Friday April 12, 2024

Kingsport TN to Franklin TN

We scurried around and finished all the last-minute things on our list and were leaving Rambling Road at 9:45. Our target was 10 so we did great!   It had rained most of the night and there was a blustery wind blowing....cold for 55-60 degrees.  The sun was shining and the drive down 181 was pleasant until the truck traffic got very bad.  After Knoxville it cleared out some, but the wind continued making the drive a bit difficult.  We stopped at a rest stop near Crossville and ate lunch in the van.  Jane had bought lots of goodies at Ingles and with only minor replenishment along the way we should have tasty lunches our entire trip.  Maybe save a buck or two and eat nice dinners!

We had rain showers off and on from Crossville to nearly Franklin.  We took a new to Jane highway - I 840.  It leaves I 40 near Lebanon and heads south to Murfreesboro and then west joining back up with I 40 somewhere just west of Nashville.  There were several distribution warehouses along this highway - Amazon and many other names I recognized but have since forgotten. We got off in Franklin.  A nice new bypass for Nashville.  It may have been a few miles further but far less traffic and headaches.  We drove right to our hotel on Murfreesboro Pike and had a couple hours to relax before finding some dinner.  Jane had spent 4 months here in Franklin on an interim assignment for the Red Cross some years ago.  Nothing in this area of Franklin was here at that time. This area has had tremendous growth over the past few years.

We tried an Irish Pub for dinner and had Fish and Chips.  They were excellent.  Jane had sweet potato fries substituted for the regular ones and they were 5 stars for sure.  Quinn's Neighborhood Pub is worth a try if you are in this area.  Great food and economical - must make their money on the beer. 

Plain Fish and Chips

Fish with Sweet Potato Fries

Tomorrow, we find our way to the Natchez Trace and head towards Florence AL where we are expecting to tour a Frank Lloyd Wright House for Jane and Indian Mounds for Ben!  And the scenery along the Trace should be nice.  We are hoping for a bit warmer weather and no more rain and wind. Never been to Florence, Muscle Shoals, Tuscumbia so that is a new area for us.