Route 65 to Nashville

The balance of Thursday, has to be piled into Friday.  A lot of Friday was spent, erm, how can I say it "sobering up",  before we undertook the drive to Asheville. 

Wednesday kinda spoilt our first impression of Nashville, and neither of us were particularly in an nashville kind of place.  But we decided to make use of the 9am til 2 am shuttle bus from the hotel and head in and see what all the fuss was about. 

B L O O D Y   H E L L 

That is what all the fuss is about. 

Nashville is a complete and utter assault on your earholes.  We got off the bus, on the corner of 7th and Broadway and said "which way".  Our Space Cadet Bus Driver says, "hey dude - head that way - turn the corner you're there". 

And bloody hell; we were. 

Bars, for as far as the eye could see.  Every single bar playing music.  LIVE music.  Some bars, three stories high, no windows - Music.  Live band on each floor.   Booze Buses people cycling frantically in time to their country tunes, while trying to sup beer at the same time.  

We stood and just gazed, and tried to comprehend what our heads were telling us.    We couldn't. 

We found a bar which amazingly, didn't have a band on, but did have hundreds of beers, and a menu.  We figured food was a good place to start. 

Food done (very good food - starters come with chips - be careful). We headed out and into the fray.  If you can't beat em, join em. 

Bar one - lovely Miley Cyrus style singer, crooning her heart ourt Patsy Cline Style - (Miley pre-Twerking and nekkidness).  Bourbon on the rocks, and local beer.  Yes, please.   People watching a plently.  yes, please. 

Bar two - Men singing. No idea who, no idea what.  More Bourbon, more beer.  More singing.  Cowboy Boot shop.  Buy one, get two free.  I nearly, nearly nearly did.  But I resisted. 

 Bar three - Honky Tonk Central.  Having just watched "Honky Tonky Wonky Donkey" that suited us just fine.  Three stories of beer, boubon and live bands.    

Here's what to do to fully immerse yourself.   Stand on the second floor, feel the beat from the first floor, see the ceiling shaking  on the third floor - stand at the window and listen to the place go crazy to "Man, I feel like a Woman" being sung behind you - watching Donald Trump and Kim Jun Il having their photos taken on the street corner across from you. 

There were more bars and more beer after that.  But to be honest; until the Shuttle Bus man handed me a bin bag as I clambered in, it's all a bit of a mist.   I do remember singing the Star Spangled Banner really loudly- and also "Just a small town girl..... Living in a Lonely ... yeah,  I was pretty bad.  

And I was pretty bad all night.  All night.  And all the way to IHOP to fill up on Pancakes and Coffee, when miraculously I felt better. 

The drive to Asheville was pretty  - and I managed to stay away, and unvomiting the whole way :-)  Another 300 miles.  Ginny got us right to the house - with Boy and J texting us to "HURRY UP". 

We got there before they got back from the Pub; but they showed up shortly after.   Thank god for NICE HOUSES on AirB&B.  This one was above and beyond the description. It was lovely.  Absolutley Beautiful.  Rose Cottage.  Just perfect.   The kids were uber excited and wanted to go to Sierra Nevada Brewery.  

I'm glad we did. It was like a beautiful alcohol serving heaven, with fairy lights, and corn hole, and Petanque;   And FOOD.     See Extra - J teaching S how to play Cornhole.   I was unbeliveably bad at this.   

They do this really weird thing in 'Merica.   You order food, Tapas style and it comes in any which way, any order.   Makes for interesting dining.  Just remember not to order pudding at the same time as your ribs!