Monday July 8
The Vine that Ate the South
After leaving Knoxville, we arrived in Nashville around 1 PM central time. Amazed by the vastness of the Opryland complex, we took a tour of the Opryland Museum and took a few pictures.
I had been worried for months about crossing the Mississippi and so decided to cross at night so I wouldn't be up all night long worrying about it. It turned out not to be such a big deal. Corey took a picture of the Welcome to Arkansas sign as we crossed the bridge.
As soon as we got off the bridge I knew I was going to dislike Arkansas immensely. How clever I can be late at night. Arkansas is the worst state we'd been through in several days of travelling. The first thing we discovered is that their state motto is: "A Whole Lotta Paving Goin' On." Their second motto is, or should be: "A Whole Lotta Bugs out to Get You."
To say that Arkansas is the bug capital of the country wouldn't be totally accurate. However, they do have a few gnats and mosquitoes to spare. Although many of them ended up engraved on my windshield, I don't think I was driving fast enough to have created a shortage.
Somewhere along the way, I became aware of some strange shapes in the woods surrounding the Interstate. At first, I thought I was seeing some type of wild philodendron. Then, as time went on, I realized that this plant material was climbing the trees and covering them, creating these strange shapes. Remembering something I'd heard in class at RACC, the words "kudzo vine" sprang to mind. I made a note to myself to look it up on the web when I got home. Here for your amusement are a few pictures I "borrowed" from other websites. The sad thing about this vine is that it is destroying millions of acres of southern forest. As it grows along the ground, it chokes out naturally occurring plants. As it grows up trunks of trees, it strangles them and cuts off the trees' life-sustaining ability to capture sunlight. It is destroying the natural habitats of wild animals. However, may southerners have found positive uses for this nuisance vine; herbal remedies, teas and basketry.
The Giants
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The Ghost
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A Hillside
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Click a pic to enlarge it!
Corey outside the Ryman
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Corey onstage
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Corey w/Garth & Vince
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Me
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Corey
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Corey with Elvis
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Us outside
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