12 things you would never see in WA state.

We absolutely love living in Middle Tennessee,  one of the things we enjoy is the 'compare and contrast' to the PNW



1. bible eggs. I bought these eggs at Aldi, they were $1.79, no hormone, natural eggs. It was a nice surprise, and yes, today IS the day the Lord has made!

2. Runaway truck ramp
We saw this on our way to Chattanooga, as we came down Monteagle Mountain. Apparently it is the highest point between Chicago and Miami at 2000 feet above sea level. In contrast, Snoqualmie Pass is 3,022 feet above sea level..** post edit- apparently these do exist in WA state, however I have never seen one.

3. Gun billboards
These are everywhere. On the way to Chattanooga there were about 10, each one 'showcasing' a different gun, and advertising gun ranges, or gun stores. Go 'Murica!

4. Everything Weapons
to go along with the theme of being all American, check out this store about 10 minutes from my house.

5. Bible Billboards
This is one of the things that kept surprising me on our way across the country, the farther south we got, the more prevalent. I am still not used to them!

6. Ethanol free gas. Having gasoline without ethanol is illegal in WA state.

7. Pro- Life license plates. Tennessee is one of only 16 states in the country that allows these license plates.

8. those backwards cement trucks still bother me...

9.  Tennessee/Alabama fireworks. Saw these all along hwy 41 on our way to Chattanooga. Fireworks are legal year round here. What more could you ask for? Beer, Pizza, and Fireworks all under the same roof!

10.  Southern Food. I really enjoy exploring each and every aisle in the grocery store and seeing the different regional foods. Haven't had instant grits yet, but have had goat cheese grits at Gray's on Main and they were good. We have also tried boiled peanuts, Pimento cheese, Moon Pies, Meat and Three and of course sweet tea.

11. Carpenter bees.
These are crazy. The first time I saw one, it cast a shadow next to me in the driveway. I did freak out. ( am sure we keep the neighbors entertained..)  They are like big black flying, fuzzy walnuts. HUGE. I thought it was a beetle at first, as I wasn't too keen to get a closer look! The males are all black and do not have a stinger, the females have a little bit of yellow near their heads. They are basically like gigantic bumblebees and will not sting unless necessary.

12. blue recycle bags. My happiest day of the work week  is Wednesday when I put as many of these babies out at the curb as I want, along with any yard waste bags and piles of sticks/brush. They all disappear like magic. Every. Single. Week.
*sigh*

Chattanooga

We had a great time meeting our friends from home in Chattanooga this last week. They moved to Atlanta last summer, and it was the first time we have seen them since they moved. Chattanooga was the perfect destination, as it is pretty near exactly in the middle for each of us-- around 2 hours.

We met at a great little hot dog joint called "Good Dog" -- excellent food, fun, friendly atmosphere. Would definately go back again.

                                                            http://www.eatatgooddog.com/

We had tickets to go on the Duck, but the reservation ended up not being until later in the afternoon, giving us plenty of time to eat, and explore some of Downtown. We decided to walk down to see the "Chattanooga Choo-Choo".  Everytime I see that name, I instantly think of the Glen Miller Orchestra song and can't seem to get it out of my head.. Well, much to my surprise, the Chattanooga Choo Choo was an actual train, and it is there in the refurbished  train terminal /Hotel. Maybe that is where we need to stay next time we go, because we MUST go back, there is so much more to explore!

"Pardon me, boy, is that the Chattanooga Choo-Choo?"

"Track 29!"

"Boy, you can give me a shine."

 

This train ran from  1880 ran between Cinncinnati and Chattanooga. This wood burning 'choo choo' was the first to provide non-stop service.

After we sated ourselves on ice cream and cupcakes, we boarded the "Duck" for a tour of the city.

 we had the opportunity to see a Duck go into the water just after us- SPLASH!

Captain Gavin.

The Hunter Art Museum overlooking the River.

These two got wet after we splashed down into the water.

The tour was excellent, through the city and down the river we learned many interesting facts about Chattanooga. I think the most interesting was that until  21 years ago, it was practically a Ghost Town. In the late 60's, Chattanooga was declared one of the most polluted cities in America. They had over 90 Factories in town, and the pollution was not regulated. When the EPA instituted the Clean Air/Water acts in the early 70's, to avoid fines for their excessive pollution the factories needed to cut back on production. Cutting back on production meant loss of jobs, and many people left Chattanooga to find work. It wasn't until the mid eighties that citizens began to come up with a plan to save their town. The Tennessee Aquarium was built in 1992  and was the beginning of the rebirth of the city. Today it is a vibrant, busy, but quaint town that I look forward to exploring more!

River boat view from Pedestrian Bridge crossing the Tennessee River

Dunn/Light kids, April  2014