This past weekend my husband, our daughter Whitney, granddaughter Avery Grace, and I traveled to Nashville to visit our son Benjamin. The weather was cold and dreary, with icy winds gusting to 25 miles an hour, but that didn't keep us from having a good time.
Although we weren't able to spend time outdoors, we ventured out Saturday and saw parts of Nashville we had not seen on previous trips. Our first stop was for brunch at the Loveless Cafe, an institution in Nashville since 1951.
Although we had to wait for over a half hour to be served, it was well worth the wait. I highly recommend that you add it to your "must see" places if you are planning a visit to Nashville (you can click on the above link if you'd like to visit their website).
Next, we drove to downtown Nashville, and spent about an hour just riding around seeing the sights. There's nothing like doing a "drive-by photo shoot" from the back seat of a GMC Sierra, trying to avoid shooting power lines, traffic lights, trees, and cars zipping by. Here are a few of my "outtakes" ...
However, I did manage to capture a few "keepers," like the skyline pictures. I thought they were pretty good considering I took them from the interstate several miles away, while we were going around 65 mph.
See the building on the left that resembles Batman? It's the AT&T building, or "the bat tower," as it's called by locals ...
Here are a few of the sights that caught my attention downtown. I found it interesting that there were so many historical landmarks mixed in with the "Music City" landmarks ...
One of the many times I wished for my zoom lens. I so wanted to get a closer look at Mercury perched on top of the spire of Union Station ... 
I have to admit that it was more than a little frustrating trying to capture all of those wonderful sights from the back seat of a moving vehicle. I would love to go back some day and do a "walking photo shoot," showcasing the architectural details of the old buildings and some of the neon signs along Broadway Street. Now that I think about it, I would probably need more than a day. Just look at all the treasures I managed to capture in an hour ...
I braved the icy winds to get this shot of the imposing Tennessee State Capitol building perched high on a hill overlooking the city.
Another "Oh, I wish I had my zoom lens!" moment.
Sunday morning dawned bright and sunny, but still cold and windy, as we headed home to Vicksburg, already missing Benjamin, but thankful for our time with him.
Thank goodness for Leapsters, DVD players, and Tootsie Rolls when you're traveling over a thousand miles with a five-year-old.
Although it's slower, it was the closest route, and the Trace is so much more pleasant than traveling by interstate.
A pretty Mississippi sunset welcomed us home — the perfect ending to a wonderful weekend filled with lots of love, laughter, and sweet memories we will all cherish for a very long time.
10 comments:
I well remember travelling 600 miles to NC just me and my boys, or me and my boys-3 and Joy and her girls-2. And at that time none of those wonderful devices they have now. We stopped by the side of the road many times.
Love Nashville. I've been several times. We did a Ladies Mission Trip there once right downtown in a women and childrens shelter. But, we usually stay in Franklin. Love all that is available there!
Love the Parthnon building, too.
You have represented us well! Come back in the Spring!!
Next time you come back, have Benjamin take you to Love Circle so you can get a spectacular view and photo of the Nashville skyline from that direction! I can give you directions if he doesn't know where it is! Make sure you visit Hillboro Village next time too. There are some very quaint shops down there including a magnificent stationary store! Glad you got to visit our neck of the woods. Wish the weather had been nicer for you! - Karen
I enjoyed this so much, Janie. I see places in downtown that look the same as they did nearly 50 years ago, when I lived there!
Don't know the Loveless. Where is it located?
Oh, I'd never guessed, We went to Nashville almost 34 yrs ago to Opera Land and the only other time we have been that way we were passing by and only stopped on the out skirts of the area for the night. DH won't drive in big cities that he doesn't know his way around in. He will pass through them on the interstate but to go to the down town areas it ain't happening. And the older he gets the worse he gets. He gets to nervous, so when we go on vacation we visit smaller out of the way areas.
Loved looking at your pictures.
Hi! I loved the tour of downtown Nashville. I don't remember it well from a childhood trip. I wonder how old the churches are and if any of this are antebellum, before the war.
If you are interested, I gave you an award. It is on Monday's post at my blog: www.homemusings.blogspot.com
What kind of weather are you having in Mississippi?
Have a great one!
Elizabeth
We've been mere passers-through in the twenty years we've lived up here---when we stay in TN, it's usually at the lodge, or in Murphreesboro, meeting the GA kids for a weekend.
One thing we DO miss is Uncle Bud's catfish places. There were several---a little bit hokey, with all the servers in "over-hauls" and the tables oilclothed (practical as well as theme-y) and wonderful "fixin's" to go with the fish---a bowl of Northerns, slaw, hushpuppies and a nice slice of sweet onion, delivered as soon as you sat down.
They're all gone now, I think, and I remember how disappointed we were when we drove all the way out to our favorite one, to find it deserted.
And is Dear Earnest Tubb's Record Shop a BAR now?? Aren't thos beer signs in the windows? I used to order a record or two from there WAY back when.
Thanks for the tour---we rarely get off I-65.
oh what a fun trip.....
Hello from the other end of the Mississippi -- Saint Paul -- How nice to see some places without snow.
Ah Nashville.... what a fun and wonderful place...
Glad y'all had a good, safe trip!
Jenni
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