 |
| Cruisin' and snoozin' |
Our first night sleeping in Carla was much better than we'd anticipated! Who knew it could be so comfortable sleeping on an old futon in the back of a beat up station wagon? We parked in a Roanoke shopping plaza, locked the doors, put up the curtains, and immediately passed out. We were exhausted after only our first day. We'd driven about 700 miles and spent the day in 90 degree heat, so it didn't matter where we were sleeping, just that we were able to. And sleep, we did! I intended to rise at 6 a.m. sharp and get moving, but I slept through my alarm and woke at 7 instead. Eager to make up for lost time, I didn't even bother changing or really waking Pete, I just crawled into the driver's seat and started the car in my pajamas. I drove that way for a few hours, with Pete fast asleep in back. The people in the cars around us seemed to get a real kick out of that as we made our way out of Virginia.
After Pete rose from the dead, we swapped out and continued southwest into Tennessee. I was nervous that I'd cost us an hour in Nashville by sleeping in, but then we crossed over into central time! We were so excited, though we felt a little foolish because we'd both completely forgotten about that. It turns out that I didn't really sleep late after all!
We arrived in Nashville around 2 p.m. (central time, obviously) and had lunch at the Blackstone Brewery and Restaurant. Not only did they brew their own beers, but the walls were lined with hundreds of bottles from local brewers. The good food and cool atmosphere completely made up for the fact that the whole place smelled like a fermenting malt. The southwest corn chowder was to die for and probably horribly unhealthy. I loved it.
We were lucky enough to stay with my great friend and delightful host, Bryce. Our friendship goes all the way back to middle school, but this is the first chance I've had to visit him in Nashville. He's been begging me to come for years, and now I understand why. His place is INCREDIBLE. We felt so pampered, parading around his fabulous apartment with him, checking out his incredible view of the city. ABC's "Nashville" is one of my favorite guilty pleasure shows, so I was positively giddy when Bryce pointed to locations where the show had been filmed. Pete and I were overcome by the view and we wouldn't shut up about telling Bryce how incredibly lucky he is. He knows, of course, and was the most gracious and welcoming host. He spoiled us rotten for sure :-)
 |
| This is the view from Bryce's apartment. Don't you just hate him? |
Bryce promised us that we would not leave town without having an authentic Nashville night out. We now know that this is in no way anything like a Friday night in Providence. There was nothing that could have prepared us for the night Bryce had in store for us.
Not only is this city the perfect place for 20-somethings to get together and have a good time, but it is the hub of country music. It's clean, gorgeous, and most of all, it's HOPPING. I consider it kind of the southern Greenwich Village. People from all over the world come here to visit, live, and play music. There was a different performer in every bar and a different bar ever few feet. Neon signs flashing, people cheering, singers crooning, Pete and I felt like we'd stepped out of reality and into a Dolly Parton song. People were friendlier, the talent was actually talented, and the drinks are anything but weak.
 |
| The Bush Whacker! |
We started off the night with something called a Bush Whacker. A Bryce recommendation, the Bush Whacker is essentially a 70 proof milkshake that gives a wicked brain freeze and an instant buzz. Apparently, if you order a smaller one, they call it the Weed Whacker. Adorable! After one sip of that shake, we right then and there that Nashville was not to be underestimated. Pete and I thought we had social lives back home, with our taco Tuesdays at Pancho O'Malley's that get us home before 11 p.m. Bryce had other plans for us and we definitely experienced the Nashville night life in the most exciting (and responsible) way.
 |
| The Stage |
That night, we went to 7 bars, Broadway Brewhouse, Back Alley Diner, Fleet Street Bar, Tootsies, The Stage, The Wild Beaver, and Tequila Cowboy. Most of these colorfully named hangouts had some kind of live music. We hit up famous hot spots, Tootsies and The Stage, where the beer was flowing and the music just made you want to dance. The walls were plastered with photos and drawings of country music legends, from Johnny Cash to Shania Twain, all of whom had performed on those stages way back when. These weren't just bars, they were saloons, filled with cowboys, guitars, and southern hospitality. I was in country heaven.
 |
| Ride 'em, cowboy! |
Our favorite was The Wild Beaver, a bar where Bryce and I were guests on the karaoke stage and Pete and I took a shot on the mechanical bull. I can officially cross that one off the bucket list! Now I know why they surround the thing with cushions and a bouncy cage... The bull had almost as much kick as the Fireball, a cinnamon whiskey that Bryce had us try. He told us that it's popular in the south and it certainly packed a spicy punch. It's amazing any of those cowboys managed to stay on their horses, drinking stuff like that.
 |
| What a name... |
I butchered a few songs at karaoke and Bryce serenaded me with my favorite Backstreet Boys song. I knew there was a reason why we're friends ;-) Pete and I had a dance and the whole night was filled with laughter, good friends, and most of all MUSIC. We ended the night at Tequila Cowboy. Yes, that is the actual name of a real place and it is just as honkey tonk as it sounds. We loved it!
7 bars, 3 of us, a whole bunch of drinks, and one heck of a hangover. Oh, and this was just a typical Nashville Thursday night. Not Friday or Saturday, but Thursday. We're not sure we want to know what goes on during weekends, Pete doesn't think he could handle it.
 |
Laura Mac, this is for you:
Taylor Swift's guitar. I'm not sure it's sparkly enough. |
The next morning we slept in a little before heading over to the Country Music Hall of Fame. It was a real rough walk, all two blocks of it. We spent the morning gaping at the treasures of country music stars of the past and present. There were famous records all over the walls, video tributes to legends, and pieces of history frozen in time. It was incredible to be up close with relics like Elvis's golden piano, Johnny Cash's guitar, and Patsy Cline's knick knacks. They had an entire exhibit devoted to her and we were serenaded with classic tunes throughout the museum. Not only was the architecture of the building just stunning, but the fountains and acoustics really wrapped us in an all southern musical experience. It was both humbling and exciting at once. I can't lie, I geeked out a bit at seeing the glamorous outfits of my favorites like Faith Hill, Reba McEntire, and Carrie Underwood. Based on their dresses, they are all just as fabulous and skinny as I'd ever imagined. If I didn't love them so much, I'd hate them.
 |
| Johnny Cash's suit and guitar |
 |
| Nashville legends and heroes |
Finally, we three cowkids stopped at Honky Tonk Central for lunch. Not only was this place perfectly named, but it thoroughly lived up to it's title. Everything about it was so country, from the great live tunes to the tasty fried chicken, it was the perfect ending to our Nashville visit. The city may be just a little cheesy and kind of one big party, but it's full of fun and music and we couldn't help but fall in love with it. I even have the cowgirl hat to prove it! We loved our time here, more than we ever expected to, and we think it's safe to say we'll be back.
Kelsey Mergers covers a Miranda Lambert hit at Honky Tonk Central
A big shout out to Bryce, our handsome host and tour guide. We love you, buddy!!! Thanks for everything!!!
Next stop, Atlanta!
