20th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Travel
The Mash Potato

this is shot in side sun studios, memphis, tn. my 84 year old mother and i go on a 10 day road trip to tennessee. we had never been. i plan the whole trip. we start out by visting relatives in little rock, ark. mom flies in from her home in kona, hi and i fly in from my home in phoenix, az. then we start our 10 day road trip to memphis, nashville, chattanooga, pigeon forge, gatlinburg, smokey mountain national park and grimsley. since the pandemic was still in full force and TN and AR had high numbers i took my lysol spray to spray down everything in the hotel rooms before i let mom in. we wore our mask indoors like museums, grand ole opry, and on bus tours and the like. mom is feeling all nostalgic over the sun studios tour. the music is playing and she says you dance the "mash potato" to the song playing. she starts demontrating. another guy on the tour joins her and she is teaching him how to dance the "mash potato". mom loves to dance. her license plate in hi, is ILUV2DN for "I love to Dance". She is a retired Teacher and High School Counsleor and as hobby she taught Line Dancing for 15 years in Community Ed.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 08.2021
Date Uploaded: 11.2022
Photo Location: Memphis, Tennessee, United States of America
Camera: SM-G781U1
Copyright: © Wilda Payton