Florida Road Trip 2014 - Day 2: Thursday, November 27-Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving! Left Columbia, MO this morning about 9 after breakfast. The gas there was $2.39 but we didn't need any and when we crossed over into Illinois it was $2.74.  Got a call from Tate's birth mom thanking me for making this the best Thanksgiving in 41 years.  We had a nice talk. She is looking forward to meeting Tate December 12-14th when he flies out there.  Ended up on I 70, but then took backroad 109 through Missouri to Saint Louis past the Gateway to the West Arch, then jumped off on a backroad 109 through southern Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee. Went through areas that had had snow, maybe last night, still on the trees and pretty, but the roads were clear.  

Off of 109 in Southern Illinois I thought we were going to go through their Omaha, but it was down the road not taken:

We went over the Mississippi River into Kentucky:

We went past a few underground Kentucky coal mines.  Here a few piles of coal covered with snow:

Went through a valley with a lot of smoke from a tobacco drying facility.  I can tell you I'd rather smell that then feed lot!  Also went past a manufacturer for huge black plastic tubing that was on rolls, and a U. S. Smokelss Tobacco plant and a lot of Kentucky towns that looked like a lot of towns elsewhere-plenty of churches and dried up store fronts:

Here was a mural to the coal miners in this Kentucky town:

Finally, Nashville:

  We were going to stop to see N & W friends Marcia and Ed north of Atlanta but they called to say they were not home they were in southern Georgia at Marcia's parents. They were thinking we were coming through tomorrow night! They will call tomorrow and we may rondevouz with them in Atlanta for lunch.  With tha knowledge we didn't need to race to their house we stopped in Nashville about 5 pm at Cracker Barrel for supper. They had a 1.5 hour wait for Thanksgiving dinner special so we looked at all their goods. 

Of course Santa has to be a Unversity of Tennessee Volunteers fan:

Found this sign that I though Liz would like:

 It turned out to be only an hour wait, so 2 Burt's Bees lip shimmers and a fake pearl bracelet later, we were seated and quickly served our Thanksgiving Dinner.  Amazaing how many people were out eating.

I tipped the waitress about 30% and by the time we got out of there it was 7pm. We hit the road and drove in the dark through what were probably some pretty mountains, across the Tennessee River, to Chattanooga and in and out of Georgia and Tennessee to Atlanta. Got to our Holiday Express on 111 Cone Street at about 11pm.  We have a very long and skinny room but nicely furhished .