front porch on University Avenue.  We will walk around town after dinner each night, then sit on the porch.  Our students will walk by and stop and chat and then wander off thinking how eccentric, and tough, and fair we are as professors.  Sounds lovely to me.

A lot of driving through some torrential rain, then sun, then rain led me to Nolensville where I did a little window shopping, bought some Martin's barbeque, and came home.  It was a nice weekend.  Maybe I could have stayed longer, but the pull home was greater than the need to be away.  Simeon dropped by to see us for a few minutes, and the phone has rung several times since my return.  I am sure I will sleep well, in my own bed tonight.  I need to thank Zoe, for their "Faithful" CD was a dear companion on my drive. 

I do not know if my head is straightened out or not, but I did enjoy my bit of solitude.  I am also very glad to be home.

So for today, I wish you a pull to home when you are away, safe travels, and

blessings