From DC to Tennessee

 

Good Morning Washington D.C! At a comfortable 50 degrees, I’m already almost feeling the warm California weather on it’s way. Take off time was 5:40am. 

Today was a pretty easy drive. Fortunately, there wasn’t anything exciting to really report that happened while we were driving. The scenery was absolutely beautiful however. We were driving through the Appalachian Mountains which was undeniably gorgeous.

There were farmlands surrounding us from left to right. Cows, chickens, sheep, goats, etc. One billboard sign made me feel a bit unsettled. It may have been due to my love for animals or my lifestyle…I’m not sure why but all in all…it made me think. To our left on a long stretch of road through Virginia, there was a massive yellow sign that read “ Best Dang BBQ in Town next right”. Directly underneath this sign were 30+ heavy weights. These fuzz-muffins had fur so sleek and black; they shined in the sun. Some cows were laying down taking a nap, soaking up the rays, others munched the grass below their hooves. What they all shared in common was the naive, innocent and harmless hearts that have zero idea that they are the BBQ the Virginia sign was psyched about….ouch, my heart.

The drive progressed.

Welcome to Tennessee! 

We tucked into the Nashville Red Roof Inn and settled Kohlo in with his dinner and Fuzz-Blanket so he was all cuddled up.

Oh my goodness, both of our stomachs were ready to chow down! Freddie checked into some vegan friendly options nearby for a quick grub session. We stopped for a casual nosh fest at a placed called Calypso. The food was mediocre but the service was wonderful which made the experience worth it.

Our bellies were full, and now, downtown ready. Oh the LIGHTS and MUSIC! The weather was about 35 degrees; it was fairly cold but we really wanted to get the full experience, so we rolled our windows down while cruising. Music filled the air. You could almost see the music notes dancing about and all around. The hustle bustle of the city on a Wednesday was incredible. Our energy, fueled by our dinner and now the music gave a quick buzz and warmed us up despite the arctic weather that I’m pretty sure we brought down. Sorry about that Nashvillians <—-is that what they are called?

My father mentioned to me that we NEEDED to go to “Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge” because it was impressionable to him when he visited. I googled it and Tootsie’s was noted as one of the top places to visit in downtown. It was a purple building all lit up with three levels, three bands and PACKED to the 9’s. It is home to where Willie Nelson was first discovered and signed due to his performance. 

This city is a working town, full of musicians and artists trying to be discovered. The talent was that of a performance I felt as if I should have paid concert prices for. Many or most of these bands/musicians I’m pretty sure aren’t hired at bars, rather work for tips and try to get noticed. 

The people were so friendly and wanted to chat with us throughout the evening. Maybe it was pretty obvious we weren’t from there or maybe it was because we looked nice. Whatever the case was, I really enjoyed every moment here and wished we could have stayed longer. Ohhhh Nashville, we’ll be back. Thank you for the welcoming southern charm.