Day 4, April 19, Chattanooga Visit Continues

We spent today visiting with our cousin, Angela Wiggins, and running errands in Chattanooga. We began the morning with breakfast at First Watch. Afterwards, we went to a local barbershop to get haircuts for both of us. In the Kut (ITK) was a nice place, with something I have not experienced in my male life. ITK had white, black, and Hispanic barbers -- about six in total -- and it had black, white, Hispanic and Asian (Indian and Japanese) customers, young and old. A very different barbershop visually, than I have experienced in my life. However, very much, in atmosphere, like every other black barbershop I have gone to my whole life. A picture of ITK is shown below.

The barber who shaped up the hair for both of us was Willie Moore (not shown in this photo.)

After the barbershop, we went to a local nail salon that Angela visits regularly called Noire. Patrise and I both got manicures and pedicures. The woman sitting in the chair next to me remarked out how wonderful it was, that I am willing to join my wife in getting nails done at a salon. As she said, "Over twenty years of marriage, and I have still not been able to convince my husband to do this." I told her, it has been years in the making for me to agree to do it with my wife, so don't give up yet (smile).

We tried several stores to find a replacement charger for my Fitbit, which I had left at home. However, it is such an old model, that we had no luck finding it. I suppose, when my Fitbit stops working that I will no longer wear it, until we return home. Or maybe, just maybe, somewhere along the journey, I will break down and buy a newer one.

After running around for six hours and leaving Angie at home to get work done, Patrise and I returned to her house and spent most of the afternoon resting and working. I began serious efforts researching the literature and book resources I want to use for the graduate course I will be teaching this fall. Patrise worked on developing more details for the journey ahead. We still need to discuss and make some adjustments, but we now have estimates of when we are most likely to arrive in Harrisonburg, VA, Charleston, WV, Baltimore, Gettysburg, PA, Philadelphia, Corinth, VT, and Nahua, NH. The remainder of the trip to June 1 and New York City still requires some discussion and settling on details.

Angela went for a workout with some of her friends. Once she returned home, we went for a late dinner to Sugar's, a barbecue place that is a staple and highlight of Chattanooga. (Sugar's and the Boathouse are owned by the same person/people.) It was worth the wait,. I recommend it for anyone who visits Chatt town. For late night dessert, we went to the Kinney Hotel that has a speakeasy inside of it. We had dessert, some beverages, and toasted the visit and our friendship. We also discussed a lot about our respective family histories and filling in details on persons and personalities that we wished to learn more about in all three of our family lines.

It was a great night. See the selfie taken outside of Sugar's.