[at-l] kelly's and skeeter's posts about tennessee - kinda of a

[hudsom at us.ibm.com (Mark Hudson)]

<<Whatever the name was of that combo brew-thru, pool-hall,
honky-tonk, beer joint just up the road from where the AT crosses 19E,
near Elk Park, when we went thru there in 2001, I truly thought we'd
been dropped right into the middle of a really trashy red-neck novel. >>

Well, I went and did the ALT thru WV a few years ago; before I left
everyone asked about "Deliverance"...

I was heading for the small town of Cass. Everyone told me there was a
store there. I had a mail drop but would need to pick up some food. Well,
the store is the souvenier shop for the scenic railroad, and their supply
section consisted of M+Ms and Snickers, not quite what I wanted to make
dinner out of. There's a restaurant that's also part of the scenic
railroad, but it's only open on the days the railroad is running. In the
summertime the railroad is closed on Mondays. Anyone want to guess what day
it was?
I started chatting with a young guy and asked where the nearest place was
that I could get food, and he mentioned a bar about a mile or so out of
town. I started walking out, not even hitching mind you, and this old gent
stops and gives me a ride out to the "beer joint".
Dirt parking lot. Pick-up truck. Cinderblock bar with no windows. I have my
own personal rule about never going in bars that don't have windows, but
sometimes you gotta eat. No kidding, Lynyrd Skynryd blaring out of the open
door of the bar.
Me in my cute little hiking shorts... Take a deep breath and step through
the door...
The kid I'd been talking to was hanging out there... "Hey Guys, this guy
WALKED here... from PENNSYLVANIA"...
It was cool... very cool. Cold beer, good food, good people...
And walking back to town, without hitching, I got another ride <g>

skeeter