Tennessee Crossroads 3511

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- This time on "Tennessee Crossroads", we head to a dream getaway that seems far away from civilization.

Then visit an Eagleville version of Green Acres.

We'll explore the history and attractions of Cannonsburgh in Murfreesboro and finally sample the smoky goodness of The Bar-B-Q Shop in Memphis.

That's the lineup for this edition of "Tennessee Crossroads".

I'm Joe Elmore, welcome.

(relaxing jazz music) Surely you've seen the airline commercial that poses the question, "Wanna get away?"

Well, we found a peaceful, pristine getaway that's surrounded by natural beauty and it's in a remote location, not that far from Nashville.

It's also a dream come true for a former executive in the corporate world of hospitality.

(cheerful guitar music) - Growing up in the north, I call it a hollow, but my neighbors, when I first purchased it, reminded me that I'm in the south and it's actually a holler.

(laughs) But I still call it a hollow.

- [Joe] Since 2014, David Yakes has been proud overseer of Butterfly Hollow, here in a storybook setting on 85 secluded acres of Smith County.

It has what you might call a combination of simple charm, casual elegance and natural inspiration.

- The home is a 1899 farm home, 125 years old and it was restored from a couple that we purchased it from in 2014.

And they did a wonderful job restoring the home, bringing it back to life and the property and we purchased it and transformed it into a year-round, three-room bed and breakfast and small wedding venue.

- [Joe] The wood interior of the home is poplar and cedar, all harvested right here on the property.

- So I always joke if we can figure out a way for wood to talk, we'd have days of stories to listen to.

(cheerful guitar music) So the rooms are named after the three kids.

Our first floor room, which is probably the most popular room is Leyton's Porch.

What makes it popular is it has its own screened-in porch.

It gives a little opportunity to have your own space and enjoy the property by yourself.

We have two rooms upstairs.

One is Alexandria's Attic, which is the oldest child.

And then we have Kristopher's Treehouse.

And it's the room over the kitchen overlooking the family room or the sitting room, kinda give you that tree house feel.

Each room has their own bathroom, one queen bed so we can accommodate two guests per room.

(cheerful guitar music continues) - [Joe] In 2017, David added a new cabin to the property, separate from the main house.

It's designed for visitors looking for a roomier vacation home away from home.

- [David] It is a two-bedroom, two-bath log cabin to allow people who want that vacation rental experience, to come and have their own space, do their own cooking, bring a friend or another couple with them or family members and enjoy Butterfly Hollow, have their own piece of serenity on the backside of the property.

And what makes it unique is the logs are actually made out of concrete.

- [Joe] By the way, David's wife, Beth Ann, is a full-time physician at Vanderbilt Hospital.

So needless to say, this guy wears quite a variety of hats.

- The behind the scenes of sales and marketing, the shopping for food, fixing an electrical outlet, on top of cooking breakfast, having weddings, cleaning room and then occasionally sitting on one of these chairs and just taking all this in and remembering this as a stress-free environment.

(relaxing guitar music) - [Joe] Of course, during warm weather months at Butterfly Hollow, you'll find an abundance of the B&B's namesakes.

- They appear every year towards the end of May, early June.

They come and groves and then they kind of die off a little, reducing numbers.

And then we get another, what I like to call a second hatching, a re-occurence about mid-July.

Of course, we're entering now the vegetable garden.

And I like to refer to as my farm-to-table version to where we have tomatoes, corn, zucchini, squash, all used for breakfast or when they're in overabundance, they're are given away as parting (chuckles) gifts.

(loud sizzling) - Speaking of food, David's got hungry guests waiting for breakfast.

And the culinary work is one of those hats he wears well.

- Little ham and cheese omelet this morning.

This morning was just a good all-American breakfast.

Ham and cheese omelet, hash browns, of course, bacon to make it all healthy, and then the fruit.

We had a combination of fresh fruit and a yogurt parfait, breakfast, all-American.

I always like to say I'm either Denny's or IHOP or Cracker Barrel on steroids.

We don't do fancy breakfasts, but I'm from the north so we have to have a little meat and potato.

- It's cheesy.

- Mm-hm!

- This gazebo is a popular attraction for many visitors.

You see, they're the ones who come all the way to Butterfly Hollow to tie the knot.

(romantic music) - I underestimated the (laughs) demand on small, intimate, outdoor weddings.

We do a lot of elopements where they stay as guests that night, they get married during the day and will spend the night and leave as husband and wife.

And we have a variety of packages.

If you just wanna show up and say, "I do," or you can spend a night or two and have 30 of your closest family members and friends here and we'll do the ceremony and dinner in our open air barn that sits behind me.

- [Joe] Whether they come for a romantic escape, with or without the wedding, or just a peaceful getaway, Butterfly Hollow has received rave reviews from visitors.

- Everyday is different.

I mean, that's pretty cliche, but because of the amount of people that I do see, whether it's bed and breakfast guests, whether it's wedding guests from all over the country and even international, a day, doesn't go by that you don't meet someone new or create a new friendship.

- It's a far cry from the hectic world of corporate hospitality, but David Yakes has never looked back.

Not since acquiring his own welcoming wooded sanctuary to share with guests and of course the butterflies.

If you're a baby boomer, you probably remember the show "Green Acres" where a city girl winds up on a farm with her husband and there was even a pig in the cast.

Well, Cindy Carter found a similar story in Eagleville at a place called Lucky Ladd Farms.

Oh, yes, they got a pig, too.

(upbeat country music) - [Cindy] Farm livin' isn't exactly a quiet existence (rooster crows) when you're livin' on Lucky Ladd Farms.

There's just too much to say!

(loud bleating) To see!

- I found a huge one!

- To do!

- Now these'll be picked this mornin' and goin' to a market this evening.

- [Cindy] Jason Ladd and his wife, Amy, started growing their agri-tourism business back in 2008.

A self-described city girl, Amy says she drew inspiration from her husband's rural upbringing.

- [Jason] Come on, pig, pig, pig, pig!

- [Cindy] And a pig named Charlotte.

- When we got married, my husband bought us a little potbellied pig, and from there it just got out of control, really.

Very soon we had goats and sheep and llamas and alpacas and horses and so he told me I needed to figure out a way to feed my animals.

- [Cindy] This was Amy's solution.

A 60-acre working farm in Rutherford County, (turkeys gobbling) A place where Amy's now extensive animal menagerie is on full display and growing fruits and vegetables... - [Child] Found one.

- [Cindy] Is also part of Lucky Ladd's charm.

(people chattering) - My husband, at first, he thought that was crazy.

He couldn't understand why people would wanna come out and experience life on the farm and see where vegetables grow and interact with the animals.

But once we did it, it grew very fastly, much quicker than we expected, but it's been a blessing ever since.

- Thank you and who's next?

Hi, guys, you have passes or tickets?

- Passes.

- [Cindy] The farm welcomes all ages eager to sample the so-called simple life.

Most head straight for the popular petting zoo, which includes the usual farm animal fare, as well as a few exotic friends, all lining up for snacks, more snacks, and a little love.

- [Mother] Oh, aren't they sweet, darling?

- [Cindy] The farm's nature trails wind through Tennessee's terrain and history.

There's a farmer's market and store, featuring homegrown and locally grown produce and products.

And there's a farm-themed playground.

(kid cheers) - There's all types of fun here out at the farm.

We have a huge playground and all different types of activities.

So it really is a day destination.

You can just come out and enjoy time together.

(child laughs) (cheerful guitar music) - [Cindy] No, it's not your typical life in the country, but studies show farms and agricultural acreage are declining in America.

The Ladds view their added attractions not as distractions, but as a smart business move.

- [Amy] Farmers struggle these days and so diversification is key in order to be able to sustain your farm for a long-term.

- [Cindy] Lucky Ladd Farms' long-term plan also includes embracing innovation, like this hydroponic strawberry patch.

15,000 plants growing on just a 10th of an acre.

- [Amy] It's grown in perlite and they're fed four times throughout the day through this drip irrigation, it comes down and then the water filters through and the roots absorb all of the nutrients and water and everything that they would need.

- [Cindy] The Ladds are growers who also hope this experience plants the seeds for a future generation of agricultural enthusiasts.

- [Man] Gotta get him wet so we can soap him up.

- [Cindy] Lucky Ladd offers several educational programs for young people like this summer camp.

(loud bleating) Little Dasher doesn't seem to like his bath, but he's reluctantly helping these campers learn how to care for animals.

- They just get upset with you and then they just start like trying to get out of the tub.

- They just go (bleats).

- We're rich and education for young kids.

Most families are four to five generations removed from the farm and they don't necessarily understand how agriculture impacts their everyday lives.

- Now who doesn't love a baby lamb.

Literally, her name is Baby.

And while Lucky Ladd has a lot to offer in terms of information and education, this is what the farm excels at.

Making memories (chuckles) like this one.

(cheerful music) - Got a couple.

- Thank you so much.

(cheerful music continues) - [Cindy] From alpacas to ponies, tortoises to train rides, Lucky Ladd may seem more like an amusement park than a working farm.

(kids screaming) But for the Ladds, it's just their way of preserving a country life for their children, their critters, and a slightly spoiled potbellied pig.

(cheerful music continues) - Thanks, Cindy.

A wise man once said that people without knowledge of their history, origin and culture are like trees without roots.

Well, the city of Murfreesboro took those words to heart.

They created a special place to preserve their roots.

Rickey Chick takes us to Cannonsburgh which was the original name for Murfreesboro.

- All right, if you'll just follow the lady with this sign, we'll go right through here and we'll go in through the gate.

(relaxing guitar music) - [Rickey] There's a magical place in Murfreesboro where a quick turn off the busiest street in town also turns back the pages of time.

The historic village of Cannonsburgh has been a part of the Murfreesboro Parks Department for nearly 50 years.

But the buildings that make it so special have been around much longer than that, as Parks Director, Nate Williams explains.

- In 1974, the city embarked on a national bicentennial project.

The whole nation was celebrating, encouraged communities across the United States to do something that would be unique to mark the bicentennial of the United States.

So leaders of Murfreesboro at that time decided to create this village, bring in buildings from across the county from the late 1800s to early 1900s.

And they ended up winning a national award, third place in the country, ended up winning $75,000 and an interesting fact, it's the only one of these projects that's still around today.

- [Rickey] Part of the reason Cannonsburgh is still around can be attributed to a devoted staff and volunteers, time traveling tour guides like Cathy Owen, who bring the village to life.

- A lot of them are folks that came on tours with their grandchildren and became interested in the place and said, "Hey, what can I do?"

And we have several that are retired teachers and they love it.

- Throughout our park system, we have tons of volunteers.

We recognize them every year and Cannonsburgh has a huge percentage of that.

They come out and they bring their expertise and their passion for these buildings in this area.

We can't say enough how much we appreciate all they do to make this village what it is.

- What in the world have we got here?

I've been looking for some desperadoes.

- [Man] You got 'em, man.

- Man, this is a desperate looking crew, if I ever did see one!

I'm also not only the Marshall in this here, Cannonsburgh, I'm the truancy officer, uh-huh!

- [Rickey] But Marshall, these kids are in school!

What better way to learn than by immersing them in a bygone era, surrounded by actual buildings and artifacts from Rutherford County's past?

- We do a lot of school tours.

So when we have the school tours lined up, I'm the one that kind of organizes and then gets the kids started.

I generally start with the mill.

There were a lot of mills in this area.

The equipment in the mill is over a hundred years old and it actually does work.

The schoolhouse is very interesting.

It's set up as a conscription school and the people that lived in the community would pay the teachers to come in and the teachers would actually take turns living with the different families.

That seems to be the favorite thing of a lot of the children on the tour and it's real different for them, that seems to be one of their favorites.

It's interesting, you know.

I always try to ask them what's missing from the buildings, the children.

And first off, they'll say a computer.

Then they'll finally come to the fact that there's no bathroom, but they seem to like the parts that they're not even familiar with.

- [Rickey] A telephone switchboard certainly falls into that category.

Like the one in Miss Ada's house.

- It was the home of Miss Ada Rowland.

She was employed by a private telephone company, she came as a widow with a young child.

We actually have her original switchboard and battery cabinet.

She was on call 24 hours a day and actually knew everything that happened in the community before anybody else.

- [Rickey] Wouldn't that be a dream job for the town gossip?

Listening to Cathy, it's easy to tell that she's found her dream job as well.

So, Cathy, tell me about the Leeman House.

- [Cathy] The Leeman House is my personal favorite.

It was actually located outside of Murfreesboro.

There were 10 children raised here, five boys and five girls.

They had a rather large farm, tobacco and cattle raisers.

And we are lucky enough to have some of the family that still comes around and can share stories of Thanksgiving and all sorts of things.

- Any idea what this is?

Most visitors don't know what this is but back in the day, for those of us who were vertically challenged, it was a very handy device.

It's a mounting block and it was used so women could mount their horses.

(horse neighing) And when those horses needed shoes, where did they go?

(faint hammering) The local blacksmith, of course.

- [Blacksmith] The interesting thing about steel, see the magnet sticks to the steel, but when it gets to critical temperature, that orange hot, it doesn't stick anymore.

- Now, if you prefer horseless carriages, you can check out the classic cars at the Stones River Garage.

(alarm blaring) But beware, it's a speed trap.

Must be related to that Marshall.

- Uh-huh!

Uh-huh!

(gentle music) - And this is just a great place for people to come and pause for a second and reflect on more simple times.

- You might've heard your grandparents tell you about it, but if you come here, you really get to experience it for just a little while.

It's just a taste of a life that doesn't really exist anymore.

(gentle music continues) - [Rickey] Except in a magical place, near a busy street in the borough.

- When you think of Memphis and think food, chances are you're thinkin' about barbecue.

As a Memphis native, Danielle Allen knows where to find the real deal.

And she did just that a while back when she sampled the smoky goodness of The Bar-B-Q Shop.

(upbeat country music) - Laughter... (men laughing loudly) Good food... - Oh, the ribs.

They're my favorite.

- And a stellar reputation.

- There's other places that have more of a name, but in my opinion, I've eaten at all of 'em and this is the best place in town so I would recommend anybody that's looking for good barbecue to come here.

- [Danielle] These are some of the things The Bar-B-Q Shop on Madison Avenue is known for.

It's not their only claim to fame, though.

They're the originators of barbecue spaghetti, which has become a Memphis staple.

- The good thing about eating Memphis barbecue is you're never gonna go to a Memphis barbecue place and go, "Oh, that's kinda like this place," or, "That's the second Bar-B-Q Shop."

Everything has a complete different taste and I've never eaten a Memphis barbecue spaghetti that was even close to the next one.

To be honest, our barbecue spaghetti, it's sweet, it's oily-looking, but no one else will have the flavor that we have in those noodles.

- [Danielle] One thing that is duplicated in this restaurant is quality.

The owner of The Bar-B-Q Shop, Eric Vernon, ensures that every bite is just as delicious as the one before it.

- We have to make sure we're maintaining the way we cook our meats and cook our ribs, the way we make that coleslaw and the barbecue sauce, and the way we do the barbecue spaghetti.

I mean even daily, my job is to go back there and check that barbecue spaghetti throughout the day to make sure it has the right consistency, thickness and taste that should have.

And that's it.

You know, I'm gonna taste the coleslaw, I'm gonna taste the beans, I am to look at the meat when it comes off in the morning and it's supposed to meet the same criteria that we've had everyday for years.

(upbeat music) - [Danielle] That consistency is vital to the success of The Bar-B-Q Shop.

With so many barbecue places in the Bluff City, their commitment to getting it right every time makes them stand out in the Memphis crowd.

- [Eric] I think all the Memphis barbecue sauces give you a smoky flavor, but ours is a little bit of sweet, and a little bit of tangy mixed together with that smoky flavor.

And I think that's what sets us apart from everybody else.

- [Danielle] That one of a kind sauce is made from scratch everyday.

It's then used to baste, marinate or add flavor to meat that just falls right off the bone.

But arriving to this delicious final product is not always a quick process.

- We actually start cooking in the evening and it cooks through the night and then we take it off in the morning when we get here.

It's a 12-hour process for our beef brisket, our Boston butts.

The ribs, of course, is much shorter, but anything that we're using like that, we smoked it for 12 hours.

- Of course, one of the most popular items on the menu are the ribs.

Now you can get these with a dry rub or drenched in delicious barbecue sauce, or just do half and half.

But no matter how you ordered them, one thing remains the same.

Each bite is infused with a delicious flavor that's been around for decades.

- [Eric] The Bar-B-Q Shop is at this point, three generations and we go back to the first generation, you have Brady & Lil's.

And Mr. Brady was a cook on the railroad and he had a love for cooking, but his two favorite loves within cooking was pasta and barbecue.

And so he set out to open up his own barbecue restaurant.

- [Danielle] Brady & Lil's made quite a name for itself in the '60s.

In fact, their unmistakable barbecue flavor struck a chord with a legendary music group.

- Brady & Lil's was a big place for Stax musicians.

Isaac Hayes, you had Willie Mitchell's producer, Al Green.

And actually when The Beatles World Tour came to Memphis in '63, '64, they went to visit Stax and they went to visit Willie Mitchell.

And Willie Mitchell said, "Hey, go to Brady & Lil's," and The Beatles came and bought up all the ribs Brady had.

- [Danielle] Another customer who was impressed with the food was Eric's father, Frank.

He ate at Brady & Lil's often and he was there in the '80s when Mr. Brady decided to hang up his apron for good.

- Mr. Brady and my father were good friends.

And one day they were having a conversation and Mr. Brady said, "Hey, I don't wanna do this anymore."

And my dad said, "Look, "I wanna have my own restaurant again.

"I wanna be my own boss.

"I wish you would consider mentoring me and showing me "everything about barbecue," and they made a deal.

And actually when they went to sign the papers, he stopped and went in the other room and got the biggest Bible I'd ever seen and said, "Hey, if you are going to run this restaurant, "you're gonna need this Bible to make it through."

- [Danielle] Frank kept the Bible and many of Mr Brady's practices.

He did, however, add a new flavor to things.

They changed the name to The Bar-B-Q Shop and moved to a new location.

Eric grew up watching all of this and helping with the business, but he was cooking up a different type of career.

- [Eric] I was gonna get my business degree, I was gonna be a corporate guy.

And right when I graduated, my dad told me that he was thinking about selling it.

And I said, "You know what?

"I'll give you a year of my life."

Since then we've been on the Bobby Flay show, we've been on Andrew Zimmerman twice, we're hosting the New York Times 36 hours in Memphis video.

We've just achieved so much since that time period and kind of never looked back.

- [Danielle] But just like his father, Eric wants to make sure some things never change.

- [Eric] My dad's advice was, "I know you want to expand on things.

"I know you have degrees and you can keep us in the present, "but don't change anything that's working."

And I'm a big believer of that.

I've seen a lot of restaurants go through generational changes that people come in and change some of the core things that were working and it doesn't last.

So, I'm never gonna mess with this barbecue sauce.

I'm never gonna mess with the way we cook it.

I'm never gonna mess with the way we prep things and make things daily.

That's always gonna stay the same.

(upbeat music) - Gotta love that Memphis barbecue.

Well, thanks for joining us for this edition of "Tennessee Crossroads".

Hope you'll check in on our website from time to time, TennesseeCrossroads.org, follow us on Facebook, and of course, join me right here next week.

See you then.

(relaxing jazz music) - [Announcer] "Tennessee Crossroads" is made possible in part by... - [Announcer] Truist is committed to the communities and people it serves across Tennessee, offering in-person and online banking, investment, and other financial services for individuals and businesses.

More at Truist.com.

- [Announcer] Discover Tennessee Trails and Byways.

Discover Tennessee's adventure, cuisine, history, and more made in Tennessee experiences showcased among these 16 driving trails.

More TNTrailsAndByways.com.