Two surefire ways to get warm: 1) head south and 2) drink a bit of hot toddy. Central Tennessee offers both warmer climes and whiskey so distinctive it's known the world over as Tennessee Whiskey. Jack Daniel's Distillery is in Lynchberg, Tennessee, just a little ways south of Nashville. Though not officially founded until 1875, they've been making the same Old No. 7 on this very spot since before the American Civil War. George Dickel, manufactured just down the road in Cascade Hollow, Tennessee, is a unique brand of a smoother sour mash whiskey, the only one of its kind. To read more about Jack Daniel's, click here. To read more about George Dickel, click here.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Spots that Hit the Spot
Chilling in More Ways Than One
In December of 1846, seven cold and ragged people staggered down through this mountain pass into Sutter's Fort to alert rescuers about the stranded Donner Party. Investigation led to the discovery that surviving members of the party had consumed the bodies of less fortunate members in order to stay alive, the most famous incident of cannibalism in American history. Today there is a Donner Memorial State Park where the group was trapped, and a memorial at nearby Donner Summit and Donner Pass. For more information about these two spots, click here.
The Side-by-Side Winter Retreats of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford
In Fort Myers, Florida, the side-by-side winter homes of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford are preserved together as museums dedicated to the lives and work of these technological pioneers. Edison and Ford lived on these estates during the winter months while working on some of their major innovations that have shaped modern society. Click here to read about the Thomas Edison Winter Retreat or here for more about Henry Ford's Winter Retreat.
Friday, December 5, 2008
The Million Dollar Quartet
52 years ago yesterday, on December 4, 1956, a musical miracle occurred at Sun Studios in Memphis, Tennessee. Legends Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins were all coincidentally present to work on their own material. The group got together for an impromptu jam session, and a local photographer shot a picture of the now-famous event. The next day, when the photo was printed, the caption read "The Million Dollar Quartet." A few tracks from the session were released during the 1980s under the same name. For more information on the Million Dollar Quartet, click here.
Monday, November 24, 2008
The Origin of Species: Revisited
On this day 149 years ago, on November 24, 1859, English naturalist Charles Darwin’s book The Origin of Species was published. The now legendary work detailed
Friday, November 21, 2008
Verrazano-Narrows Bridge
New York’s Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, a double-decked suspension bridge that connects the boroughs of Staten Island and Brooklyn on Long Island at the narrows, opened to traffic 44 years ago on November 21, 1964. For more information on the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, click here.
Thomas Edison's Phonograph
On November 21, 1877, technology pioneer Thomas Alva Edison announced his invention of the first phonograph, a device with the capability to record and replay sound. Over 131 years later, the phonograph is more commonly referred to as a record player or turntable.
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