Jackson MS to Chattanooga TN

On the road by 8:30 ready for a 400+ mile day.  We considered driving all the way to Kingsport but since we are a day early anyway why make it a marathon driving day.  We made a reservation in Chattanooga and headed out. The sky was gray and we heard of tornadoes somewhere in Alabama.  We were unable to find anything in the areas we were headed for so started out but were keeping an eye on the weather.

Interstate driving is really boring after all the beauty we have seen the last couple weeks. We still had about 1/3 of Grey Mountain to hear.  There were still lots of flowers along the highway just not in the numbers that we had seen in TX.  All the creeks and rivers were full to overflowing.

By lunchtime we were in Tuscaloosa AL and saw the sign or the original Dreamland BBQ.  So we headed the couple miles off the interstate to find the BBQ.  We had read about it on our trip down to the gulf coast a couple years ago and it was well known in the state.  The original location only serves ribs and sausage - so that's what we had.  The ribs were pretty good but the sausage certainly did not measure up at all to the links in TX.  I guess you should not measure one type BBQ against another....It was crowded with all the tables full mostly with families at Sunday lunch.

Back on the road the sky continued to look threatening.  We were in and out of rain all afternoon.  Finished Grey Mountain - John Gresham tells a good story.  We are now listening to the beginning book in the CORP series by W E B Griffin.  I have read several of his books but not any of this series that tells the story of the Marines.

We are at a Red Roof Inn Plus in Chattanooga - brand new and seems nice,  We have never stayed in a Red Roof Inn before - using up some of our "points".  Not very hungry after the BBQ at lunch we went to an Applebee's  for Ben to have wings and Jane a salad.  During dinner we watched a severe thunderstorm.  Black skies and when we came out the sun was shining brightly and there was a huge rainbow.  Should have thought to take a panorama photo!

Tomorrow we head to home having our fill of driving, BBQ and maybe even flowers for a while! No, more flowers would be fine: but no more BBQ or driving for a bit.