Anna Across America - Knoxville (Part 2 - Salute To The Hill)

The University of Tennessee -- located on the state's most hallowed hill -- has been an institution of higher learning since 1794, two years in fact before Tennessee became a state.    UT-Knoxville is attended by 28,000 students from all 50 states and 100 foreign countries.  Dozens of Anna's kinfolk - parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins have matriculated here.

At the University of Tennessee, the Trundle name is synonymous with a deep and abiding love for UT, unwavering support for athletics . . . and 50 Shades of Orange clothing worn every day of the week.

The most recognizable building at the University of Tennessee,
Ayers Hall and its stately walls rise gloriously to the sight on
The Hill.   Ayers Hall has been a campus landmark since 1921.
Anna's Dr Pepper appearance at Ayers Hall is the first celebrity
appearance since Kathie Lee and Hoda hosted the Today Show
here in 2012.

Anna triumphantly returns to Neyland Stadium, the 102,000
seat cathedral of University of Tennesee football.   Anna, an
ardent UT fan and season ticket holder, was known to make
the 13-hour roundtrip in one day from Columbus, Ohio to
witness the gridiron action on Shields-Watkins Field, -- with a
smile on her face and an orange and white shaker in her hand.
Neyland Stadium, the third-largest football stadium in the United
States has been rated as the best college football stadium by The
Sporting News.

Anna cut her teeth on cheering for the Tennesee Volunteers
at Thompson-Boling Arena, the largest on campus single-
sport arena in the nation.  The basketball Vols and Lady
Vols regularly draw capacity crowds to the 22,000-seat
edifice.

Anna Across America - Knoxville (Part 1 - Homecoming)

If you're Anna Trundle, you can go home again...and again....and again.  Born June 6, 1992, Anna spent her first four years living in Knoxville and the next 17 years returning for frequent visits to see family and cheer on the Tennessee Volunteers.  Established in 1792, exactly two centuries before Anna's birth, the city of Knoxville was named after Henry Knox, President George Washington's War Secretary.   In 1982, the world came to Knoxville as the city hosted the World's Fair.  More than 11 million visitors attended the fair during its six-month run.

Speaking of hometowns, let's return to Waco, Texas to learn how Dr Pepper got its name.   As detailed in this space before, "the most original soft drink ever" was created by - say it kids - pharmacist Charles Alderton at Morrison's Old Corner Drug Store in Waco.  The owner Wade Morrison is credited with giving the druggist's concoction its name.  Company legend has it that Morrison named the drink Dr. Pepper after a physician by that name in his native Virginia.

Anna and Dr Pepper grace the skyline of Knoxville, which
features the Sunsphere, the iconic symbol of the 1982 World's
Fair.

Anna returns to her first home in Fountain City where she and her
sister Martha lived until 1996.

The view from the shores of Fountain City Lake toward
Fountain City United Methodist Church where Anna
attended preschool and church; and where years before her
grandfather spread the Good News and the occasional fish tale
from the church pulpit.

Anna's appearance at the lake, also known as the Duck Pond, draws a
crowd of feathered fans hoping to get a glimpse of the Dr Pepper
scholar...and perhaps to sip the sweet nectar of the 23 flavors contained
within the can.  As a child, Anna enjoyed feeding the ducks and geese
at the small heart-shaped lake that was built in 1893.

Anna Across America - Cleveland, Ohio

On the banks of Lake Erie, Cleveland is home to the world renowned Cleveland Clinic and a less renowned collection of professional sports teams which go by Browns, Indians and Cavaliers.   There has not been a championship brought home to the city since 1964, prompting ESPN to proclaim Cleveland as the most tortured sports town in America.    But everything is more upbeat when it comes to music.   By many accounts -- including a well-played one by Huey Lewis -- the heart of rock and roll is in Cleveland.   Back in 1952, a Cleveland deejay named Alan Freed coined the term "rock and roll" and spent years promoting the genre including organizing the first rock concert.   This heritage bolstered Cleveland's bid to be the site of the Rock and Roll of Fame...along with a $65 million promissory note from the city fathers.

At last count, there are 295 inductees in the Rock and Hall of Fame -- several of whom profess a contractual love for the taste of Dr Pepper.   Hall of Fame inductees Aerosmith, ZZ Top, and The Beach Boys had riders in their performance contracts that required Dr Pepper to be available to them at the concert venue.  Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley were also known to enjoy "the most original soft drink ever."  Anna drinks Dr Pepper in good musical company.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame opened near the Lake Erie
Shore in 1995.   More than 8.5 million visitors have paid
homage to the icons of rock who are enshrined in the Hall.

Progressive Field, formerly known as Jacobs Field, is the home
of the Cleveland Indians, a charter member of the American
League.   The Tribe last won a World Series in 1948.  The fans
still flock to see their team in the ball park, ranked number one
in a Sports Illustrated poll in 2008.  From 1995 to 2001, Jacobs
Field had 455 consecutive sell outs.
                                                                 Photo Credits:  D. Trundle

Anna Across America - Houston

Houston -- the fourth largest city in the United States -- is filled with Texas-size charm, a perfect place for winsome Dr Pepper scholar Anna Trundle to make her Southwest debut.    Houston is home to Texas Medical Center, the largest medical center in the world, NASA's Johnson Space Center, which houses "Mission Control", and a theater district, second only to New York City.   Less than three hours from Houston is Waco, Texas.   It was here that Dr Pepper was created by - all together now - pharmacist Charles Alderton.  To commemorate its place in history, The Dr. Pepper Museum was established in Waco to tell the story of the soft drink industry and to celebrate the unique taste of Dr Pepper.

Billed as the eighth wonder of the world when it opened in 1965,
the Houston Astrodome was the world's first domed stadium.
Astroturf was invented for this stadium because it quickly became
evident that grass would not grow despite a specially designed
roof.  Home to baseball's Astros and football's Oilers, the stadium
played host to a number of memorable events including one of the
largest crowds to ever see a basketball game (53,000), a 1968 clash
between UCLA and Houston, an Evel Knievel motorcycle jump of
13 cars, the Republican Convention in 1992, and an Astro-Bluebonnet
Bowl game in 1979 attended by Anna's father David to cheer on the
Tennessee Volunteers.

Minute Maid Park (formerly Enron Field), which features a
retractable roof, has been home to Astros since 2000.   The
park hosted the longest post season game in Major League
history, an 18-inning affair won by Houston 7-6 over the
Atlanta Braves.

Anna Across America - Boca Raton

Down deep in South Florida, Boca Raton's number one import is . . . money and more money.   Boca Raton is the birthplace of the first preassembled personal computer made by IBM.  The city is known for its affluent social community, high income demographic, and celebrity appeal.  According to Forbes, Boca Raton has three of the ten most expensive gated communities in the U.S.

Fun Facts About Dr Pepper.  A Dr Pepper can features the number 23, which represents the soft drink's unique blend of 23 flavors.   While the formula - created by pharmacist Charles Alderton - is shrouded in mystery, it is rumored to contain:  amaretto, almond, blackberry, black licorice, carrot, clove, cherry, caramel, cola, ginger, juniper, lemon, molasses, nutmeg, orange (Go Vols!), prune, plum, pepper, root beer, rum, raspberry, tomato, and vanilla.  (Information Source:   The "Internets")

After numerous public appearances in supermarkets, convenience
stores, and pharmacies in Boca Raton, a Dr Pepper can featuring
Anna enjoys some downtime, soaking up the South Florida sunshine.  
Boca Raton won a national award in 2008 for its beach restoration
efforts.

Anna Across America - Amish Country (Ohio)

Travel with Anna to the rolling hills of east-central Ohio, the home of the largest Amish settlement in the world.   Ohio Amish Country is a five-county area where approximately 40,000 Amish people live and work.  In picturesque Holmes County, Ohio, half of the population is Amish.     Much like the Amish, the origin of Dr Pepper is a throwback to a simpler time.   Dr Pepper was created by pharmacist Charles Alderton more than 125 years ago in Waco, Texas.    After much experimentation, Doc Alderton hit upon a fruity mixture that he liked and offered it to his boss Wade Morrison, owner of Morrison's Old Corner Drug Store.   Patrons at the drug store's soda fountain soon learned of this peppy new drink and started asking for a "Waco".  In a future posting, we will learn the origin of the Dr Pepper name.

Buggying on down for a Dr Pepper in Amish Country
                                                                                                                           Photo Credit: K. Trundle

Anna Across America - St. Louis

It is fitting that St. Louis, Missouri is the second stop on the Anna Across America tour.   St. Louis is the site of the photo shoot that introduced Anna Trundle and her fellow scholarship winners to the nation on Dr Pepper bottles and cans.  The city of St. Louis also plays an important role in Dr Pepper's colorful history.   At the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis, Dr Pepper was introduced to almost 20 million people.  Although the drink was first invented 20 years prior (to be described in a future posting), the success of the refreshment is rooted in its St. Louis introduction.  Other well-known products popularized during the exposition were ice cream cones, hot dog buns, and iced tea.   In St. Louis, soft drinks are referred to as "soda".    So pop a top of "soda" - preferably one in a maroon-colored can - as we toast Anna and Dr Pepper in the beautiful city of St. Louis.

The 630-foot tall Gateway Arch stands
on the banks of the Mississippi River,
welcoming visitors and Dr Pepper fans
to St. Louis.  The soft drink concentrate
of Dr Pepper is manufactured in St. Louis
and then distributed to local bottlers nation-
Wide.

Anna and Dr Pepper make a cameo appearance in
Kiener Plaza, a picturesque park in downtown Saint
Louis that frames the historic Old Courthouse and
the Gateway Arch.

Anna graces the entrance to Busch Stadium, the home
of the 11-time World Series Champion St. Louis
Cardinals.  When Dr Pepper asked Anna, who was
raised a Cardinal fan, to "Meet Me In St. Louis, Louis"
for the photo shoot, she was happy to travel to the
place affectionately known as Baseball Heaven.

The Dr Pepper can featuring Anna sits atop the site
of old Busch Stadium where Anna and her sister
Martha watched Cardinal games until 2005.  The
Hilton at the Ballpark, a Trundle family favorite,
looms over the site of the future Ball Park Village,
a restaurant and entertainment development.

Anna Across America - New York City

New York, New York...the city so nice they named
it twice.   Anna in Times Square, the crossroads of
the world.

"30 Rock" - Rockefeller Center

Macy's, the world's largest department store

From the greatest city in the world, it's Anna Trundle
and Daaaaviiiidddd Letttterrrrmannnnn