There you have it! I hope you've enjoyed reading about our adventures in Tennessee!
In case you missed one, here are the different blog posts I recapped our trip in:
Part 1: Dollywood
Part 2: Welcome to Nashville
Part 3: She's Gone Country
Part 4: Settling In
Part 5: We're Going to the Zoo
I really had so much fun. I definitely want to go back and explore more of Nashville and Tennessee. We weren't able to do all of the things that I had on my to do list, and we also discovered a few more things that we'd like to see more of next time. Plus, there were a few places I'd love to go back to!
I didn't realize how much I would fall in love with the Nashville Zoo. I didn't really get into it so much in my recaps, but it was the most beautiful zoo I've ever been to. Rick and Elissa thought it was partly because they had so much land to work with. It reminded me more of Animal Kingdom than any other zoo I've seen. The gorgeous landscaping, beautiful buildings and details completely drew me in. They even had footprints in the walkways just like Animal Kingdom. They also played music in the background at the front entrance. If you didn't know any better, you would have sworn you were at Walt Disney World. I definitely want to go back to the zoo again!
While in Nashville, I had figured that we'd make it to the Country Music Museum and Elissa and I probably could have gone but it didn't make sense. Eliot would love to see it, so I decided it was best to wait to do that with him. We also never got a chance to do the hop on, hop off bus tours. This seemed like a great way to see the city and the major sights. I'll definitely plan ahead so we can do this next time.
I also didn't get a chance to go to the Gulch to see the wall murals. I thought about doing it while I had some time on Monday, but it was so hot and I didn't have anyone to go with. Driving into the city alone didn't really sound very enticing. I had wanted to check out the popular Instagram locations, but it also seemed silly without having someone to take pictures for me. I probably would have found someone there, but it was so hot and humid while we were there; it just seemed silly to take pictures of myself looking like a hot mess. Not very Instagram worthy... haha!
Eliot and I really want to go explore more of Centennial Park. The park was gorgeous and I'd love to walk around it more when it isn't so warm out. We'd also like to go back to do a tour of the Grand Ole Opry. As I mentioned in my recaps, Eliot never made it to see Bridgestone Arena (where the Nashville Predators play) or to Broadway either. It would be great to go catch a hockey game at the arena and then go check out one of the bars or restaurants on Broadway afterwards.
We'd also like to return to the Opry Mills Mall. I'd like to check out the Aquarium Restaurant. Eliot and I are fans of Rainforest Cafe so this would also be a fun one to try out. (There's also a Rainforest Cafe there too.) In addition to that, it would be fun to see the Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum. I'm sure there are a bunch of country music stars in it. Eliot would love it. We went to the one in Las Vegas 10 years ago and had a blast taking pictures.
Finally, Eliot and I would really like to return to the Pigeon Forge area. Other than going to Dollywood, we didn't even scratch the surface on what it or Gatlinburg have to offer. We could probably spend a good part of a week just exploring out there. I'd also really love to go to Dollywood again. It's country charm and gorgeous location in the Smoky Mountain foothills definitely hooked me in.
Thank you Tennessee for showing us a good time and for making Eliot and me excited to come back again! You've got a special place in my heart! °o°
My last two days in Nashville, I wanted to enjoy myself as much as possible...
Monday, June 10th
Monday started early as both Elissa and I got up for the first day of her internship. By the time I rolled out of bed at 6:00 am, she was dressed and almost ready. I got up to see her off and take a picture of her in her uniform. Then, I handed Elissa her lunch and off she went to the bus stop for her first day!
I was settling back into bed about 10-15 minutes later when I got a phone call. Elissa had just realized that she missed the bus. Apparently, the bus was scheduled for 6:17 am that morning instead of 6:24 and neither of us realized it had changed. I told her it wasn't a big deal. Lesson learned. That's why I insisted that someone stay with her in Nashville for the first two days of her internship anyways... we wanted to work out the kinks while I was still there. I threw some clothes on and drove her over to the zoo.
I got back to the apartment and was pretty awake at that point. I ended up laying in bed playing on my phone until about 9:00 am or so. Then, I was starting to get tired again. I set my alarm for 2 hours later and went back to sleep. I must have needed the sleep because I slept through my alarm and woke up closer to noon.
I rolled out of bed and decided to do a few things around the apartment before heading over to the zoo. I called my Mom and talked to her while I did the dishes. Then, I tidied up around the apartment a little. After hanging up with my mother, I used my laptop to pay a few bills online. Once I was caught up on "chores" I jumped in the shower. By the time I got out of the shower it was already 2:00. I got dressed and ready, grabbed the trash and finally left the apartment at 2:20.
I had considered going back into the city, but I really didn't have anything that I wanted to do badly enough to go by myself. Instead, I wanted to explore the zoo at a more leisurely pace. We had the membership so it didn't cost anything. (Plus, I didn't really feel comfortable driving into the city alone.) I was happy with my plan though. On the way over to the zoo, I stopped at Hardee's for another cheeseburger. I had to get one more before I left Tennessee! It was delicious!
I finally arrived at the zoo just after 3:00. No sooner did I approach the front entrance then Eliot called me. I talked to him on the phone for a few minutes while sitting outside the entry. After talking with him, I took a few pictures of the entrance before heading going inside and making my way to the giraffes.
I had noticed there were benches at the giraffe exhibit when we visited the zoo a week prior. I had been planning on going back to that exact spot for the past week. I ended up finding a bench on a side trail in the shade and it looked like a nice quiet place for me to sit. I ended up sitting there watching the giraffes from my bench for over an hour. There was a really nice cool breeze that kept coming up. If I'd known how gorgeous it was outside, I would have gotten myself out of the apartment a bit quicker.
It was so peaceful and relaxing to just sit there and watch the giraffes. When the breeze blew it rustled the leaves in the trees. The only thing that interrupted the peace was the occasional zoo guest passing and the train whistle off in the distance.
Eventually, Elissa text messaged me to let me know she was done with her first day and heading towards the bus. My plan was to head out of the zoo a bit behind her so we'd both arrive at home about the same time. I sat and enjoyed my little slice of heaven on my bench for a few minutes before saying goodbye to the giraffes.
On the way back towards the front of the zoo, I noticed the rhinos. The other day we had only seen two but there was a huge group of them today. I took a quick detour by their exhibit to take a few pictures of them. Then, I made a quick stop at the gift shop to make a mental list of the things I still had to get before heading back to the car.
I was surprised when I beat Elissa back to the apartment. I hadn't seen her when I passed by the transfer stop so I assumed she was ahead of me. I was starting to wonder where on earth she was when she sent me a text. She had accidentally got on the wrong bus at her transfer stop. The nice bus driver was going to loop back to her stop, but she had to go through the other bus route first. I told her it was no big deal and that it was good to learn these things now. (Neither of us even realized there was another bus with the same number... gotta love public transportation!) I hung out at her apartment until she arrived home about an hour or so later.
I was excited to hear all about her first day at the zoo. After giving me an overview, Elissa took a quick shower to clean up. We had decided to take ourselves out to dinner to celebrate her first day. She chose a Longhorn Steakhouse not too far from her apartment. We drove over there and enjoyed a nice meal with plenty of leftovers.
When we got home, Elissa was exhausted and ready for bed. I bid her goodnight and went into the bedroom to pack some of my luggage up. I quietly talked to Eliot on the phone for a little bit while organizing my stuff. Then, I answered a few more customer messages on Etsy before calling it a night and going to bed.
Tuesday, June 11th
Elissa got up by herself the next morning but poked her head into the bedroom to let me know she was leaving. I was half awake waiting for her text that she made it to the zoo ok, then I dozed off and staying in bed until about 9:00 am.
When I got up, I went straight to work packing and organizing everything that I needed to bring home. I packaged up the box I was mailing home to myself. Eliot and I had bought a snow globe at the zoo and I wanted to mail it instead of packing it in my luggage. Once I had everything pretty much packed, I started in on a few other chores. I had breakfast and then I did all of the dishes. I didn't want to leave Elissa a pile of dishes to clean. Then, I took a shower and left the apartment around noon.
My flight wasn't until 7:00 so I had most of the day to enjoy. I had decided to go back to the Nashville Zoo for a few hours. On the way to the zoo, I stopped at the post office to drop my package off. When I arrived at the zoo, it was packed! I had gotten there so late the day prior that I got a parking spot right out front. Today, I ended up circling the parking lot twice before parking in the back parking lot.
I had planned to go back to the giraffes, but since I spent so much time there the day before, I headed in the other direction. I went to see the kangaroos and the line to pet one took up half of their exhibit. I took a few pictures before continuing along the path to the zebra, ostrich and antelope exhibit.
Then, I spent a bit of time at the tiger exhibit. One of them was sleeping right up against the glass. I found myself stuck in that corner for quite a few minutes as family after family of small children gathered around to watch and I couldn't get myself back out. While there, Elissa text messaged that she was on her lunch break. Eventually, I slid out between a few people and made my way over to where she was eating.
I found her and we sat and talked for about 45 minutes of her hour long break. She told me about her morning and I let her know my plans for the afternoon. When her time was up, we parted ways with plans for me to pick her up later in the day.
I headed over to watch the meerkats for a few minutes. There were quite a few moving all around though their dirt tunnels.
After that, I decided to make one last attempt at visiting the kangaroos. Most of them were awake this time. They had gotten a bunch of tree branches that a few were munching on. The line to pet them was still incredibly long so instead I stood there and watched them for a few minutes before leaving.
On my way out of the zoo, I stopped at the gift shop to grab the last of the items I needed to get. Eliot and I both wanted t-shirts and I decided to get us a plush giraffe and zebra to remember our trip to the zoo. Then, I also bought a Zooper Heroes magnet because it was Captain America and I love tigers. It was meant to be!
On the way back to the apartment, I took a quick unplanned detour. The Ellington Agricultural Center wasn't far from Elissa's apartment. She and Rick had gone over the other day on their way back from trying out her bus route. She said it was cool so I decided to drive up there to see it quickly. I didn't have any time to explore, but I did get to see the barn where they keep the horses.
Then, I headed back to the apartment to get the rest of my affairs in order before I needed to leave for the airport. I stopped at the front office to print a note that I'd written the night before to leave for Elissa. When I got back to her apartment, I set the note on her kitchen counter along with the extra Merida Disney Princess necklace that I'd secretly purchased at Hot Topic when she wasn't looking. (She had been admiring it, but put it back since she was going to behave. When she was looking at something else, I slipped an extra one into my pile of necklaces without her noticing.)
I ate my lunch, which was basically the last of my leftovers of everything that I hadn't eaten yet. Then, I changed into my swimsuit so I'd have just enough time for a quick dip in the pool to cool off. When I arrived at the pool by the fitness center, it was empty and I was so excited... until I went to open the gate and discovered it was locked. The pool was closed. Then, I drove back to her apartment and tried the pool near the playground. It was also chained up. Disappointed, I walked across the parking lot and went back to the apartment. So much for my last swim in the pool before going home.
Instead, I jumped into the shower to rinse off before changing into my travel clothes. I then finished packing the last of my stuff into my luggage. It was all I could do to drag my giant LL Bean bag up the stairs and to the rental car. It weighed a ton. Next, I brought up my carry on and backpack. Finally, I checked the bedroom and apartment one more time before leaving it for the last time and heading to the zoo.
I arrived a little bit before Elissa was going to get out so I sat in the air conditioning and ate the rest of the snacks I had brought with me. I checked in with both Eliot and my mother so they knew that I was on schedule. Eventually, she got out and met me at the car. We drove home through the rush hour traffic, which was busy but not too bad.
I parked in front of Elissa's apartment building and got out so I could give her a big hug goodbye. I swore I wasn't going to cry, so of course I did. It was hard to leave her there, but I also knew she was going to have such a good time this summer. This internship is a great opportunity for her and another chapter that gets her closer to her dream of working with animals. Still, leaving her in Nashville was bittersweet.
After saying goodbye, I got back into the car, took a deep breath and made my way over to the airport. I basically knew where I was going but I had the GPS on just in case. Besides almost missing my exit, I made it there in one piece. Thankfully, getting to the rental car return parking garage was very easy. I unpacked my luggage and waited to find out what I had to do. I was ready to leave the keys in the car like everyone else when I discovered the Hertz guy. I waited until he came over to check the car over and give me my receipt. Then, I was good to go!
Somehow, I made it over to the airline check in. My luggage weighed a ton, but I made it. Of course, it was overweight, but it was what it was. I didn't have anywhere else to put it so I just paid the extra fee. Then, I headed through security and got settled in at my gate. I checked in with Eliot, my Mom and Nori to let them know that I was there ok. Elissa had texted to thank me for the note and necklace so she and I texted back and forth for a bit. Eventually, I boarded my plane and said goodbye to Tennessee.
I slept during most of both flights. I had a layover in Baltimore that provided me with enough time to go get something to eat. I opted for Cinnabon since we don't have any back home. After enjoying my two mini cinnamon buns, it was time to board my plane to Portland. Before I knew it, I was back on the ground in Maine right at midnight.
Eliot was at the bottom of the Portland Jetport escalators waiting for me. He took my backpack from me and we made our way to the luggage carousel. After approximately forever, they finally loaded it so we could get our luggage. Eliot took me to McDonald's because I was really hungry- even though it was past 1:00 am at that point. By 1:45, we arrived at our house and my Tennessee adventure was officially over. °o°
Over the next few days we started to really settle in at the apartment...
Friday, June 7th
After our long day out of the CMA Fest, Elissa, Rick and I slept in. It was raining and none of us were too keen on getting up really early. Instead of testing out Elissa's bus route at 6:00 am, Rick and Elissa opted for the 10:00 bus instead. She wanted to do it once while we were there so she knew what she needed to do. Rick then drove behind her in the rental car so he could pick her up once she reached the zoo. After testing the bus route, they ended up going to run a few errands while they were out.
While Rick and Elissa were gone, I relaxed at the apartment. I opened the shades and watched a squirrel running around in the back yard after the rain stopped. I could hear the birds chirping. Elissa's apartment is right on the end of the building and next to the woods so it's very quiet and peaceful. I enjoyed nature for a bit before getting up to take a shower and get dressed in my comfy hang out clothes.
When they came back, we decided to hang out at the apartment for the rest of the afternoon. Elissa poked around putting things away and organizing. Rick worked on a few things on his computer. I got my new laptop out so I could get caught up on a few Happily Ever Hatter messages and other business stuff.
Later on, we all got dressed and ready for dinner. One of Eliot's and my good friends, BJ, has a friend named Sara that lives outside of Nashville. Ironically, she's only a few miles from where Elissa is living for the summer. He got Elissa in touch with his friend Sara and the girls made plans to have dinner while we were there.
Elissa, Rick and I met Sara and her Dad at a little Italian restaurant called Villalba near the Taco Bell we'd gone to the other day. The food was amazing. I had a delicious ravioli. We had a great time with them. We all talked and laughed as if we'd known each other for ages. Before we knew it, about two hours had passed before we finally said our goodbyes and left the restaurant.
The three of us drove back to the apartment where we went back into chill mode. We watched a little television. I did a few more business things on my computer and Elissa worked on her Galapagos journal before we all went to bed for the night.
Saturday, June 8th
Saturday was Rick's last day in Nashville. His flight left mid-afternoon so we decided to get up early to tackle the last things we needed to before he left. First, we went to the zoo to add Elissa to the membership card. Then, we went for one last shopping trip to both the Dollar Tree and Walmart to pick up the last things we had added to our apartment list. While at Walmart, I discovered the Nashville merchandise and left with a few stickers and new spirit jerseys for myself and Eliot.
After that, we headed to the Nashville airport. We parked in the parking garage and headed inside. Rick had to add me to the Hertz rental car agreement since he got the car before Eliot and I arrived in Nashville. I signed the rental paperwork for our brand new GMC Acadia, then he handed the keys to the car off to me.
Elissa and I said goodbye and he made his way up the escalator to check in for this flight back to California. It was hard to part ways with him there. I knew Elissa was a little anxious, and honestly, I was a bit too. I'd been riding in the front seat so I had a pretty good idea of the area, but it was still going to be an adventure. We plugged her address back into the GPS just in case, and we made our way back home.
Once we got there, we decided to stay there the rest of the day. I got something to eat and we settled in. Elissa opened up the window shades to her first floor patio and before we knew it, we had a visitor. A black cat was walking across her patio. She opened the door and pet him through the screen- afraid he might come inside if we moved it. A few minutes later, we met Elissa's next door neighbor, the owner of the cat. We talked with him for a minute or two before he and the kitty returned home.
We eventually decided that we needed to do laundry again and it made sense to do it while we were at the apartment complex anyways. Elissa and I changed into our bathing suits, gathered up our laundry and drove down to the front office area. We put our clothes, towels and bedding into two washers and headed to the pool.
We went to the pool next to her fitness center and when we got there it was empty. We eventually ended up sharing it with three teenage girls, but it was pretty quiet down there otherwise. I was surprised no one was in the pool or fitness center considering that it was a Saturday. The apartment complex had a gorgeous fitness facility and I was really impressed with the pool area. It had a nice grill, a seating area and plenty of space to entertain. There was also a little rock fountain feature.
Elissa and I swam the entire time our clothes were washing. The water was a bit cold, but once you got in it wasn't bad. We finally checked the time and got out when it was time to switch our clothes over to the drier. Then, we headed back to her apartment to take turns showering before going back to pick our laundry up.
That night, we did a bit of organizing. We put our clothes away. She put the 2015 live action Cinderella on her computer for us to watch. While we had that on, she started to put up a few of the small decor items she had bought at the Dollar Tree. She also hung up a few posters and pictures she had. I hadn't seen the movie in a while so I mostly watched that. When the movie was over, we did a few more things around the apartment before heading to bed to get ready for the next day.
Sunday, June 9th
Sunday was Eliot's 31st Birthday. I felt a little bit guilty that I was still in Nashville and he was home all alone but he assured me that he'd have a good day. (Truthfully, I think he was excited to have a little quiet time of his own.) Of course, since it was Eliot's birthday that meant it was also Donald Duck's birthday.
This year was Donald's 85th anniversary and the Disney Store was celebrating by releasing an entire Donald Duck collection of merchandise. In addition to that, they were giving out a key to the first 100 customers to make a purchase at each of their locations. Earlier in the trip, I'd gone onto Google Maps and looked at where the Nashville Disney Store was. Ironically, that's how I found out where the Grand Ole Opry was; the store was in the Opry Mills Mall. When we'd gone to the mall a few days earlier on the 4th, Eliot had walked over to the Disney Store before heading to the airport so we knew it wasn't far from the Food Court.
Elissa and I got up early so we could go to the Disney Store to get the keys. My brother Jeremy was also going to his local store and he said it was busy there. Elissa and I got to the mall about 45 minutes before it opened. She went to get us Starbucks while I stood in the unofficial line. Thankfully, while in line, I got a text from Jeremy that he was able to get the Donald spirit jersey after someone else put one in his size back on the rack. It was the only thing Eliot really wanted from the collection. Elissa and I headed inside once the store opened. It was a mad rush for the check out register, but we did both make our purchases in time to get our free Donald keys.
After, we decided to walk around the mall for a bit since we were already there. I went into Hot Topic and ended up purchasing the Toy Story Woody vest that I'd seen online and had been admiring. (They actually had my size so I was even able to try it on!) I also left with 4 new Disney Princess necklaces since it was buy two, get two free!
Next, Elissa wanted to go to Rue 21, so we went there for a bit. She tried on a bunch of clothes and got a few new pairs of shorts and some shirts. We then wandered around for a bit longer before calling it a day. I was pretty hungry though, so we went to Panda Express in the Food Court before heading home with our purchases.
The rest of the day, we hung out at her apartment. We had talked about going back down to the pool. Unfortunately, there were a bunch of thunderstorms coming through the area so it rained on and off. Instead, I opted to take a nap since I was dead tired at this point in the trip. I fell asleep to the sound of the rain.
An hour or so later, I got up just in time to watch Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals with the Bruins and Blues. I half paid attention to the game while Elissa sat at her dining room table working on her Galapagos journal. After the game, we watched the fireflies blinking on and off in the back yard outside of her sliding door.
Before bed, Elissa laid out her clothes for her first day of her internship. She got her sunscreen, bug spray, lunch bag and backpack ready. We set our alarms for 5:45 so she could be ready to leave on the 6:24 bus. Then, we said goodnight.
I called Eliot to wish him a Happy Birthday one last time. While on the phone, I placed the JCPenney order for our San Jose Sharks gear. They were running a sale on their sports stuff for Father's Day so we wanted to take advantage of that to get a few new things to prepare for next season. I also bought us a few Boston Red Sox Mickey shirts since we've talked about going to a game down in Boston this summer. Then, we said goodnight to each other and I went to bed. °o°
Over the next few days, we really got a feel for Nashville...
Tuesday, June 4th
Sadly, Tuesday was Eliot's last day in Tennessee. I still had a list of things that I'd wanted to do while he was there, so we got up pretty early to tackle the day. We all showered and got ready. Then, Eliot and I packed up his luggage up and Rick and him put it in the rental car before we set off on our adventure in Nashville. We set the GPS for the Parthenon and Centennial Park and away we went!
I sat in the front seat and helped Rick navigate on the way in. We got stuck in a little bit of traffic, but we expected that with the CMA Fest (Country Music Association) and CMT (Country Music Television) Awards happening over the next few days. We were in Nashville the same weekend as most of the biggest country music artists. There was definitely a lot of commotion, but it was really cool to see it all!
We arrived at Centennial Park and were lucky to find a parking spot right near the Parthenon. I'd really wanted to see it because I've been to the original Parthenon in Athens, Greece. Once we arrived, it was clear that something was going on there as well. There were vans, cords, what looked like equipment and people moving it all around and setting something up. (We later found out that Carrie Underwood was performing there the next day as part of the CMT awards!)
After looking at the outside of the Parthenon for a few minutes, we realized that you could go inside where there was a museum. The four of us decided to check it out. It was really interesting. We learned the history of the Parthenon both in Athens and in Nashville, why the replica was built and more about Centennial Park.
Eliot and I were a bit shocked when we got upstairs. There was a giant golden statue of Athena that stood 42 feet high. To put it into perspective, the statue of Nike that she holds in her right palm is 6 feet high, about the size of the average person.
We took a bunch of pictures upstairs before heading back downstairs to catch up with Elissa and Rick. Eliot and I purchased a few souvenirs for our magnet and ornament collections and I also got my post cards for my scrapbook before we left.
Eliot, Elissa and I took a few pictures of the outside of the Parthenon before we returned to the car. On the way back to the main road, I couldn't help but admire the beauty of the park. Eliot and I agreed that it was a little warm for our taste, but it would be perfect to visit and explore in the spring or fall.
We headed further into the city towards Bridgestone Arena so we could see where the Nashville Predators NHL team played. Unfortunately, we were about two blocks from it when we realized that the road was closed for the CMT Awards. Apparently, they had blocked off a bunch of streets so there could be performances outside.
I quickly plugged in our last destination and we headed away from the downtown area and towards the Grand Old Opry. None of us realized that it was as far outside of the city as it ended up being. We eventually got there and found a place to park in a huge parking lot before heading over.
There was so much going on. They had little food carts, places to sit, a stage set up, and people all over. We took a few pictures outside the Opry. Unfortunately, we didn't have time to take a tour due to Eliot's flight. Instead, we went into the Grand Old Opry store and purchased a few souvenirs.
While there, Elissa realized that one of the country artists she likes was going to be there that night taking pictures and signing CDs before his performance at the Opry that night. You had to purchase one of his CDs from the store in order to get the card to meet him so she got that and planned to stay.
We were running out of time before Eliot had to get to the airport for his 6:30 flight so we decided that I'd stay with Elissa while Rick took Eliot over to the airport. I was starving at this point, so we all rode over to the Opry Mills Mall Food Court to get something to eat. After that, we went back to the car and got ready to split up. Elissa and I said our goodbyes to Eliot and Rick dropped us off near the Opry before taking Eliot to the Nashville airport.
Elissa and I walked back across the street. At this point, they were preparing for the Opry show that night. They had metal detectors and security that we had to pass though. Then, there was a concert going on on the outdoor stage. After walking over, Elissa discovered that it was Teagan Marie. We still had a little bit of time so we watched her as well as the next performer.
Eventually, we needed to head over to the Josh Turner CD signing line. We met a few nice people that we talked to while in line. We were surprised that it moved pretty quickly. The Opry had people taking the photos so they could make sure the line continued to move. Before we knew it, she and I were inside getting our CDs signed and taking our picture. He was really nice. I let Elissa take one by herself and he told me to come over for one afterwards.
After that, we called Rick and he was on his way back from the airport. Elissa and I slowly made our way back over to the Opry Mills Mall where Rick had parked. We met up with him after crossing the street from the Opry to the mall. Then, we walked around the mall for a few hours checking out the stores. Elissa and I looked at cowboy boots. We explored some specialty Nashville stores. We bought a few things for Elissa's apartment at 5 Below. Elissa bought a salt lamp and I got a beautiful rainbow butterfly wind chime at another store.
At closing time, Rick, Elissa and I went back to the car and plugged the apartment back into the GPS. We took a quick detour to Walmart since Rick had gotten a notification that Elissa's pots and pans had arrived for pick up.
Then, we went back to her apartment. I ate my pink music note sugar cookie from Dollywood and headed to bed. I was so tired that I found it hard to stay awake. Eliot and I had been sharing a queen size air mattress for the past two nights and I hadn't been sleeping very well. Thankfully, I waited until Eliot texted me that he had landed safely in Portland before drifting off into a really deep sleep.
Wednesday June 5th
I was out cold, but as I slowly came out of my sleeping stupor, I could hear Elissa and Rick moving around out in the living room and kitchen. Elissa and Rick knocked on my door and let me know that they were going to be down at the laundry room cleaning all of her clothes from her Galapagos trip. They also grabbed a few things for me.
I stayed in bed and was lazy for quite a bit. I played on my cell phone. Eventually, I got up and took time to organize some of my stuff in the bedroom. I slowly ate my breakfast. I called to check in with Eliot at work. I talked to my Mom on the phone for a bit. Then, I took a shower so I'd be ready when they got back to the apartment.
Once they returned, we made our shopping plans. We'd already decided that we'd take Wednesday as our "down time" day to relax and go shopping. It made sense to go to the dollar store first, since we were planning to load up on groceries at Costco.
We went to the Dollar Tree down the road. I ended up finding a few treasures that I bought to bring home with me. I was afraid that they would't have them home and I'm glad that I got them. (After checking our local stores last week... I was correct in my assumption.) One of those was the David Tutera Disney Fairy Tale Weddings book that I've been looking at since before Eliot and I were married. It's still available on Amazon, but I couldn't say no to only paying $1 for it. In fact, they had two so they both came home with me! Elissa also found everything she had on her list.
After we checked out, we put Costco into the GPS. It was leading us to the highway but it was pretty much at a standstill. We decided to improvise and take our own detour. The other way took us through Brentwood and we passed a section that had the most beautiful houses. Elissa and I marveled at the stone mansions as we passed them. I did a quick search online and discovered they were about 1.5 million each. I could see why... they were absolutely gorgeous!
We eventually found the Costco. Elissa got a bunch of food to stock up as best we could. She had limited space in her freezer, but we did a pretty good job. After checking out, Rick got a hot dog and Elissa and I both got churros. Then, we went back to her apartment to drop everything off. Rick and Elissa unloaded the car and I divvied stuff up into the freezer, refrigerator and the pantry.
Elissa wanted to go to Cracker Barrel for dinner. It's one of her favorite restaurants and there was one nearby. I didn't realize that Cracker Barrel started in Tennessee. It seemed like it was a necessary part of the Tennessee country experience. Both Elissa and I left the restaurant with plenty of leftovers. We also both left with purchases from the country store. She found small games and couldn't say no to the mini Lincoln Logs kit. I opted for a miniature Lite-Brite. I was obsessed with mine growing up.
After dinner, we returned to the apartment to relax for a bit before heading to bed. We had plans to go to CMA Fest the next day so we wanted to get plenty of sleep!
Thursday June 6th
The next morning, Rick, Elissa and I got up, got ready and headed back into the city to go to CMA Fest. It was taking place at the Music City Center which we had passed the other day while downtown. We finally found the entrance to the CMA Fest Fan Fair. It was a giant Expo of country music. I was a little bit overwhelmed. Eliot's family is really into country music and I was a bit out of my element. I know more country music then I give myself credit for, but this was next level.
Rick had a custom made vinyl record that he was going to get for his brother, so we decided to split up. Elissa and I wandered around the expo floor checking out different booths. We both signed our names on this giant coloring wall.
Elissa found a few artists she wanted to get pictures and autographs from. I deferred to her since she knew who these people were. We didn't really know how it worked but the nice volunteers explained it all to us. A lot of the really popular artists had sign ups or meet and greet lotteries prior to CMA Fest starting. Since we hadn't planned to be there, we stood in an overflow "hopeful" line. It worked though. We ended up meeting Matt Stell and Mitchell Tenpenny. They were both really nice.
Apparently, Elissa and I missed the CMA Fest puppies. Miranda Lambert had an adoption center and there were puppies over there. Elissa and I got to see where they were though. We also saw the Radio Disney stage at the end of the night.
Once CMA Fest was over, we decided to walk around to see what else was going on in downtown Nashville. We walked past Bridgestone Arena and ended up going into the Nashville Predators Store. The store was huge!!! The Sharks have a store at their arena, but this one must have been at least 3-4 times bigger than that.
Afterwards, we headed over to Broadway. There were so many bars and restaurants that lined the street. Every one we passed had open windows and a live band playing music. It was exciting but also a little overwhelming. Due to the CMA Fest, the road was all closed off and there were food and merchandise trucks instead.
We ended up going into the Geico bus after seeing a few people with lanyards. It was a bus with the history of the CMA Awards. At the back of the bus, there was a "photo booth" where you could take a picture that they printed onto a small poster. Then, they also emailed it to you. It was pretty cool and a nice souvenir to take home.
We continued to explore as it started to drizzle. I honestly thought the misty rain felt really good. They were giving out free pizza at the Hunt Brother's food truck so we all got a free slice of cheese pizza. We stood outside of the Hard Rock Cafe and listened to their live band sing an Imagine Dragons song before it really started to rain.
We decided it was time to head out so we walked back to the car in the rain. It was still pretty refreshing. We stopped at a Starbucks on the way to get a drink. Then, we got back to the car and headed towards the apartment.
We swung by Walmart to pick up a few more things that we'd added to our apartment list. Then, we went to get dinner at the Taco Bell near Elissa's apartment. We wanted to see how far it was from her place and if it was walkable. After dinner, we went home and watched the rest of Game 5 of the NHL Stanley Cup Finals with the Boston Bruins and St. Louis Blues. Once the game was over, we all headed to bed. °o°
