10 Months To Print for RCB
It’s a crazy idea that I’m working on my third book. However crazy, a writer’s world is always consumed with the story they are working on and the one that is just around the corner. Len and I first turned the ‘corner’ on this story in 2106 when we began covering the repainting of Rock City barns. Lovers of history and understanding that so much of what we experienced growing up is now disappearing, we took it upon ourselves to write down our memories for posterity. We have followed Rock City’s journey of repainting and even more inspiring than that is the story of the barn owners who are so excited for this rebirth. They were almost giddy to the point of incoherent conversation. And the smiles were electric and palpable.
Then, one day, we thought, “Wouldn’t this make a great book?” And the writer and photographer in us kicked in.
The story is here, and it goes way beyond these boards or the gardens.
This was in 2016 in Maryville, TN, and our first experience with a barn’s repainting. It was AT LEAST 90 degrees on that July day. When we arrived early that morning, a crowd had already gathered and the painters were already at work. That would continue for eight or nine more hours in the grueling heat until the barn was refreshed.
We both grew up during the 1960s when hopping in the car was the essence of the family vacation. One week a year, the family would pack the car to the gills—suitcases, cooler, little green potty (yes)—and scoot off to a destination that I prayed would have a pool. After what seemed like an eternity on the road, we would arrive at the motel first. Which of the double beds with the orange quilted bedspread would be mine? And YES, there was a pool across the concrete parking lot. I was happy. The next day would be filled with exploration, eating out, and doing exactly what mama and daddy wanted to do. As a child, I wasn’t part of the decision making.
That would be my vacation story until I left for college.
My face was always pressed against the window, watching the advertisements swish by. One such swish were the barns that held a promise from Rock City: See 7 States from atop Lookout Mtn. They were random but all were on major roads that fed into Chattanooga, TN, where Rock City Gardens were perched on top of a mountain. I kept seeing the barns meaning the destination must be glorious.
As a child, I never got there. But as an adult, I did. It’s as enchanting as promised, and a story that continues to inspire travelers to experience the authenticity of this beautiful world.
And Rock City would not be Rock City without the barns. Learn how the barns became part of the story.
#seerockcitybarns