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Tuesday 23 August 2011

Dixieland Part 10.....

Our final full day in the Deep South found us heading back to Atlanta stopping at Lynchburg on the way,



where we looked round the town square






enjoying the quaint shops


and lovely buildings


even managing to pose on the veranda before heading off to the place we stopped in Lynchburg to see






 The Jack Daniels Distillery -the oldest registered distillery in the U.S.



It's where Jack first crafted the recipe for Old No.7.  It's where the pure, iron-free cave spring water flows.


Jack's statue outside the entrance to the spring


Inside the cave

It's where every drop of Jack Daniel's Tennessee Sipin' Whiskey is still made today.



The tour of the distillery was really interesting and the smell of the whiskey was very inviting.  Unfortunately, all you are allowed to do is SMELL the whiskey because Lynchburg is located in Moore County, Tennessee which is officially a 'dry county', that means no alcoholic beverages may be sold within Moore County and we weren't allowed even a taste!    The distillery is permitted to sell special collector bottles of whiskey only to tourists from outside the county but they were really expensive and as we're not collectors and just wanted to drink it we didn't bother buying any.

Continuing our journey our next stop was Chattanooga to see this..





The first Chattanooga Choo Choo Train was Cincinnati Southern Railroad's small wood burning steam locomotive that started its journey through history from Cincinnati, Ohio on March 5, 1880.   Nearly all trains travelling to the South passed through Chattanooga.  the wood burning "Choo Choo was the first to provide none-stop service.





A news paper reporter dubbed the huffing and puffing little steam locomotive the Chattanooga Choo Choo.  Although the Chattanooga's Terminal Station was significant in its role of the train era with it's 'Track 29', little was known about the first Chattanooga Choo Choo.   Only after Glen Miller's orchestra made the catchy song popular in the later 1940's did the name become world famous.

The train resides at the Chattanooga Choo Choo Hotel, which was the terminal station in downtown Chattanooga.









On December 1st 1909 the first train pulled into the station and the depot grew to serve nearly 50 passenger trains a day.   Over the years the bustling terminal greeted Presidents Woodrow Wilson, Theodore Roosevelt and Franklin Roosevelt.   Passenger train traffic slowed to a halt in the 1960's with the dominance of auto and air travel and railway activity was replaced by these faster modes of transportation.   Almost 61 years after the opening, the grand old building was closed to the public when the last train stopped on August 11th 1970.   The Terminal Station seemed destined for the similar fate of Union Station but it was saved by a group of local businessmen who were inspired by the theme of the "Chattanooga Choo Choo" investing $4million, and the beautiful Terminal Station once again opened its doors to welcome visitors to Chattanooga on April 11th 1973 as a unique vacation complex.   The Chattanooga Choo Choo Hotel is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.


Leaving Chattanooga behind we headed towards Atlanta, where our tour of the South started, to spend our last night staying at the Hotel Midtown Atlanta again.   We were sad that our wonderful holiday was coming to an end but looking forward to what our final day had to offer - a tour of the World of Coca Cola and the 'Road To Tara'.   I hope you'll join me for my final post about our tour of the South Dixieland Part 11.


Read Dixieland Part 1 here
Read Dixieland Part 2 here
Read Dixieland Part 3 here
Read Dixieland Part 4 here
Read Dixieland Part 5 here
Read Dixieland Part 6 here
Read Dixieland Part 7 here
Read Dixieland Part 8 here
Read Dixieland Part 9 here




22 comments:

Empress Bee (of the high sea) said...

don't you love how every southern town has a "square" with the courthouse in the middle? it's like it's the law or something! ha ha

smiles, bee
xoxooxoxox

Ron said...

WOW! I find it utterly amazing that Lynchburg is where they make whiskey, yet it's a dry country.

WONDERFUL photos of the distillery!

And of course (being a train lover) I adored the shots of the Chattanooga Choo Choo. It almost looks like a toy choo choo train!

Great tour, m'dear! Looking forward to the next!

Have a great Wednesday!

X

Unknown said...

Love the photos.

Cloudia said...

you are a wonderful guide!


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Akelamalu said...

Yes, they are so quaint Bee :)

We were very disappointed to learn we couldn't have a tasting Ron, or even buy a bottle, it's crazy!

Thanks Judy :)

Why thankyou Cloudia x

Flowerpot said...

thanks for taking us with you, Ak!

Commander Zaius said...

Great pictures!

Never made it up that way, will have to drive through some day.

Valerie said...

Fetched the family train buff to have a look ... he's wondering how soon he can go there. Gosh I remember Jack Daniels whisky... I wonder if I'd still like it.

Daryl said...

What fun ... I am sure your man was delighted to see the Choo Choo!

Akelamalu said...

My pleasure Flowerpot x

It's worth the trip Beach :)

Get the trip booked Valerie! I'm sure you'd still like Jack Daniels. ;)

MWM loved the Choo Choo Daryl :)

Melanie said...

Very interesting and GREAT pictures =)

G-Man said...

Great Tour Ake....Thanks

Maggie May said...

You will always have the photos to remind you of this great holiday and the account of everything that happened
Now you shared it all with us.
Many thanks for that. Isn't blogging great!
Maggie X

Nuts in May

Akelamalu said...

Thanks Melanie :)

Glad you enjoyed it G x

That's exactly why I like to blog about our trips Maggie, it's a journal. Glad you enjoyed it. x

Anonymous said...

Great stuff again!

Linda said...

I had debated doing the Gray Line Tour from Nashville out to Lynchburg but it's a pretty long day back and forth so I think I'm just to settle for having had a chance to visit via your blog post! Of course, my co-workers will be bummed that I don't go to the Jack Daniels Distillery but they'll get over it!

secret agent woman said...

The South has some strange liquor laws. I live in a partially dry county, with no alcohol sold except beer. An no beer on Sundays (aka Blue Laws).

Akelamalu said...

Glad you enjoyed it Dumdad :)

Glad to be of service Linda! Tell your co-workers you can't bring them back any Jack Daniels so there's not much point in your going there. ;)

You couldn't buy any alcohol in Wales on a Sunday at one time SAW, so not so strange eh?

Lorraine said...

You have a real gift for bringing your words alive and making us feel a part of everything with you. Maybe you should consider putting everything together (pictures included) and making a book with it all. It would make very interesting reading all put together as it is now.
PS I LOVE your 'real' name too xx

CrystalChick said...

OH the horror...NO tasting!?! I'm not even a whiskey drinker, but I would have certainly wanted a couple samples.

Terrific pictures! Really wonderful to see and hear about your travels. Glad you got to go to so many places and really enjoy yourselves.

Akelamalu said...

I'm so glad you're enjoying my travelgues and I may do that Lorraine. I'm pleased you like my name. :)

katie eggeman said...

Lovely as usual. You are quite the tour guide. I look forward to touring the south one day soon. I'm still away. But getting use to my smart phone key pad. I don't know how kids can text so fast.