Pretty boring drive today..straight down the Parkway from Memphis to Nashville with one pit stop half way... We are tagging different Numberplates while we are driving and sofar we have about 19 !!!! Still a lot to go..I doubt we will get Hawaii but we have got Alaska..It rained most of the way across , lucky for us we were able to check in early so we got amongst our washing so we all now have clean clothes... Next stop when the weather had cleared up was Post office, still sending stuff home so we have room in our cases...just in case there are more bargains to be had...
took a wander down Broadway ...which is the main tourist strip, filled with Honky Tonk bars with lives bands...Cowboy boot & hat shops and souveneir shops...On the way down we passed the Police Station and across the road there were 3 undercover cars with about 6 undercover cops all obviously getting ready to do a raid on someones place as they had balaclavers and batons etc, they had a little group meeting then the all took off.. Woo Hoo Excitement plus...only we didnt see the end result !! Darn.
Jo bought some little cowboy boots for her grandaughters they are awesome, she also got a Pink cowgirl hat..which she will nopw have to carry by hand ALL the way home.. They have so many cool kids stuff ..its hard to stop youself from buying stuff..
After checking out the shops we called into a bar and had an early dinner and listened to the band..I had the BEST Ribs ever...They were dry rubbed and excellent. The band was good too, everyone is sooo friendly and chatty it really good. I have left my two travelling companions down at the bar as this Black Duck does not want a hangover tomorrow .....And as I write the prodigal two have arrived..rather the worse for wear..I am thinking its going to be a late start tomorrow...lol
Tuesday...We three had to sharpen our elbows to get to the breakfast bar today..the old comfort Inn at Nashville was chocka. Aften food we all went our separate ways to do something different. Jo & Peter were doing the Trolley Car and then the Country music Hall of Fame and as I had done that last time I decided to just walk around and photograph the Murals around town. I also found where the locals like to hang out and eat and its not on Broadway ! After catching both the Green and Blue free buses I discovered 3rd & 4th Streets...Thats where the real downtown Nashville is. I popped into a Sushi place , only to find 4 businessmen sitting eating Sushi, 1 business man waiting and me..The room was as big as a postage stamp..and the old Japanese man called Sam was making Sushi behind a tiny counter..in front of the counter was a piece of brown Cardboard announcing 30 min wait....So I stood there and Sam said .."You read ?" I said "Yes" and he said "Good, you sit, you wait !"...There was a sign on the front door saying we are NOT a fastfood restaurant. He wasnt wrong and I wasnt waiting 30 min for same to serve me, so I thanked him and left..He was obviously good as the locals were chowing down heartily.   Down the street I found a Gyros place and had a great "Sandwich" there.
Over the road from that was an Arcade and it was full of business people having lunch, in the Arcade there was a Post Office, Dry Cleaners, Seamstress, Shoe Shiner, Pharmacy .small Grocery along with restaurants....Great for those who have jobs to do in there lunch hour as it was all in the Arcade...After that I took the long walk home via Music Row where all the recording studios are..
Jo & I headed out to Opry Land, which is about 20 minutes drive, So I drove and we had to read the map as the Girlfriend (GPS) didnt like Nashville and kept freaking out.. I only drove up a one way street once and other than that we made it out to Opry Land in one piece ... How freaking amazing was that place....We had been told about the Opry Mills Shopping Centre but it had to be seen to be believed !! Jo & I were is shopper heaven....We spent 2 hours and only saw 1/5th of the centre...I was very dissappointed we didnt have the time to go through it all. But 1830 it was time for the Opry.. We had seats up in the Nose Bleed section and we settled in for a toe tapping time.. It was great..The names of the artists will mean nothing to anyone except for "The Exiles" maybe but all the acts were good.. One bloke.."Little Jimmy Dickens" was 91 years old..Freakin awesome, he had everyone in stitches laughing and he got a standing Ovation when he finished. The night was finished off with Eric Church and all the girls went crazy and ran down the front for photos..All in all a good night. The drive home was incident free.. Peter was in bed after having found a bar down in Second street which attracted him for most of the afternoon..so he cabbed it hope and was quite Doughy this morning so I had to drive.
The countryside through Tennisee is absolutely beautiful..Stunning homes set back on rolling tree dotted hills, just picture perfect. Got some nice barn photos..
We went to Lynchburg on the way ..Thats where the Jack Daniels Distillery was, so we did a tour which took about 1 hour and it was free...Funny thing is The Distillery is in a dry County so they cant sell grog .. It was a great tour and the guide was really funny..definately woth doing if you get this way..The town of Lynchburg is very cute, lots of lovely old houses and the BEST PULLED PORK sandwich EVER !!
Arrived in Chattanooga and lost another hour to Eastern Standard time ...