Driving to the Circus
Comment via blog
Prev
Next
|
Day 4: September 23, 2024 Driving to the Circus Comment via blog |
Prev Next |
|
|
|
A motel bagel had made up my breakfasts for the last couple of day, and
although other meals had more than made up for any deprivation I imagined,
I was looking for a real breakfast when I left Nashville. I certainly
found one at
Liz's Kitchen in Goodlettsville, TN.
|
|
|
At the north edge of Goddlettesville, this guy caught my eye.
|
|
|
I wasn't ready to make a commitment but I had thoughts of being in
Henderson, KY, at day's end. A quick look at a map told me US-41 would be
a good way to get there. At the time, I believed I had driven this route
before but about the time I hit Guthrie, KY, it was sinking in that I had
not. A previous drive from Hopkinsville to Nashville had been on US-41A.
The Coca-Cola ghost sign was sufficiently intriguing to make me turn the next corner to look for a parking place. I found that place at the little park with the caboose. As I walked back to photograph the ghost sign, I passed the open door of the building it is painted on. That door was open only because Monica was there to meet someone picking up some borrowed tables. When I looked through the door, she invited me in. The building had once been a department store where everyone in town bought their cloths and other necessities. It was now on the way to becoming a train museum. I made a comment about Guthrie being a happening town, and Monica lamented how long various projects were taking. Maybe so, but things are happening in the town and there are a whole lot of towns where that's just not true at all. |
|
|
Since I had never driven US-41 south of Hopkinsville, I had never passed
this
Trail of Tears Commemorative Park and was quite
surprised by it. We sometimes think of the Trail of Tears as a single path
followed by a single group. In reality, there were multiple paths and
multiple groups who might spend a great deal of time traveling. This was
one of the sites where a group of displaced natives might spend a winter
or other extended period. Many natives are known to have died here but
only the names and graves of two Cherokee leaders are preserved. A large
plaque tells the story of Whitepath and Fly
Smith. Other large plaques tell about the
Cherokee Trail of Tears and the
Cherokee people.
|
|
|
I wanted to try
Farrell's when I was in Hopkinsville for the eclipse
in 2017 but the line was out the door. Today the line was rather short,
was completely inside, and was made up of people waiting for carry-out
orders. Three of the seven stools were open and I grabbed one. This is
exactly what I see in my mind's eye when I hear the word cheeseburger.
|
|
|
This is something in Hopkinsville that I'm at least a little bit familiar
with. Here is a readable version of that plaque
in the first picture and here is its reverse. I
believe that walkway and the arch over it are new since
my 2007 visit and a
tree or two might be missing but most of the place looks much as it did
then. One thing that clearly is new is the bell hooks inspired statue that
was dedicated almost exactly two years ago. The plaque on its base is
here.
|
|
|
Seeing this sign in Madisonville, KY, was a real shocker. I had assumed
that the restaurant in Hopkinsville was the only one of its kind. This
proved otherwise and there also appears to be one in Cadiz, KY. There are
indications that the three were at least once connected but it is not
clear if they are now. None has an actual website and each has its own
-- rather inactive -- Facebook page. A research project for sure.
|
|
|
This is the reason Henderson, KY, was a potential destination for me but
my timing was too uncertain to really count on attending a show.
Flotsam! River
Circus performed in Cincinnati earlier in the month but I had schedule
conflicts. I considered catching up with them in Vevay, IN, but talked
myself out of it. At some point I realized that they would be in Henderson
on the day I was leaving Nashville and I decided to give it a shot. I made
it with just enough time to check into a motel an relax just a little
before showtime. This outfit is a ton of fun and two tons of talent.
|
|
|
About halfway through the show, I spotted this wild man approaching on the
water. Of course he fit right in with the group already on stage. Just a
few minutes later, a freight train rumbled across the nearby bridge. Some
of the audience, and I believe some of the performers, cheered the train
but it did not interfere with the show in any way. This isn't the sort of
show that is seriously damaged by a little extra noise.
|
|
|
Only later, when I was sorting through photos, did it strike me that the
arrival of the wild man and the train had slightly preceded the sun moving
into a position that turned the props and performers into silhouettes when
viewed from a certain nearby point.
|
|
|
The show was over before the sun had completely set and I was treated to
this as I walked to my car. Flotsam! was great fun to watch and just the
concept of a traveling river circus is fun to think about.
Ronny Salerno did not miss Flotsam! in Cincinnati. His report, with some great photos, is here. |
|
|
| [Prev] [Site Home] [Trip Home] [Next] |
