Nashville-I Really, Really Like You

I have neglected my little blog this week because we are on a road trip, but I missed you all so here I am.

Hope you are happy to see me, too!

We spent a couple of nights in one of my favorite cities, Nashville. Usually, we stay south of town in the Franklin area and we...ok, I....love it down there. Franklin is full of the most unique shops, and the people are so NICE! Many times we hear Christian music playing in the background in stores and see diners praying before meals- the entire place just feels so WHOLESOME.

However, this time we stayed north of the city on Fairvue Plantation in the Hendersonville area.

When I was younger, I went through a SOUTHERN period and was enraptured with the plantation way of life. I found it both fascinating and repulsive at the same time, if you know what I mean.

I read North and South and lots of other books with the old South as the setting, so when Brad found this place, I thought it would be fun to spend a night in an old building on what had been an actual working plantation. And it was.

We stayed in this restored building.

That wasn't the most fun part though.

Ever since I started watching the new TV series, Nashville, I have hoped that we would one day get to visit the Blue Bird Cafe and perhaps hear a star-in-the-making. Every week there is at least one scene set in the cafe and I knew we would hear fabulous music. They don't take reservations on Sunday, so we took our chances, knowing we would probably have to stand in line in the nasty weather.

                               

Guess what? We GOT IN!!!

To add to the perfect evening, we stood in line with the most adorable young couple from Utah who was attending the Farm Bureau Convention and who owned and operated a vegetable farm. We visited like old friends while we stood in line and then sat together for the two shows. They made the whole thing twice the fun.

It is so heartening to meet young, educated, well-traveled kids who work in agriculture.

The show was fabulous! We heard a great blue grass band and then stayed for the songwriter's showcase. All eight of them were so talented. My favorite was a kid who sang a powerful song with a powerful Christian message, and he was offering a free download of the song, but wouldn't you know it? I wrote down the wrong name in my phone, and now I can't seem to figure out who he was. (Hilarie, if you read this and can remember, would you please tell me in the comments? Thanks!)

Trust me. He was good, and if I ever find out his name, I will share it with you.

To make a great evening even better, we had a TV star sighting!

I was tickled to come face to face with Clare Bowen, one of the stars of Nashville who was there watching her brother perform.

                        

I love her character on the show and, of course, when I saw her, I forgot that she didn't know me, and I spoke to her like we were friends or something. That was a little bit embarrassing.

But, oh well.

Here mom and I had a nice visit while we stood in line to use the restrooms, so maybe that made me seem less of an idiot. LOL!

Nashville has now moved ahead of Chicago on my favorite city list, and I encourage you to visit if you ever have the chance. If you are familiar with the city and know good places to visit, please share!

Hope you have had a fun week, too.