Nashville

Nashville, Tennessee

We make it to our second family stop just outside Nashville and Siri’s cousin shows us great southern hospitality and cooking.  We enjoy reconnecting with them and their high school kids.  We end up staying up way too late sharing stories and solving the world’s problems. 

We head into Nashville and see firsthand why this seems to be one of the fastest growing areas in the country.  It is lush green, with a vibrant downtown, and a still lively music scene.  

We started the day visiting their unique capitol – more like independence Hall in Philadelphia than the DC Capitol.  We walk along their bicentennial mall and try out hot chicken – and make the mistake of ordering spicy.  I could barely eat one piece.  We learn Tennessee’s long history from being on the frontier to their music legacy at their free state history museum. 

We also stop by the Woolworth theater, where John Lewis, the civil rights leader and future congressman, was arrested as part of the lunch counter non-violent protests to desegregate the south in 1960.  Due to this coordinated and supported effort, Nashville was one of the first cities to change their practice and desegregate lunch counters and other areas.

We end our day on Broadway Street and the honky tonk bars, it is alive with people and live bands.  We head to Roberts western wear and enjoy drinks amongst the crowd.  It is amazing to be in these areas of the Grand Ole Opry, Elvis being discovered and so much more.  They are still creating history here.

That evening we meet Siri’s cousin at their family restaurant, the White Alligator, which is an homage to her husband’s  New Orleans roots.  Complete with recipes from his grandmother with Po’ Boys, blackened catfish, gumbo and jambalaya – it’s all delicious!   Their daughter helps run the place and I’m sure she will be running her college sorority when she arrives there in the fall.

We finish back at the house and continue our late night discussion past midnight – again.  No one wants the evening to end since we realize it may be a while until we are all together.  Guess we will need to do this more often.

It is fun to have family in so many places.  Tomorrow, we head off to Kentucky to reconnect with my many relatives and they are throwing us a full welcome party.   The fun looks like it will just continue.