Jab's Southern Tiki Road Trip - pictures added

Aloha friends,

Here's my tentative itinerary for my upcoming pre-Hukilau road trip through parts of Tennessee, Georgia, and Florida. I wish I had more time than one week but I'm going to try and see most of the tiki spots that I've been wanting to visit for some time, and as many roadside attractions that I have time for. I hope to drive the old U.S. highways exclusively if time permits (such as US41, US25, US17, and US1).

Thursday 9/29 - fly into Nashville and drive up to Cave City KY to stay one night at Wigwam Village

Friday 9/30 - quick exploration of Cave City; drive back to Nashville to see the Country Music Hall of Fame; dinner at Omni Hut; overnight in Nashville

Saturday 10/1 - drive through Chattanooga (seeing Rock City and other roadside attractions) and on to Atlanta; drinks at Trader Vic's Atlanta; overnight in Atlanta

Sunday 10/2 - explore Atlanta during the day; drive to Macon; overnight in Macon

Monday 10/3 - Visit Georgia Music Hall of Fame in Macon; drive to Augusta; drinks at Hale Tiki; overnight in Augusta

Tuesday 10/4 - drive to Savanna; overnight there

Wednesday 10/5 - drive to Daytona Beach, FL; stop for drinks at Julian's in Ormond Beach; dinner and show at Hawaiian Inn; overnight at Hawaiian Inn or Aku Tiki

Thursday 10/6 - drive to Fort Lauderdale and Hukilau!

I've done my usual extensive planning so I don't miss the best old roadside eateries and attractions. I've been using a 1962 road atlas along with new maps to plan my routes on the old highways. And the Tiki Road Trip book and Critiki web site have been indespensible in planning my trip around the open hours of the tiki bars on the route.

I welcome any comments and suggestions on must-see places, eateries, and lodging, since I'll only have about one day in the major cities so I won't be able to possibly see it all.

[ Edited by: thejab 2005-10-19 20:43 ]

I got one word: Jealous

Have a good trip. I'm looking forward to all the pics :)

An awesome trip.

I have been to all the places on your itinerary more than once, and I am still bummed that I can't go again! Your Nashville day looks pretty busy, so just remember that Omni Hut is a good 45 mins to an hour southeast of Nashville, so make sure you plan that drive time accordingly.

Also, in Cave city, a lot of the old attractions are still there, but few are worth spending more than a few minutes checking out. Don't get me wrong - Cave Ciy is a must-visit for the roadside attractions stuff, but do plan at least 3 hours to see at least one of the 5 or 6 different Mammoth Cave tours.

...and drive safe, we'll see you at Hukilau!

Sounds like a great trip. If you are a nature buff and want to see something unexpected - visit one of Florida's many natural Springs. Not very tiki but its a great roadside stop. Some of the best are located just a short drive from the main highways. Florida's beaches are nice but everyone knows that - the Springs are a hidden jewel. October is the perfect time to visit - crystal clear water, few bugs and the weather is still nice. Here are some links, and there are alot more.

http://www.ginniespringsoutdoors.com
http://www.floridasprings.net

I think single women should meet the Jab at every stop, so we can see WWJD ---that is "WHO would Jab DO"!!!

OOPS, did I just make a "cue smiley" tasteless comment??

On 2005-08-16 09:04, tikibars wrote:
Your Nashville day looks pretty busy, so just remember that Omni Hut is a good 45 mins to an hour southeast of Nashville, so make sure you plan that drive time accordingly.

Also, in Cave city, a lot of the old attractions are still there, but few are worth spending more than a few minutes checking out. Don't get me wrong - Cave Ciy is a must-visit for the roadside attractions stuff, but do plan at least 3 hours to see at least one of the 5 or 6 different Mammoth Cave tours.

Thanks for the advice. I was thinking it may be difficult to do all that and still make it to the Omni Hut on Friday night. I'm already taking 2 additional days off work (Thursday and Friday) to start earlier. I may have to skip Kentucky for a later trip so I can spend more time there. I have always wanted to do the Bourbons tour in Kentucky.

There is an exhibit on Nashville R&B from 1945-1970 at the Country Music Hall of Fame that I don't want to miss.

This is mainly a Georgia trip this time as I've never been there and I've been to Florida twice.

Hey Jab, I've done this trip twice, but in reverse order, from Florida through Georgia and then Tenessee. Here's some of my comments, for what they're worth.

Maria and I were very disappointed with Nashville. We figured that we'd spend at least a couple of days there. We ended up spending almost a full day day there, and then headed off to greener pastures. We liked Memphis much more, we'd recommend that over Nashville. We were on a cross country road trip for several months, and the best bbq we ate (and is still unmatched) was at the Blues City Cafe on Beale St, right across the street from B.B. King's club. And everyone said that it was Memphis' second best bbq - but the best bbq place kept weird hours, and closed for the day after lunch, so we were unable to make it.

The Jack Daniels Distillery tour in Lynchberg TN is a hoot! We went on this for both trips. And the drive through the Tenessee countryside is beautiful!

In Georgia, try to squeeze in a trip to Athens, GA - it's on your way to Atlanta. That was a great stop for us as well. Eat at Weaver D's "Automatic For The People" Soul Food Restaurant. There's a great record shop there, Wuxtry Records, and of course the 40 Killowatt Club, where countless bands like the B-52's and R.E.M. have been discovered (but I'm sure you already knew that).

On the way from Athens to Atlanta, make sure you stop off at Stone Mountain, which is outside of Atlanta. It's a big park, where they have the confederate generals from the civil war carved into the stone mountain, basically the South's version of Mt. Rushmore. Every evening during the summer, they project a laser light show onto the mountain, and it's all synchronized to music - you'll get to hear all of the rebel yells when they play "Dixie". Stone Mountain has a large campground, and a lake with Mark Twain style steam paddle boats.

You've got Atlanta nailed down. Check out the original Krispy Kreme doughnut shop if you get a chance, although it's in the 'hood. Also, World Of Coca Cola is in Atlanta.

An absolute must in Savannah is breakfast or lunch at Mrs. Wilke's Boarding House. We ended up eating there almost every day!!! They have a restaurant in the basement of this old boarding house for women. They serve up fantastic Southern breakfasts and lunches, all family style. You sit at a large table that seats around 16 people, and the waitresses bring out huge plates of fried chicken, corn on the cob, fried okra, potato salad, macaroni, corn bread, etc., and you just start passing plates around like it was Thanksgiving. By the time you leave, all of the strangers at your table will have become your friends.

Oh, and here's a good book to pick up before you leave. It's called "Where The Locals Eat", I don't remember the author, but it was fantastic, and their recommendations never failed to disappoint! Have fun on your trip!!! Can I come along too? :D

I went to Nashville with my mom and dad. We rented a car and had fun driving to different spots. I don't remmber the spots, but I do remember that my mom and dad were very happy - almost silly happy. It was nice to see them smile so much. We did not see any tiki things. I hope you have a good time and drive safely.

Hey Mai Tai, Thanks for the tips! I have been to Memphis already, and I loved it.

Just from reading guide books I feel that Nashville may be disappointing for me as well, mainly because the big chains have taken over so much there. I could care less about the huge new Opryland casino, hotel, and mall. I can't believe they closed Dollywood amusement park and built a huge indoor shopping mall in its place! I hear that the Country Music Hall of Fame has more space devoted to Elvis than anyone else (don't get me wrong - I love Elvis but he ain't country). And it's been nearly impossible to find non-chain lodging in Nashville (with the exception of one very expensive historic hotel). I've given up so I'm just going to look for a cheap motel near the Omni Hut.

I really don't understand the typical American tourist, who wants to eat at the same chains they have at home, stay in some boring chain "Inn", and shop at the same stores they have at home.

I'm mostly looking forward to the drives through the country and smaller towns like Macon. Their Georgia Music Hall of Fame sounds great. I'm also looking forward to seeing Chattanooga, Augusta, and Savannah. Athens sounds neat too but I won't have time to make the big detour from Macon to Athens and then Augusta in one day.

Another stop that I'm going to make is the Okefenokee Swamp, which sounds like a real beautiful spot.

I'm with tikibars - if you go to Cave City, you should also try to take at least one of the Mammoth Cave tours - especially if you have never been in a big cave before.

A visit to the old Ryman Auditorium - the home of the original Opry, is recommended when in Nashville. It is just a few blocks from the Hall of Fame, and I think you can do some quick self-guided tours. They have some neat old Nudie suits on display there. Also definitely spend at least 5 minutes at the Hatch Show Print place, which has way more character in its small space than the entire Country music hall of fame.

After the Omni Hut, go back into Nashville and stop in for a beer at Roberts Western Wear, a country bar on lower Broadway, to hear some live country music. It is the former home of BR-549, and the bands there play country with the old 50's/60's sound. You know you're in the right place when you walk in and you see a wall of cowboy boots for sale. I was in Nashville about a year and a half ago, and ended up spending three nights at this place. If you love fiddle playing, and a band name BrazilBilly is there, definitely pay a visit.

South of Rock City, in Summerville, Georgia, is folk artist Howard Finster's Paradise Garden, which I believe is still open for tourists.

Vern

On 2005-08-16 14:31, thejab wrote:

I really don't understand the typical American tourist, who wants to eat at the same chains they have at home, stay in some boring chain "Inn", and shop at the same stores they have at home.

I call them "Sheep". These boring tourists are so used to not making choices that they feel comfortable eating at MacDonalds, Taco bell, etc. Instead of some local burger joint or Mexican restaurant/taco stand. These sheep miss out on the variety of life. Sure , sometimes you take a chance and go to some "cute" vintage place and the food is sub-par. But taking those chances and eating at the occasional sub-par place is worth it because of all the great cool places you can find. Imagine, Jabbo, if we had got a sandwich at Subway in Miami instead of Wolfie Cohn's Rascal House-we would have missed out on LIVING (and a great meal in a great restaurant)!!
Of course, I am not trying to sell you on not being a sheep--you are the best example of a black sheep(in this context) that I know. I am just ranting. Don't forget folks, explore the little places in your own hood, too!! There are jems to be found. Happy eating! :)

On 2005-08-16 14:31, thejab wrote:
Just from reading guide books I feel that Nashville may be disappointing for me as well, mainly because the big chains have taken over so much there. I could care less about the huge new Opryland casino, hotel, and mall.

They were in the process of doing that when I was in Nashville, and that was summer of 2000, so I imagine that the restructuring has grown. But for me the big disappointment was that their "downtown" strip was a small stretch of po-dunk nothingness. Really nothing to see or do, and really really run down, with only one or two refurbished and extremeley expensive hotels and the Hard Rock Cafe as the only points of interest. Think downtown Hayward Mission Blvd, only with one or two nice hotels. It made Park Street in Alameda seem like 5th Ave. I found more things to do in little towns like Henrietta Oklahoma than I did in Nashville. But then again, it was at night, and all of the major things to see where already closed, so that was my experience.

I can't believe they closed Dollywood amusement park and built a huge indoor shopping mall in its place!

Holy Shnikeys!!! I hadn't heard about that! Man, that is terrible! We didn't have a chance to make it to Dollywood on either of the trips that we made through there, and I really wanted to go. Bummer.

And it's been nearly impossible to find non-chain lodging in Nashville (with the exception of one very expensive historic hotel). I've given up so I'm just going to look for a cheap motel near the Omni Hut.

Yeah, when we wanted to cut back on lodging, we would stay at motels that were in nearby local towns about 30 miles away. You can usually stay in one of those for really really cheap, then get up in the morning and head into town to start your sightseeing.

I really don't understand the typical American tourist, who wants to eat at the same chains they have at home, stay in some boring chain "Inn", and shop at the same stores they have at home.

Yep, I hear ya. I definitely like to find where all the cool local independent shop, restaurants, etc are, and patronize those. Gotta keep those places in business, so the country doesn't become one giant Wal-Mart. Although we did frequent Cracker Barrel quite a bit, and would mostly stay at the cheapest places we could find whether they were a chain or not, as long as they were clean and safe. The cheaper our lodging price, the longer we could stay out on the road.

I'm mostly looking forward to the drives through the country and smaller towns like Macon. Their Georgia Music Hall of Fame sounds great. I'm also looking forward to seeing Chattanooga, Augusta, and Savannah. Athens sounds neat too but I won't have time to make the big detour from Macon to Athens and then Augusta in one day.

Yep, beautiful drives through the country there. I thought the prettiest was around the Chatanooga area, on the way to Lynchberg.

Another stop that I'm going to make is the Okefenokee Swamp, which sounds like a real beautiful spot.

Yeah, there are several cool swamp type places. Lake Okeechobbee is a good place as well. They have a few places over on the gulf side as well, outside of Tampa near Cypress Gardens. Make sure that you go on an airboat ride, they're definitely an "E" ticket! There is a great alligator farm place that gives great airboat rides down by Homestead and Florida City, but that is way south of Miami, and might be too far away from you. Lots of wildlife in the everglades - on top of wild alligators, we saw leatherback turtles, tons of poisonous snakes, and even a goat!

Have fun on your trip, wish I could go! Maybe we can together one of these days in Alameda before you head out, and talk about this stuff over a few drinks.

Vern - Great tips! I love the old Nudie suits so can't wait to see those. I was a fan of BR-549 and I love that late 50s early 60s Countrypolitan sound, so I was hoping to catch a band like that.

One reason why I plan so much for road trips is so I don't miss the hidden jems (like you folks are pointing out). "Winging it" is fun but you could miss a tiki bar or great old joint by one block and not even know it!

I've mentioned them before but the Moon Handbooks are by far the best travel books I have found. For example, the Omni Hut is in the Tennessee Moon Handbook.

http://www.moon.com/

The Jack Daniels Distillery tour in Lynchberg TN is a hoot! We went on this for both trips. And the drive through the Tenessee countryside is beautiful!

I have to agree with this... my friend and I searched out Jack on the drive home and it was well worth it! A great tour and at the end is the best lemonade I've ever had... Of course no Jack samples 'cause it is a dry county.

Once again, Vern and I are in complete agreement, and in fact I was going to mention this but he beat me to it: Roberts in Nashville is the best place to go after dinner at Omni Hut!

I have been there 4 or 5 times, and every time there has been a great 1950s/1960s sounding country or western swing-ish band playing in there. The rest of the neighborhood is revolting ultra-touristy (except for, perhaps the Ernest Tubb Record Store across the street from Roberts). But do hit Robert's. No cover, but if you like the bands you give them a tip in their jar. There's a grill in the back making cheap burgers, the beer is reasonable, and if you need a pair of boots...

Also, after reading my first review of Omni Hut on the crusty old Tiki Bar Review pages, this guy DAC Crowell sent me a looong list of things to see in Nashville. It is still up on my old site:

http://www.tikibars.net/tiki/OmniHut.html

Scroll down towards the bottom of the page and check it all out. It is a pretty exhaustive list.

Too bad you're not going through Memphis too - Graceland and, even better Graceleand Too. Graceland Too is my fave roadside stop EVER.

On 2005-08-16 14:31, thejab wrote:
I'm also looking forward to seeing Chattanooga

My main memories of driving through Chatanooga are big old 19th century buildings, still standing but is such disrepair that their upper floors are collapsing onto the lower floors, all visible through the windows. Amazing and beautiful, in it's way...

Nashville..A must is the Ryman, also Roberts and Tootsies (old haunt of Hank Williams) for music and beer. I wouldn't personally eat in Roberts as there's a couple of bars on the other side of the road that do better food, but do go to Roberts for atmosphere and cowboy boots!

And Jack Daniels is worth a trek although no free
samples :(

On 2005-08-17 08:16, tikibars wrote:
Also, after reading my first review of Omni Hut on the crusty old Tiki Bar Review pages, this guy DAC Crowell sent me a looong list of things to see in Nashville. It is still up on my old site:

http://www.tikibars.net/tiki/OmniHut.html

Scroll down towards the bottom of the page and check it all out. It is a pretty exhaustive list.

Guess what? I printed that whole page from your web site a few weeks ago! I wish I had time to do/eat/drink it all! The Loveless Cafe sounds particularly great.

I appreciate all the mentions of Jack Daniel's distillery. But I'm not terribly fond of their whiskey, so I'm more inclined to stop at George Dickel distillery down the road!

Screw Jack Daniels!

http://www.moderndrunkardmagazine.com/archive/md_editors_rant_jack.htm

Join the Boycott!
http://www.petitiononline.com/JD002/

11412 drunks can't be wrong!

And Dickel IS better, imho.

[i]

11412 drunks can't be wrong!

11413 now!

Currently, the federal distilled-spirits tax is based on a product's alcohol content. A gallon of 100-proof liquor, for example, has an excise tax of $13.50. A 50-proof beverage is taxed $6.75 per gallon, because it contains half as much alcohol. Taxes are levied by proof, and consumers are not demanding higher proof Jack Daniels.
In spite of 11,413 signatures on Modern Drunkard’s boycott, Jack Daniels sold 7 Million cases last year globally, and 3.3 million cases in the USA.

They are demanding that the price remain at $17.98 - $ 18.90 (with $15.98 deep discount price).
About 40 percent of the cost of a bottle of spirits is due to taxes, and the Brown Forman executives are keen to maintain their dominance in brown spirits.
Jack Daniel's is the largest-selling brown spirit in the U.S., and the Fourth largest selling over-all. Brown-Forman grew their business 5% last year with ultra-premium offerings like Jack Daniel's Single Barrel, Gentleman Jack and Woodford Reserve. At the same time, the core brand, Jack Daniel's, continues to prosper! The Tennessee straight whiskey was up 4.6% last year.
The Spirits Industry domestically pays $3.7 billion in excise taxes each year. Blame the government and their sin tax mentality; don’t blame the distillers for having to make their products profitable.

The boycott is not going to move the hydrometer off that 40% alcohol by volume no matter how many signatures get raised or hate emails get sent. It is a dollars and sense decision by the Suits at Brown-Forman, and when they dropped it profits soared. You want 100 proof whiskey? Drink Wild Turkey 101, and they’ll add one degree extra for you.

God bless you for trying though!

Before the Revolution, the per capita consumption of RUM in the Colonies was 3.7 gallons PER person. We have become a Neo-temperant nation of wimps and quitters! We must rise, Tiki Nation, and raise our ceramic mugs in resistance to teatotaling!

[ Edited by: Rum Numb Davey 2005-08-18 02:00 ]

On 2005-08-15 22:14, thejab wrote:
Sunday 10/2 - explore Atlanta during the day; drive to Macon; overnight in Macon

There's some good antique clothing and furniture stores at Little Five Points in Atlanta. Hey I even met blues legend Lazy Lester browsing around in one of them.
.

[ Edited by: Kon-Hemsby 2005-08-18 02:17 ]

On 2005-08-17 18:57, martiki wrote:
Screw Jack Daniels!

I never liked it when it was higher proof either. But I do like some of their other product that Davey mentioned.

The boycott will never work as long as a million boy-men* a day order "Jack and coke" in a bar somewhere in the U.S. I guess because they don't know what else to order or they think a cocktail is somehow not manly enough. They can have it. I'll take a Woodford manhattan please.

*my term for men who never learned how to be a man so they still wear the same style clothes they did when they were boys and they don't know how act like gentlemen, or make a drink, or cook a good meal

On 2005-08-18 02:16, Kon-Hemsby wrote:

There's some good antique clothing and furniture stores at Little Five Points in Atlanta. Hey I even met blues legend Lazy Lester browsing around in one of them.

That's the kind of inside info I'm looking for that the guide books don't often mention. Thanks!

Hey Jab - I took the Jack Daniels tour, and it's a hoot, if you have time.

Also in Nashville, check out the Hatch Show Print Museum.

http://www.hatchshowprint.com/

I saw a presentation at the MOMA a while back and the old posters are awesome, and you can get them fro really cheap! It's cool to see who was on the bill with Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn etc. way back in the day.

mrs. pineapple

Jab: Have to agree with you on the Woodford Reserve Manhattan. Yet again, a Brown-Forman product, which Lincoln Henderson makes. Part of the absolute richness and depth of the Woodford is the copper pot stills used in its production.

I love the term boy-men, Jab. Can I use it please, as Candy Ass is a little dated and redneck. The problem with this country is the "sheeple" are afraid of taste. Why do you think Vodka, who know one drank before the early 7O's became the phenomenon it has marketwise because it can be integrated with everything. Sure, we love sugar, fat and salt so it has become the staples of our fast food culture creating cow children of prodigious size. There are 400 pound lineman in the NFL, and competitive eating IS now a sport like baseball and featured on ESPN. We are afraid of BOLD flavors like whisky, sea urchin, and fish sauce. Asians relish these flavors. The same can be said for hot and spicy foods. Many Americans eat vinegar jalepenos in goopey nachos, but who eats Yucatan Habeneros, by the handfuls? A few chileheads and frat boys on dares certainly do. The problem is intensity in flavor. A Jalepeno has 5,000 Scoville units of heat, whereas a habenero has up ward's of 300,000!

Before Prohibition, Americans drank Baltimore Rye, Bourbon, and Gin. All boldly flavored and textured spirits. After the failed political mistake of Prohibition ended, we've slipped into a candy fetish fascination in beverage imbibing. I love Tropical cocktails like everyone else on this site, but I have broad interest in taste and what I constitute as "delicious." I like the Tony Bordain model of eating everything, everywhere, all the time. If I really enjoy it, I go back for seconds. As a member of the Court of Master Sommelier, I have people constantly ask me what is my favorite wine. I always reply "all of them..it depends on what I am eating." This is true, as I like all wines from Burgundy to Greek Retsina to Lodi Zinfandel. I like all Rums, Whiskeys, and Brandies. Sure, i have preferences, but I want to experience it all.

By the way, a note on the hot and spicy thing..use your head. I overdid a extreme hot sauce called, "Blair's 4 AM" (which makes Dave's Insanity taste like Tabasco). It has a whopping 2 million Scoville units, and I was in intense stomach discomfort for two days. So to experience it does not mean to abuse it either. To often, we equate quantity with quality. Now, does anybody want to join me for lunch at Hometown Buffet, I could really go for 10 plates of bland meatloaf and 1/4 pound of corn out of a can.

The Hatch Show Museum looks great too!

Correction: I falsely stated that Dollywood closed and they built Opryland casino in its place. I meant that Opryland amusement park closed and they replaced it with a hotel, casino, and shopping mall. Dollywood is still open in Pigeon Forge, TN.

On 2005-08-18 11:27, thejab wrote:
Correction: I falsely stated that Dollywood closed and they built Opryland casino in its place. I meant that Opryland amusement park closed and they replaced it with a hotel, casino, and shopping mall. Dollywood is still open in Pigeon Forge, TN.

Whew!

[ Edited by: Mai Tai 2005-08-18 15:08 ]

damn. want company?????

Well, of course the petition isn't going to do shit. That isn't really the point.

And a Brown Forman spokesperson said that the reason they lowered the proof was not taxes, but that their marketing research has shown that people increasingly prefered a "softer" taste and lower proof.

So, while taxes may have been the REAL reason the proof was lowered, the reason that they cited publicly shows that they have no respect for the tradition of the brand, despite basing the marketing of the product on "tradition". So I say to hell with that.

But...Woodford is awfully good.

On 2005-08-18 10:14, thejab wrote:

On 2005-08-18 02:16, Kon-Hemsby wrote:

There's some good antique clothing and furniture stores at Little Five Points in Atlanta. Hey I even met blues legend Lazy Lester browsing around in one of them.

That's the kind of inside info I'm looking for that the guide books don't often mention. Thanks!

Just to mention that Little Five Points I mentioned is a district of Atlanta http://www.l5p.com/areamap.html

The Hatch Show Print place in Nashville is worth a visit. You can pick up some really nice repro's of show posters made in the same old style that look great.

[ Edited by: Kon-Hemsby 2005-08-19 00:31 ]

I'm being nosey...but great thread for Southern stop tips!
Jab, please report back with your review of the Nashville spots. The hubby and I are visiting in Nov.

Thx.

Also go to the County Music Hall of Famer and do the tour of RCA Studio B, where Elvis cut many of his biggest hits.

Interesting place.

If you have time to take in a show at the Ryman, it's a great atmosphere, then over the back wall of Tootsie's or Roberts for some more music and booze.

There's a bar called the Beer Sellar which can get a bit full with college students but they have over 200 different beers.

Hide yer booz and yer daughters! I leave for Nashville tomorrow!

My intinerary is almost unchanged but I decided I don't have time to venture into Kentucky this trip (someday the bourbon tour is going to happen).

Thursday 9/29 - fly into Nashville - open night

Friday 9/30 - Country Music Hall of Fame, etc.; dinner at Omni Hut

Saturday 10/1 - drive through Chattanooga (seeing Rock City and other roadside attractions) and on to Atlanta; drinks at Trader Vic's Atlanta; overnight in Atlanta

Sunday 10/2 - explore Atlanta during the day

Monday 10/3 - drive to Macon to visit Georgia Music Hall of Fame in Macon; drive to Augusta; drinks at Hale Tiki; overnight in Augusta

Tuesday 10/4 - drive to Savanna; overnight there

Wednesday 10/5 - drive to Daytona Beach, FL; stop for drinks at Julian's in Ormond Beach; dinner and show at Hawaiian Inn; overnight at Daytona

Thursday 10/6 - drive to Fort Lauderdale and Hukilau!

All single women are invited to meet for a drink (OK, men too). Just send me a PM on Tiki Central, which I'll be checking while on the trip.

I can't wait to meet all you friendly Southern gents and belles. If I don't see you before then, I'll see you at Hukilau!

Bon Voyage!

I started in Nashville, where I found this great old pool hall still open in front of a bowling alley (which was closed for good):

I had a great time at the old honky tonks on Broadway downtown like Robert's Western World:

Across the street from Robert's is this old record shop:

The next morning I had a true southern breakfast of country ham, red eye gravy, grits, eggs, and biscuits with homemade jam at the famous Loveless Cafe west of Nashville. I couldn't resist a glass of sweet iced tea with my meal.

I did some sightseeing, stopping at the Parthenon replica that was built in the late 19th century for an exposition,

the old train station that's now a hotel,

the art deco Frist Center for the Arts,

and the very worthwhile Country Music Hall of Fame. Later I took a few more pictures of Nashville before heading down to Smyrna.

I stopped to get a bottle of rum and drove to the Omni Hut, where I was greeted by Polly, the gracious host and co-owner with her father. I was seated at this table:

This is the room from my table:

The food was great, especially the Teriyaki ribs! The Tahitian Tea was sweet but tasty with the rum added. The service was exceptional. The Omni Hut is a real treasure.

The next day I left for Atlanta along old highway 41 with a detour to the George Dickel distillery.

I had a time warp feeling in this part of Tennessee:

I stopped in Chattanooga to visit the old roadside attraction Rock City Gardens and Fairlyand Caverns, which is a cave-like attraction filled with flourescent dioramas of fairy tales!

What was kind of sad about the place was that the kids that were visiting it didn't seem to have a clue what they were looking at, and their parents didn't seem to care enough to explain it to them.

I arrived in Atlanta later than I had hoped but I managed to make it to Trader Vic's before they closed. It was very slow for a Saturday night. I started with a Peachtree Punch (of course), and also had a Queen's Park Swizzle, Mai Tai, Gun Club Punch, and something else I've forgotten. Joel made every drink with care and all were delicious. Everyone was so friendly that I had fairly lengthy conversations with several people at the bar and I even got a ride to the crazy Clermont Lounge afterwards. I managed to get a couple pictures of the gorgeous decor but this Vic's has been photographed so well before that I mainly tried to just soak it in.

On Sunday I did a lot of shopping. I found a beautiful vintage bamboo bar that I wish I could have taken home with me. If any Atlantans want to check it out it was at the store called Scarlett Rhettro (cringe) and it was reasonably priced at $450 (and the owner said she could give me a better deal).

For dinner I had a superb southern meal at the old fashioned Colonnade Restaurant, of iceberg wedge salad (complete with steak knife to cut the lettuce), crispy, juicy fried chicken , yam souffle with raisins (mmm), fresh yeast rolls and cornbread, and sweet iced tea.

Another classic Atlanta restaurant:

More pics tomorrow.

wow. More pictures now please. Now I say!

On Monday I left Atlanta for Macon, home of the Georgia Music Hall of Fame. I had lunch at the classic Len Berg's:

Roast beef with gravy, taters, greens, cornbread, and, of course, sweet iced tea.

I had to press the button on the way out!

Also in Macon:

The Georgia Music Hall of Fame covered all Georgia musicians, from blues to jazz to country to rock and soul.

Early guitar and outfit from the B-52s:

Collection of Chet Atkin's memorabilia:

Near Macon was the Ocmulgee National Monument of ancient Native American settlements from 900-1100 AD, and this Streamline Moderne visitors center.

I arrived in Augusta and made it to the Hale Tiki about 9:00. It was totally empty except for the bartender, but I stayed for a few fine drinks. They were out of passion fruit syrup so I didn't get to try a concubine. It's such a beautiful bar, it's a shame more people weren't there to enjoy it on a Monday night.

Across the street from the Hale Tiki:

On Tuesday I had some good pulled pork BBQ and Brunswick Stew at this old joint somewhere on the way to Savannah:

Savannah is a beautiful city. It is so well preserved. Even this 1950s motel was preserved and the rooms upgraded, so it was a real plush place to stay (and a bit of a splurge compared to most of the places I stayed in).

I had a marvelous dinner at Johnny Harris' Restaurant, a local landmark since the 1940's. The main dining room is round with a soaring ceiling with "stars", and cozy wooden booths, each with their own window. Big bands used to play there, and I was happy to hear original 1940s big-band recordings playing from the original wood loudspeakers in the dining room. I ate a meal of BBQ pork (twice in one day!), fried chicken, Brunswick Stew, cole slaw, homemade brown bread, and an old fashioned. The fried chicken was much different from the excellent super crispy battered kind I had in Atlanta. This one had a very thin crust and was almost like BBQ chicken. Both were real juicy unlike that overcooked and dry rotisserie chicken we have all over in California. Their BBQ sauce was very tangy and somewhat vinegary, so I had to buy a bottle to take home. Y'all can get some here: http://www.johnnyharris.com/ And if you want to know what the heck Brunswick Stew is check this out: http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Article.jsp?path=/Folklife/Foodways&id=h-555

Savannah, like New Orleans, is a hard city to capture adequately in pictures, especially at night. You just have to experience the romance of it's streets and many public squares on foot, preferably with drink in hand (like New
Orleans you can drink outside if it's not in glass). It's a place I vowed to return to soon so I could spend more time there.

The next day I headed for the Okeefenokee swamp as the weather got worse. Along the way:

I saw the swamp in a driving rain that made it very atmospheric. I kept looking for 'gators but the only ones I saw were in captivity.

I arrived in Ormond Beach, Florida just in time for a prime rib dinner at Julian's. I'm not sure why but I didn't take any pictures in Daytona - I guess because I have quite a few from previous trips to Florida. Julian's food was great and the entertainment was splendid. I checked out the Hawaiian Inn in Daytona and had a look-see in the showroom at all the Witco. I checked in to the smal 1950s Ocean Court Motel next door to the Hawaiian Inn, cheap and right on the beach (highly recommended for visits to Daytona). I poured myself a bit of George Dickel Barrel Select whiskey and watched the lightning storm over the ocean.

The next day I took old highway one South from Dayton and saw some great old motels:

I had lunch at this drive-in that still had car hops (not on roller skates though):

On Friday night of the Hukilau in Fort Lauderdale, me and Unga Bunga headed up to the dock where the boat takes passengers to Cap's Place, a great old restaurant that used to be a speakeasy and gambling den in the 30s.

They serve a tasty hearts of palm salad. Their fresh palm hearts come from the same farm that they have bought from for decades.

The bar had a great atmosphere, was chock full of photos and memorabilia from the history of the place, and even had a couple of tikis, because it is Florida after all:

Finally, on my last day in Fort Luaderdale, I took some pictures of some of the great mid-century architecture near my motel:

I hope you enjoyed my pictures. I had a great time in the states of Tennessee, Georgia, and Florida. The people were so friendly, the food was always good (ever try hot boiled peanuts along the road in Georgia?), there was history everywhere, and the weather was perfect! Mahalo to Tiki-Kiliki, Swanky, and Tikibars for the travel suggestions and for arranging a heaping helping of that southern hospitality.

Your travelogs are always a blast to view.
Thanks for the time it takes to post them.

You know, that's the second time we've seen that Hawaii Motel in Daytona or near it, we ought to flash mob that place with some tikis, ukes, drums and rums one night. Maybe during the Hawaiian Inn Winter East Coast Tiki Revival Thing.

I loved your trip reports. Thanks a lot, that was fun.

-And not a Mal•Wart in SIGHT!
Thank you Jab, for the excellent roadtrip coverage.
Did you see the great resto job on the Moai in Daytona (I think it's a Best Western)? Last year it got thrashed by a hurricane but it's back and looking better than ever.
I'm sorry we didn't get together while you were in Atlanta, but glad that we met at the Mai-Kai (if briefly), and hope to see you again next year!
Now I gotta' go get me some collards 'n cornbread...

Great trip report. We plan to make a trip south and hope to see some of the things you pointed out.
This is why we always drive to our destinations. I love to stop and enjoy all the flavor of the states we pass through.
We've seen almost all the continental states, it just takes us longer.
We are probably the last two humans left on earth that at our age have never flown in a plane. ( we've been up in 'copters, but no planes). Saving the plane trip for an out of the country trip.
Thanks again, enjoyed the pictures too.

Jab-
Thanks for taking the time to share you road trip with us. I swear I feel like packing up right now. And It is all your fault.
Thanks Buddy,
Spermy

On 2005-10-21 07:39, Kava King wrote:
Did you see the great resto job on the Moai in Daytona (I think it's a Best Western)? Last year it got thrashed by a hurricane but it's back and looking better than ever.

That's the Aku Tiki Inn. Great to hear that the Moai is looking good, but the rest o' the resto sounds like it might be a bit disappointing, read on:

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=16446&forum=5

Jab, I didn't think to ask you to snap pics of the Traders Restaurant (attached to the Aku Tiki)! Ah well, we'll probably be there in January.

Fantasticalness!

OUT-STANDING!

This is giving me an itch to hit the road - again.
2005 was the first time in many years that I didn't do at least one major road trip.
Dean, your post is making me antsy...

Thanks for all the pics, and the great advice on stuff to see.

I didn't take a lot of pics in Daytona mainly because on a previous trip I took pictures of every tiki and witco wall hanging we could find. I did notice the moai was back and I did get to look at the Hawaiian Inn showroom but didn't take any pics as it was real crowded and they were serving the buffet (which I didn't want to pay $30 for as I had already eaten at Julian's). I didn't even look in the Traders Restaurant because I thought it was tiki free inside (but I can't remember if I saw it on a previous visit or I just heard that).

I am very tempted to join you in 2006 for the January Hawaiian Inn gathering because 1. It would be more fun to see the show with the TC ohana then with a bunch of strangers, 2. I didn't get enough Florida sunshine during the Hukilau, and 3. I didn't see Kailuageoff and some other Florida TC folks at the Hukilau. Was he there?

Thanks for all the comments.

DEAN!!
THAT WAS FANTASTIC!
I loved especially the fotos of the food you enjoyed. Made me miss Southern cookin'.

You really did do a great job of seeing some of the very best of the South (where I lived for 17 years). And your fotos are great quality, too!
Is there a "SOUTHERN Geographic" that could hire you? I'd subscribe!