6 Aug 2024 - Towing Museum; Coker Car Museum; Chattanooga Whiskey Company; Dinner with CMSgt (ret) Mike Kennedy and Arleen

International Towing and Recovery Museum:  Busy day here.  We started out the morning at the "International Towing and Recovery Museum"!  Who would have known?!  But I will tell you, everything was very well displayed and very interesting. 

Towing is a huge part of American transportation.   Having served on the fire department for over 25 years and responding to hundreds of motor vehicle crashes, we worked closely with wrecker companies.  It was not always a great relationship, but I always respected what they had to do.  I was thankful to learn they have their own organization that supports the families of those tow truck operators that are killed in the line of duty, and it happens all too frequently.  Thankfully all of the states now have "Move Over Laws" which help to protect tow truck drivers who respond to emergency roadside calls by requiring nearby drivers to move over.

We paid a modest fee in the gift shop and then proceeded into a small theatre where they queued up an introductory movie.  The museum opened in September 1995

We then moved into the museum and saw many beautifully displayed tow trucks starting with the first one.  This industry was started by Mr. Ernest Holmes Sr.  He built the first wrecker, and opened a garage in Chattanooga TN.   His son, Ernest Jr would carry on with this.   They were joined with their cousin Melvin who took on the sales efforts.  Holmes wreckers were one of the most well known.  You've likely seen Holmes wreckers but you might not have realized it.

The first Holmes wrecker, 1913 Locomobile with a 485 Holmes Wrecker

Again, like many of the museums and venues we visit, I took a ton of pictures but will try to pick a few significant ones to post here.  

World's fastest wrecker, clocked at 109.330 mph at Talladega NASCAR track 1 Aug 1979

1929 Chrysler with a 3 ton Weaver crane

Lil' Mater from the Pixar's movie Cars

1941 Diamond T Wrecker, US Army

1970 Cony with a Holmes Commander 1200 used in Japan

Some beautifully restored gas pumps.

Tow truck pedal cars

Tow truck paraphernalia

2002 International

1946 Chevrolet with a Holmes 525 wrecker body

1926 Ford with a 3 ton Manley Crane

The Towing Hall of Fame

Coker Car Museum:  From there we headed into Chattanooga a couple miles to the Coker Car Museum. This museum features vintage cars, hot rods, motorcycles, trucks, buses, airplanes, rare engines and memorabilia.  It is located in Honest Charlie's Speed Shop that was established in 1948. Honest Charley Speed Shop was the world’s first mail order speed shop and named after Charlie Card, the founder.  Honest Charley began advertising in Hot Rod Magazine and branched into other cities, before the fuel crisis of the 1970s and death of Card in 1975 sent the Speed Shop into a downward spiral. The shop closed its doors in 1990, but eight years later Corky Coker bought the business to save the brand from extinction.  

We were greeted in the gift shop, again, paying a nominal fee and then entered the museum including a working hotrod shop, paint shop, wood shop, etc.  They host wedding receptions and other events here also.

Again, many pictures taken but will try to parse this down so we don't lose anyone.  You walk from the gift shop into a long narrow area with various cars, a bus, a motorcycle and other vehicles.  This is also the entrance to the paint booth (below where it says Firestone) which was in-use while we visited.

The working paint booth.

A complete wood shop used in vehicle restoration

A couple '55 classics!!  Doreen said that!

Beautiful old motorcycles of various brands

1909 Thomas Flyer

1927 Isotta Franschini

The working hot rod shop

So much automobile history in these places!  Transportation had a huge impact in the growth of our Nation.  We are thankful to have stopped here.

Chattanooga Whiskey Company:  On the way back to the campground we made a quick stop in the Chattanooga Whiskey Company, across the street from the Chattanooga Choo Choo complex.  It is a small distillery producing several different products.    

On the way, we walked passed this unique wedge-shaped building just down the street.

Next door is this defunct restaurant with unique electronic signage

They offer free tastings or a tour with a flight tasting for a price.  We opt'd to just sample the products and then I bought a "Bottled in Bond" to take home.  It is a 100 proof single season, vintage dated expression of their Tennessee malt style.  Each vintage is crafted from "a wide selection of unique bourbon mash bills".  The "bottled-in-bond" designation mandates that brands clear numerous rigorous hurdles. The spirit must be aged for at least four years and bottled at precisely 100 proof (50% abv). It must be made by one distiller at a single distillery in one season, then aged in a bonded warehouse.

Back to the campground for a late lunch and some Liberty time and then later in the afternoon we headed up I-75 to Cleveland TN to have dinner with a military comrade of mine, Chief Master Sergeant (retired) Mike Kennedy and his wife Arleen.  Mike and I both served in senior leadership positions in the Air National Guard.  Mike was in security forces and later became the First Sergeant Functional Manager.  I was in communications maintenance and then served a four year tour as the Wing Command Chief in Des Moines IA, followed by four years as State Command Chief.  

One of our duties as Command Chief was to manager our First Sergeants at unit level.  So we worked closely with the First Sergeant Functional on all matters involving our First Sergeants.  Later Chief Kennedy also served as the Air National Guard Liaison Manager at Lackland Air Force Base where all Airman attend basic training.  My daughter Jennifer did a statutory tour there and Chief Kennedy was her superintendent.  So, lots of connections and interactions with Chief Mike over the years!  Plus Mike is a car guy and has a beautifully restored Plymouth Duster in his garage along with a 1972 Mustang Mach I !  AND his daily driver is a Dodge Challenger!!  Now that is what I am talking about!

So when he read in our blog that we were going to be back in this area he invited Doreen and I over for dinner.  We are very thankful for Arleen and Mike for their hospitality and friendship over the years!

Tomorrow is an open day for us.  Not sure what we will do at this point.  Thursday we have lunch with my cousin, then Friday we depart Chattanooga.

5 Aug 2024 - Arrived at Holiday Travel Park of Chattanooga (which is actually in GA!)

 

We've turned the corner on this trip and are headed back westbound more so towards home.  We departed Asheville NC this morning at 0812 hrs and headed down the road towards Chattanooga.  We had some fog to start with but that cleared and we had some great weather and great scenery.  Although not the most direct route, I-40 to I-75 was the fastest and best choice for us pulling the camper. 

Just one tunnel today, I-40 about mm 8.5 in NC

About an hour into our drive we crossed the North Carolina-Tennessee state line

 We stopped a couple times along the way and rolled into the Holiday Travel Park of Chattanooga at 1225 hrs (4 hrs 13 min) after driving 221 miles.  This campground is actually a few blocks south of Tennessee into Georgia!

We have stayed here before in May 2023 and the campground is adequate but nothing fancy.  The sites are closely spaced but at least the power is strong; the legs are balanced and so far it is reliable.  That is a really good thing since it was 93 degrees F here today and with the humidity it felt like 99F.  The water pressure is also great.  

The staff is friendly here, they have a nice swimming pool and laundry facility, and this is quite a historic site.  According to their brochure, we are actually camping on a Civil War battlefield!  In the SW corner of the park there is a monument to the 84th Indiana Volunteer Regiment who fought in this area.  The campground N-S streets are named for Civil War officers.  The streets at the north end are named for Union Commanders.  The streets at the south end are named for Confederate Generals. They have a free Civil War presentation courtesy of the National Park Service that is available in the office.   

Last time we were here for several days in 2023 and saw quite a few of the sites in town, such as Ruby Falls, Lookout Mountain, the Chattanooga Choo Choo, the Medal of Honor Museum, etc.  We may check out a few more this time, but nothing major.  We have a supper date with a military comrade and his wife at their house tomorrow (Tuesday) evening, and then Thursday noon we are having lunch with one of my few remaining first cousins that I have not seen since probably about 1977!

That's it for today!  We are glad we moved further west and missed the weather from tropical storm Debby.

4 Aug 2024 - Basilica, Woolworth Walk, Moogseum, Last Day at Asheville NC

 

Today, our last day in this campground, we headed downtown to see the final Asheville places that were on our list.  We contacted the Asheville Visitor Center to help identify adequate parking, and their own parking lot was the choice.  It is free and within reasonable walking distance of the downtown sites.

Our first "stop" was the Minor Basilica of St. Lawrence the Deacon & Martyr.  I say "stop" because is was just a photo op from the outside.  The Basilica is closed Friday-Sunday so all we could do was admire it from the outside. The church was designed and built in 1905 by Spanish architect Rafael Guastavino along with his fellow architect R. S. Smith and the Roman Catholic community of Asheville.  From both out Biltmore blog post and yesterday's Asheville Museum of History blog post, Raphael Guastavino's name should be familiar.   He was considered 'master of the arch and brought elegance to American architecture using layers of thin clay tiles to build vaults, domes, and roofs in more than a thousand buildings.  As mentioned before, he joined the team at the Biltmore Estate.  With the Basilica, he created a free-standing elliptical dome, the largest in North America.  

Passing the Basilica, we headed down Haywood street with the ultimate goal of visiting the Woolworth Walk.  It appears Asheville has done a pretty good job of revitalizing what was likely once a run-down downtown area.  There were many little shops open along both sides of the street.  The area seemed pretty clean and well-decorated, but there were a few homeless and areas that reeked of urine.  I guess that is to be expected anywhere yo go these days.

 

Soon we arrived at the Woolworth Walk, located in the old F.W, Woolworth building which was established in 1938.  Woolworth 5 cent stores started in Lancaster PA in 1878.  W.W. Woolworth was only 27 years old when he opened that first store which made a profit the first day of $127, a huge success!  The next year stores opened in Harrisburg & Scranton and they changed the name to Woolworths 5&10 (five and dime), catering to the working class.  Mr. Woolworth reportedly had three store policies:  (1) cater to customers willing to pay cash; (2) offer the best bargains possible; and (3) openly display all wares.  He became famous for buying bulk chocolate and selling it by the piece!  By 1895 Woolworth became known as the "Merchant Prince" with $1M sales and by 1900 sales exceeded $5M.  In 1911 they owned 3000 stores but was reduced to less than 400 when the last store closed in July 1997.  

The Woolworth Walk here in Asheville is housed in the historic F. W. Woolworth Building, which was  was home to a Woolworth store until 1989.

It became a Family Dollar for a short time and then in 2001 became Woolworth Walk and was restored to feature the original colors, original floors, and original soda fountain.  The owner ensured the fountain was built to look like the original Woolworth Luncheonette. The 50s decor is a perfect fit, given the role local Woolworth stores played in that era.

Beautifully restored soda fountain.  The counter itself is not original 

but much of the other items are, supposedly.

We enjoyed an old fashioned chocolate shake and a chocolate malt.  

 Today the soda fountain serves many of the original menu items, like club sandwiches, BLTs, egg creams, and old-fashioned ice cream sodas. One that stood out to me was the "big ass bologna" sandwich, a Southern favorite!

In addition to the soda fountain, the Woolworth walk features artistic displays of more than 160 local artists. It is Asheville’s largest local artist gallery, with displays eclectic enough to appeal to everyone. There’s glass work, metal, photography, apparel, pottery, fiber, painting, and locally handcrafted jewelry.  The displays continue on the lower level of the building.  

We really enjoyed our stop here, along with the delicious malt and shake!  We continued down the street until we got to Pritchard Park, a pie-shaped wooded city park with a water feature in the middle of downtown. 

 Left turn here and down the street to Biltmore/Broadway, then left a couple blocks to our next stop, the Moogseum.  I talked a bit about this in last night's blog, but the museum honors the pioneering legacy of Bob Moog (pronounced Mōg), who was an electronic music engineer.  He started building electronic music devices as early as 14 years old and at the age of 20 started his first business selling them.  While working on his doctorate at Cornell University he invented his first Moog synthesizer, which transformed to musical industry.  The way the story goes, although a brilliant electronic engineer, he was a terrible businessman and only patented one of his devices.  This did allow the electronic synthesized music industry to flourish.

  The museum here honors his work.  Bob passed away in 2005 but his family started a foundation and opened this museum.  They have plans to move it to a larger facility which will allow them to segregate the displays and provide photo opportunities inside, but until then photography and videography is restricted to just the entryway.  

An example of one of Moog's synthesizers in the lobby.

This photo, below, is taken in the entryway but shows one of the last hands-on displays in the museum, with functional equipment and a pair of headphones for our use.  You can adjust the various controls and create all sorts of electronic music using one of Moog's synthesizer products.  This is just one of five or six displays that were hands-on.

The museum is laid out in a timeline fashion and took us from when Bob Moog was born all the way through development of his musical products.  One of the things I appreciated the most is they had his actual prototypes right there!  One of his early works involved a crude handmade wooden keyboard!

This image was downloaded from the Internet but shows one of Moog's most famous creations, his modular 55.  

Photo credit:  By .The original uploader was Kimi95 at Italian Wikipedia. - http://www.vintagesynth.com/moog/m55_5whole.jpg e, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7745469

 So, again, I got my nostalgia/technology fix and Doreen got a chocolate milk shake and a nice walk through downtown Asheville NC!  Even trade?  

Tomorrow we pull chocks and head to Chattanooga TN for a few days. Next report from there!