Monday – Today before hitting the road back for OK we went back to the Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park before it got too hot. We found under the railway trestle, running between the Tennessee Map Plaza and the Tennessee Rivers Fountain, a fantastic Visitor Centre which currently has a small Civil War display which was really interesting.

We spent nearly an hour looking at that and talking with the Park Rangers, one participates in Civil War re-enactments. Found out some great info regarding the buttons for the uniforms and found a US Navy uniform from that time! Very interesting!

The Rivers Fountain is a wall with the history of the rivers and creeks across the state. The states major hazard is flooding for obvious reasons!

The fountain consists of a jet for each river and around the base the name carved into the stone. At each end of the fountain is flag poles with the central taller mast having 3 stars, like the flag, indicating East, Middle and West Tennessee.

Walking back through the mall the granite walls are carved with information starting from the forming of the planet, through the founding of the country and it's development, Indian Territories and inhabitants, the shift of civilisation, civil war and separation of the north and South, presidents etc, etc etc.

At the far end of the mall are 52 pillars, representing the states, containing 95 bells, representing the 95 county's of TN and they chime the state songs, I think 5 from memory the tour guide said. Didn't get decent pic of this due to a reality game show had gear set up there.

There is also a beautiful memorial for the World War II veterans as well. Very nicely done Tennessee.

From there we went round past the Antique Archaeology, this is the Nashville store of the famed show 'American Pickers'. Housed in an old automobile factory building.

Onto Centennial Park and the Parthenon – closed! Oh well, got some pictures of the outside but would have been nice to see the large sculpture of Athena inside.

Made our way back down town and to the Country Music Hall of Fame, wow! This place is huge! Everything from bluegrass beginnings to current stars. Fabulous displays, stage clothing – lots of great B-Western costume ideas in there.

There was a feature display for Glen Campbell, the Rhinestone Cowboy. I tell you what though, there were plenty of earlier singers who brought country into the mix that were blinged up just as much!

A huge display of Miranda Lambert's gear as well but I still think I enjoy the earlier displays more and maybe that's just because of the country music that Mum used to play when we were growing up.

After that we found Cooter's – do you remember Cooter's garage and the Dukes of Hazzard? We just had to see the General Lee 01. We both remembered watching this show on tv. It's a small free admission museum of memorabilia and products that were made back in the early 80's, maybe even earlier. There is Daisy's jeep, Rosco's patrol car as well as photos from filming etc.

We hit the road then and made it as far as Lonoke, AR for the night. We will be back in OK tomorrow. yee haa!

That my friends was the eventful Monday, July 21st.

Kat xo

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