Kristin Luna - Tennessee Curiosities: Quirky Characters, Roadside Oddities & Other Offbeat Stuff

Kristin Luna spent the first twenty-two years of her life in Tennessee, before hopping around to New York City, Scotland, the Netherlands, and Denmark and eventually settling in San Francisco. Her intrepid spirit has led her all over the globe in search of adventure, whether scuba diving cageless with sharks in the South Pacific or hurling herself out of a plane at 15,000 feet in the Pyrenees. Kristin has worked on various Frommers guides, as well as been a regular contributor to Newsweek, Forbes Traveler, the Travel Channel, and People magazine. Her work has also appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle, Toronto Globe & Mail, Islands, Real Simple, Shermans Travel, Glamour, InStyle, and Entertainment Weekly.

The border ofWest Tennesseeone of the states three grand divisionsis an anomaly in itself. Not straight, not jagged, its bubble-shaped with curves and dips that are defined by the Mississippi River. The regions eastern border is made up of the Tennessee River, which grazes Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, Kentucky, and Missouri.

When driving along I-40, bisecting the state diagonally, youll pass through stretches of barren wastelandboondocks is an accurate word to describe itthough, like anywhere, youll find hidden gems scattered haphazardly about. But then the West has its prized possessionMemphisin the far most southwestern corner, which more than makes up for the rest.

Memphis has got soul, theres no denyin. In fact, it would be hard to live in Tennessees biggest city without a deep-burning love for all things musical. Everyone plays an instrument or backup sings in a band or spends his or her free nights after work hitting the live music joints on Beale. Its not just a passion, its a way of life.

The obvious croonersElvis Presley, Johnny Cash, B. B. Kingaside, Memphis has produced more than a few top acts. Justin Timberlake. Al Green. Otis Redding. Three 6 Mafia. From hip-hop to R & B, jazz to soul, theres musical flavor for the taking in this thriving hot spot.

Aside from being Tennessees most soulful city, Memphis is also the most crowdedcrowded by equine, that is: There are more horses per capita in Shelby County than in any other county in the United States.

Rural Tennessee, in the town of Alamo (population 2,400), might be the last place youd expect to be off-roading when you just happen to stumble upon a rambunctious Bornean bearded pig rolling in the mud, with a couple of placid zebras grazing in the distance. Nevertheless, thats exactly what youll find in this Crockett County seat. (yes, as in Davy... and the Alamo... get the connection now?)

Ever since 1967a hundred years after it began serving as an agricultural farmHillcrest Farm, which now houses Tennessee Safari Park, has been working on building its collection of game animals. The first inhabitants were a herd of buffalo that belonged to the state. Today, more than forty years later, the safari park features 300-plus animals representing sixty-three different species. Not too shabby for a town thousands of miles and an ocean away from Africa.

Alongside more typical animals like camels, swans, ostriches, warthogs, and kangaroos, youll see gazelles, cranes, water buffalo, two-toed sloths, and much, much more. And the best part is you dont even have to observe from afar: You can drive through the park (by appointment only) and have the animals come right up to your vehicle.

Tennessee Safari Park is located at 637 Conley Rd. in Alamo. For more information, call (901) 734-6005 or visit www.tennesseesafaripark.com.

Yes, that is indeed a thing and a place. And the town that boasts such a claim, Bradford, even has a sign commemorating its lofty achievement. Doodle soup is a delicacy pretty much found only in these parts of Tennessee (if found elsewhere, Ive yet to spot it on the menu). It consists of chicken, distilled red vinegar, salt, dry cayenne pepper, and a little bit of both flour and sugar. Like any good recipe, its tweaked and altered depending on the chef, but thats the general gist.

Sounds dreamy, right? Though, really, experts say that the more disgusting and greener it looks, the better it tastes. So dont be expecting to be served a culinary work of art should you find yourself in Bradford and a steaming bowl of doodle soup in front of you. No records exist of how, when, or where the dish originated. Still, Bradford residents are more than happy to adopt it as their own.

Like elsewhere in Tennessee, if you have a noteworthy attribute, you promote the heck out of it and also hold an annual festival to secure this accomplishment; Bradford is no exception. Every third weekend of September welcomes the Doodle Soup Festival, put on by the Lions Club and benefiting underprivileged children in the area. You can expect to find every possible doodle recipe passed down through generations, available for sample. Festivities are not limited to all things doodle, however: Youll also find dog shows, a parade, costume displays, ice-cream-eating contests, and BBQ cook-offs.

Bradford is located 38 miles north of Jackson, off US 45 East. For more information on the festival, call Betty Jo Taylor, the events founder, at (731) 742-3494.

Many people (myself included) will often pose the question: What is art? Is it a Jackson Pollock or a pile of trash on the side of the interstate? A rare Picasso or a three-year-old childs finger painting? Local boy (and artist) Billy Tripp will tell you its his creation, the Mindfield, comprising an average of 80 vertical feet of twisting, turning steel. Located about an hour north of Memphis, the Mindfield spans an acre and grazes 125 feet at its tallest point. Tripp created it as his lifes work: It began in 1989 and will continue to be built upon until his death, at which point hes demanded to be buried at the site of his masterpiece.

If you look closely, youll see a time line of Tripps life: Various components represent monumental occurrences, such as the death of his father, Reverend Charles Tripp, in 2002, which is memorialized via a water tower that was transported from Kentucky down over the border and into Brownsville. All steel is recycled from nearby businesses and factories that have since closed. If youre passing through Brownsville in the summer months, theres a good chance youll see Tripp tending to his muse, as his work often seems to be seasonal (makes senseno one wants to be climbing scaffolding in the dead of a Tennessee winter).

To reach the Mindfield, head west on TN 54/19 from the Brownsville town square. The monument will be on the southeast corner of the intersection of TN 54/19 and US 70 South, at 1 Mindfield Alley. Entrance is free.

Tahiti and pearls are often considered synonymous, but Tennessee and pearls? Not so much (or not unless youre a pearl insider, that is). That said, youll probably be surprised to find that the pearl is the state gem and for good reason: Theyre harvested from the freshwater mussels found in the states fast-running rivers.

The whole concept started in the second half of the twentieth century when a man from Camden, John Latendresse, saw freshwater pearls being cultivated overseas. This was no coincidence, really, as John was married to a Japanese-born woman, and the Japanese were the first to cultivate pearls. The business-minded man returned home and spent ages seeking out the right water source with the perfect pH balance and, after researching practically every body of water across the United States, found it right near his own house: Kentucky Lake. He then created the pearl farm in 1980, though it was five years before the first mussels could be cracked open.