Drifting back to museums.........A museum of a different sort can be found in Norris, Tennessee, just about 25 miles north of Knoxville. The Museum of Appalachia is simply a wonderful and fun place to go to see a collection of artifacts from the history of East Tennessee and the Appalachian region. John Rice Irwin's collection of mountain folklore is astounding and most of it is still in the condition it was found or given to the museum. Bev and Jerry just returned from there I here and our own Bill in Alabama (Bill Foster) plays there every year at the annual Homecoming.

The instrument collection is just plain fun! How about a jawbone fiddle or a hamcan banjo. These are NOT all novelty instruments by any means and you can see a very complete history of dulcimers and banjos made by the people in the region. Celebrities also donate and Grandpa Jones "first decent guitar" is there along with John Hartford's first banjo. Here are a few pictures I took of the instrument room. I should have taken 30 more to do the place justice, but you get the idea.

If you're in the area it is well worth your time!

Spaw