Adventure to Nashville

Nashville is a pretty sweet little town that I would love to revisit when 1) we have more time and 2) it's not quite so cold and rainy. I'd never been until this weekend, but I've always heard people talk about it and how wonderful of a city it is. I can't honestly say that I was completely blown away, but I think that is because we didn't have a lot of down time to go out and explore. Here is what we did have a chance to do though...

1) Thanks to the rock slide on I-40 (from back in October-ish) we were given the opportunity to take a one hour plus detour (added to the already 5 hour journey) through the Appalachian mountains. In addition to this added time, we made two wrong turns (seriously...who thought it was a good idea for the exit ramp to be on the left side of the interstate??) which probably added an extra 30 minutes. These small "detours" took us through downtown Asheville and Weaverville, NC. So after leaving our driveway at around 4, we arrived in Nashville around 10:30, but since you "gain" an hour crossing time zones, it was practically midnight SC time. I'm always beyond thrilled to see a bed at that point in a trip - even if it's not my own!

2) Saturday morning Nolan and I went to the Country Music Hall of Fame. We just so happened to go on a day when they had some songwriters performing and basically having a "jam session." I LOVE hearing people sing and play music especially live (and seriously wish that gene had not bypassed me!), so that was awesome. Though I can't remember the names of these incredibly talented artists, I do know that they write songs for the likes of Garth Brooks, Reba, Kellie Pickler, etc. In an odd sort of way, this little experience made me feel one step closer to meeting someone famous :) The museum was very interesting too...if you enjoy country music.

3) We ate at Jack's BBQ on Broadway Street for lunch. Everyone was just raving about this place, so we figured we'd check it out. Let's just say, if you leave there hungry you have no one to blame but yourself :) Broadway Street is one of the "main" streets in downtown Nashville - it has cute little shops full of cowboy boots and hats and all those neon signs that are so often sung about!

4) We attended Jessica (Nolan's cousin) and Spencer's wedding. Getting from our hotel to the ceremony/reception site was a bigger ordeal than it should have been...but we were packed like sardines in the hotel shuttle with 12 of his family members so it made for quite the adventure. We had to ask the driver to turn the A/C on because it was SO HOT on the shuttle and people in the backseat were beginning to feel carsick...not something you want to hear when you're in front of them! Again, a trip that was literally 5 blocks away and on a normal day might have taken 5 minutes took more like 25 minutes. If I could ever talk to the D.O.T. I would ask them why merging 3 lanes of traffic into 1 on a Saturday night ever seemed like a good plan?!? We eventually made it to our destination, at 6:59...wedding start time...7:00. I'm sure it looked like the local circus clown car unloading with all of us piling out!

5) Nolan and I managed to eat a box of SourPatch Watermelons, a box of dark chocolate Raisins AND a bag of peanut M&M's (each) on the way home. Don't judge...it was dark chocolate and peanuts are packed with protein :) We made sure to drink water to cancel out all the "bad stuff!"

6) Would you believe that we made a wrong turn on the way home too, putting us off at the EXACT SAME exit in Asheville that we visited on the way down?? CRAZY, huh??

As we drove through our Appalachian detour, I was once again reminded of how incredibly blessed I am! My friend Elizabeth went on a mission trip to Appalachia back in the summer, and told me of the sadness and poorness that abounds in this region of our country. It's always heartbreaking to hear of people who are less fortunate than yourself, but I don't think I ever truly wrapped my head around the magnitude of the situation until we drove through a town very similar to the one in which she served. The homes (mostly old, worn down, single-wide trailers) are weathered and beaten, with sheets and tarps covering windows and doors. The fact that there are people who live in such conditions every single day really weighs heavy on my heart and truly makes me appreciate all those things I take for granted every day...heat, electricity, running water, 3 meals a day (if not more!) I distinctly remember driving past this one house that would most definitely not pass DHEC standards, with a very, very dim light shining through and Nolan saying "Wow, somebody actually lives there." *Heavy sigh* Add in the devastation of the recent earthquake in Haiti and it's enough to make even The Grinch's heart melt a little...

So there you have it...our weekend trip to Nashville. Good times with family. Great conversation. Lots of laughs. Lots of food. LOTS OF FOOD :)

I hope everyone enjoyed the extended weekend (if you were so lucky to have one) and was able to get some much needed rest and relaxation!