Observations From Vacations


Russian artifacts were once displayed in Jackson, Mississippi, . The Palaces of St. Petersburg exhibit included reproductions of Russian palace rooms and over 600 Russian artifacts which, by special arrangement of the governor´s wife, will not be exhibited elsewhere in the world. Nearby, the Elite restaurant includes decor and fixtures that can be found few places elsewhere in the world.
The Natchez Trace, a two-lane roadway which, like most of the state highways of Tennessee, Alabama, and Mississippi, has no shoulders, is still scenic and still slow. The speed limit remains 50 miles per hour, not easily tolerated by teen-aged drivers or passengers.
Although a trip from Cleburne, Texas to Lawrenceburg, Tennessee does not cross time zones, it certainly crosses dialect zones. The Texas and Tennessee drawls have some things in common, but Tennesseans are more tolerant of that which is gramatically incorrect in the English language. Although "y´all" is common to the dialects, it is at least a valid contraction. But double negatives and subject-verb disagreement are neither negative nor disagreeable to the Tennessee native. A Tennessee Volunteer don´t see nothing wrong with none of ´em. Keep going east, and the Tennessee well-wishers leave "y´all" behind and entreat you´ns to have a good day.
Tennessee and Alabama have incredible (awesome) State Parks. Most of these have the amenities of fine resorts. A lakeside or riverside motel with spacious rooms, better-than-average restaurant, marina, swimming pool, tennis courts, hiking and biking trails, golf course, and family reunion and meeting facilities are not to be found in Texas for less than the price of a room in an Interstate hotel.
The Olympic kayak and canoe events were held on the Ocoee River for good reason. There are good family rafting trips to be booked there.
The Tobacco Industry still has a fairly strong hold in Tennessee and Alabama where maids smoke while cleaning no-smoking rooms and gas station cashiers smoke during business transactions.
Some of the best smoking in the South has nothing to do with tobacco. Barbeque pork is as common there as BBQ beef is in Texas.

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