Plantations and Homesteads

Today's theme is ladybugs. This guy greeted us outside our hotel in Knoxville.

The Hermitage, Andrew Jackson's home outside Nashville, was swarming with them. They were in my shirt pocket, my hair, everywhere.

It wasn't until we got to Belle Meade Plantation, in the heart of Nashville, that we discovered these are Japanese beetles, not ladybugs. And they bite. Glad we didn't p*ss them off.

Hermitage: No photos were allowed inside either house. Interesting fact - the wallpaper is original to the house and has been there for 187 years.

The Hermitage has been open to the public since 1889, making it one of the oldest historic sites in the U.S.

The two holly trees in front of the Hermitage are the oldest in Tennessee.

The Ladies Auxiliary transplanted a tree from each of General Jackson's battlegrounds to line the paths of the Hermitage. Love that.

Belle Meade: the original Harding-Jackson family made their money in thoroughbred horses.

The original plantation was over 5000 acres and included its own limestone quarry. Except for the current 33 acre historical site, that land is now the town of Belle Meade.

A dragon arm rest In the carriage house.

The smokehouse; the farm slaughtered 200 pigs twice a year to supply the plantation with meat.