Trip to Nashville
Note to self: this is how the trip went. Apologies to anyone else who might read this, its just kind of a memory dump.
Sunday: Hard landing at Midway, otherwise flight uneventful. Raz was disappointed we were renting a minivan. Amazingly easy drive to the hotel, and well received there. The Homewood Suites in the Vanderbilt neighborhood was very impressive. Mom and dad arrived around 7:30. All were hungry. Went to the Roadhouse bbq across the street. Good stuff, but kinda slow. Later on we played cards in the hotel lobby while Vincent got a story from Gramma.
Monday: Breakfast at the hotel was very good! Then we went to Centennial park on foot. Raz enjoyed the swings, and Vincent ran around and around outside the Parthenon. Next, to the Hermitage, home of General (and sometimes president) Andrew Jackson. Stayed until around 3. Stopped at a burger place on way back to Hotel, called the Pharmacy. Very good. Late lunch made dinner at hotel moot, but tried a bit anyway and it was very good. Tried to get to the Bluebird Cafe for the 9:00 show, but they sold out just before us after a half hour’s wait. Disappointed, we returned and stopped by Chuy’s, a Mexican restaurant, just before they closed for late dinner.
Tuesday: Breakfast at hotel, then off toward Franklin by way of the Cheekwood botanical gardens. Wandered the grounds some, down to a pond ,then uphill to the art museum in old manor house. Between Cheekwood and Franklin, stopped at the Loveless Cafe. Delicious southern cooking. Vincent had the “best chicken fingers ever”. In Franklin, we killed time a bit until 6:00 when we met at the stuck pig, or pugnatious pig, or something like that (Bunganut Pig, that is). Beautiful night, appetizers and drinks outside, cards, and of course music.
Wednesday: Morning’s tourism was the Opryland hotel, just to see the place. From a tourist’s point of view, I can say this place is amazing! We wandered a couple of hours, eventually having some lunch, and riding the Delta river boat. Vincent really liked this experience, as he told one of the shuttle drivers all about it later. Then we spent some time at the nearby mall where Mary could get some retail therapy. Stopped by the hotel to rest, and then off to the WildHorse Saloon for the evening linedance show. Vincent ran around having a ball when the dance floor was empty, and he joined the first dance lesson. But really, only Mary and I actually enjoyed the place. Mom and dad took the kids back to the hotel, and Mary and I got a date night out of it. Stayed at WildHorse a bit, then moved on to the Silver Dollar Salloon next door for another couple songs, then over another door or two to the Hard Rock cafe (but sadly with no live music.) Back around 11:00, and all was well.
Thursday: Since mom and dad had to go home, we took a road trip with them part way… to Mammoth cave in Kentucky. Only an hour and a half out there, so not a bad drive. Raining pretty hard when we got there. We had not much time at the park with everyone, but enough for lunch at the cafeteria. Then mom and dad headed home while we braved the depths of the earth for two hours on the Drips and Domes tour. I hadn’t been in a cave since I was about Raz’s age. Raz was not a fan of a long walk underground, but we all surived. The drive home was uneventful, and left us with a few more hours in the day. We went to Puckett’s grocery for dinner. Very good food, and an excellent show by the Music City Doughboys– a country swing group similar to Asleep at the Wheel in both style and skll. The kids enjoyed it, but after dinner had had enough for the day. They went back to the hotel on their on via the shuttle. We were a little worried since this was their first time doing something so independent, but we found all well when we returned later. Meanwhile, Mary and I got a bonus date night. Wandered a bit more, down Printer’s alley then backup to a shop on Broadway. Then a couple of music venues with random bands of a quality only found in a music city!
Friday: Packed up fom Homewood Suites and went straight to Gen Jackson riverboat. Too early for Lunch for me, but the show was very good. After the show, wandeed the ship a bit, and played poker with Raz while Mare and V watched musicians on the upper deck. Afterward to the Opryland hotel. Compared to the Homewood suites, the hotel side of Opryland was a big step down. Was almost ready to be done travelling though 24 hours before the trip finished. But then we found the Delta island Fountain, and my faith was restored. If you ever get the chance to visit Opryland, the fountain show must be seen.
Saturday: Left exceptionally early in the morning. Everything went well. Only the two hour stopover in Midway slowed us down. Even the snow was nearly melted by the time we returned.