Destination: Music City

Nashville is quite the destination--especially if you're a cowboy boot lovin' bachelorette, or a country music lover, or apparently if you're a young family of 4.

We took a trip to music city over labor day to visit Mark's cousin Ben [and family], and we planned it to coincide with Jenny and Spencer visiting also. All family members thoroughly enjoyed the vacation, though we were all glad to not have to make too many more 10 hour car trips this year. It took a lot of screens to get through the screams that came from the back seat :)

(A sample of the art created on some form of ip____. I'd say it's ready for the Freer Gallery)

Highlights of our trip:

-We ate the most amazing southern cooking any of us had every experienced in our life. Arnold's Country Kitchen is only open for weekday lunches, so we left mid afternoon Thu, so we could make it by noon on Friday. Totally worth it. Allie was the only one who didn't find it appetizing. Apparently she was holding out for the 5 consecutive meals of hotdogs that were to come. But the rest of us cleared our "meat and 3 [sides]," and wished it had been open on the weekend.

 Ya, the cooked food didn't look that amazing (to me either), but HOLY COW, it tasted like savory heaven.

 -Cutest babies. Baby Isla Annavee and baby Anna Vee are a month apart, and both way too cute to not kiss. Jackson did a good job trying to keep them entertained in route and in house. I don't blame him--they were totally irresistible.  

 -Grand Ole Opry (with Jenny and Spencer). And if you've never heard of it, it's a super famous country variety show--not an opera. Our show featured an 86 year old woman who had plenty of wit and pizazz, and started yodeling in the middle of her song. Um... floored.

Huge shout out to Ben and Amy who braved putting 4 kids and a dog to bed in a one bedroom apartment. We're not quite sure how all but the adult humans were sleeping when we got there.

-Speaking of maximizing small spaces, we utilized the back bench of our RAV4, stuffing the kids back there, so we could enjoy it's full 7 seat potential. It worked so well, we temporarily considered forgetting the mini-van plan of the future. Too bad Jackson's legs are going to grow--a problem considering the negative space they occupied.

-We twice took advantage of this awesome spray pad right across from downtown Nashville. We also tried out 3 different hotel/apartment pools. We certainly got our money's worth at every place we stayed.

-And Allie took good advantage of her new buddies Jenny and Spencer. She stole their stroller and hands as often as they would let her. 

 

 What a fun trip with fun people and next time... we'll fly.

P.S.  We hauled the train tracks and blocks with us, so Jackson could have some playtime--hotel lobby's make fantastic play areas while little sister's are sleeping. That was also worth it--though wouldn't have made the cut had we flown...