I have driven Highway 40 from Memphis to Nashville many times. In fact, when discussing the trip I'm currently on, I often reference this drive. I tell people that when I was working as a tour guide I always rushed between the two cities because there is SO much to do in each, but I always wondered what was happening in between. Now I have an answer to that question, and the answer is A LOT. If you have the time to spare, making a day of this journey is well worth it. Here are just some of the things you should definitely check out on the way, with stops in Jackson and Brownsville…
Okay, so I'm going to cut straight to the chase: I have never really understood why anyone would get excited about Eastern Carolina Barbecue. I mean, I get it, they cook the whole hog, but what difference does that make if the finished product isn't good. Yes, seeing a whole hog being cooked is visually appealing, but we're talking about food here - if the taste isn't there then who cares what the cooking process looks like? And that "sauce" which is vinegar with some pepper flakes floating in it? I don't know which is more unappealing, bland mushy pork or a mouthful of vinegar. I want to like Eastern Carolina Barbecue, but I've always just found it incredibly ordinary. I never really got it, and i have tried it plenty of times. So while I had high hopes for the Skylight Inn, as it is lauded as one of the places to get good Carolina barbecue, I was pretty skeptical about the whole process. It's amazing the difference one meal can make. Not only was this the best Carolina Barbecue I've ever had by far, it was some of the best barbecue period I've ever had...
