Day 7

REI was our first stop in Nashville. Why? Because we had to return our leaky tent. Returning was easy. Finding something new was disappointing due to the very limited stock which the salesman blamed on supply chain issues. Also, G3 wants to flee the nest. At twelve years-old, he no longer wants to share a tent with his moms. Kati was able to order him a one-man tent online and have it delivered to my brother’s place—we’ll be seeing him later. But she couldn’t find a three-man tent that could be delivered in time. The only three-man tent at REI was a cheap one made by a company we never heard of. Definitely not an option. Kati preferred a three man because it would give the two of us extra room. Plus, if necessary, the three of us could fit in one tent. Since we couldn’t get a three-man, we were stuck having to buy a two-man tent. But even there our choices were limited. We ended up having to get something neither us liked. Kati is disappointed. After all the time and energy she put into tent research, it was all for naught. Now, the question is, without G3 as a buffer between us, and without extra space, will we end up killing each other? If this road trip ends in divorce, you’ll know why.

We spent the afternoon at The Hermitage, Andrew Jackson’s mansion. The tour was disappointing and overpriced. We all prefer tours that talk about the people who lived in the house. We like to hear anecdotal stories about their lives. I like to learn things I didn’t already know. The mansion tour focused on the house. The tour guides pointed out various artifacts but they didn’t include any really interesting stories. Two of the three tour guides spoke in a monotone voice and lacked emotion. I like history and they were putting me to sleep.

I did learn that Jackson’s granddaughter was his favorite grandchild. He doted on her a great deal. Although, after everything I’ve read about him, I can’t picture him doting on anyone. Both of his grandsons fought for the Confederacy. The younger one, Samuel, was killed at Chickamauga. I wonder if Jackson would have supported their backing of the Confederacy? If he had lived, what side would he have been on? He owned slaves, many of them, to work his plantation. However, as president he was a strict unionist. Yes, he believed that states had the right to make their own laws and govern their own people. But when state law conflicted with Federal law he emphatically backed the Union. We saw this play out clearly during the Nullification Crisis when Calhoun (Jackson’s Vice President) wanted South Carolina to declared Federal Tariffs null and void. Jackson threatened to use Federal troops to collect tariffs, if necessary. It was Henry Clay who brokered a deal to avoid an escalation of the issue. What do you think: Which side would Jackson have supported in the Civil War?

I should also mention that Andrew Jackson Jr. was adopted. The Jacksons had no biological children of their own. Rachel Jackson’s brother had twins and he gave one of the twins to the Jacksons to raise as their own. Kati found learning this to be the most interesting part of the tour. She was also intrigued to learn that Jackson’s granddaughter had ten children. Each of those children had ten children. That means she had 100 grandchildren. Damn that must have been expensive come Christmas time.

Following the mansion tour, Kati and I did a wine tasting. Years ago, when I planned a history trip to Virginia, Kati declared that for every president house she had to endure she should get to visit a winery. So you can guess how excited she was to discover that Natchez Hill Winery is on the Hermitage grounds. This guaranteed a tasting without us having to go elsewhere. History and wine, a perfect combination. It meant we could all be happy.

After the tasting, Kati got a glass of wine to sip while G3 and I went back outside to explore the grounds. We walked along the fields where Jackson’s slaves had lived. G3 made fun of me for wanting to see every inch of property. Kati spent her time doing further tent research. She really is not happy about the prospect of sleeping in such tight quarters.

Would anyone like to guess where we stopped for a light snack?

We don’t have to worry about sleeping in a tent tonight. My brother, who lives in Nashville, invited us to stay with him. G3 was very excited to see my brothers dogs. He loves those dogs more than anyone else in the family. My brother made dinner. It was delicious. By far the best meal we’ve had all summer. He told me that when my dad visited him years ago, my dad—who hated beans, every type of bean (actually, I’m not sure he ever tasted them, but he claimed not to like them anyway)—insisted on eating black eyed peas. Why? Because of the band. I tried to convince G3 that he too should try them, since his grandfather ate them, but he refused. Oh, and we got to shower. With soap. And shampoo. It feels so good to be clean.