Travel Experiences

Travel Experiences with Jeff and Cindy Barganier Clarksville, Tennessee

Clarksville’s about five hours up Interstate 65 to Nashville then northwest on I-24. The city abuts Kentucky’s border and Fort Campbell, home of the famed 101st Airborne Division. Named for Revolutionary War hero General George Rogers Clark, this fifth largest Tennessee city, (pop. 166,722) was founded in 1785, and is the home of Austin Peay State University. (Once stationed at Ft. Campbell as a U.S. Army Reservist, I received a tour of the post. But that’s a future story.)

As Cindy and I cruise north through Tennessee, we’re passing vibrant green hills of plush hardwood forests and cleared fields of yellow clover. Billboards advertise whiskey distilleries and Jack Daniels Heritage Museum. As we approach downtown Clarksville, majestic church spires appear on the horizon. We drive to Clarksville’s amazing Customs House Museum & Cultural Center, circa 1889, and park in the museum parking lot. The Coca-Cola Café is just inside the door to the left. We ponder stopping in for refreshments, but they’re setting up for a party. We quickly discover the museum is a wonderful introduction to Clarksville’s interesting history, including its connection to Fort Campbell. Highlighted are notable native sons and daughters like WWII fighter pilot Frank Adkins; and Olympian Wilma Rudolph, once known as The Fastest Woman in the World. As a child, Rudolph had polio, double pneumonia, and scarlet fever, leaving her unable to walk without a brace. Her doctors told her she would never walk again. But her mother told her she could do anything she chose to believe. She won her first Olympic medal at only 16, and went on to break three world track records in the 1960’s Olympics in Rome!

We depart the museum for a walking tour of downtown, viewing stunning art and architecture at every turn: Montgomery County Courthouse with its stately 2nd Empire clocktower (1879); Trinity Episcopal Church, circa 1877; First Presbyterian Church, circa 1822. We snap a photo at Downtown Commons, featuring the Windows to the World Sphere. Each piece of handwrought iron is made to copy the shape of the rose windows of the church in the background. We stroll down Strawberry Alley—once a strawberry patch—where we find a Balloon Mural spelling out CLARKSVILLE. The whimsical Children’s Fountain makes us smile. Roxy Regional Theatre on Franklin Street opened in 1947. Beyond the Roxy, we come to the café Yada, allegedly the only “cicchetti” bar in Tennessee. As we loiter in front of Yada, a charming young lady named Josie—perhaps sensing we’re lost seniors— offers her assistance. “So, tell us about Yada,” I ask.

She replies, “Yada is a Yiddish term. You know how you say, ‘yada, yada, yada,’ like, you get me. You don’t have to speak English. But the people around you understand each other. So, that’s kind of the environment there. It’s very friendly. Like, everybody who works there gets each other. It’s a very friendly environment. And the dining experience is part of that. The dining experience is called cicchetti. Cicchetti is basically a style of service where there are small, sharable

morning, we return to Clarksville’s historic downtown for breakfast at “Founding Frothers” Coffee where the walls are adorned with Revolutionary War documents. One document names 42 American patriots who died or were wounded in a bloody battle near Concord. Wounded: “Prince Easterbrooks, a Negro Man (sic) of Lexington.” Killed: “Capt. William Barber’s Son of Charlestown, aged 14.” Names with an asterisk indicate men killed instantly by the first fire of the enemy. A retired warrior strolls in after his morning run along the Cumberland River. Owner Leeanna Woodall—she named her son Alexander Hamilton Woodall—greets the man by name. Soldiers are loved and

plates that replicate a revered around here. Venetian style of dining Third day, we tour Fort where people sit out under Defiance Civil War Park canopies and enjoy these and Museum where small plates. In Italy, people Confederate artillery fired eat out for, say, three on Union vessels as they hours. In America, it’s hard approached Clarksville to get people to do that. It’s via the Cumberland and very laid-back, take it slow, Red Rivers. Afterward, we and there’s small sharable drive to an early-1800’s plates that come out in village out in the country waves of food. It’s really called Historic Collinsville, cool. There’s a bunch of the site of authentic New York themed stuff, like structures. Beautiful, the Cramer Pizza based off of Seinfeld. And serene and educational, Collinsville is a there are velvet seats to replicate what a great daytrip spot for a picnic with the character in Seinfeld said: ‘I want to dine grands. ensconced in a sea of velvet.’ Darla Knight, the owner, put velvet seats in so people Last day, we visit Miss Lucille’s could dine in a sea of velvet. So, it’s all Marketplace, seven acres under roof, about the experience. It’s like the workers with awesome vendors featuring clothing, are cast members not servers.” (Note: boutiques, interiors, children’s apparel and Yada’s New York City bagels are amazing!) toys. This has been a great trip. Clarksville’s a fun, collegiate city with friendly people, We invite Josie to join us for dinner up good eateries and historic sites. Parking’s the street at Blackhorse Pub & Brewery tight. Take copious quarters for meters. Tell and tell us more about Clarksville. First, ‘em BOOM! Magazine sent you! we dash out to the Holiday Inn on Cracker Barrel Drive, check in and freshen up. The For more information see: manager, Jovarius, greets us with a warm www.Customshousemuseum.org smile. Turns out, he’s from Hope Hull, Strawberry Alley Ale Works Alabama and was previously manager www.saaleworks.com at the Holiday Inn East Chase! Small www.Roxyregionaltheatre.org world. We return to meet Josie, enjoy her www.Yadaonfranklin.com company and excellent food at Blackhorse www.Blackhorsebrews.com Pub. Speaking of excellent food, when you www.Foundingfrotherscoffee.com visit Clarksville, you must try the Bourbon www.Ftdefianceclarksville.com Burger (with local meat) at Strawberry www.Historiccollinsville.com Alley Ale Works. It’s melt-in-your-mouth

good. Excellent banana pudding, too! (We

went twice.) Next

Jeff S. Barganier is a novelist, travel writer and manager of Cindy Barganier Interiors LLC. He travels far and wide upon the slightest excuse for something interesting to write about. Contact: Jeffbarganier@knology.net. Instagram: @jeffbarganier. You may print out Jeff’s features at www.jeffbarganier.com.