Max Patch...Really Cool But Really Cold

Max Patch
Location: North Carolina off exit 7 of Interstate 40


Max Patch is an amazing place to visit in North Carolina. This mountaintop bald offers breathtaking views of the Smoky Mountain landscape that surrounds it. Only an hour and a half away from Knoxville, this beautiful mountaintop is well worth the drive.

I was personally very impressed by Max Patch. At first I was a bit hesitant about our adventure into the mountains. The only directions I could find to Max Patch were from other hikers, but I couldn't find directions from any national park or national forest websites. This made me a bit nervous. Also, the directions indicated that a few hundred feet after exiting the interstate we would be continuing our journey down a dirt road. This sounded a bit sketchy to me...and reminded me of a horror movie involving inbred, cannibalistic mountain men that I saw in high school. Luckily, my experience at Max Patch was nothing like what I saw in that movie.

One of the first things I was impressed by was how well the roads were labeled, despite being dirt roads. My directions indicated that the dirt road would fork and I would need to keep left. I envisioned this turn in our journey being badly labeled and quite confusing. Instead it was just the opposite. All along the dirt road, there were plenty of adequate wooden signs indicating that we were heading in the right direction. And when we reached the fork in the road, the signs were so clear and informative that there was not a doubt in my mind as I veered left at the fork. The directions I had printed off the internet also turned out to be extremely helpful and accurate. They even gave the approximate distances we would travel before reaching the fork and then continuing down the next road towards Max Patch. It was really almost impossible to miss Max Patch.

As you approach Max Patch, a nice gravel parking lot appears on the left. This parking lot not only indicates the trail leading to the top of Max Patch, but it also provides ample parking for the visitors of Max Patch. Although made of gravel, the lot was in good condition. It was obvious that the park rangers had not let the condition of the parking area deteriorate. It's always a great start to any hike when the trail can easily be found because of a well-kept parking area. Hikes are just not as enjoyable when you get lost just trying to find the trail head.


The bald itself was absolutely spectacular. You really feel like your on top of the world when you stand up there. Sadly, it was cloudy part of the time we were there, so our panoramic views of the surrounding Smokies were blocked by some heavy cloud coverage sometimes. The views we could see during the breaks in the dense clouds were breathtaking.

It's really nice to retreat from the city for a bit and take some time to just slow down. Places like Max Patch provide an excellent spot to do that. On top of that mountain, the only thing I could hear was wind blowing gustily across the bald. Up there you just stop, breath in the fresh air, and take some time to reflect on things. I think we all need this some time, and I wish I had time to do it more. There's just something peaceful and rejuvenating about spending some quiet time in the middle of nature.

Overall, I give Max Patch two big thumbs up. It's really nice to see that the park services have taken such good care of wonderful natural landmarks like Max Patch. Hopefully they'll keep up the good work so that our parks and national forests can be enjoyed for many generations to come.

Sun Studios...The Birthplace of Rock 'n Roll

Sun Studio
Location: Memphis, TN


Sun Studios was one of the coolest places I've visited in a really long time. Maybe part of the reason I like it so much is because it's something Memphis can be proud of...and we Memphians really can't say that too often. Yes, Memphis is the home of Elvis and blues, but more noticeably it's the home of one of the highest per capita homicide rates in the US and just some crappy city development in general. So to visit a Memphis tourist attraction that I can claim proudly is truly a happy moment for me.




From the outside, Sun Studio doesn't really look like much. It's just a little building on Union Avenue that I passed many times on my way home from downtown. I knew it was famous, and I knew you could tour it, but visiting it had just never been a priority on my list. It was actually my little brother who prompted me to visit Sun Studio. We wanted to have a little bit of brother/sister bonding time, and my mom suggested we go visit Sun Studio together. And thus began a very wonderful museum experience.

When you walk into Sun Studio, you don't actually walk into the studio or a museum-like lobby, but instead a quaint diner...souvenir shop included. Diner may be a bit of a stretch. The restaurant connected to Sun Studio is more of a gift shop that also serves coffee and sodas. It used to be a restaurant back when Sun Studio first started, and it remains pretty much in it's original form.

As you enter Sun Studio, you walk into this diner/gift shop and purchase your tickets for a guided tour. Tours leave every half hour. My brother and I got there with about 15 minutes to spare before the next tour, but we had no trouble keeping ourselves occupied until our tour started. Between the t-shirts, cds, and Elvis sunglasses, you can keep yourself pretty busy. And when all else failed, my brother and I resorted to an intense round of tic-tac-toe. (Did I mention that my brother's only 11?)

The tour begins in the back of the gift shop, where your friendly guide leads you up a set of stairs to the museum above the diner. Museum is a bit of an overstatement. It's a decently sized room with display cases around the entire perimeter. The guide takes you through each display case, giving you the history behind how Sun Studios started. This was actually really interesting and informative, and it only made the actual studio so much cooler when we finally did get to tour it. Sun Studios is the birthplace of rock n' roll, and it was really exciting to be there where it all started. I learned about Sam Philips, who started the studio, and the many famous musicians who came through that studio including Elvis and Johnny Cash. There was also a copy of a program from one of Elvis's high school talent shows. That was very cool to see.

After you're done with the museum, the guide leads you down a different set of stairs and into the actual studio. The studio has miraculously remained unchanged through the years, despite the fact that Sun Studios didn't occupy the building for a large chunk of time. During the years when the studio was not in existence, there was a scuba shop there instead. Luckily the owners of the scuba shop realized the historical importance of the old studio and didn't change anything about its interior. Thus, you can visit the studio today in its original and authentic state.



In the studio there are markers on the ground designating important spots such as the actual birthplace of rock n' roll...that is, where Elvis stood and recorded his first song. At the end of the tour, they also bring out an 1950s style authentic microphone that you can pose with just like Elvis. There are no roped off areas or display cases in the studio. It is a real, and still functioning studio, which I think makes it even more awesome to visit. Although tours of Sun Studio are offered during the day, at night you can still record there for a rate of $85 an hour. Sun Studio is not only a monument to the history of music but also a place where the future of music is being discovered all the time. I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to Sun Studio and would recommend it for anyone. Plus, I got a really great t-shirt from it.

Sacred Beauty

Sacred Beauty: A Millennium of Religious Art
Location: McClung Museum


I really liked this exhibit at McClung Museum. I definitely have to say that I was surprised by how impressive of an exhibit this one was. I never expected such a nice exhibition and such a cool variety of artifacts to appear in our humble little McClung. I personally have a love for archaeological artifacts...or anything that seems like something that Indiana Jones would go searching for. Thus, this exhibit tickled my fancy to the utmost extent. The exhibit dealt with artifacts of the five major religions: Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity, Islam, and Judaism.

The exhibit as a whole was set up very nicely. The first thing I noticed upon entering the exhibit was the dramatic lighting used to accent each individual piece. I thought it was well done, with no main overhead lighting and the only light sources being the lights spotlighting each artifact. This created an environment where the lighting was subdued, yet without causing the artifacts to be poorly lit. I think this "mood" lighting also added a reverent atmosphere to the exhibit, which was quite appropriate since the exhibit dealt with religious art.

Also, in relation to the set up of the exhibit, I thought it had a nice overall flow. One thing that was a slight problem for me was initially differentiating between the sections. This was probably due more to me not paying attention than to the exhibit being laid out in a confusing manner. I did really like how the exhibit offered two places to enter or exit. This would definitely alleviate traffic jams that could be caused by school groups. It also gave the entire exhibit a more definite route, so that I as the observer was not worrying about where to begin or go next. Instead I could wander through the exhibit without a care. I also found the dispersement of the display cases to be quite well done. There were enough to keep the exhibit from seeming depressingly empty, but not so many that it looked cluttered or overwhelming. The display cases suspended on the walls were also great because they served their purpose without taking up any useless space.

The exhibit did a great job of giving a general synopsis of each religion and also of describing all of the artifacts. At the start of each section, a lengthy synopsis was given about the religion that section pertained to. I found these descriptions both interesting and really helpful because they greatly helped to clarify the artifacts I later viewed. I like how the synopses gave not only the historical origins of the religions, but also a general description of that religion's basic beliefs. Continuing on, the descriptions provided with each artifact were also extremely helpful and enlightening. They went above and beyond a normal museum description because they told not only what the object was, but also talked about its religious significance and how it was used in its original context. This made each object so much more interesting.

Out of all the sections, the Buddhist and Hindu art were my two favorites. I think this is mainly because those two religions seem to exotic to me. Buddhism and Hinduism are two religions that I know the basics about but don't come in contact with on a regular basis, thus their artifacts are much more intriguing. Plus, I think in a way those artifacts made me want to go watch an Indiana Jones movie.

I also thought that the Christian artifacts were really interesting because they weren't things that one would find in today's American Christian culture. It was like stepping into a different world of Christianity, based around religious dogma and seemingly archaic (and I believe some to be incorrect) beliefs. As a Christian in today's culture, I especially enjoyed viewing relics from the history of my religion.

The Islamic art section was disappointingly scarce. It consisted of a photo of a mosque, a rug, a few manuscripts, and a tile. I was really disappointed with this section because I think Islamic art is really beautiful and interesting. I really wish there had been more to this section of the exhibit, which seemed scantily supplied when compared with the other four sections. But I can see how it would be hard to collect a lot of Islamic art to display in the museum since it seems that a large portion of Islamic art is found in the actual architecture of their religious buildings.

The Judaism section was a good combination of religious artifacts and texts. Seeing as how great a role the law plays in Jewish culture, it was wonderful that there were actual examples of the Torah on display. I especially liked the Torah crown and finials because they expressed how great is the reverence for the word of God in Judaism.

Overall I give this exhibit two thumbs up. I could even see myself going back for a second visit just to enjoy the experience all over again.