TENNESSEE

TENNESSEE - Smoky Mountains and Moonshine, April 10-14

We arrived in Knoxville, Tennessee early Wednesday evening and were greeted at the airport by PGER and State Sponsor Jack Frost and Sharon, PGER Ted Callicott and Betsy, State President Jim Birdsong and Paulette and State Photographer Andrea Birdsong.  We stopped at a wonderful restaurant called "Cheddars" for dinner before making the hour drive to Gatlinburg for the convention.

 

Thursday morning, we went to breakfast with Jack and Sharon at the Cracker Barrel.  (You remember that it is one of Venita's favorite breakfast restaurants.)  We lingered over several cups of coffee and excellent conversation, during which time Tom admired Jack's cowboy boots and mentioned that he wanted to buy a pair for himself.  Jack was more than willing to accommodate that request and we found ourselves in a local western wear shop, Stages West, getting Tom fitted for boots.  By the time we were done, we had made another significant contribution to the local economy and Tom had a beautiful pair of brown cowboy boots - followed later by a pair of black ones!

After our shopping spree, we took a drive to the Sugarland's Visitor's Center of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park.  Established in 1934, this was among the first of the national parks assembled from private lands.  Its name came from the Cherokee Indians who described these mountains as shaconage, meaning "blue, like smoke."  We didn't have time to drive into the park, but Jack promised us a trip Sunday morning on our way to the airport.

Returning to Gatlinburg, we parked at the hotel and set out on foot to see part of the town.  Our first stop was at the Old Smoky Moonshine Distillery to sample some Tennessee “White Lightening.”  Yowzah, it definitely lived up to its name!  A local bluegrass band was playing in the square and we stopped to listen for a bit.  We then headed over to Bubba Gump's for lunch, after which we went up in the 400' high "needle" for a scenic view of the town and surrounding mountains.  Tom and Jack returned to the hotel for a meeting while Sharon and I walked down to the Hillbilly Harley-Davidson shop for a souvenir t-shirt.

Thursday evening we all hopped on the shuttle to the Gatlinburg Elks Lodge #1925 for a spaghetti dinner.  We visited with the folks in attendance, gave out our pins and danced to a great band for quite a while.  When our feet finally gave out, we headed back to the hotel and bed.

Friday morning, the men started at 6:45 a.m. with a Past State Presidents' breakfast. Venita and Sharon had a more leisurely start with a "meet and greet" at 9:30. The Tennessee ladies had brought Venita gifts from all over the state with samples of Tennessee goods including honey, dry rubs, cookbooks, "moon pies," a beautiful throw from Fayetteville and a hand-crafted Amish basket. Also included was a book on the history of the Mars Farm, Mr. Mars being the founder of the candy bar company and a stabilizing financial influence during the Great Depression. The ladies then went to lunch at the Pancake Pantry, a famous local restaurant that reportedly has folks waiting to eat there in lines that stretch out the door and down the street in the summer. After lunch, we wandered the main street of Gatlinburg and browsed the artisan shops and other attractions before returning to the hotel.

That evening, dinner was at the hotel and was the Tennessee Elks Association Benevolent Night.  Their major project focuses on providing scholarships to young people going into the field of nursing.  We were privileged to hear from the top scholarship award winner, Carson.  As he thanked the Tennessee Elks for the scholarship, he told them about how his mother was cared for by a male nurse during a hospital stay and what a lasting impression this caring individual had made upon him – to the point of influencing his career choice.  Carson’s speech was followed by an update on the ENF status, with the final donations at the dinner putting Tennessee over the GER per capita of $4.50 per member.  Cheers, Tennessee!

Saturday morning, we attended the Memorial Service, followed by the GER Luncheon at the hotel.  Tom spoke to the attendees, urging them to focus on changing the perception the general public has of Elks and grow their community involvement with targeted projects.  The luncheon was followed by the installation of their new officers for the upcoming year.

After the luncheon, Jack and Tom met with the incoming District Deputies while Venita and Sharon had some time to relax and visit.  That evening, we attended their annual Awards Banquet where Jim presented the Elk of the Year, Veterans’ Service Award and the charitable awards to the various lodges.  They also presented Tom with a new suitcase to help with our travels and gave Venita a pair of beautiful Tennessee fresh water pearl earrings.  We were very appreciative of their generosity!  After the banquet, we went to the three district hospitality rooms to share some final time with the great Elks of Tennessee.

Sunday morning, we walked over to the Pancake Pantry for breakfast and then loaded up the car to head for the airport.  Since we had plenty of time, we drove along the Pigeon River through the Great Smoky Mountain National Park.  The scenery was beautiful and we enjoyed the leisurely pace as the road followed the river’s path.  We arrived at the airport on schedule, and thanked Jack and Sharon for their wonderful hospitality and this chance to see part of their beautiful state.  Since Tennessee (along with North Carolina) boasts access to one of the most famous motorcycle roads in the country, the 318 curve, 11 mile “Tail of the Dragon,” we know we will be back.  Our motorcycle trip to the east coast is getting longer and longer!