I – 24 Bingo!
IT’S RATHER COMMON TO HAVE UNUSUAL THINGS HAPPEN while driving. The world seems to push things to the edge of the road all the time. I’ve been on the road a lot lately. I-24 in Tennessee has risen to the top of my list of fun roads to drive.
I-24 goes through Nashville which may, or may not be relevant. But one thing for sure – Nashville is a city that has outgrown its roads.
No matter what time of day you get there I-24 in Nashville is solid with traffic. On our way 
through town it was stop and go for 8 miles at 11 AM. I admit that the two car accident slowed things as everybody and their cousin braked to gawk at the cars as they sat on the berm, well off the road. Nashvillians are Gawkers.
Once we passed those two cars everything picked up. The speed limit was still 55mph through town, but no one was going less than 70 – nobody, until the car with the three kayaks tied to the roof became the car with two kayaks tied to the roof. That was fun alright.
Then there was the notification on our GPS that there was another accident ahead. There were no cars involved in that one, just a rather large yacht. No wonder the boat ran aground – it was low tide on the Interstate. Nashville seems to have strange driving: accidents, kayaks, and yachts on the highway. I’m not counting the mattress and box springs. That could happen anywhere.
For some reason I cannot figure out the drivers on I-24 in Tennessee love to change lanes at every opportunity. It doesn’t seem to matter if it is called for or not, they just do it. I told my 
wife, the lovely and excellent navigator, Dawn, that I would love to see a graphic display showing all of the lane changes on I-24 on any given day. It would be something to see. This is as close as I could come up with on short notice. Maybe they’ve gotten into the habit because of all the kayaks and yachts on the road?
Driving through Tennessee is certainly beautiful. It made me burst into song. “Davy, Davy Crockett, King of the wild frontier.” That was as far as I got. Dawn insisted. I need to remember to do that only when I’m alone in the car, alone.
I-24 covers a lot of ground in Tennessee. There is a lot of Tennessee to cover. Most of it is East 
of Terre Haute (That’s French for “Where’s my kayak?”), but it is in the Central Time Zone. I don’t get that at all. I don’t need additional sources of confusion in my life. Just driving on I-24 is enough.
On our way across the countryside of Tennessee toward our destination in Northeast Georgia we crossed from Tennessee into Georgia, then back into Tennessee, then into North Carolina (I have no idea why.) and then into Georgia again. We drove for too long through the Cherokee Nation Forest – about thirty miles of twists and turns that then took us up, up, up, and then down, down, down the other side. The AAA should give out frequent flyer miles for that road.
I-24 – you gotta love it. If you don’t it’ll drive you insane.
Down the Hall on Your Left 
That was an easy-going, pleasant story. Dawn must be a very nice woman, but everyone man should be allowed at least a few verses of Davy Crockett. Traffic is terrible here in Pennsylvania. I haven’t run into any kayaks or yachts, but I have just missed some construction material, a ladder, and somebody’s suitcase. Thanks, and take care.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I grew up in Pennsylvania, near Pittsburgh.
LikeLike
Yes! Yes! Yes! Good-ole I-24 through Tennessee! Used to do that one a lot when my Parents and Brother were around and living South of there. One of the best rides around is from Monteagle to Chattanooga. Reverse coming back North, but I always liked the Southbound version of thrills, spills, and scenery. And then at the bottom of that at about the 160mm, there’s Kimball. Always tried to make it from home to that watering hole before having to stop, eat, and gas up. Great little town, and a lot to see and do.
One on my Bucket List, though, is to drive that way from Tear Hut using just U.S. 41, two-lane most of the way. There’s a U.S. 41 “Club” in the South that will publish anyone these days that will religiously do that trick. Or, they say they will write it up themselves and include it in their email magazine. That’s not why I want to do it. It’s just that it’s still there, and I want to experience it. Crazy, I guess.
Thanks for sharing some of your highlights of your trip. Tell us more!!
LikeLike
Everyone is in a hurry to get someplace where they probably don’t want to be in the first place. Traffic! Yuk! Don’t you love Richard Simmons? Davy Crockett was one of my favs. Loved Fess Parker. Did you have a coon skin cap? Just about every kid did. Keep on singing and make up the lyrics, as I do, then you WILL be driving by yourself. 😄
LikeLiked by 1 person