All roads lead to the Colonel
Happy Thursday-before-a-Monday-holiday. Looking forward to spending some time with family and friends over the weekend, as I'm sure you are, too.
I had occasion to travel south this week, as I undertook a new work project on Monday with a company based in Alabama. So I had to travel south through Nashville, Tennessee to get there.
If you've not had the pleasure of driving in Nashville traffic, take it from me that it's quite something. I've driven in larger cities that offered fewer traffic challenges than Music City, and I've never been quite sure why that is. I do know that the positioning of the city in and around the Cumberland River has a bit to do with it, but I also think that their road system is just not designed to accommodate the large volume of cars driving on it each day.
Luckily for me, I was passing through southbound on Sunday afternoon, so sailed through and around the center of town "without touching my brake," as I told my wife that night upon reaching my destination.
I was scheduled to be in Alabama only through lunch on Tuesday, so was able to leave as planned. As I headed north to the Alabama-Tennessee state line I began a series of calculations about when I would reach Nashville. My experience is that if you've not attempted to reach the downtown area (which is a little misleading, as I-65 runs alongside the downtown Nashville area, not through it) by 3:00 local time, you're going to be delayed getting into and through it.
Anyway, I hit the state line and realized that I was well ahead of schedule. So when I came upon the exit for Cornersville and Lynnville, I took it.
Because that exit takes one to Lynnville, home of Colonel Littleton, Ltd. I've written about the Colonel in the past in this space, both the man and the company.
This was my third visit to Lynnville, always corresponding to a trip to or through that part of Tennessee. For geographic reference, Lynnville is only about an hour south of Nashville, and roughly twenty miles north of the Alabama border. It's also not far from the Jack Daniel's distillery, which is just a bit further south.
Anyway, I parked and stepped into the main Colonel Littleton store (he has two there in the town square) and was greeted by a very friendly and accommodating lady who thanked me for stopping in and encouraged me to look around, pick up and examine all of the items therein and even try things on as appropriate.
As always, it's leather goods heaven in that store, with loads of options for briefcases, portfolios, note pads, wallets, belts, luggage and many more items. The scent is intoxicating if you like that sort of thing (personally, I think that the smell of good leather is unmistakeable and memorable, like the scent of a baseball) and this space had that aroma.
I told the manager I was going to visit their "other" store, the Private Stock store, just up the block but would stop back in before leaving. Made my way to the second space and was greeted by an equally friendly lady. The Colonel's Private Stock is made up of leather with visible brands and other marks, as well as color variations that make all of the wares one-of-a-kind. This store also houses the Colonel's American Buffalo collection, with many of the items that are available in the main store fabricated from bison hide leather. It's beautiful in a subtly different way, and one of these days I'll add some of that to my large collection of the Colonel's vintage brown steerhide leather items.
I thanked the lady and went back to the main store as promised, picked up one of the Colonel's coffee mugs (heavy stoneware designed to look like an old tin coffee cup you'd see a cowboy use, with the Colonel's logo embossed) and paid for it. The manager actually went to the trouble of packing this mug in bubble wrap, placed it in a box and then in a tiny shopping bag, complete with stickers, a postcard, some other literature, and the signature item that accompanies any item from the Colonel--a mini Moon Pie (also made in Tennessee).
Yes, I saw things I wanted, but realized that most would unnecessarily replace an item I already have. That's kind of the trouble with Colonel Littleton--his items are so well made that it's hard to wear them out, so replacements aren't necessary. Yet.
Oh, and I sailed right through Nashville after departing, so my trip didn't cost me any delays other than the enjoyable time I spent in Lynnville.
If you live anywhere close and enjoy seeing the leaves turning in October or so, take a drive south of Nashville on I-65 and head south to Lynnville. But don't go on Sunday or Monday, the Colonel's stores are closed on those days!
I had occasion to travel south this week, as I undertook a new work project on Monday with a company based in Alabama. So I had to travel south through Nashville, Tennessee to get there.
If you've not had the pleasure of driving in Nashville traffic, take it from me that it's quite something. I've driven in larger cities that offered fewer traffic challenges than Music City, and I've never been quite sure why that is. I do know that the positioning of the city in and around the Cumberland River has a bit to do with it, but I also think that their road system is just not designed to accommodate the large volume of cars driving on it each day.
Luckily for me, I was passing through southbound on Sunday afternoon, so sailed through and around the center of town "without touching my brake," as I told my wife that night upon reaching my destination.
I was scheduled to be in Alabama only through lunch on Tuesday, so was able to leave as planned. As I headed north to the Alabama-Tennessee state line I began a series of calculations about when I would reach Nashville. My experience is that if you've not attempted to reach the downtown area (which is a little misleading, as I-65 runs alongside the downtown Nashville area, not through it) by 3:00 local time, you're going to be delayed getting into and through it.
Anyway, I hit the state line and realized that I was well ahead of schedule. So when I came upon the exit for Cornersville and Lynnville, I took it.
Because that exit takes one to Lynnville, home of Colonel Littleton, Ltd. I've written about the Colonel in the past in this space, both the man and the company.
This was my third visit to Lynnville, always corresponding to a trip to or through that part of Tennessee. For geographic reference, Lynnville is only about an hour south of Nashville, and roughly twenty miles north of the Alabama border. It's also not far from the Jack Daniel's distillery, which is just a bit further south.
Anyway, I parked and stepped into the main Colonel Littleton store (he has two there in the town square) and was greeted by a very friendly and accommodating lady who thanked me for stopping in and encouraged me to look around, pick up and examine all of the items therein and even try things on as appropriate.
As always, it's leather goods heaven in that store, with loads of options for briefcases, portfolios, note pads, wallets, belts, luggage and many more items. The scent is intoxicating if you like that sort of thing (personally, I think that the smell of good leather is unmistakeable and memorable, like the scent of a baseball) and this space had that aroma.
I told the manager I was going to visit their "other" store, the Private Stock store, just up the block but would stop back in before leaving. Made my way to the second space and was greeted by an equally friendly lady. The Colonel's Private Stock is made up of leather with visible brands and other marks, as well as color variations that make all of the wares one-of-a-kind. This store also houses the Colonel's American Buffalo collection, with many of the items that are available in the main store fabricated from bison hide leather. It's beautiful in a subtly different way, and one of these days I'll add some of that to my large collection of the Colonel's vintage brown steerhide leather items.
I thanked the lady and went back to the main store as promised, picked up one of the Colonel's coffee mugs (heavy stoneware designed to look like an old tin coffee cup you'd see a cowboy use, with the Colonel's logo embossed) and paid for it. The manager actually went to the trouble of packing this mug in bubble wrap, placed it in a box and then in a tiny shopping bag, complete with stickers, a postcard, some other literature, and the signature item that accompanies any item from the Colonel--a mini Moon Pie (also made in Tennessee).
Yes, I saw things I wanted, but realized that most would unnecessarily replace an item I already have. That's kind of the trouble with Colonel Littleton--his items are so well made that it's hard to wear them out, so replacements aren't necessary. Yet.
Oh, and I sailed right through Nashville after departing, so my trip didn't cost me any delays other than the enjoyable time I spent in Lynnville.
If you live anywhere close and enjoy seeing the leaves turning in October or so, take a drive south of Nashville on I-65 and head south to Lynnville. But don't go on Sunday or Monday, the Colonel's stores are closed on those days!
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