When I think of Tennessee, I think of the electricity of young Elvis, country, blues and jazz music, the world Davy Crockett lived in, and, of course, mouth-watering, world-class barbeque!  Beyond that, it is a beautiful state with three distinct regions.  Eastern Tennessee is heavily forested foothills.  Middle Tennessee is gentle rolling bluegrass hill country known for its fine Tennessee Walking Horses.  Western Tennessee has rich river bottom lands where most of the state’s cotton is grown.

It is the Volunteer State, so named because of the response of its settlers to volunteer to fight in the Mexican War.  War, especially the Civil War, is a huge part of its history.  The name Tennessee was derived from the Cherokee town name of “Tanasi”.  It was initially claimed by Spanish explorer DeSoto in 1540 and later claimed by France and England.  England succeeded in its ownership claims after the French Indian Wars in 1763.  Then in 1796 it became the 16^th state of the United States.  During the Civil War, Tennessee joined the Confederacy although there was much pro-Union sentiment.  Because of that inherent conflict, Tennessee was the scene of extensive military action.  Many of the states historical sites today revolve around this time period.

The population today is about 5,900,000.  By population it is the 16^th largest state and by area it is the 36^th largest.  It is a predominantly industrial state and most of its residents live in urban areas.  Their most important economic products are chemicals, textiles, lumber, metals and tobacco.  Since the 1970’s the state has been very aggressive in attracting new industries to keep the economy diverse.  Many new industries have moved in from northern industrial states and from Japan.  There are over 200 Fortune 500 companies with a large presence.  The state is 15^th best in the nation for business tax friendliness.

Politically, Democrats have dominated since the Civil War, although their power has declined in recent years.  The 11 major cities rank below the national cost of living and housing is among the lowest in the nation at 16^th among the 50 states in median monthly housing costs for owner occupied units with a mortgage.

Recreation and leisure enjoyment are plentiful.  The 1996 Olympic Whitewater events took place on the Ocoee River in the southeastern part of the state and there are ample rivers for canoeing and inner tubing.  It is host to numerous major NASCAR events.  It is 20^th among the states in number of private golf courses.  And for you fishermen, there is year-round fishing for bass, trout and walleye.

Now is a good time to plan a trip to coincide with the Mid-South Fair in Memphis Sept. 21-30.  It is a 151 year-old tradition showing the best and the latest in the region.  It’s such a big deal that even the Memphis schools let out early on the first Friday of the Fair.  While you are in Tennessee, be sure to visit the Fairfield Glades community.  You’ll find the details in the in-depth review which follows.

In-Depth Community Review

Fairfield Glade Fairfield Glade, Tennessee

Active adult easy living with all the amenities at an affordable price! Low property taxes, no state income tax, low cost of living, surprising property cost, your money just goes farther here.  Cumberland County is the Retirement Capitol of Tennessee:  great four season weather and natural beauty, affordable value, and friendly folks.  
 

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This story was submitted from Ruth in California:

THE PICNIC

My best friend and I lived only an hour away but with our families and careers it seemed we never had time to really visit.  So we started an annual tradition where every spring our families would meet at a zoo that was located in a town between us.  The kids could wander freely for several hours and we adults could talk leisurely and without interruption.  It was always extremely enjoyable for everyone.

One year, however, added a memory that none of us would ever forget.  We met at the zoo around noon with the intent to start off the day with a picnic.  We made our way over to the picnic area which was right in front of the giraffe exhibit.  There was one other family of four already milling around setting up their picnic.  You couldn’t help but notice that the man and woman were shaped very differently from one another.  In Jack Sprat fashion, he was tall and lanky and she was rather rotund.  The kids were somewhere in the middle.  The woman was wearing a very loose fitting tent type dress and she was humming and smiling while she set the table.  She had lots of food to put out.  We noticed fried chicken, potato salad, chips, hamburgers and hot dogs and lots of condiments.  Seemed like a lot for just four people.  She called her troops to the table and they sat with the two kids on one side towards the middle and the man on the other side towards the end.  She made her way to the perfectly set table and with a plate of something or other in her hand went to sit down on the far end on the same side as the man.  Well, the table must not have been balanced well and once she sat herself down the table became a teeter totter and she went down and the man and two kids went up and over and all the food came crashing down on the poor lady.  She landed on her back with her legs straight up in the air, skirt hoisted up to her waist and her rather large bloomers showing for all to see.

Had I been more mature about the whole thing I would have immediately thought to ask if everyone was alright.  But no.  At 40-something of age, I wasn’t.  I burst out laughing so loud the hyenas must have been jealous.  In fact, I’m sure I saw the giraffes laughing. My friend followed suit who was then followed by all 5 of our kids and our husbands.  None of us could seem to stop laughing and certainly none of us could stop grabbing our bellies long enough to help those people.  While I’m not proud of my inability to control myself, it is a picnic we all have laughed about for over 20 years now.

We love to hear from you!  Let us know what you’d like to read about or send us your comments or a humorous story to makemelaff100@hotmail.com.  Next month look for coverage on central Florida, which includes the Orlando area and a special feature from our publishers on what it is really like to move internationally – they just did it!

We love to hear from you!  Tell us what you’d like to read about or send us your humorous musings to Dee@ActiveAdultLiving.com.

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