GMT -6. An unexpected surprise.

Good day dear readers, welcome once again to the blog of my journey across America.

I have come as far south as I plan to really, and am now heading west.  I've gotten myself to I40 which goes basically all the way to California now.

I set off at around 08:30hrs.  My motel last night wasn't really anywhere so I was free to leave at any time without the worry of commuter traffic.

It was raining, which wasn't really a problem, but I have read stories about tyre manufacturers in the US garunteeing that their tyres won't wear out in 100,000 miles.  Given that at home I can happily wear a set out in under 20,000miles (less if I am enjoying myself), I was a bit worried that Camry's tyres might have a grip rating close to Teflon, especially when wet.  My fears were unfounded.

 

I just hope they disconnect the speedometers to stop them racking up miles before they are delivered.  Personally I'd have hitched them on the other way round so that they count backwards, hehehe.

It's raining in Virginia.

Downhill towards Tennessee.

I stopped at this busy rest stop after my first 100 miles or so.

Just across the Tennesee border.  I phoned my mum & dad and stretched my legs a little.

As I got back to the car from my stroll, someone with a distinct shortage of teeth shouted 'Hey, friend.' from his white pick up.  I turned round calmly with a quickening in me, the readying of a well conditioned fight or flight response gained from growing up near Glasgow.  Keeping my cool and silently reaching for my metaphorical glass soft-drinks bottle, I acknowledged.

He asked me directions to the Airport on behalf of the driver of the car next to him who was lost.  I giggled and explained that the Scottish man in the car from Massachussetts might not be the best person to ask, but that I had seen signs for it previously as I headed west and that he should probably head back in the opposite direction.


I resolved to drink less coffee before setting off next time and to watch fewer movies.  Once in the car I realised I have several maps with me and could have told him which direction for sure if I hadn't been ready to headbutt the bastard.

Bumper stickers are all the rage here.  This one is home made.

Bumper stickers here advocate everything from God and the Gun to banjo music and abortion.  I guess it's a medium of self-expression, as, unlike at home whilst underway in one's enormous pick-up truck, others are unable to gauge your political persuasion by simply squinting at the newspaper under your arm.

Knoxville, half way to Nashville (tm).

10 lanes of traffic, anyone?

Aww, it's so cute!

The red pick up truck steamed up the hard shoulder to overtake me then belched black smoke off into the distance. 

Passing the exit to Oak Ridge, TN

Oak Ridge has it's place in history as a city built by the US Government to house a load of scientists, engineers and factories they needed to make a nuclear weapon.  They used the world's largest building at the time (44 acres), 14,700 tons of the Federal silver reserve and around 10% of the entire electricity output of the US.  It changed the world pretty dramatically in quite a short space of time.

I bought lunch from this branch of Subway, where the lady behind the counter guessed I was foreign from my accent and the way I pronounced Tom ah to.  So she asked me if I was fom Denmark.  I explained a little about my journey.  She asked if I had visited her beautiful country's beaches.  I said I had spent a night at Virginia Beach and asked where to head if I wanted to see beaches.  She recommended I visit Florida.  I didn't have the heart to explain that Florida isn't on the way to California from Tennessee by Camry.

Another Tennessee rest stop.

A memorial to all the men 1948 - present. Lost whilst building Tennessee's transport system. (seems like a dangerous business).

Al Gore's dad - invented the Interstate Highway System in 1956.  Funny how these things go around...

I actually felt a little bit sick imagining what services disabled people would solicit on state property if they were not prohibited from doing so.

It's surprising how many places you are never far from in the US.

This one is for my mum.

I am glad this hotel has a permit to operate these elavators, as they don't let you use the stairs except in an emergency.

The outside of tonight's Hotel in Nashville, TN

I arrived today an hour ahead of schedule.  Quite remarkable given that I haven't really exceeded the speed limit on purpose since I got here.  Turns out I have driven across an entire time zone and I am now 6hrs behind GMT.

Upon checking in, a very friendly and very southern sounding black man thought better of guessing where I was from (perhaps he's already met someone from Denmark today) and just straight out asked me.  I told him I was from Scotland and he had a bloody good go at imitating Mel Gibson.  I congratulated him on his effort and told him honestly that it was much better than my Tennessee accent.  He made me promise to go to a Honky Tonk bar tonight.