Hour to Bowling Green, refueled/stretched/discarded yesterday’s muddy remnants.  Backroads of Kentucky.  Hour-15 further (back on highway now), pulled into Hermitage parking.  History nerd alert.  Flight home not ‘til noon – left 75 minutes to tour the People’s President’s Tennessee home.  Andrew Jackson, Old Hickory.  Sis, Paul & Stephen punched their tickets last month when we group ran Nashville.  Today, I’d get my opportunity.

Not a HUGE fan of $20 Jackson (Jefferson, Teddy Roosevelt top my list) – but he embodied the American dream.  After 50 years of aristocrats, Jackson was elected by the People, as one of us.  Orphaned early/penniless, joined the army, worked hard/driven & (after being robbed 4 years earlier) became U.S. President.

(Won both Popular & Electoral vote majorities in 1824, but the House of Representatives chose John Quincy Adams – 2nd in actual election.  You think Gore or Hillary got robbed, check this out.)

Folks in period costumes each major room/floor of the Hermitage.  Lotta knowledge/super interesting.  I remember reading a book about Jackson & wife Rachel Donelson in 4^th grade.  Frontier love story.

What I didn’t read in 4^th grade?  Never really divorced husband #1 – these were Frontier times.  Not widowed, married to 2 men – problem for the newly elected Jackson.  Controversy took its toll & the former Mrs. Robards died before Jackson took office.  Buried in her inaugural ball gown.  Sad, somber.

Every era has its stories – two centuries before social media.

Folks also choose to gloss over slavery.  Gone with the Wind/Southern romance hoohah.  Flying to South Carolina next week, expect more of the same.  Part of America’s shameful past.  I capture, chain, shackle you.  You belong to me.  I sell you as property.  Why stop there?  Humans are meat, right?  Absolutely bonkers.

Remember the past, learn from the past – don’t live in the past.

the Hermitage: interesting old house, Greco-Old World columns/architecture.  Slave owner.  75 minutes is plenty.