Traveling Sisters go to Kohler, Wisconsin April 2014

The continuing saga of the Traveling Sisters…. Our annual trip was scheduled for April 22^nd-28^th. Carol and I flew to Minneapolis on the 22^nd. Ruth picked us up at the airport about 6pm and we headed back to White Bear Lake to meet up with Earl for dinner. They took us to a great new place in town, Pizzeria Pezza , which was an upscale pizza place. They have wood fired pizzas, salads and pasta, including Chicago style deep dish pizza. We ordered a salad and a thin crust pizza to start, and a deep dish pizza to try. All of their food is made with fresh ingredients from scratch. The deep dish was worth waiting for, and the salad and other pizza were great. Additionally, the owners have a similar restaurant in Chicago called Slyce. I will definitely try it out next time I’m in Chicago.

On Wednesday morning the Traveling Sisters headed for the village of Kohler, Wisconsin for our little getaway. It is about a 5.5 hr drive from White Bear Lake. We stopped for a quick lunch in Wisconsin Dells (need to go back there sometime!) at the High Rock Café in the heart of downtown on Broadway. Food was great! We arrived in Kohler about 4pm and checked into our hotel, the America Club Carriage House.

Kohler is a small town that is home to the original Kohler Factory where the plumbing supplies, tubs, sinks, faucets, etc. are made. When the factory was built the founders opened the American Club with rooms for the immigrant factory employees, who were mostly single men. As they started their families the founders developed the surrounding “garden community” with houses for the families to live.

Today, the original American Club building has been converted to a grand hotel, with beautiful woodwork. There is a library with plenty of sitting room, a restaurant, pub, and a wine.. Additionally, the Carriage House next door has “Club Level” rooms with more space, and is also home to the Kohler Water Spas. We stayed in the Carriage House.

Our room was on the 2^nd floor. It had 2 queen beds and a sofa bed, as well as a large bathroom and a bar area. There were 3 sinks with mirrors which was great for the 3 of us. On the upper level was a large hot tub area with a fireplace and lots of lounge chairs for resting. On the lower level was a co-ed pool with a waterfall, then a men’s and women’s locker room. In that area there was a hot tub and a plunge pool (very cold!), a steam room and sauna. Additionally, lots of lounge chairs. Down a ramp to a lower area were all the personal treatment rooms. Then on the main floor they had the salon/spa area for facials, mani-pedis, selection of products for purchase, etc. Also, several lounge chairs for relaxing. All of the areas showcased Kohler products of course. The bathroom in the main salon spa area had an awesome toilet! None of us tried out all of the features, but the toilet had a motion sensor lid that rose when you came in the room, then a remote control on the wall for various features. The seat was heated (I need to get one of those!), and additionally you could try out the following features: music, dryer, spray, front, rear, and more…

Staying at the Carriage House included a continental breakfast, afternoon tea and evening wine. The breakfast was much more than continental; it included breads, cereal, yogurt, fruit, lox, hard boiled eggs, etc. The afternoon tea was coffee, tea, soda, and snacks – crackers, nuts, etc. That was removed at 5pm and at 5:30 they served Wine and tapas type hors d’oeuvres, olives, cheeses, crackers, veggies, etc. No shortage of food! How can we try out the restaurants when so much food is available all day?!

After getting settled we walked to the various spa areas, then walked over to the American Club main hotel to look around there. We came back in time for the evening wine and tapas, then went to the pool area and tried out the hot tub, plunge pool and steam room and sauna. It was relaxing and restful and we were all tired. Although we had a bite to eat earlier we walked over to Horse and Plow, the American Club Pub. The food was good and just what was needed to round off the day.

Thursday was Spa Day, something we all looked forward to. We got up and had the continental breakfast at the hotel, then took the hotel shuttle to The Shops at Woodlake. We started at the Craverie, a Chocolatier where we had coffee. Then we walked through the different upper scale stores. When we were ready we took the shuttle back to the Carriage House and got ready for our spa treatments. Ruth and Carol both had facials, and I had a Citrus Scrub which included a Vichey water treatment. It was so nice and relaxing. Afterward we stayed in our robes in the Spa area and had lunch. Ruth and I had also arranged for pedicures so after we stayed for that (wonderful!). That evening we took the shuttle to Cucina, a great Italian restaurant nearby.

Friday morning we had breakfast then got our car and stopped at Craverie again for coffee before we headed back to White Bear Lake. It was a fun and relaxing time, although the weather was a little cold. On our way back to MN we stopped in Stevens Point for a quick lunch at The Wooden Chair.

We got back to Ruth’s place about 5:30pm and Justin and Earl were getting dinner ready. Mike and Doug were coming and expected to be there by 7pm. Justin had brought brats from a nearby meat market – Bloody Mary and Philly Cheesesteak brats.

After a big breakfast Saturday morning- thanks Earl! –everyone but Ruth and I headed for the Twins game. Ruth and I opted out – too cold. We headed downtown to the Minnesota History Museum and Library and spent most of the time in the Library doing family research. We had lunch in the Museum restaurant before we headed back home. That night we went over to Nacho Mama's’s in Stillwater. Small place and there was a wait, but it was worth it to have an authentic Mexican meal. Always Doug’s favorite. It would have been fun to walk around Stillwater, but it was raining very hard at the time.

On Sunday we went to the Como Conservatory in downtown St Paul. It was raining so hard when we got there so we weren’t able to see any of the outdoor exhibits, but it was beautiful inside. It was the last day of the Spring flower exhibit so we were fortunate to see that. We went from there to the Landmark Center, home of the original Post Office and Courts in St Paul. It is now a Cultural Center and is used for different events, weddings etc. The original courtrooms can be rented for meetings.

We headed over to Alyssa’s and Trent’s for a family visit with them and Amy and kids. It was great to see them, meet Mave and visit with everyone. Justin and Kristen and the boys were not able to come over but we had seen them Friday night.

After leaving Alyssa and Trent’s we drove to Forest Lake and went to Acqua for dinner. It rained very hard all the way there – almost making us turn around and go home instead. Dinner was great, and we had a nice table by the window – too bad about the rain.

Monday –still raining - we decided to go see a movie before heading to the airport. We had lunch in downtown White Bear at Washington Square, and then headed to the airport.

It’s time to start planning for our next “Traveling Sisters” trip. Where should we go? Branson? Santa Fe? Arizona?

 

 

Another vacation in Paradise, Puerto Vallarta Feb 2014

This trip was the most relaxing one for me that we have had in a long time.  Since we have been to PV so many times we didn’t feel the need to take tours or shop or even sightsee like we have in the past. There were a few things that we wanted to do again, and a few new restaurants to try, so this time I’m going to blog about the things we did different, or the highlights of our trip and not all the details as in the past.

This year we decided to switch it up a bit and stay for 2 weeks in one location in Puerto Vallarta.  In years past we have stayed in Old Town for the first part of our vacation, then in our timeshare at the Marina for the last week.   Due to continuing frustrations at the Mayan property at the Marina we decided after last year’s visit to look at our other options.  Our time share came with the option to trade through SFX (San Francisco Exchange) so we called and found that we could stay at the Sheraton Bouganvillias using our time share week, and stay for another week using our bonus week.  At the Mayan we were not able to use the bonus week during the months of Feb/March.  2 weeks in one location – that should be fun. 

We love the feel of Old Town and being able to walk to all the great restaurants, and we loved the location at the Marina and all the great shops and restaurants there too.  The Sheraton is in the Hotel Zone between the two, so we weren’t sure if we would like it but we decided to try it.

We arrived in PV on Saturday, 3/8 and took a taxi directly to our hotel, arriving about 2:30pm.  We were able to get into our room right away which was a plus.  The timeshare (resort) buildings were separate from the hotel, with its own lobby, pool, business center, spa and fitness center.  Our exchange was for a one bedroom unit so what we got was two separate rooms with a single entry outer door, then two interior entry doors.  One room was the living room and kitchen, with toilet and shower, and the other room was the king size bedroom with bath/shower.  Both rooms had balconies.   The living room had a murphy bed rather than a sofa which was a little awkward and not as comfortable as it could be.  The rooms needed updating but they were clean and adequate and the bed was very comfortable. 

After unpacking and getting settled I went down to the pool area.  The pool was large and beautiful.  It was about 4:30 by then so people had left but there were limited places.  The weather was warm (80+) and plenty of sun left.  I stepped in and found that it was nice and warm.  Love, love, love the pool!  My biggest complaint at the Mayan was they stopped heating their pool several years ago.  I immediately knew that this was going to be a great, restful vacation. 

Our first evening we decided to eat dinner at the hotel restaurant, La Villita.  Although they had a Chinese Buffet we ordered off the menu instead.  Fajita’s and guacamole – Mexico here we are!

Some mornings we walked into town for coffee and or breakfast.  We found that the location was great as it was a nice walk to town if we went early before it got too hot.   Several times we walked all the way to Old Town and had breakfast at our all-time favorite,  Fredy Toucan’s.  Always a line, but it’s usually quick and worth the wait for a great breakfast.  It’s always fun to see familiar people working there, including the owner.  

Every day I spent hours at the pool reading, resting, relaxing.  One time early on  I was not able to find a place to sit at the resort pool so I headed to the hotel pool and found a place in the shade.  The hotel side was louder, had a lot of kids and loud music playing.  Later I moved over to the resort side.  Talking to a few people I found that people bring their towels down by 7 am to reserve a spot.  No one likes it but they have to play the game to get a spot.  After that I was up at 7 reserving my spot by pool.

One of the first days Doug was trying to work but the internet was not working well in the room.  The business office internet did not work for his laptop – not sure why.  I had brought my laptop and it worked ok, so we didn’t know if it was a problem with the laptop, which was quite frustrating.  Someone suggested trying the business center on the hotel side and once he did that it solved all the problems. 

Evenings we usually went to town or the Marina for dinner.  We had dinner at our favorite locations including Victor’s at the Marina, La Cerveceria Union in town, Joe Jack’s FishShack, Derby City Burgers.   This year we were able to try a few new restaurants that were great also.  El Barracuda which is located just north of the Malecon on the water (turn west at the OXXO on the corner).  Great view and wonderful fish tacos.  It was a nice walk from our resort.  Also, a few blocks east of our resort was Mariscos Cuetos, a neighborhood restaurant with excellent seafood.  Doug had cocoanut prawns that were huge, and I had breaded sea bass which was great.   We also tried a new restaurant in Old Town called Old Town Bistro.  It was classy, with a piano player, white tablecloths, great décor and good food for a great price.   All of these places are on our list to try again someday.

We spent one afternoon in Suyulita, just relaxing over lunch at Captain Pablo's on the beach.  Love this little surfing village.

One day we went to San Sabastian, which we had done in the past.  San Sabastian is an old mining town that is now more of a ghost town with very few people living there compared to the mining days.  There is a beautiful old church and a coffee plant which we stopped and toured.  We had bought coffee last time we went and Doug really wanted to buy some again.  That was a fun day although it was very hot and we were glad to get back to the hotel (and me to the pool).

Another afternoon we went to Bucerias and went on a tour with Investours, a non-profit that provides support to the local business community through micro-loans or grants to help with their businesses.  The donations from the tours go directly toward the expenses to support the businesses.  We met with three businesses, Francisco’s Painted Bowls,  Javier’s Fresh Seafood and Ceviche, and Birrieria Ponce, a family restaurant run by Don Carmelo.  All of these businesses are successful today because of the hard work of the owners and the support they have received from family and friends, as well as Investours.

We both decided that we enjoyed our stay at the Sheraton resort and would like to stay there again in the coming years.  If possible we can buy a few weeks there to stay a little longer after retirement.    We’ll see, as time goes on.   For now, it was a great stay!

I also decided I want to include the name of the books that I read during my trips.  So, for a first I am including here that I read the following during this trip:  “Quiet Dell”, “An Invisible Thread” and “Piers Morgan – the Kindle Singles Interview”.

San Antonio, September 2013

When we arrived in San Antonio for Doug’s annual conference, we headed directly to our hotel, the  Marriott Riverwalk.  Once we checked in and got settled we decided to walk down to the River Walk, which was next to our hotel.   The River Walk was created in 1939 as part of the Roosevelt administration and the Work Progress Administration (WPA) in order to give public works jobs to unemployed people.  It is a beautiful endeavor, stretching several miles winding through downtown San Antonio.  There are restaurants and shops all along the River Walk, waterfalls, art statues, etc.  There are many areas where there is street access so in some cases it may be a short cut to where you are planning to go.  There are narrated boat tours and even water taxis that get you to the different spots along the river.

Since we didn't start our walk until around 2pm it was very hot as we walked along the river .  We decided to stop at Café Ole restaurant for guacamole and chips and drinks to cool off.  It was refreshing and fun to sit outdoors on the rivers edge.  Afterward we walked a little more but it was just too hot.

We decided to go back to hotel and I went down to the pool.  The pool was indoor/outdoor which was nice.  The water temperature was a little warm, but not uncomfortable.  There was a little area with shade outside so I sat there for a while then moved indoors.  Inside was a large atrium area with some ping pong tables as well as several lounge chairs.  It was a great space to relax, read and just enjoy some downtime.

That evening we went with Stefan (a colleague) to the CountyLine for dinner.  The County Line is a BBQ restaurant and Texas is known for their BBQs.  We had been given the name from the concierge and told it was great.  It had cooled down a little so it was  a pleasant walk down the River Walk to the restaurant.  Our meals were plentiful but none of us were impressed.  I had BBQ turkey which was good and I had never had before.  But for being solely a BBQ place we didn’t think it was anything special.  Maybe more for the ambiance of being on the River Walk.

On Tuesday Doug went to a business meeting so I walked over to the Alamo which was a few blocks from the hotel.  It was early enough that it wasn’t too hot.  On the way I walked through the Rivercenter Mall which was across from the hotel and the most direct route to the Alamo.  As I was walking through the mall I went into the Imax Theatre area and decided to buy a pass for the Hop on – Hop Off Trolley, which included one Imax movie and one boat ride on the River Walk.  I elected to see the 3D movie “Tornado Alley” and planned on coming back after my Alamo visit.

There is so much of our nation’s history at the Alamo.  I did an audio tour which gave me a lot of information about the battle that was held there.  Several of the existing buildings are still standing. I learned so much about the history and people who fought for our country there.

I headed back to the Imax theatre and watched my “free” movie, then stopped for a bite to eat before heading back to the hotel.  Once there I headed to the pool for some downtime while Doug was working.  The day before the pool had been warm but not uncomfortable.  Today the pool was actually hot and felt more like a hot tub than a pool. The hoses that bring water into the pool were actually pouring in hot water.  Since it was close to 100 outside I mostly stayed in the atrium area and only dipped in the pool a couple times for a short while.  It was weird that it was so hot but there wasn’t really anyone available to mention it to.

For dinner we once again went with Stefan, this time to Casa Rio, a Mexican restaurant on the River Walk.  Once again the ambiance was nice, but none of us were impressed with the food.  We all agreed that the River Walk restaurants for the most part were overpriced and more about the location.

Wednesday while Doug was at his conference I walked over to catch the Trolley for my “hop on- hop off” tour.  Our driver was very informative and fun to listen to as he told us about the different stops we passed along the way and a little history of the town.  Although I could have gotten off at any of the stops I stayed on until we reached the Mission SanJose.  This Mission was founded in 1797 and was one of many that were founded to secure Spain's claim to this land and to teach the native people Christianity and the Spanish way of life.

Back on the Trolley with a different driver, then next stop that I got off was the Market Square which was a historic area similar to all of the Mexican markets we go to with crafts, food etc. 

Once we were back at the beginning of our tour I headed back to the hotel, then down to the pool.  Once again the water was “hot”.  I actually found someone to mention it to but his response was that the pool is kept at 85 degrees.  It was more like 100 +.  I spent time in the atrium reading for a few hours before heading upstairs.

Wednesday evening for dinner we were invited to the Iron Cactus for dinner, sponsored by one of the vendors that Doug does business with.  We had a wonderful Mexican dinner and enjoyed our time with other colleagues.  Walking back late at night it was still quite warm.  We could have walked the River Walk but opted to walk along the streets, which was a nice walk.

Thursday while Doug was working I went down to the River Walk to take my “free” boat ride.  It was shortly before 10am so it wasn’t too warm.  Our guide was fun and he pointed out a lot of information about the River Walk, the history and many of the buildings that are along the way. 

After the boat ride I walked over to the Tower of theAmericas.  It looked very much like the Space Needle, even had an observation deck and a restaurant.  It was built for the 1968 Worlds Fair which was 6 years after the Space Needle was built for the 1962 Worlds Fair.  San Antonio is quite flat with a lot of industrial buildings so the view wasn’t spectacular but it still was fun to go to the top.  Included in the ticket was entry to Skies Over Texas: 4D Theater Ride on the main floor which was a fun experience.  As you are watching the movie it is as if you were riding over and through the town, river and skies above San Antonio.  The chairs rocked and moved at the appropriate time, and there were other special effects like “hissing” on your neck when we came upon a rattler and “spraying” when near the waves. 

I walked over to La Villita,  (little village) to look around.  It consists of several houses that have been converted to shops, etc.   It was a short walk from there to the hotel, then down to the pool for my afternoon downtime. 

That evening there was a conference event that I was invited to.  The “cowboy roundup”.  Several people came with cowboy or plaid shirts, boots, bandanas, etc.   It was held on the river on the back side of the hotel.  Catered food and several entertainment options.   There was a mechanical bull with a calf on a track in front.  The idea was to ride the bull the moved forward on the track with the calf, and try to lasso the calf at the same time.  They also had a “shoot out” where two people stood opposite each other and drew there pistols on signal.  A laser recorded the speed which identified the winner.   Tables were set up for Poker and Blackjack and a there was a Craps table too.  It was a fun event for everyone.

Friday morning was our first morning that we were free with no scheduled plans.  We had prearranged to pick up a car at the Marriott Rivercenter.   We got the car and drove north to the town of Johnson City.  We stopped for lunch at Ronnie’s BBQ. We were hoping for the really “dive” dining experience which this turned out to be.  Love the little “hole in the wall” places.  I had bbq turkey and I thought it was great. Doug reached for the hotter bbq sauce to put on his food and as he was squirting it out it sprayed all over his shirt!  Well, we were at the beginning of our journey so that was not going to work.  Fortunately they sold t-shirts advertising their place.  Doug mentioned to them that it was a great way to sell their t-shirts!

On the road again we went to the visitor center at Johnson City to arrange a tour of the LBJ Ranch.  There were several buildings right in town that were historic including LBJs childhood home, etc.

The LBJ Ranch was where President Johnson and Ladybird both lived, and even served as the “2^nd white house” during his presidency.  They both passed away there and after they did several acres were donated to the National Parks.  We were able to take an audio tour of the ranch, then at the end we came to their home.  Next to their home was a airplane hangar and the actual jet the LBJ flew in back and forth between his ranch and the White House.  Their house is included in the tour and was interesting to see.  The rooms were set up and decorated as they would have been as they lived there.  The first room was his “office” where many days were spent working when he was there instead of Washington.   The living room had 3 old style TVs lined up side by side.  LBJ was known for watching all 3 networks at the same time.  We saw the bedroom where he awoke to having a heart attack, called his security and collapsed and died on the floor next to the bed.  Ladybird’s closet had many of her clothes hanging neatly. 

Outside there was a giant oak tree on the banks of the river running below the house.  Many dignitaries were treated to his famous BBQs outside in the shade of the tree, and the banks of the river.

After leaving the ranch we drove to the German town of Fredricksburg, however shops were closing for the day so we just spent a few minutes exploring before we headed back to SA.

We turned the car in so as not to pay the fee for parking for the night, then took a walk to the Joe's Crab Shack for dinner.  Although this is a chain restaurant we have only been one other time several years ago.  This turned out to be one of the best meals of our trip.  It was still so warm out but a pleasant walk.

Saturday, our last day.  I was ready to stay indoors. Doug had not yet seen the Alamo or a few of the other parts of town.  He wanted to take pictures so we decided to do our own thing and meet at the hotel about 4pm for our trip to the airport and flight home.

I walked over to the mall, had a bite to eat then went to see a movie (Prisoners).  Back at the hotel we got a ride to the airport and left town.   Although I liked exploring a new place, learning the history of the area, it was just too hot to be comfortable.  I wouldn’t mind if we didn’t go there again, unless we can find a cooler time of year. 

Augusta to Franklin and Nashville, Traveling Sisters, Part 2, May 2013

Part 2 of the Traveling Sisters 2013 trip.  See previous post about Atlanta and Augusta.

Sunday morning we got up and had breakfast at the Augusta hotel before heading up to Nashville which was about a 6 hour drive.  Our plan was to stop in Chattanooga and have lunch because it was about ½ way.  The weather was threatening rain even though it was warm.  The previous few weeks there had been having rains and flooding in the Nashville area.  Our drive would take us over the Appalachians which we heard was a beautiful drive.

As we were approaching Chattanooga it started to rain heavily, and thunder.  We were hoping to be able to explore the city a little as well as have lunch.  No such luck. By the time we got into the city limits it was raining very hard.  We drove down by the Riverwalk which would have been fun on a nice day.  We settled on having lunch at the Blue Plate which appeared to be fun, modern place. The location was good, right next to the Aquarium near the Riverwalk.   The décor was nice and the menu had a lot to offer.  Maybe it was because we were there after 2pm or maybe due to the storm, but we were not impressed.  The fries were served at best warm and other food was not hot either.  Since we were the only ones there it made us wonder how long the food had been sitting.  We had the experience and if we ever get back that way which I hope to do, we will know to pick another location.

On the road again we climbed the Appalachians, all the way fighting the rain and thunder.  Unfortunately we were not able to do the site-seeing we had hoped to do.

Our next stop was to see Isaac who is living is Murfreesboro which is a small town outside of Nashville.  We were actually planning to stay in Franklin, which is another suburb town shortly beyond Murfreesboro.  We got to Ike’s after 5pm and visited for a while then made plans to meet up later at the house we were renting in Franklin. 

We got to the house that we had rented through VRBO.  It was a cute little 2 bedroom house with a front porch about 2 blocks from downtown Franklin.  The décor was great and it was comfortable and welcoming. 

Shortly after getting settled in Ike showed up with a few of his friends and we headed over to
J Alexanders for dinner.  It was an upscale restaurant /bar with excellent food.  After dinner we went back to the house and decided to turn in for the night and get an early start in the morning.

Monday morning we walked over to Merridees for breakfast and coffee then to the Visitors center to make a few plans for the week.  We purchased a 3 tickets each for tours of houses that played an integral role in Civil War history.  The staff member was very helpful and told us exactly how to get to the first place we should tour.  Because it was threatening rain we decided to go back to the house and get the car, even though the walk would be less than a mile or so.  We drove to the first place which was the Carter House.  The Battle of Franklin took place literally on the grounds of the Carter’s property and was one of the worst and bloodiest battles of the Civil War.  Circumstances leading up to the battle were mostly due to some strategic errors by the Confederate Generals. It was fascinating to hear all about it and stand on the grounds of such a historical place.  Many of the original buildings are still standing today.    Our next stop was the Lotz House which was turned into a make-shift hospital the evening of the battle, and again held a lot of history.  We decided to leave the last tour stop for another day.   As we left the Lotz house we stopped at the Bunganut Pig for lunch.  This was one of the places that was recommended.   The food was good and since the drizzling had stopped we sat outside in the garden area to eat.

Ike had asked his friend Danielle to gives us a list of “must sees” prior to our trip.  She had listed some favorite music spots, dining and other things to see and do.  Monday afternoon we got a call from Ike l that Danielle had discovered that there was a free concert in Nashville that evening in celebration of their new Convention Center.  Vince Gill, Sheryl Crow and others were singing.  We quickly made plans to have Ike and Danielle come to the house and we all headed to Nashville.

Arriving in downtown Nashville we first drove down Broadway.  When we got to Honky Tonk Row, Danielle told us to roll down the windows so we could hear the music.  It was so fun. Each little place had their own music coming out so we got a mixture of sounds as we drove those first few blocks.   We parked our car in one of the city garages and walked over to the Convention Center.  There was a stage and huge monitors set up and lots of people around.  We were able to go into the Convention Center and look around. It is a magnificent new venue with huge banquet rooms and ballrooms, ready to host events, tradeshows, etc.   Outside we stayed and watched Vince Gill and Sheryl Crow sing along with a few other singers, then headed back to town to get some dinner. 

We ate dinner at the Rockbottom Brewery on Broadway in the heart of Nashville.  We have RB restaurants at home but this had a little different menu.  I recommend the Bourbonzola Burger- it was great!    After dinner as we were walking back to the parking garage we walked down Printers Alley and found Ms. Kelli’sbar.  Some of the staff was outside the bar enticing people to come in and do Karaoke.   Danielle convinced Ike to do it so we all went in to watch.  They both are heavily involved in music both instrumentally and vocally so they did great as they sang “Endless Love”.  Next Danielle convinced Ruth to sing also… not quite as good but fun to watch.  We had a great night and had some ideas of things to see when we came back into town.

On Tuesday we stopped at Frothy Monkey for coffee then headed to Nashville to go on a scheduled walking tour.  Walkin’Nashville is owned by Bill DeMain, who was very informative as we went from place to place, telling us stories along the way.  We got the back history of country music, its singers and songwriters, as well local honky-tonks, merchants, music venues, etc.  We thoroughly enjoyed our tour and highly recommend it as a first stop if you are new to Nashville.  He even followed up with an email with links to many of the things that he talked about.

After our tour we ate lunch at the Merchant’s Café then headed for the Grand Ole’ Opry which we planned to tour next.  The Grand Ole Opry used to be in downtown Nashville where the Ryman Auditorium is today.  It was rebuilt and is now next to the Opryland Hotel.   We took a backstage tour of the theatre and got to see the dressing rooms for the singers, hear all about its history and walk out on to the stage.  In the middle of the stage is a circle that was taken from the original theatre and incorporated into the stage when they moved. 

After the tour we went to Opryland Hotel and Resort and Convention Center.  It was like going to one of the huge hotels in Vegas.  There were shops, restaurants, a river with boat rides all in a beautiful garden like setting.   Plan to spend some time if you go because there is a lot to see and do.  That evening it was back in Franklin we went to the Red Pony for dinner. 

On Wednesday morning we met up with Ike and went to the Loveless Café for breakfast.  In its day it was a motel and still has the old sign out front, which in itself is landmark.  Some of the former motel cottages have turned into little shops and galleries.  Come for an awesome breakfast but stay and look around.  A lot to see.  After we left the Loveless Café we went to the Factory at Franklin which is a collection of shops and restaurants in the renovated buildings that were at one time home to Dortch Stove Works and Master Chef.  That evening we met up again with Danielle and Ike and a few of their friends and went to McCreary’s Irish Pub for dinner in Franklin.   We had a full day and chose to head back to the house and turn in early.

Thursday morning we went back to Merridees for breakfast then went up to Carnton Plantation which was our third stop on the Battle of Franklin tour.  This building also was used as a hospital.  The tour included the cemetery which is next to the house.  So many confederate soldiers died during the battle that at the time they were buried where they fell.  A couple years later they were moved to the cemetery and buried in sections by their hometown State.  Each section had a tall marker with the State name and the number of dead.  There is a section for unknowns.  History tells us that Carrie McGavock took it upon herself to keep a create a logbook of each soldier that was buried so if ever their loved ones wanted to pay respect they would know where they were buried.  The book Widow of the South is a novel however it is loosely based on the historical facts about Carrie McGavock.

After our tour we came back into town and walked around the shops for a while then decided to drive to Murfreesboro to see the church where Ike works .  The drive was beautiful along country roads, winding our way. Several places had historical markers.  Ike works for the World Outreach Church in the music department.  He showed us his office and how he is responsible for coordinating the mixing and mashup of the music for various music programs. 

Thursday evening we went to Leiper’s Fork Village to Puckett’s Grocery andRestaurant.  Every Thursday is open mic and we were told that we could hear some great music and might even run into Wynonna Judd.  She had actually come in the week before and sang for the crowd.  We had their BBQ dinner and enjoyed the music.  Wynonna didn’t stop in but Ashley Judd did along with Wynonna’s daughter and Naomi’s husband.  Playing the piano for any one needed the piano back up was Wynonna’s piano player.  Several people sang including locals and others that heard it was a great place to get some recognition.  Johnny Keyser who was a runner up on American Idol was there and sang a few songs.  We had a fun evening, which was our last.

Friday – our time is nearly up.  We drove to Hillsboro Village, a local suburb to have breakfast at the Pancake Pantry.  They don’t take reservations and the line was out the door, around the corner and down the street.  Ike met us there and was in line when we got there.  We actually only waited about 45 minutes.  Our breakfast was great so we were glad to have waited for it.  From there Ruth had to leave and Ike took her to the airport. 

Carol and I did not leave until later so we went back to Nashville to the Country Music Hall of Fame.  This was a great place to end our sister’s trip.  The few days in Nashville gave us a new perspective on country music, the Civil War and the opportunity to spend time with family.  I must say this every time, but it’s true – I would love to come back to Nashville.   There is a lot to see and do and only have a few days gave us a little taste of it – so much more we could do/see if we only had the time!

Atlanta to Augusta - Traveling Sisters, Part 1, May, 2013

When we heard that our niece Hannah was getting married in Augusta on May 18^th Ruth, Carol and I decided it would make a great adventure for the “Traveling Sisters”.   We decided that taking a little road trip up to Nashville from Augusta would also be fun and give us an opportunity to see Ruth’s son Ike.   So, start the planning… here we come.

On Friday, May 17^th, Carol and I took the same flight from Seattle to Atlanta which arrived in Atlanta about 4pm.   Ruth had arrived from Minneapolis about an hour earlier so she met us at the baggage carousel shortly after we arrived.  We got our baggage then headed over to get our rental car.

We checked into the Hilton Garden Inn in Midtown about 5pm.  Our room was nice with 2 queen beds and free internet.  There was a pool but our time there was so short that I didn’t get the opportunity to use it.   After resting for a bit and getting acclimated to the new time zone, we got ready for dinner.  Carol had found a place that had great reviews.   Wisteria is located in the Highland Drive area near Inman Park.  It was a nice ride about 10 minutes or so from our hotel. 

Wisteria has a great menu with lots of choices.  I ordered the Georgia Mountain Trout and would recommend it.  All of us enjoyed our meal and felt like it definitely lived up to its reviews.  Dessert was the “small bites” special with Banana Pudding, Bread Pudding and Caramel and Sea Salt Smores.  After dinner we went back to the hotel.  All of us had gotten up early for our flights and planned to get up early Saturday morning.

Saturday we got up early and went to CNN Headquarters for a VIP Studio Tour.  It’s amazing to see how much goes into producing the news, from the live feeds, the correspondents in the field, the editing, etc.  We were able to watch a few live newscasts and tour the actual studios.   It gave us a better understanding of the process that goes into producing our news broadcasts.
Afterward we wanted to get on the road to Augusta to have time to check into our hotel and unwind before the wedding.  Before we left the area we stopped to get a bite to eat at Victory Sandwich Bar which was a funky little place in the same area as Wisteria.  It had great reviews and a menu with unusual but healthy sandwiches and salads, as well as a full bar.
  
We checked into our hotel, the Hampton Inn about 4pm, rested a bit then got ready to go to the church which was a few miles away.  When we arrived at the church we were ushered up to a pew that had been assigned to family.  Jon, Joyce and boys and their families were already seated so we had a few minutes to talk with them.  

The wedding was beautiful – Hannah was so pretty.  She had 7 attendants as well as the groomsmen.  Nolan (4) was the ring bearer and Maddie (5) was the flower girl.   They both did a great job.   After the ceremony when the minister pronounced them man and wife Hannah raised her arm in a big cheer and they rushed down the aisle, dancing along the way.  As the attendants went down the aisle they too danced which put a special touch to it. 

The reception was at the Barn Pavilion at the Riverwood Plantation which is a great set up for banquets/ weddings, etc.  Decorations were simple yet elegant and the food was an assortment of different things including meatballs, potatoes, salads, breads, fruit and desserts.    Jonathan and Hannah did the traditional cutting of the cake then feeding each other.  Although Jonathan was sweet and delicately fed Hannah a piece of cake, she smashed hers in Jonathans face.  That gave him the OK to play a little and I think she ended up with cake on her nose.  J  They danced and encouraged their friends to dance.   Everyone was having a great time. 

When we left we went over to Jon’s house to visit with him and Joyce for a while before going back to our hotel.   It was so good to see family that we don’t have an opportunity to see very much.  We all went away agreeing that we need to get a family reunion scheduled soon.  Hopefully someone will be able to take that on!

Read the next posting for the rest of the story of the Traveling Sisters