2023 DIXIE ADVENTURE
MAY 18 – 23, 2023
MAY 18, 2023 - CHRISTIANSBURG, VA - CHATTANOOGA, TN - 341MILES
Hit the road this morning on a short
little trip that brought me to Chattanooga where I am spending tonight at the
Hampton Inn - Hamilton Place in Chattanooga, Tennessee. This was get away day
for me, so I didn't have much planned. I did spend the morning and early
afternoon in Greeneville, Tennessee exploring the Sites relating President
Andrew Johnson, our 17th President. I have been here a couple of times before
but always learn something and see new things.
I began my visit at
the National Park Service Visitor's Center where there is a small museum that
contains several artifacts that belonged to President Johnson, including the
Bible that he took the Oath of Office on following the assassination of
President Abraham Lincoln and the mourning ribbon that he wore at Lincoln's
Funeral.
The centerpiece of the visitor’s center is the future president's former tailor
shop that he operated here in Greeneville. The small log building was moved to
this location and the visitors center was built around it. It is completely
inside the and sheltered from the elements.
Also located
adjacent to the visitor's center is the Early Home of President Johnson. It is
basically just a building with a few storyboards inside the rooms. There is no
furniture, just empty rooms.
Across the street
from the early home and visitors center is a small park that contains a replica
of President Johnson Birthplace. The actual birthplace is located in Raleigh,
North Carolina. Also located here is a life size statue of the President.
Just a short walk
down Main Street from is what is called the Andrew Johnson Homestead. Andrew
Johnson owned this home for 24 years and lived here both before and after his
presidency. During the Civil War, soldiers occupied this house and left it in
disrepair. The Johnsons renovated the home when they returned from Washington,
filling it with Victorian furnishings and political gifts. Three generations of
the family occupied the home before placing it in the stewardship of the
National Park Service. The Homestead is filled with many original family
belongings and artifacts.
My final stop in
Greeneville was at the Andrew Johnson National Cemetery. Here on top of the
hill is the final resting place of our 17th President. He is resting here
beneath this impressive monument. Legend has it that he was buried with a copy
of the United States Constitution. Along with his wife Eliza, several other
members of the President's immediate Family are resting in the plots around the
monument.
From
Greeneville, I battled the Traffic through Knoxville. I can remember traveling
through Knoxville with my dad. Even back then Traffic in K-Town was bad. Daddy
always call it Malfunction Junction.
Today traffic wasn't so bad. My Google
Maps alerted me to a couple of traffic backups on Interstate 40 in Downtown
Knoxville. So, I opted to take Interstate 640 around the north side of the
city. There was a slight back up on 640 near the I-75 north interchange but
nothing major and I soon rejoined Interstate 40 on the west side of Knoxville.
A few minutes later I made it to
Interstate 75 south and headed toward the Hampton Inn at Hamilton Place which
was my destination for the Night in Chattanooga. Over the years I have stayed
mostly at Choice Hotels (Comfort Inn and Sleep Inn) but over the past few years
the Choice brand has really gone downhill. I have noticed that many of the
Choice Hotel are "foreign owned” which has resulted in the cleanliness of
the rooms suffering. Not to mention the non-existent customer service.
Because of this, over the past few trips
I have migrated away from the Choice Brands and started staying at Holiday Inns
and more recently the Hilton Brands of Hotel. I joined the Hilton Honors
rewards Program and as an Honors Member I really like the digital features that
is offered through their app.
I made my reservation at the Hampton
Inn - Hamilton Place through the Hilton App. After I made my reservation and
was confirmed, about 24-hours or so I was allowed to "check-in
digitally" using the app. This allows me to completely bypass the traditional
check-in process.
Once my digital check-in is confirmed,
on the day of my arrival I am notified through the app that my room is ready.
Once this notification is received, I can either select my room or allow the
hotel to assign my room. I usually select my room. After selecting my room, a
few minutes later my digital key arrives on my cell phone.
When I arrive at the hotel my digital
key is activated when I enter the front door and I can completely bypass the
front desk and proceed directly to my room. Once I am at the door to my room,
all I must do is touch the digital key Icon on my phone and my door is
unlocked. The digital features offered by Hilton are great, and so far, have
worked flawlessly.
Earlier
today while I was at the Andrew Johnson National Cemetery, I ran into a very
nice couple who were traveling back to Pennsylvania. In talking to them I found
out that they had stayed at the same hotel and had just checked out this
morning. During our little chat, they told me that they really enjoyed the BBQ
at a place called Jim 'N Nick which is located just a short drive from the
Hotel in the Hamilton Place Shopping complex.
So, after getting settled in my room,
I was off to Jim 'N Nicks. The Pennsylvania Couple didn't steer me wrong. The food
was very good, and the service was excellent. On the way back to the hotel I
made a stop at the nearby Cheesecake Factory for dessert and a bedtime snack.
This just a little tune up trip until
I hit the Road in July for a bigger Adventure. When I left home this morning my
original plan was to head west to Savannah, Tennessee and tour the Shiloh
Battlefield. However, when looking at Hotels in the Area I discovered that the
Quality Inn in Savannah and the Hotels in nearby Corinth, Mississippi were sold
out.
So, I am going to have to go to Plan
B. The problem is I don't have a plan B. We will see what tomorrow brings.
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