I started the day off nice and early. I would use the term
bright, except it was raining and I am sure the sun would have only been
peeking its nose above the horizon when I initially woke up. There was pure
excitement and anticipation for the Jack Daniels tour and making it to Atlanta
before the traffic got too bad.
The drive to Lynchburg was a rainy one! I stopped for
breakfast, which would have been soo mediocre had it not been for the biscuits!
You just get back this imaginary line and the food changes a little bit, or at
least some of the food. The biscuits were the absolute saving grace of my meal.
That and it was super cheap, woohoo! I got to take the equivalent of Rt 1 most
of the way, which was a nice change of pace from the highway and gave me some
nice insight into inner Tennessee.
My tour was amazing!! The last minute I realized they
offered TASTING TOURS!! For only $11! This is made all the better because
Lynchburg is in a DRY county! What a silly concept! One of the largest
distilleries is in a dry county; go figure? I learned some cool little tidbits
on this tour like: The county went dry during prohibition and never reverted
back when it was abolished. AND there are only about 1/5 of the needed
residents living in the county in order to vote on making it a wet county, and
that is the main reason it remains dry! Also, I learned it does not pay to come
into work early – it was ultimately the demise of Jack. One day he came into
work before everyone else, after being on the road for a long time. He got so
frustrated at himself that he could not remember the combination to his safe
that he kicked it, and of course like a stubborn man completely ignored the
pain in his foot for weeks! When he finally went to the doctor his big toe had
gone gangrene and it had to be amputated. Eventually, it spread, despite the
amputation, and then had to keep removing body parts until finally he died in
1911. Also, his nephew Lem is really the reason that Jack Daniel’s Whiskey
still exists today. He is the one who maintained the property and restarted the
business after prohibition was lifted. He made it so that he could still make
whiskey, despite being located in a dry county, and ultimately kept the
tradition alive and passed it down to his family. So you can be sure with the
160th Anniversary bottle of Jack I purchased I will be saying at
least one Cheers to Lem! But of course the coolest part of the tour for me was
the tasting. We got to take Old No. 7, Gentleman Jack, and Single Barrel side
by side with each other! It was fabulous and the Single Barrel was by far the
winner in the tasting. I think I am adding to my Bucket List that one day I
need to purchase my own barrel of Jack – which can range anywhere from $9-12K
for approximately 240 bottles that come with your name on it and gets delivered
right to your house. You also get to do a private tasting at the distillery!
Anyone want to go in with me?
Well I left Jack Daniel’s a pretty happy camper, thanking
that I had waited so long to do the tour because it allowed me to do this
special tour, see really cool parts of the distillery you do not normally see,
and I got to technically taste FOUR types of whiskey (including the 140 proof
pre-barreled jack! That was delicious and potent!)
I headed on my way to Georgia, very excited to see Tiff and
Mark and ready for the next part of my adventure. I did not expect the
adventure that would ensue. Battery light comes on; I start to worry. Stop get
gas, check things out, light goes off; SWEET everything is ok. Get back on the
road, light comes on again… PLEASE GO AWAY!! And car stop dinging at me!...
CRAP! AWD Disabled!, Brake Light On, Anti-Lock light on, Low Fuel ding!, fuel
gauge zips down to empty, radio shuts up, DAMNIT!! SONNOFAA!! Get off the exit
quick! Pull into gas station… turn off car… Crap, car will not start again… L sadness! Calls, texts,
AAA… woohoo I am within 60 miles to where I had planned to be tonight and I
have 100 free miles per tow!! Tiff knows a good trustworthy mechanic right by
her house! Best break down ever! AAA comes in about an hour, not too bad, it’s
still light out, no one really bothers me, and I am going to get the next 60
miles without having to waste my gas. AAA guy is kind of cute, mixed of
friendly conversation and peaceful silence. Sun decided to show its face just
as we pull off on our journey to Atlanta. OO the fun of road trips! Would not
be a Jess road trip if something did not go wrong with my car! Haha at least
now it is out of the way and I can happily and safely get on with my journey.
Of course that is after I spend about $500 to get a new alternator woohoo…
Well today is going to be spent roaming about Tiff’s part of
Atlanta, and getting in some MUCH needed exercise! It feels great to be out of
the car for a little bit and walking around. It is just a bit chilly which
makes walking around delightful. Happy Valentine’s Day all! I love you all in
some way shape or form, as love has soo many. Fill this day and EVERYDAY with
love; for yourself, for the people in your world, and for this world and all it
encompasses.
*Star
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