Episode 3815

- [Announcer] "Tennessee Crossroads" is made possible in part by-

- [Narrator] Some of our biggest trucks have also made the biggest difference. The Tennessee Lottery proud to have raised more than $7.5 billion for education. Now, that's some game-changing, life-changing fun.

- [Announcer] Discover Tennessee Trails & Byways. Discover Tennessee's adventure, cuisine, history, and more made in Tennessee experiences showcased among these 16 driving trails. More at TNTrailsAndByways.com.

- [Narrator] The Co-op system in Tennessee consists of independently owned co-ops, driven to serve farmer owners, rural lifestyle customers, and their communities throughout Tennessee and in five neighboring states. More at ourcoop.com.

- [Narrator] Middle Tennessee State University College of Liberal Arts helps students explore the world, engage minds, enrich lives, and earn a living. More at mtsu.edu/cla.

- This week, we'll tempt you with frozen treats, visit a magical realm in Knoxville, enjoy comfort food in Dixon, and take care of business in a flash in Memphis. I'm Laura Faber. Thank you, thank you very much for joining us. You've probably heard the old rhyme, "I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream." I don't know if there's a similar saying for gelato, but Cindy Carter is about to sing its praises at the Legacy Creamery in Tullahoma.

- [Cindy] Here's the scoop, the oh, so delicious scoop on a great place to cool off!

- So this is where we get our arm workout in, but I'm like a crab. It's just my right arm. My left arm is weak.

- [Cindy] Cassy Grow is working out some serious caramel brownie gelato, a labor she absolutely loves inside Tullahoma's Tennessee's only small batch gelatoria, Legacy Creamery.

- It's a a feel good thing all the way around and it's awesome also that it's a family thing.

- [Cindy] Cassy and her husband, Tony, opened Legacy Creamery in 2020 not 100% sure locals would take to it. After all, most people are much more familiar with gelato's first cousin, ice cream.

- [Cassy] It's literally the amount of heavy cream, which is the milk fat, and it's slower churned than ice cream, so that makes it a more dense product, so it has less air. Gelato is able to be served at a much warmer temperature, so that allows you to taste the flavor. When it first goes on your tongue, you're not so cold that you don't taste the flavor of the gelato, and oh, the flavors you will taste. So, Caramel Brownie, Chocolate Caramel Brownie, Brown Sugar Butter Pecan, which we make with butter and also brown sugar. And then a Coffee Crunch, Chocolate Jack Daniels, which we make with Jack Daniels. Lemon Sorbet, Blood Orange Sorbet. We always have to have those, too. And Oreo Extreme.

- [Cindy] Cassy says they generally offer customers about 26 flavors to choose from on any given day. Some favorites are in the display case year-round and others are seasonal.

- This is a watermelon. We already cut it up earlier. It's pretty tasty.

- [Cindy] On the day of our visit, Cassy and her team were whipping up a fresh batch of watermelon sorbet.

- [Cassy] We buy our milk from Hatcher Family Dairy in College Grove. That is the key ingredient, is the milk that we use. It's the most important ingredient of all the things that we use.

- A few of these flavors aren't standard or seasonal, they're accidental as in Cassy was making one thing and accidentally added the wrong ingredients, and just decided to go for it, such as Berry Berry White Chocolate, which is accidentally delicious!

- [Cassy] I feel abundantly blessed that I'm able to work in my small little space to create something that we think is delicious, and amazing, and one of a kind, especially in the state of Tennessee.

- [Cindy] And as the customers wait patiently for their one of a kind gelato, it's easy to spot the prominent photograph of Cassy and Tony's youngest of their four sons, Eli Grow.

- [Cassy] No, it's always an honor to talk about Eli. He was a great young man, first of all, and very respected in our community on volunteer.

- [Cindy] Eli was also an athlete. Number eight on his high school football team. Eli was training almost daily at an athletic facility in Franklin, Tennessee, more than an hour away, preparing for his freshman year of football at Mississippi College when he died, tragically, after falling asleep driving home. Weeks prior to his death, Cassy says Eli told her that he hoped to someday be in a position to help young athletes in Tullahoma, so they wouldn't have to drive as far as he did.

- [Cassy] So, he said, "I just want people in our community to be able to have the same kind of conditioning, training that I'm getting, and have the same opportunities with equipment.

- [Cindy] Eli's wish became the Eli Grow Legacy Foundation, which supports high school and college athletics. And 100% of the proceeds earned from this small gelatoria are donated to that foundation.

- [Cassy] And we chose Legacy Creamery, because it is the connecting word between the Eli Grow Legacy Foundation and then the Legacy Creamery, so that way, people could connect the two.

- [Cindy] Connection and purpose. It's what makes this family-owned business extra sweet for both the Grows and their customers.

- [Cassy] I consider it, for me, a work of love and a way I can contribute.

- [Cindy] The Grows just keep growing their legacy. The creamery is open on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, but Monday through Thursday, they're packing and shipping their gelato to businesses across Tennessee.

- [Cindy] I really wanted to grow the business, so that we could have a greater impact. Like I wanted the product to be amazing, one of a kind.

- [Cindy] And when customers come in to cool off with a one of a kind serving of that smooth and creamy gelato, they're often also treated to a smile, a friendly word, and even a hug, because it turns out the coolest spot in town is also one of the warmest.

- For me, it was just a great opportunity to do something I love to do for someone that I love.

- Thanks, Cindy. Of all the places to stay in Tennessee, we've never seen a location quite like this one. Made up of things like fairy dust and leprechaun gold, it's a place that almost transports you to another world. Welcome to the magical Ancient Lore Village.

- [Tom] I called a place of peace and quiet where people should come.

- [Melissa] We wanna make sure that you have the most magical day.

- [Cindy] On 67 acres just south of Knoxville sits a whimsical wonderland just waiting for your family to visit. The Ancient Lore Village looks like a movie set and is based on a book called "Bokee's Trek: Outcast to the Inner Earth".

- [Reader] Next to the waterfall is the perfect place for each of us to build our homes as a community. And this will be our village

- [Cindy] Author and entrepreneur, Tom Boyd, wrote this book after campaigning with his son Randy, who ran for governor. Tom found voters across the state so divided it inspired him to do something to promote unity and kindness.

- So, I tried to come up with something unique that I could convey a message where people should be better, could live better. And only way I could see to do that was take characters from action world that nobody could argue with. So I created a character called Bokee living in a particular village. So, the idea was to create a group of villages with different characters in it, and take a character and go through 'em, and meet fantastic people, no matter what they looked like.

- [Cindy] Taking this idea of a fantastical village from the pages of a book and transforming it into a five-star resort was a monumental task. It officially opened during the pandemic.

- We are a luxury event venue and boutique resort, and it's really about the experiences that you have when you come here. And it doesn't matter whether you're coming here for a wedding or whether you're coming here for a corporate retreat, or a family reunion, or a gender reveal party, where we change the color of the waterfall to pink or blue. I mean, we just are a place where people can come together and have an experience that when they leave, they're going to continue to spread that goodness throughout the world.

- [Cindy] CEO Melissa Blettner calls it hospitality with a purpose, a place to help people unplug from the junk. There are no TVs in the rooms. Melissa hopes people would rather gather 'round the bonfire at night, or practice their archery skills, or try axe throwing. The rooms are hard to leave, though. They are stunning and unique. Melissa's favorite room, the Waterfall Villa,

- [Melissa] From the birch wall behind me to the Venetian plaster wall that makes you feel like you're in the middle of a birch forest. So, it's a sweet, too, which is why I like it, because I like to be spoiled. So, it also has an adjoining living room, and it's perfect for, like, the bride getting ready. We can bring lunch in. Everybody can be here together.

- [Cindy] Every room was designed with detailed intention, and no two are alike. Sales manager, Micah Spicer, describes the fairy cottage.

- You're gonna immediately see this gorgeous bed where there's a crown that hangs over the top of the bed and these beautiful linens that flow alongside it. The headboard is this really interesting antique door that we had our craftsmen fashion into a king size headboard, and it's white and it's just really, really unique. And then if you turn to your left, you're gonna see this really gorgeous fireplace that has a wooden antique mantle that has golden feathers that are sitting on there. And the mantle is gonna sparkle. So, if you turn around, the door actually has fairy dust in it as well. So, all of our outlet covers are little fairy doors that you open and it has, you know, your USB ports and your sockets there.

- Then there is grass-covered, 1600 square foot house. This is Bokee's Bungalow. It's got two private bedrooms, three full baths, four bunks, and this is completely underground. The 17-foot tall fireplace and chimney is gorgeous. And the cozy tile dining cove is the perfect place to share a meal. Every room is named after the characters in Tom's book and have themes, like the Gremlin Den and Orc House. And though Tom loves them all, he does have a favorite. Your favorite room?

- Oh, it was the Leprechaun before, but that's because my grandchildren called me a leprechaun.

- [Cindy] With green and gold Venetian plaster walls that swirl and flow, the bathrooms are gold with green shell tile in the shower and a hidden leprechaun in one of the custom cabinets.

- [Micah] You know, we talked about hints of characters in the rooms. The leprechauns have this magic wand that they're one of the few characters that can flow between the world of man and the Ancient Lore world, right? So, they throw their magic wand up in the air and it creates this portal. So, the fireplace mimics that portal of where it has these river stones that swirl into themselves where the leprechauns can go in and out.

- [Cindy] The three-tier 40-foot waterfall was made of boulders that existed on the property. Seating areas surround it along with elaborate landscaping. With customized packages and itineraries plus elevated cuisine, Ancient Lore Village offers both luxury and an experience that remind you of simpler times.

- [Melissa] Bringing families together and going and having those special moments. We need more of that in this world. People get so busy. Everyone is so plugged into their phone and their computer that it's good to just have some real experiences.

- [Cindy] Do you think you've accomplished what you wanted to accomplish with this place, Tom?

- [Tom] Absolutely. I'm overjoyed with it.

- Have you ever been to a restaurant and thought you'd like to have a little bite of everything, whether it's biscuits or beans, potatoes or wings? Miranda Cohen found a family eatery where you can have it all.

- [Miranda] Husband and wife team, Jeff and Heather Mayner, have a lot in common, a love of great music and a love of great food.

- [Jeff] Walking in PB and Bacon Jam Burger.

- [Melissa] Well, they're certainly in the right place for both. So, when they decided to open their own eatery, they found the perfect spot on Main Street in Dixon.

- We've got a lot of support from Dixon. It's a really great community.

- [Melissa] For years, they dreamed of serving up classic Southern dishes, and they did everything right. They saved, they planned, but they still needed a great name, and they certainly found that, too.

- So, Little Bite of Everything. We are huge fans of Dawes and they have a song called "Little Bit of Everything", and there's a line in it that I really love, and it's, "Love is so much easier than you think it is if you can give yourself to someone than you should." And so, for me, food is love. And so, that line just really fit. Jeff came up with the name. He brought it to me and it was perfect.

- [Melissa] And coming up with a great menu was easy. They serve what they love and their customers love what they serve.

- So, this is the Mayberry and it has cucumbers, barbecue chicken, and then the pimento cheese. Oh, it's delicious. Delicious.

- We got three different pimento cheeses we make. I consider all day in the... It's a big list of stuff that we make fresh, and I think that, you know, adds a little something to our food.

- [Micah] No, your ears aren't deceiving you, three kinds of pimento cheese. Southern Classic, Nashville Hot, and White Cheddar Ranch. You can also take a little or maybe a big bite of one of their signature gourmet burgers.

- Well, we are the burger joint with Southern charm. We hand pat them every day. And they're a half pound, they're grilled to order, and it's just quality.

- You know, it's homemade, it's thick.

- I like a thick burger. I like it. It has a little bite to it.

- We got Southern Burger, which is a burger with pimento cheese and fried green tomato on it. We also have a Southern Heatwave, which is our jalapeno pimento cheese and ghost pepper on it with the fried green tomato. We have our macaroni cheeseburgers, really popular.

- We also have a peanut butter and bacon jam burger, which has really taken off. And it's a foodie burger, for sure. And so, we make our bacon jam in house, and it has cheddar cheese and creamy peanut butter, and it's so good.

- Here at a Little Bite of Everything, they are famous for their burgers. In fact, they have won best hamburger in Dixon for three years in a row. But whatever you do, don't miss out on their secret family recipe, macaroni and cheese,

- It's a family recipe. And so, I grew up eating it. So, we use that and we just decided to do all kinds of stuff with it. We have a mac and cheese. I told you about the mac and cheese burger. We have a mac and cheese fry, mac and cheese bowls, several of those. And yeah, it's good, people like it.

- [Melissa] And if you really want something on the lighter side, a Little Bite of Everything also has fresh and delicious wraps, popular bowls, and hand-cut, flavor-packed salads.

- We have a Tex Mex salad that just blows almost any salad out of the water that you've ever had. It's got the seasoned Southwest grilled chicken on it, and grilled tomatoes, grilled onions, grilled black beans and corn. And then the jalapeno ranch, though, is really what sets it apart.

- [Melissa] A Little Bite of Everything is open Monday through Saturday for lunch and dinner. And the great Southern Fair is not the only thing that is packing the house.

- Oh, friendly. I mean, it's like cheers. You know, everybody knows your name.

- It's homey. It has the atmosphere is, you know, inviting. So, everyone seems to talk and mingle.

- Food is love, right? And so, this is our way of loving on our community, is sharing what we love with people that matter to us, because community really is everything, right?

- We're very grateful to the community. It's just growing every day, every year, and just bigger and bigger, and you know, everybody's gotta eat. People love to eat, so we'll serve it.

- We just want to do this the best we can. We wanna put everything we have into this. We wanna stay in Dixon. And this is just where we are and we'll just make this the best we can.

- Thanks, Miranda. 'Tis the season for fond memories of Christmases of long ago. We'll end with two kings. One, the king of rock and roll, and the other, the king of crossroads. Here's a look back at Joe's Christmas visit to the one and only Graceland. ♪ Well it's one for the money ♪ ♪ Two for the show ♪ ♪ Three to get ready now ♪ ♪ Go cat go ♪ ♪ But don't you ♪

- [Joe] He was perhaps the most important star in the modern music universe. A poor boy who grew up to become the king of rock and roll, an entertainer whose talent and mystique changed the course of popular music forever. But through the fame, fortune, and far away travels, home was always a little mansion in Memphis called Graceland.

- In fact, Elvis only one time that I know of Miss Christmas, or actually only two times, and one time, was because of the United States Army, he couldn't be home for Christmas. But the second time, he was doing a soundtrack for one of the movies and they didn't get it completed exactly on time. So it delighted him about two days. He could easily be counted on being home, though, but December the 15th. It was very important to Elvis. Christmas was his favorite time of the year.

- [Joe] Patsy Anderson is a fan and now a Graceland employee who sees a constant flow of tourists take the pilgrimage to the king's castle. Graceland is now one of the top five most popular homes in America. And this month, fans can come to see it just like it was when Elvis was home for the holidays. What did he like to do when he came back to Graceland for Christmas?

- Mostly relax and see what the Memphians were doing, and get together with his family and his friends. They had, you know, several parties here, and he would also in the early days, rent the Manhattan Club, and they would have parties there. And basically, what we all loved to do, we'd get together with family and friends, and share stories and remembrances, and just all that love. And it was very important to Elvis. He was very much a family man.

- Are any of the decorations the same ones that would've been here back then when he was living here?

- Absolutely, what you're seeing are the traditional decorations of Elvis Presley, including our sleigh. Elvis used the sleigh when he first moved into Graceland in 1957 up to the early 1960s. And then he had the life-sized nativity scene done. So, he used that from the '60s on or early '60s up until 1977. We just relocated the sleigh last year, and it was in the barn up in the loft, and it was not damaged at all. So we decided for our festivities, Christmas at Graceland, we would put the sleigh back out.

- In case you haven't been here in a while, you'll discover that Graceland has grown quite a bit. In fact, across the stream here, there are no less than 10 restaurants and shops that are all about Elvis. The holiday celebration has grown, too, in fact, maybe more than the king himself ever imagined. ♪ Well since my baby left me ♪ ♪ Well I found a new place to dwell ♪ ♪ Well it's down at the- ♪ His private airplane, the Lisa Maria is here, and it's a popular mini museum itself. There's even a new museum with nothing but Elvis cars. Of course, you can find everything in the way of Elvis recordings, and even try your luck at becoming the next king of rock and roll yourself. ♪ You still can find some room ♪ But for the special holiday, the Graceland folks have spared no expense in creating a Christmas fantasy land that attracts visitors of all ages. ♪ I'll have a blue Christmas without you ♪ ♪ I'll be so blue just thinking about you ♪ ♪ Decorations of red on a green Christmas tree ♪ If you don't care for Elvis Christmas music, you can escape to the dancing waters choreographed to more traditional tunes. It is hard to say how the king of rock and roll would feel about Graceland all decked out as a holiday tourist attraction, but one thinks we're sure, despite what those sleazy tabloids say about Elvis being alive, he won't be coming home for Christmas this year.

- He will not be home, unfortunately. We wish he would, but there's no way.

- By the way, the wonderful world of Christmas here at Graceland is $3 for adults and two for children. But if you wanna spend a little bit extra and see it from a special vantage point, well, what about an old-fashioned carriage ride? See you back in Middle Tennessee and Merry Christmas from the king. ♪ Doing all right ♪ ♪ With your Christmas of white ♪ ♪ But I'll have a blue blue blue blue Christmas ♪ ♪ Ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ♪

- Thanks, Joe, and thank you for tuning in. Remember to watch us anytime at tennesseecrossroads.org or on the PBS app. From all of us at "Tennessee Crossroads" and Nashville PBS, merry Christmas and happy holidays.

- [Announcer] "Tennessee Crossroads" is made possible in part by-

- [Narrator] Students across Tennessee have benefited from over 7.5 billion dollars we've raised for education, providing more than 2 million scholarships and grants. The Tennessee Lottery, game-changing, life-changing fun.

- [Narrator] Discover Tennessee Trails & Byways. Discover Tennessee's adventure, cuisine history, and more made in Tennessee experiences showcased among these 16 driving trails. More at TNTrailsAndByways.com.

- [Narrator] The Co-op system in Tennessee consists of independently owned co-ops, driven to serve farmer owners, rural lifestyle customers, and their communities throughout Tennessee and in five neighboring states. More at ourcoop.com.

- [Narrator] Middle Tennessee State University College of Liberal Arts helps students explore the world, engage minds, enrich lives, and earn a living. More at mtsu.edu/cla.