Mid-October I had the pleasure of experiencing two different communities. In Lawrenceburg, there were Amish. In Smalltown, there were hippies. Both groups of people practiced a simpler way of living with peace, love and sharing in the forefront. Amish do not use electricity where as the hippies do. The Amish arrived shortly after World War II and have flourished in this part of Middle Tennessee.
The only photographs allowed to be taken were of the land and property… no actual pictures of the Amish people.
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Summertown was just down the road apiece. In August of 1970 The Caravan of over 200 individuals, dozens of school buses, converted bread vans, delivery trucks and a few various vehicles left San Francisco heading east. Long story short, they arrived in Summertown, Tennessee in the summer of 1971. It was not an easy journey which you can learn more about by purchasing “Out to Change the World: The Evolution of The Farm Community” by Douglas Stevenson which is available on Amazon. We were intrigued by our tour guide who had lived in The Farm Community since 1977. Her lifestyle had certainly been much different than those of us seniors paying her a visit that lovely, warm October day.
After visiting the charming town of Laurel, Mississippi, we headed north forgoing the Natchez Trace. We had considered that historical route, but a friend suggested a quicker route. Apparently the Trace’s speed limit is 40 miles per hour. We arrived in Tupelo as the sun was setting. Much nightlife was happening on Main Street, but supper and relaxing in our room sounded more desirable.
Following a hearty breakfast at the hotel, we headed to Elvis’ Birthplace, Museum and Church Complex. In 1934 Vernon, Elvis’ father, borrowed $180 for materials to build a small frame house in East Tupelo. The family resided there for three years until it was repossessed when Vernon was unable to repay the $180 loan. After living is various other Tupelo houses, the Presley family moved to Memphis.
What a very simple and religious upbringing the King of Rock and Roll had. Many of you have had the pleasure of seeing the movie “Elvis.” We stopped at the Tupelo Hardware Company and saw the exact spot (X marked the spot in the photo below) where Elvis held his first newly-purchased guitar. He had wanted a gun, but his mother Gladys decided a guitar was much safer. And the rest is history.
Traveling into the Deep South was so new to me and when my adventurous friend Dee agreed to do most of the driving, I was ecstatic!
I have wanted to see the setting for HGTV’s “Hometown” program for some time now. The town Laurel seemed like such an idyllic community in which to raise one’s family. Such American pride and traditions. We were not disappointed!
As soon as we arrived in Laurel we headed straight to the Laurel Mercantile Co. Store. The manager was very Southern which also means very friendly and hospitable. She told us a little bit about the town and how Ben and Erin were as down-to-earth in real life as they conveyed on their television show. She recommended an Italian restaurant not too far from the Store. As we headed over to eat, music was playing outdoors, but because we were both hungry and tired decided to not check into it. Unfortunately the next day we learned both Ben and Erin were there!
The following day we took a tour of Laurel which featured many of the “Hometown” fixer-uppers. Included on the tour was Ben’s Scotsman General Store & Woodshop. The picture backdrop for a photo shoot was on the top of Ben’s woodshop. We also explored the Lauren Rogers Museum of Art. What an extraordinary museum for such a small town! The architecture was divine throughout Laurel with many churches and historical homes.
