First Hillbilly Hog Roast of 2007

This post will stay on top until 5/11/2007. For new content scroll down.

The hot months are here, or at least at the doorstep so its time to start our tradition of Hillbilly Hog Roasts. For those of you who joined the Ecosystem after we had our last one of 2006 here is what we do.

We choose the official hillbilly whatever. Last year it was the official hillbilly song - Dueling Banjos, the official hillbilly movie - Next of Kin and the official hillbilly TV show - The Andy Griffith Show.

This year we will begin by picking the official hillbilly vacation spot.

As usual I'll throw out an idea or two to get things started.

1. Graceland - no explanation necessary.
2. Opryland - also no explanation necessary.

Those two had to be on any list of hillbilly vacation destinations so I went ahead and got them out of the way.

Now here's my idea:

New Orleans. First of all its in the South. Sure it never joined the Confederacy, but it did fit the Yankees and Andy Jackson, the nation's first Hillbilly president, loved it down there.

New Orleans has a lot going for it that a hillbilly would love. First off its a dyed-in-the-wool party town and that is what hillbillies go on vacation to do. In that there French Quarter you can't throw an empty beer can without hitting a bar. And speaking of the bars they give you your drinks in plastic cups in case you want to take it with you as you wander the streets.

And some of those bars have women what dance nekked for your viewing pleasure! I remember the first time we took grandpaw down there he thought that the Millenium had up and arrived! And if you ain't got money for the women in them bars the women out on the street will pull their shirts up and show you what they got just for giving them a string of plastic beads (that cost about a quarter in them souvenir shops). Just try gettin' hometown Betty Jo, Bobbie Jo or Billie Jo to open their blouses for anything less than flowers, dinner at the Western Steer and a movie at an air conditioned theater and you'll know what a good deal them beads are!

And there's all kinds of great places to eat and shop and there all kind of beautiful buildings to look at and the whole place is just eat up with history.

I know they had a big storm down there a couple of years ago, but they got the good parts fixed up and open again in a jiffy and as long as you stay where the other tourists are you'll never notice anything ever happened.

So that's my nomination for the official hillbilly vacation spot. If your blog is a member of the Hillbilly Ecosystem you can suggest your own place in the comments to this post, which will remain on top for the next week or so. Then we'll have a little more than a week to vote and the winner will be announced.

Remember it is only for Hillbilly Ecosystem members so if you want to play and you ain't a member you'll have to join up by clicking the roadsign button on my sidebar and following the instructions.

Update:

We have more nominations for the official hillbilly vacation spot. Zane Petty at Big White Hat recommends Dollywood, the original Bass Pro Shop and Seagraves, Texas.

Dollywood is an amusement park owned by famous Country Western singer Dolly Parton (a distant cousin of mine) which is located in beautiful Pigeon Forge, TN in Sevier County. As I said the area is beautiful and besides Dollywood there are a number of other things to do in the area, like whitewater rafting and beautiful Cades Cove, the most visited part of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. There are a great many restaurants and shopping galore, including the Smoky Mountain Knife Works retail showroom.

The Bass Pro Shops chain was founded by John L Morris in the back of the Brown Derby Liquor store, which was owned by his father. The store was located on Table Rock Lake near Branson, Missouri. This association with Branson makes this a particulary good suggestion for a hillbilly vacation spot because Branson is regarded by many as the new Nashville. For a good live entertainment its hard to beat the many attractions of Branson. I would include links for Branson, but there are juist too many. Go to their website and see for yourself.

Seagraves, TX is apparently where his inbred hillbilly family has their reunions ;-).

Patrick at Born Again Redneck Yogi seconds my recomendation of New Orleans, LA.