ROBERTA NEE ADAMSStaff Writer

You’ve probably seen them around. They were at the Lawn Series Concert, the United in Spirits event, or at the Whiskey Trailhead in Lynchburg. Maybe it was the Pink Apron Food Truck or Jiffy Burger, Bean’s Creek Winery, or Bonnaroo in Manchester. Or it could have been at the Sundrop Festival or Jack’s Wing Shack in Pulaski. Did you see them at The Caverns in Pelham, or Dutch Maid Bakery in Tracy City? Perhaps you saw them in Fayetteville, or Shelbyville, Grundy County, Flintville, Bell Buckle, or Wartrace. Maybe you heard them on WYTM, WCDT, or WZYX. They have been all of those places, and just in the last two months!

Who are they, you ask? They are Dan and Mary Peery, and they are ambassadors for South Central Tennessee Tourism Association (SCTTA). They don’t want you to travel Tennessee, they want you to EXPERIENCE Tennessee! So, they travel the highways and byways of south central Tennessee seeking out the hot goings-on and the hidden gems. They have their own Facebook page, “Hey, Y’all” documenting their travels and sharing their experiences.

It is hard to imagine anyone having more fun with a job, or even a hobby, than the Peery’s. They make videos to post on their page when they are out discovering what is going on in the area. Many times, they are in costume. They have their T shirts emblazoned with “ Hey, Y’all” or “Jeet Yet,” or you might encounter Studley Manhood or Ed the Zebra. Mary tells that there is a room in their home dubbed the “Liberace Room” where they keep their costumes. They shoot the videos on a phone, and Dan edits them himself.

All of this hilarity started during the covid shut downs. Dan felt that many of their friends needed cheering up, so they posted funny videos for them. It took off from there with the couple checking out breakfast restaurants and doing more videos.  Dan was “Biscuits” and Mary was “Gravy.” They expanded from there to “The Great American Road Show.” The couple is retired, and had planned on doing a lot of traveling on a larger scale, until fate stepped in.

Somewhere along the way, someone showed some of their videos to Ryan French, Executive Director and CEO of SCTTA. Dan recalls that they got an email asking them if they would like to apply to be ambassadors for the Association. Thinking it was a scam, they ignored the email. After receiving a second email, they decided to check it out. The rest, as they say, is history. They were among thirty six chosen from nine hundred applicants for ambassadors. They have been “ambassadoring” for about three years now, and say they are having as much fun as ever.

So, if you are ever stuck for ideas on a nice day trip, and want to see or do something different, a check of their Facebook page will show you all kinds of options. You don’t necessarily have to go in costume, but who knows? It could make the trip more fun!