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Hope everyone has a great Friday Thanks to all who participate. I have never been to TN and hope to go someday so this feature is more then I could ask for.
In October, Interstate Highway 81, between exits 12 at Morristown and 63 at Kingsport is the most beautiful fifty mile stretch of interstate in America. The coloration of the trees is a magnificent and ever-changing spectacle.
While the maples with many colors varying from brilliant gold to bright red are the favorite of many, the hickories are the unrivaled champs of color. The Hickories turn a magnificent gold and achieve massive size. The brilliance of the golden colored hickory leaves set off against the black trunks and branches eclipses all other trees along the way.
People love to take drives to see the trees, but there other beautiful and colorful plants besides trees visible from a car seat. The sumac plant grows in low clumps on the roadside and along fence rows in striking red to coral color that rivals the maple trees in brilliance. The Virginia creeper vine grows up trees and forms large masses of coppery orange color mixed with the colors of the tree leaves. Although a tree, the dogwoods are small and show distinctive red coloration in the road side under story. The evergreen eastern red cedars serve a colorful function by providing a dark green background for the splashes of reds and yellows of small deciduous trees.
A connoisseur of fall foliage knows that although woodland landscapes provide a visual patchwork of varying colors, the truly spectacular displays are mature individual trees standing alone in a pasture or near the edge of a farmers woodlot. Such specimens are not restrained by other nearby trees and achieve the characteristic shape for the species. When able to grow in to the shape typical for the species, an individual tree achieves the optimum number and placement of leaves and provides the best display of colorful foliage. The finest color is to be found in the lone specimens.
The East Tennessee Valley between I 81 exits 12 and 63 is able to achieve the spectacular color because of the topography and the elevation. The road lies in a valley between mountains and low ridges. In summer, the ridges and mountainsides often display wisps of mists and clouds characteristic of the Smokey Mountains a few miles to the south. The road runs in a Nor easterly/southwesterly direction and the sunlight is constant throughout the day. The combination of moisture and sunlight produces lots of leaves. Unlike the higher mountains where the leaves at high elevations fade before those in the valley, the elevations along I 81 are such that all the leaves turn together. The result is spectacular vistas and individual trees close at hand. It is possible to optimize the optimum. The best views are on a sunny late afternoon along the twenty mile stretch between mile marker 32 and 52. The views of Fodderstack and Chimneytop mountains are setoff against the woodlots and roadside. Travel should be in a northerly direction with the late afternoon sun at your back.
Don't believe it?....... Come see for yourself!
Today is the first day with all 3 of my little ones back at school. :(
I have a whopping 1.5 hours to myself before I go and pick everyone up.
I love the state of Tennessee and have visited most of the places you mentioned.
This picture was taken on the Roaring Fork Motor Trail above Gatlinburg last spring after the rains.
Have I missed that with other posts or is that new?
Tennessee is absolutely beautiful. My favorite was the caverns:
Tennessee Laws
Any person crippling, killing or in any way destroying a proud female dog that is running at large shall not be held liable for the damages due to such killing or destruction.
"Crimes against nature" are prohibited.
More than 8 women may not live in the same house because that would constitute a brothel.
It is illegal to use a lasso to catch a fish.
Hollow logs may not be sold.
It is legal to gather and consume roadkill.
Stealing a horse is punishible by hanging.
Driving is not to be done while asleep.
You can't shoot any game other than whales from a moving automobile.
Dyersburg
It is illegal for a woman to call a man for a date.
Fayette County
You may not have more than five inoperable vehicles on a piece of property.
Lenoir City
When you pull up to a stop sign you must fire a gun out the window to warn horse carriages that you are coming.
Lexington
No one may eat ice cream on the sidewalk.
Spitting on the sidewalk is prohibited.
Knoxville
In front of their buildings, all businesses must have a "hitching post."
Memphis
Panhandlers must first obtain a $10 permit before begging on the streets of downtown Memphis. (Passed in 1996)
Illegal for a woman to drive a car unless there is a man either running or walking in front of it waving a red flag to warn approaching motorists and pedestrians.
It's illegal for frogs to croak after 11 PM.
It is illegal to give any pie to fellow diners. It is also illegal to take unfinished pie home. All pie must be eaten on the premises.
Oneida
An ordinance forbids anyone to sing the song "It Ain't Goin' To Rain No Mo'."
Fact: The congressional district in which Knoxville resides hasn't sent a Democrat to Washington since before the Civil War. :p
Fantastic Friday greetings to everyone here...
Guenevere please check this out about your home state.
Just a brief history of my time in Tenn. Born in Delrose, Lincoln County. Have lived in Frankewing, Cash Point, Taft, Coldwater, (Then moved to Huntsville, Ala for several years), then back to Orlinda, Cross Plains, McEwen, Clarksville, back to Cross Plains (years away in Miami, Fla), then back to Mursfreesboro, Nashville, White House (then to Indiama, Georgia & Miss.), then to Collierville,(to Ind, Ala, Va ), then Baxter (back to Va and then WV). My husband loves Tenn. more than any place. He tells everyone that he keeps moving me there and I keep making him leave. I have to admit that even though Tenn is my original home state, I like some other states better.
Ya'll have fun now, ya hear?
Presidential election 2000: Bush wins Tennessee.
The folks in Tennessee knew better, Gore's home state didn't even vote for him.
Thank You to the folks of Tennessee.