“Hey, it’s right here! Here’s the exit!” a young man calls out to his road trip buddy. The car races off an Interstate 24 exit ramp and is immediately slowed by a sleepy town.
“Is this it?” the driver asks his friend riding shotgun.
“No, just a little further. About 15 more minutes.”
Driving for what felt like an eternity on a four-lane country highway, nothing but flat land, fields, and wide-open spaces filled their sight.
“Oh wait, there’s something!” exclaimed the driver again.
“Yeah. It’s just a cemetery,” the young passenger mentioned long before the two were within close viewing distance. “I’ll let you know when we come into town. While it won’t look like much, I promise you’re going to love it.”
As the two approached the first red light, cool air rushed in as the passenger window rolled down and conversation started up. “This isn’t just in the movies and country songs? You seriously know that man?” the driver laughs as his friend engages in small talk with the car driver over in the next lane. “Everybody really does know everyone else in a small town, huh?”
The two boys don’t hesitate even for a minute before starting the hometown tour. It’s Friday, so that means it’s homemade, hand-battered, fried chicken and fresh greens for lunch at Emil’s Bistro. Next, the two stretch their legs and go on a downtown walking tour. Gigantic murals bursting with colors playfully accentuate the professional buildings. Downtown Avenues shopping center is filled with different shops, but the boys head straight for 4 The Win Cigar Shop & Lounge.
“Let’s save that for on the water!” one suggested to the other.
“Sounds good. What’s the lake called that we are headed to?”
“Well, there are a few different ones around here. We have Lake Tullahoma, Normandy Lake, Woods Reservoir, and Tims Ford Lake. We are headed to Tims Ford, though. Come on, jump in.”
“Gee. This town is a fisherman’s dream.”
After a breezy afternoon on the lake getting sunkissed, the two take a trip down the infamous Jackson Street before heading to the house for a homecooked meal.
“For a small town, this place sure does have a lot to offer! Big-name franchises like Hobby Lobby, Chick-Fil-A, and Publix have chosen to make their home here.”
“You’re starting to see why I love my hometown. You have all the quirks and comforts of a small town yet with the luxuries of a larger city.”
“Okay, Tullahoma…You’re like finding a diamond in the rough.” -GN