On the road again – Trailering to Maryville, Tennessee

 

Disclosure: this is not a live blog and I’m writing it on June 4 back in Dallas

One more sleep and we’ll be on the road to Tennessee! It’s about 900 miles taking the “southern” route from Dallas. We take 35 over to 20, drive through Shreveport (awful roads), then Monroe, then Vicksburg, Jackson (awful roads), with our overnight stop this time in Meridian, Mississippi (normally we stay in Vicksburg, but changed things up with more miles clicked off). On Friday, we’ll get up and get to Maryville, going through Tuscaloosa, Birmingham (awful roads), and Chattanooga, Tennessee (“weird” and windy roads through Chattanooga).

I was going to try for a quick stop to play Sweetens Cove (https://sweetenscovegolfclub.com/), a nine-hole course that is supposed to be exceptional. But see that they are going to be closed this month for the summer (because of turf damage from weather). Tony will probably be happy that we don’t take this detour. But, I’m bringing my clubs (and so is Rick) so we might get a round in on this trip.

Featured in The New York Times and ranked the 49th ranked Modern Golf Course and the 21st Best Course You Can Play in the United States by Golfweek. 

We’re planning on leaving around 6:30 am to meet up with Rick in Lindale. Off we go, saying goodbye to Abby and McGee.

Blackie loaded on the trailer, ready to roll.

At the QuikTrip in Lindale, we catch up with Rick (he left Westin at 4:30 am and got there well before us). The next stop is West Monroe, to the next gas up at the QuikTrip (yes, we have planned our gas stops at QuikTrips: https://www.quiktrip.com/ ) – before we exit, we just make it around a wide load (yes, it’s wide). Rick barely gets by and suffers running board damage (taped together with our go-to Gorilla Tape). Back on the road, and Rick calls – his sunroof shattered! He says to keep going until we stop since there isn’t anything he can do about it. Not much to stop at. 

Crossing the Mississippi River with Blackberry.

And then, through Jackson, Mississippi, Rick calls, at one of the three splits. He has a flat on his trailer! We can’t turn around and get back to him, and he’s basically in a little triangle of hell to change the tire. We carry on and there is a lot of nothingness and few exits. We finally pull off at a Wendy’s. Rick isn’t far behind (it was a sticky, yucky Wendy’s). There’s a Walmart across the street – Walmart is where Rick found a tire for the trailer last year. Rick gets a new tire and, with a new roll of duct tape, covers the sunroof (has a big hole, but the liner is keeping the glass from getting in the truck). Off we go to Meridian, Mississippi, for the night – at the Hampton Inn and Suites (https://room77.com/property/41497.html?pn=&googleCampaignId=18569502638&googleAdGroupId=158455101732&googleAdId=673881609721&keyword=hampton%20inn%20meridian&matchType=b&googleKeywordId=&adExtensionId=&network=g&adPosition=&deviceType=c&physicalLocation=9026913&interestLocation=&targetId=kwd-3781401031&placement=&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw9vqyBhCKARIsAIIcLMHUUMHapzwi7joz85eiXGVohOZhaNXohDh_ckkEND4h5y30Qi7vgGMaAsXgEALw_wcB) .

Check into the hotel and we’re greeted with floor construction in the lobby and hallway. Great. But the room is good and in the back are places for our trucks and trailers. Tony and I walk to Jimmy Johns (https://www.jimmyjohns.com/) for takeout dinner. The catfish place next door was our intention, but when I walked in, was a bit concerned about my seafood allergy and contamination. Jimmy Johns note: if you ask for everything, they actually put mayonnaise on an Italian sub. Yuk.

Friday morning, get up. Text Rick to say we’re about ready to head out. No response. We get on the road. Probably about 15 minutes into the drive, Rick asks where we are (he didn’t bring his phone down for breakfast). First stop is QuikTrip in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Next step is the QuikTrip in Chattanooga. We use Waze on our trip – to give us directions we don’t really need at this point, but also for the points and cops (not that we can speed with the truck and trailer). She makes us exit in Chattanooga. Takes us through downtown and out and around 24. A bit of an adventure, but we guess she knows that the “Expect Long Delays” sign on 24 was real. We don’t really know. This detour dumps us onto 75 and 321 over to Al and Eileen’s! Rick gets in at least an hour after us – find out that Waze was right in getting us off the interstate since traffic was awful. We’re finally here.

Patio at Al and Eileen's