Photo Caption: Marion Greenwood’s “The History of Tennessee” mural hangs in the Knoxville Museum of Art on Saturday, July 17. The painting has been a flashpoint of conversation and controversy as to the depiction of African Americans and their contributions to Tennessee history.
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Before I get started with this next post, I want to give a sincere thank-you to everyone who’s still reading along here and following my road trip.
I get that, with me writing a big post nearly every day, it’s a lot to follow. That’s the other side of me bragging about nearing 30,000 words — inevitably, the more I write, the harder it’s going to be for people to catch up. (Even my best friends are a few posts behind.)
So thanks for the support. I’m feeling a bit discouraged this Monday morning as the view count has steadily dropped, and my energy has been harder to find as I near Week 4 of the journey.
But I have to remember that I’m here to write for me, and that’s what I’m going to keep doing — I appreciate anyone who still makes time in their daily lives to make room for my drivel.
Bloomington and Knoxville: Long-lost Cousins?
I couldn’t help but draw parallels between Knoxville, Tenn., and my hometown of Bloomington, Ind.
Let’s get the obvious ones out of the way: They’re mid-sized cities in central/mideast America, each with a college campus and a fluctuating population between 80,000 and 200,000, depending on when school is in session.
But let’s look a little bit further at the aesthetics: UT is known for its classic white/orange checkerboard motif, and IU is known for cream/crimson candy stripes. Tennessee Athletics has a giant symbol of unity called The Rock, and so does IU Athletics (“Hep’s Rock“).
Each city offers a free-admission art museum with diagonal staircases, each playing host to a local history muralist whose work has been censored for racist interpretation at some point in time (Tennessee: Marion Greenwood; Indiana: Thomas Benton Hart).
Bloomington and Knoxville each have a classic downtown square, as well as a strip of bars and restaurants that locals and tourist alike flock to (Kirkwood Avenue/”Kirkwood”; Cumberland Avenue/”The Strip”).
Each city’s university mascot is named after an affectionate state name for the locals (“Hoosiers”/”Volunteers”), and each had a live mascot at some point in time (Tennessee is on their 10th generation of “Smokey” the dog; IU used to roll out a whole damn bison at football games from 1965 to 1969).
From an IU football fan perspective, the schools had little reason to cross over or engage culturally until the 2020 TaxSlayer Gator Bowl, where Tennessee came back to rip IU’s heart out in the last minute, but it was really worthwhile as a casual visitor to draw some parallels between both college-town cities — of all the places I’ve been so far, Knoxville is the place most on-par with Bloomington’s way of life and population tempo.
Bloomington is the birthplace of WWE legend “Mankind” Mick Foley; Knoxville is the home city of WWE legend “Kane” Glenn Jacobs (who, of course, is the mayor of Knox County). Peyton Manning raised UT to unprecedented NCAA greatness, and he did the same for the Indianapolis Colts in the NFL.
My words to the people of Knoxville: “Maybe we’re not so different, you and I.”
Mailbag Monday
As usual, Mailbag Monday questions are accepted every day of the week at the top menu portal.
Ask me a question about (almost) anything, whether it’s about my road travels or my personal life, and I’ll get back to you at the start of the week when content is more or less at a lull.
Here are some ready-to-eat questions that have been hanging out in the oven for a bit:
Q: “What stop are you looking forward to most that’s left on your journey? Also how do we get you a show on the Travel Channel?” — Cheese
A: That’s a very kind suggestion, Cheese, and something I think I’d be honored to land — I’m not one for TV, but I love writing and radio. The thought’s been on my mind as I’ve been creating all this content (a phrase that makes me barf but that’s what the industry works by these days) that maybe someone or some business would like to hire me to promote their hospitality services or even scout out a new city for cultural reviews and recommendations. We’ll see if any of that comes to fruition, but it’s something I have a genuine interest in (as if 31 days in hotels doesn’t implicitly say that enough).
As for the rest of the journey, there’s a handful of places I’m eager to finally get to, each in their own respects:
I’m looking forward to popping into Chapel Hill, N.C., later this week and getting a look at UNC’s famed basketball culture, such as the Dean Smith Center. I’m meeting up with an online friend/pen pal in Charlottesville, Va., and I’m definitely planning on seeing the former Robert E. Lee statue platform and the site of the infamous car protest death from a few years back, for humility and historic context. And, selfishly, there’s a rooftop pool and bar in at the Graduate in Richmond, Va., where I’m planning on laying low for a little bit. I’m also hoping to meet up with some longtime friends and NBA Jam: The Book author Reyan Ali in Columbus, Ohio.
Still much to do and see on the trip, for sure, even if Columbia, S.C., seems to be the sleepiest stop so far. (Which is honestly fine, because I really need to catch my breath for a second).
Q: “Thus far in your adventure, what has been your favorite meal? Was it because of the food, experience, or a combination of both?” — Ryan C.
A: That’s a great question. The very first thing that comes to mind was a simple pleasure meal: Lou Malnati’s deep-dish pepperoni pizza, when I visited my besties Nash and Hannah in Chicago (on a very heartfelt and emotional reunion of an evening). I got to meet their baby daughter (conceived and born entirely during COVID restrictions) for the first time. Never did a pizza taste better than it did that Friday night.
As for bougie experiences: The “Chicken and a Donut” plate from the Bassett Street Brunch Club in Madison, Wisc., was probably the tastiest thing I’ve had.
And as for cheap comfort food, I finally got my hands on some Cook Out last night here in Columbia. Forget Chick-Fil-A or Krystal — Cook Out is the real destination of southern fast food, to me at least. I ordered chicken strips, onion rings, hush puppies, and a large drink for $5.99. And it all tasted fresh and smoke-fried, and I got my food less than 60 seconds after ordering. You can’t beat that.
A quick note on Columbia
As mentioned earlier in this entry, Columbia, S.C., is the smallest-feeling destination I’ve been to so far, even if it’s the capitol of South Carolina (population: 130,000). It was grey and rainy when I pulled in last night, and the weather is holding strong today.
My usual ethos of wanting to get out and see the campus/city is still on for this evening — my last night in town — and I’ll do my best to find something culturally. That said, a lot, if not most, of the city’s history is deeply rooted in Confederate history (Columbia was the first state capitol in which a secession from the union was signed), and the vast majority of historic structures were either assembled by or serviced by enslaved peoples, so I’m trying to keep that in mind as I see what’s going on around me.
I’m sure that’s going to be the case for North Carolina and Virginia as well, so I may as well get used to embracing the history at hand, but you can see why I’d feel conflicted about calling an area “beautiful,” etc., if it also smacks of Antebellum caste and structure.
If any of my southern friends have input they would like to share on this dynamic, I’m all ears. Again, this month-long trip is a learning experience at the core of its ethos. I’m only used to seeing “the Confederacy” on display as gaudy flags or bumper stickers on pickup trucks in Indiana (a union state, legally), but seeing the actual brick-and-mortar byproducts of Confederate legacy is a newer one for me to digest.
As usual, I’ll keep an open mind and report back what I’m seeing and experiencing. And if you’re here to read, I hope you learn a little something, too.
Until next time.
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-moose
PS: The featured image of this entry was one of many works I got to see on Saturday at the (free!) Knoxville Museum of Art (located in the former exhibit hall Japan used during the 1982 World’s Fair. Here’s a few more selections of striking pieces I saw while wandering the halls of a wonderful public art resource, as well as a monument to fallen soldiers in World’s Fair Park:
B-TOWN Moose 