Lynchburg, Tennessee 10/28/2013

OCTOBER 28, 2013 (Monday)

We got up around 8:30 AM and had time to have a cup of tea and a visit with Kathy. Bobby had already gone to work (around 7:30 AM). We also got to say goodbye to all the dogs.

Kathy's MG. She loves it. — Kathy’s MG. She loves it.

While we were visiting with Kathy and Bobby, they had suggested we go to Lynchburg to visit the Jack Daniels Distillery, so that’s what we planned on doing today. We left around 9:30 AM, after Kathy showed us her little green MG car. Very cute.

We stopped in some small town, I think Columbia, and got Taco Bell for brunch. Just wanted a little something. We were hoping to have lunch at Miss Mary Bobo’s in Lynchburg. Another Kathy and Bobby recommendation. We got into Lynchburg around 11:45 AM. They had two tour options – one free and one that cost around $10.00 per person. We opted to take the free one because it was set to leave quicker and we are cheap.

Grounds in the fall at Jack Daniels Distillery in Lynchburg, Tennessee. — Grounds in the fall at Jack Daniel Distillery in Lynchburg, Tennessee.

Entrance to Jack Daniels Visitor Center. — Entrance to Jack Daniel’s Visitor Center.

Beautiful Indian Motorcycle, manufactured in Gilroy, California. — Beautiful Indian motorcycle, manufactured in Gilroy, California.

Giant cupola in the visitor's center. — Giant cupola in the visitor’s center.

The tour was led by Jon, a nice man born and raised in Lynchburg and very hard to understand; he mostly spoke southern. There were people from France, Missouri, New York, Tennessee, and Kentucky in our group. We got to tour the office of Jack Daniel, where they make the charcoal, where they make the mash, and where they make and bottle the whiskey. Very interesting. We were also told that once a month every employee gets a bottle of whiskey when they get paid. Looks like a fun place to work, and it’s a lovely facility. They do a lot of green things – like selling off the used barrels, the used charcoal, and the used grains. The tour ended conveniently close to the gift shop, where Michael bought a large bottle of Gentleman Jack, ($51.).

Jon, a booming baritone voiced tour guide that did an excellent job.

Sugar maple ready to be set on fire to convert it to charcoal.

Sample of the charcoal produced for the filter process.

A barrel house high on the hill. One of several that are 7 stories high, full of barrels of whiskey that is ageing. — A barrel house high on the hill. One of several that are 7 stories high, full of barrels of whiskey that is aged.

The secret ingredients revealed at last: Corn, Barley and Rye, ground to the consistency of corn meal, mixed with the cave spring water and yeast, kept at about 80 degrees, fermented, charcoal filtered, bottled, taxed, sold and consumed.

The safe that killed Jack Daniels. He went to work early and tried to open the safe. He could not get it open and in frustration kicked it. He subsequently died from an infection he contracted in the toe he broke kicking the safe. The guide says the moral of the story is "it's dangerous to go to work early." — The safe that killed Jack Daniels. He went to work early and tried to open the safe. He could not get it open and in frustration kicked it. He subsequently died from an infection he contracted in the toe he broke kicking the safe. The guide says the moral of the story is “it’s dangerous to go to work early.”

Jack Daniels was 5'2" and lifts were added to his boots to make him more statuesque. — Jack Daniel was 5’2″ and lifts were added to his boots to make him more statuesque.

The cave spring that takes a route through the limestone which removes the iron from the water and is the principal reason that Jack Daniels choose this site for the distillery. — The cave spring that takes a route through the limestone which removes the iron from the water and is the principal reason that Jack Daniel’s choose this site for the distillery.

Grumpy old man and pretty woman posing with Jack Daniels. — Grumpy old man and pretty woman posing with Jack Daniel.

The grounds are handsome with stone and brick work everywhere.

The Jack Daniels oak barrels are fired to caramelize the sugars is the wood so the whiskey can draw the flavor and color into itself. — The Jack Daniel oak barrels are fired to caramelize the sugars is the wood so the whiskey can draw the flavor and color into itself.

After the tour we tried to go to Miss Mary Bobo’s but it was almost 1:30 PM. According to some paperwork we saw at the Jack Daniel facility, they only have two seatings, 11:00 AM and 1:00 PM. Also, the parking lot and everything around it was full so we didn’t even try to go inside this trip.

We left and drove and drove. We opted to go the back roads to Crossville. We figured it would take around 3 hours. We saw some beautiful countryside, some hollows, small towns, poverty, mansions, a little bit of everything. We even saw some turkey vultures hovering over a deer carcus.

Turkey Vultures. There were about 20 more on the ground and then we saw the dead deer. — Turkey vultures. There were about 20 more on the ground and then we saw the dead deer.

The South is very beautiful this time of year. The drive was really enjoyable.

Driving back I had to get Edie to take this photo of the navigation. The lake near out endpoint looked like a question mark. At first I wondered what it was questioning and then realized it was just the shape of the water. — Driving back I had to get Edie to take this photo of the navigation. The lake near our endpoint looked like a question mark. At first I wondered what it was questioning and then realized it was just the shape of the water.

We got back to Crossville around 3:30 PM and stopped at Ryan’s Restaurant for dinner. It’s a buffet type place. Pretty good. I was bad and had a small piece of carrot cake and a small bowl of ice cream after I had eaten salads and chicken. Also, they had the best green beans I’ve had in a long time. Very tasty and very garlicky.

Enjoyed a nice buffet dinner here at Ryan's in Crossville, Tennessee. — Enjoyed a nice buffet dinner here at Ryan’s in Crossville, Tennessee.

After dinner we went over to Walmart and Michael got his new computer. He even managed to save $20.00 more when he saw the exact same one he bought on line, cheaper in the store. While he was doing that, Lexi and I went and got some eggs and yogurt for breakfast.

We are now full and comfortable in our home. That was our day. Hope yours was great!