Garden & Gun June/July 2021

EDITOR’S LETTER Asheville Calling REMEMBERING THE ULTIMATE ROAD TRIP—AND LOOKING AHEAD TO NEW ADVENTURES DAVID DIBENEDETTO Senior Vice President & Editor in Chief Diarmid Weir/Alamy Stock Photo In the autumn of 2001, I gave myself an enviable assignment. I hit the road for four months to follow the fall migration of the striped bass from Maine to North Carolina. The migration is a natural spectacle (and a fisherman’s dream), as tens of millions of stripers course down the coast to their wintering grounds, accompanied by whales, freewheeling birds, and baitfish on the run. I left New York City, where I lived at the time, in an SUV loaded with fishing gear, a tent, waders, a wet suit (for free diving), a kayak on the rack, and a notebook filled with…

Come On In A new must-stop in Kentucky Amy Sinclair If you happen to find yourself anywhere near Louisville, Kentucky, this summer, be sure to check out the new Garden & Gun Club at the historic Stitzel-Weller Distillery. Walking into the cozy cocktail bar, you’ll feel as if you just stepped into the pages of the magazine—that is, if the magazine could hand you an old-fashioned or a Paper Plane and offer you plenty to nosh on, from pimento cheese to charcuterie plates to a bowl of boiled peanuts. It’s my kind of place.…

CONTRIBUTORS Robert Earl Keen WRITER Brent Humphreys “Fans always want to know the backstory”—Robert Earl Keen on the true tale behind his song “Gringo Honeymoon” “People start clapping as soon as it starts and sing along with every chorus,” says the Texas-born singer-songwriter Robert Earl Keen of his 1994 hit “Gringo Honeymoon.” “Fans always want to know the backstory.” He delivers the goods on the song’s origins in “Southern Roads” (p. 103). As a touring musician with nineteen records, Keen is a road-trip authority. His favorite parts? “The first hour on the road and the first hour after arriving at the destination—anything and everything is possible.” This summer, he’s rereleasing Western Chill, an hour-long behind-the-scenes video recorded last year at his Snake Barn Movie Ranch Studios in Medina, Texas. Pam…

LETTERS “I found Barbara Howar’s book when I was a teenager in the 1980s, and it spoke and sang to me” ME AT-AND -THREE I was so excited to read about my high school hangout, Valle’s—formerly the Italian Rebel—in Memphis (“Fork in the Road,” April/May 2021). This place holds many fond memories for me and is run by the sweetest family ever. Laura Ruth Collierville, Tennessee I enjoyed reading “There’s the Rub” (Books, April/May 2021). When I was in college in the early seventies in DeLand, Florida, the only place you could get anything smoked was at a little place on the outskirts of town that had a takeout window. That article got me thinking, and I can’t remember any barbecue places in Central Florida that weren’t Black owned. They…

Cover Camper Transforming a vintage travel trailer into a one-of-a-kind road-ready masterpiece Gately Williams The Road Towed travel trailer on the cover was restored by Florida’s Heintz Designs from a vintage 1967 frame. Founder and CEO Tim Heintz works his magic on all manner of recreational vehicles. We fell in love with the trailer at first glance, and then hit the highway. To see more of Heintz’s work, visit heintzdesigns.com. If you’re new to RVing, check out Go RVing (gorving.com) for advice and a guide to modern vehicles, rentals, and trip planning.…

Social Chatter GARDENANDGUN.COM AND BEYOND WE ASKED... It’s not a Southern road trip without… On Facebook and Twitter, readers told us what completes the perfect summertime adventure. A pecan log roll from Stuckey’s and a stop at a fireworks stand. David Lantrip SEE ROCK CITY signs. Cindy Thurman Locklear The Allman Brothers, Chris Stapleton, Alabama Shakes, and Patsy Cline. Dena Corbin Yoder A fried clam dinner at Howard Johnson. @trecoal Seeing the rocket at the Alabama welcome center. Samson Katz Boiled peanuts from a Crock-Pot in the back of a gas station. Holly C S Broyles A stop at the Piggly Wiggly—whether we need anything or not. Theresa Rivera Rousseau Coke and a pack of Nabs. @Owlsforinda A Little Debbie Oatmeal Creme Pie warming on the dashboard. Lawana Adcock-Downey…