We knew we had crossed the Mason Dixon line when we started seeing a Baptist Church every two miles, found our radio station choices to be country music or Christian music, and noticed bumper stickers reading: "Jesus is Lord" / "Are you following Jesus this close?"/ "Everytime you vote Democrat God kills a kitten".
Thanksgiving week with Mom's Sister Sharon and the Hobarts was a true Stack family holiday - traipsing between each family member's house to eat, drink, watch football, play cards, and nap in between. Sister Sharon channeled the Queen of Southern hospitality herself, Paula Dean, to fill us up with ooey gooey goodness in the form of pulled pork bbq, fried chicken, potato salad, collared greens, spicy baked beans, cornbread, caramel cake, and our favorite, spicy shrimp and grits. Thanksgiving dinner was homefried turkey, fresh cranberry sauce, cranberry muffins, garlic smashed potatoes, and bacon laced brussel sprouts. We contributed one of the deserts, sweet potato pecan pie - Greg's fiance Laura brought the Pineapple upside down cake.
To quench our thirst from the non-stop eating, Gregory supplied us with glasses, bottles, and kegs of all the local flavors and brands. He's a liquor salesman. We had bloody mary's, shots of 910 tequila (Justin Timberlake's tequila - 910 is the area code of Nashville), Pillow Biters (bourbon and peach schnapps), Absinthe (done proper with caramelized sugar and flames - Sharon burnt her lip), gin martinis, Crown Royal Black (stolen from Howard's private stash), Pinot Evil wine (in a box), endless 12 packs brought in from Trevor and Melissa, and the list goes on…
Following annual Southern tradition, we watched the Iron Bowl (Alabama St. vs Auburn U.) at Gregory and Laura's. They made delicious beef (surprisingly, not squirrel) chili with cornbread and Giatta's orange zest ricotta mini cheesecakes. With stomachs warmed, Gregory proceeded to give us tastings from his bar…. Five Olives tomato vodka, grape vodka (tasted like Dymatapp), bourbons, tequilas, and our personal favorite… Coffee Patron.
We had delicious Fajitas and black beans at Trevor and Melissa's gorgeous house. We sat out on their back patio, overlooking the Chickamauga Lake, having margaritas and enjoying the sunshine.
We did do things other than eat and drink. Trevor and Melissa were our tour guides for a sightseeing day: We saw the downtown skyline from the Riverpark, visited the Chattanooga Choo-Choo, and spent a few hours wandering around The Bluff Art District. Bed and breakfasts, Chattanooga's oldest artisan bakery, bacchi ball/ wine bar, and the fantastic River Gallery. The gallery had a great collection of local, regional, and international artists. Our favorites:
Matthew Cummings
Kelly Jean Ohl
Steve Olszewski
The River Gallery also had a wonderful outdoor sculpture garden that curved down the side of the bluff, overlooking the Tennessee River. Highly recommend it. Our favorite piece:
Arnaldo Pomodoro
Of course, we had to eat after all that walking around, so we went to Southern Star and had the Blue Plate special: Fried Pork Chop and sides of collared greens, fried okra, and mac&cheese. Drank Sweetwater IPA and finished off with nana puddin' topped with meringue.
Gregory and Laura took us to visit the Chattanooga Aquarium. Newly constructed, the Ocean Adventure contained a gigantic salt water reef with sharks and freaky fish that we watched circle around for hours, a penguin cove, and an amazing jelly fish exhibit. The jelly fish were so freaking cool, oozing and bubbling and floating around. They had some amazing specimens. The Aquarium, in collaboration with the Hunter Art Museum, had also just hosted a "Living Jellyfish" exhibition, highlighting regional artisans who specialized in organic, jellyfish like glass. There was a case full of Chihuly bowls (wherever Mary Lou travels, she happens across some works by Chihuly!) and some amazing pieces by:
Stephen Rolfe Powell
After the aquarium, we ate sushi. Somehow, it just wasn't right. . .
Click here for the Chattanooga Photos!
Soundtrack: Dolly Parton (Workin' 9 to 5)
Johnny Cash
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