Teresa and I headed to the East Tennessee mountains this past weekend for a little R&R and some country music. The route up took us past the Ocoee River, which is a big white water rafting area along the Tennessee/Georgia border. It was beautiful but I kept getting nervous because I thought I heard 'banjo music' playing in the woods at times. If that made no sense please go HERE. I know it is not the same river as the movie but it's close enough to be freaky.
We stayed at a little cabin in the woods called The Woodsman, one of a few owned by George Alexander and his wife. We didn't get to meet George, he was in Las Vegas at a karate show. We found out this guy is the highest ranked karate master in the US. Who would have guessed you would find a karate master in the middle of the woods in Tennessee?
On Saturday we got up and headed out for a little sightseeing. We went by the Savannah Oaks Winery to say hello to our friend Mike McGuire and his band mates in Shenandoah and check out the place. It was an interesting little winery and they made all kinds of fruity wines, not like what you would find in Napa valley, etc. They have a little pavillion that use for weddings, etc. and it appears they are trying to get the word out about their business to the community by bringing in bands such as Shenandoah, Ronnie McDowell, Confederate Railroad and they said they were trying to get the Kentucky Headhunters, which we would go back for.
The concert was scheduled for Saturday night so we wandered around the area and returned around 6:00 pm to chat with Mike and get a seat. Little did we know that wasn't a problem.... this was a small venue with little tables and folding chairs around. The stage was big but they only had two speakers, and I mean little speakers, for the band to use. We were amazed and wondered how it would sound!? While waiting for the show to start a gentleman sitting at the table next to us started talking to me. He was showing off his Ronnie McDowell hat and was so proud that he met Ronnie's bus driver, etc. He was a real big man, deep Tennessee accent and he had his wife and kid's with him. At some point in the conversation, and I can't remember how we got there, he started telling me (with obvious pride) about how he was recently ARRESTED by the local cops and how it took three of them to 'wrastle' him to the ground. My thoughts were 'why me' and 'where is that exit again?'. Well, he didn't go crazy or anything and had a great time taking pictures of the band and giving them the thumbs up all evening.
Well, the guys came up to play and they really sounded good. The lead singer commented, to the 100 or so people there, that they had never played in a place like this and it felt more like playing in someone's living room. We loved it!! We spent time afterwards talking to our friend before they headed out on the bus back home. Betty, the owner, asked us to hang out for a while so we did. They pulled out the karaoke machine and the locals sang away. All of them were surprisingly good except for one poor man, who looked like the Marlboro Man. He started to sing, I think that is what it was, and his wife was standing there cheering him on. He couldn't sign, couldn't stay on beat, etc. but at least he was up there trying. Teresa and I never went near the microphone!!!
Sunday was 'sleep in day' and we headed home after a late breakfast. Of course, we took the longest route home and this time found Fort Mountain State Park in North Georgia. It has one of the best campgrounds I've seen so we plan on going back in the fall for a little camping trip.
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