imported post
Well, here's my report:
This past weekend, I made a trip up into TN and stopped off at several historic locations. First, I toured Falls Mill (
http://www.fallsmill.com/). If anyone there noticed my sidearm, they didn't say anything about it. My next stop was the Lynchburg town square and Ms. Mary Bobo's for lunch. I visited several shops on the square receiving little more than a stare while waiting for my reservation at Mary Bobo's. Mary Bobo's wasn't posted and, again, if anyone noticed I was carrying, I couldn't tell. My final stop was the Jack Daniels Distillery. I carefully checked all the doors leading into the main tourist halls and there were no signs prohibiting firearms. For over an hour, I walked around inside the tourist hall with no reaction while waiting for my tour number to be called. I then sat through the introductory video and rode the bus to the rick yard where they took the group photo.
Just after the photo was taken, the tour guide approached me and asked if I was carrying a weapon (obviously a rhetorical question). I replied, "yes". He asked if I was an LEO and I replied, "no". Then I added that I was licensed to carry, that there were no 39-17-1359 signs at any entrance, and asked if he'd like to see my license. He replied, "yes". I handed him my AL license, which he examined thoroughly and handed back to me. He yelled out to the bus driver that everything was fine (the driver, who took the group photo, had waited in the bus, presumably, in case anything went wrong). He apologized to the rest of the group for interrupting the tour, made a comment about safety, and then continued as if nothing had happened. Through the entire 40-second encounter he was professional and courteous and treated me no differently afterwords than before. He was also an excellent guide who knew how to tell a good story.
Once I got back inside the main tourist building, I picked up a cup of the complimentary lemonade and filled out a comment card. The lady at the lemonade bar had a distinctly foreign accent and, I suspect, noticed my sidearm. That's because a short time thereafter, an older lady walked out from the employee area and stood at the end of the bar staring at me with her hands on her hips. She stayed there the entire time until I left the building.