Slawburger '19 Rock - Fayetteville, TN

Starting in 2015, the third Saturday in April brings the yearly Slawburger Festival to the Fayetteville, TN town square. (With Covid, I'm not sure if it's on this year.) A Slawburger is a hamburger where the patty is topped by a mustard-based cole slaw. This Slawburger is only prepared by a few local restaurants like Honey's Restaurant, Ken's Fast Foods and Bill's Cafe. This big rock is in front of Lincoln County High School along highway US231/431. The painted slawburger must not be permanent as there is something else painted here on Google street view.

The Spam-mobile

How would you like to have a free sample of Spam? This travelling Spam Roadshow is bound to show up at fairs and festivals throughout our country. I saw it (and got a free sample) a decade ago at the Tennessee State Fair.

TN State Fair - Misfit Vegetables

Thinking back to the classic Christmastime special, Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer and the Island of Misfit Toys, There is a place at the State Fair for Misfit Vegetables. It's called the Most Unique Shape contest. As you can see, the blue ribbon winner was these three irregular potatoes.

Loveless Cafe Neon Sign before dusk

Located just southwest of Nashville on Scenic Highway 100 near the northern end of the Natchez Trace Parkway, this is now a "Must Visit" place, as it has been for decades. Some might say it's Nashville's premiere meat-and-three, while I've heard other's say they don't understand what all the hype is about.

So what's the best thing to get here? it may not even be on the menu. Let me explain... If you ever find a brochure for here, it'll likely have quotes from The Today Show weatherman Willard Scott or Martha Stewart saying they serve the best biscuits in the country. I've been to eat here twice. The first time must have been an off night as the biscuits were not-special-at-all disappointing and I had fries that may have come from the microwave. However, on my second visit, they lived up to their lofty expectations. The biscuits came with three different fruit spreads, which made for a better desert than I could have gotten at other places. Carol Fay Ellison is the Biscuit Lady and is a celebrity in some circles.

I don't know how many decades it's been since this was a motel, apparently some time in the mid 80's. The motel was named after the Loveless family which started the Motel. (If you don't know anything about the place, Loveless Motel makes for an amusing name.) The Lovelesses sold it to the Maynesses who sold it to the McCabes and it's now owned by TomKats caterers. The old motel rooms have been converted to shops.

I Dream of Weenie

Before you get the wrong idea, this is a hotdog stand in East Nashville. (on Woodland St.) It's in a area slowly becoming trendy, Five Points.

Their other sign: East Nashville's only full service weenery.

Tennessee State Fair - Fair Food

Nothing says being on a midway like having a bunch of food options, all of which have no redeeming health qualities. That's why we like it so much. If you are trying to cut back on sweets, maybe a hot beef sundae will suit you better.

Deep Fried Goo-Goos

Goo-Goo Clusters are a uniquely Middle Tennesseean confection. Made by the Standard Candy Company since 1903, it is easily their most popular candy. Since then, they have also started to manufacture the King Leo peppermint candy and Stuckey's Pecan Roll. As a young student about 25 years ago, I remember a class field trip to their manufacturing facility.

Deep Fried Goo-Goo Clusters were the official candy of the 2008 TN State Fair. You know you're at a southern fair or festival if you see something deep fried. Other vendors offered deep fried Snickers and Milky Ways. I think this poster is Groovy and surreal in a 70's kind of way.