“Need some bourbon?” the enormous of a person in entrance of me requested.
“I imply, I might by no means say no to such a proposal,” I mentioned as I raised the little plastic pattern cup to my mouth and sipped the amber liquid. “Oh, wow. That’s good. Easy.”
“Nicely, come to Franklin! There’s extra!”
I’d by no means heard of Franklin, Tennessee, till that second I met Matt from town’s tourism board at TravelCon in 2019 as he poured me a drink.
“Certain, I simply would possibly,” I mentioned, adopted by “possibly in the future…” I thanked him and left, considering I’d quickly overlook about Franklin and its bourbon, similar to I typically do when most tourism reps ask me to go to. “Possibly in the future” interprets to “doubtless by no means,” as a result of there are simply too many locations to see on this massive, huge world of ours, and I run alone schedule.
However, because it occurs, I did get there.
In the summertime of 2020, throughout the peak of the pandemic, I drove residence to Boston to see my dad and mom, get out of the Texas warmth, and satiate my wanderlust by doing the one factor we actually might do on the time: take a highway journey.
As a recently-recovered, COVID-antibody-rich individual, I felt comfy making the drive and stopping on the way in which.
Once I visited a buddy in Nashville, I seen on Google Maps that I used to be near Franklin. “Oh, that’s solely 40 minutes away? Possibly I’ll go there for a few days.”
So, I known as up Matt and he mentioned to return go to. He instructed me there was one resort open.
Based in 1799, town was named after Benjamin Franklin. Earlier than the Civil Struggle, the world was one of many wealthiest in Tennessee, with compelled slave labor making a plantation economic system that produced hemp and tobacco and raised livestock.
In 1864, town performed a serious function within the Civil Struggle. The Battle of Franklin was one in all its bloodiest battles, with over 8,000 casualties, together with important losses in management for the Accomplice facet.
Now residence to about 80,000 individuals, Franklin is an odd combine: half hipster (from those that left Nashville) and half previous South (translation: numerous non secular white people). There are moments you are feeling such as you’re in what’d you suppose a small city in the course of Tennessee ought to be — and others while you’re in some up-and-coming place, the place yoga and açai bowls abound just like the craft beer flowing in any respect the brand new breweries. It should make you surprise when you’re not in Portland with a Southern accent.
What a spot it’s!
The historic essential road, in contrast to so many others in previous small cities in America, is vibrant — full of eating places, bars, and outlets, in addition to a movie show straight out of the Nineteen Fifties. The city sq. can also be residence to a number of monuments to those that fought within the Battle of Franklin.
Furthermore, there are numerous outside actions, due to its proximity to the Natchez Hint, a historic forest path initially utilized by Native Individuals. The path stretches 440 miles, from Nashville, Tennessee, to Natchez, Mississippi.
Right now, it’s used for climbing and biking. It’s also possible to drive the Natchez Hint Parkway, a two-lane highway that carefully follows your complete size of the unique path.
And, as Matt promised, I bought my bourbon repair. We drove out to the countryside to go to some distilleries, however the spotlight of our tour was H. Clark, the distillery of the bourbon that so wowed me at TravelCon.
“Distillery” is definitely too sort of a phrase. Sure, there’s a nonetheless there, but it surely’s not the sort of distillery that you just would possibly sometimes anticipate. Positioned within the quaint city of Thompson’s Station, it and its tasting room are in an unassuming constructing that farmers used to make use of to deal with grains.
Again in 2008, one in all its founders, Heath Clark, was merely a lawyer who determined he needed to distill his personal bourbon. However regardless of Tennessee being well-known for its bourbon, at the moment it was nonetheless a principally dry state that solely allowed distilling in three counties.
So, through the use of his connections and lobbying the legislature in Nashville, he bought a regulation handed in 2009 that allowed counties to determine in the event that they needed to be “moist” or “dry.” This rebirthed the state’s bourbon enterprise, resulting in an explosion of craft distilleries throughout Tennessee.
On the finish of my time in Franklin, I used to be greater than impressed with this little city.
And, final month, as I drove residence from TravelCon in Memphis, I used to be in no rush to get again residence to Austin, so I took the good distance, driving east to Florida for just a few days on the seashore. Alongside the way in which, I ended once more in Franklin. Matt had invited me out to chill out after the occasion for just a few days — and I wanted extra bourbon, my restricted provide of H. Clark having been depleted way back.
On this return go to two years after the primary, issues had been lots completely different. There have been a bunch of recent eating places and bars, plus much more individuals — all that advertising and marketing they did to draw regional vacationers throughout the pandemic paid off.
I occurred to overlap with Amanda from A Harmful Enterprise, a blogger I’ve recognized for the reason that starting of my running a blog days. We went again to H. Clark (now Firm Distilling), ate a ton of meals, and caught up.
It was truly an ideal metaphor for what Franklin is: a spot the place you stroll, eat, and drink. Certain, when you depart the downtown core, you’ll see the places of work of numerous Fortune 500 firms, however historic Franklin is the place you’ll spend most of your time.
There’s loads to fill a weekend right here (however not sufficient for every week): just a few strolling excursions, the Civil Struggle battlefield, brewery and distillery visits, some climbing and biking trails on the Natchez Hint, and looking the musty previous bookstore run by a man straight out of a William Faulkner novel.
However you’ll principally eat, drink, and eat some extra. There’s JJ’s wine bar, O’ Be Joyful for cocktails, Puckett’s for conventional Southern meals, Franklin Mercantile for an eclectic menu of sandwiches and funky decor, and numerous different locations with parts that might feed a household (come to Franklin hungry).
With the Nashville airport solely half-hour from city, I believe it’s excellent for a 2-3-day journey.
I don’t suppose I’d have found if Franklin wasn’t for TravelCon, and I’m glad I did. It has was one in all my favourite locations in the US.
I’ve a sense that subsequent time I’m driving by means of the South, my automotive would possibly magically take me by means of Franklin. In case your automotive does too, don’t resist. In any case, there’s all that incredible bourbon and far more ready for you.
