Girls Weekend!
Once again I headed back to Nashville! I feel so lucky to have a repeat trip! Again I was scheduled for two weeks; this time my best friend flew in for the weekend and we had a girls weekend in Nashville! It was awesome! I picked her up from the airport Friday evening and we got started on our weekend! I met Elizabeth at my previous job and we hit it off. Actually, our office had some great chemistry and we really had a good time working together. As she had just had a long flight, and I was coming from the client’s office, we were both hungry. We dropped by the hotel to drop off her luggage then went to eat. One of my favorite places to eat in Nashville, which is walking distance from the hotel, is Hattie B’s Hot Chicken! So that’s where we went to get our weekend started. I had made some fun plans for us, and also allowed for down time so we can see whatever Elizabeth wanted to see, since I have been there several times already. And we were just getting started…
Since I had done two races in Tennessee already, in advance of my trip I Googled for races in the neighboring states and found a 1/2 Marathon in Bowling Green Kentucky! So I registered for it. I gave my friend the option of sleeping in or coming with me. She wanted to see more of the area so had such a great attitude about getting up early and coming with me! Although rain was in the forecast, there were only a few sprinkles; the storm would come in later in the day. But for now, there were just clouds in the sky and it was quite humid. Although I did not get a PR at my race, I did get Kentucky checked off the list of states in which I have run a race. Afterwards, we ate at Cracker Barrel.
Afterwards we drove back to the hotel to rest before our evening out…on lower Broadway. When in Nashville, THE place to go for the famous Honky Tonks is lower Broadway. After resting then spending some time getting ready, we were on our way. First we stopped at the Nashville WhatLiftsYou Wings Mural for the normal touristy picture at the Wings, then headed to the bars. Okay, we don’t really “go out” much, so when we arrived we were a little overwhelmed about where to begin. However, we met this helpful gentleman outside of Margaritaville who gave us some tips. We started at Margaritaville for dinner. Whilst inside, it poured rain outside. All week the weather was forecasted for rain and dropping temperatures. When we ventured out, the rain had subsided for now. We headed down the street and popped into Tootsies! We enjoyed loud music, beer, and (fun) drunks! After Tootsies we hit up a few other bars but agreed Tootsies was our favorite! Getting back to the weather situation…yes it rained and the temperatures were forecasted to drop. We didn’t realize just how cold it was going to get. As we were in a heavily trafficked bar area on a Saturday night, it took quite some time for our Uber ride to arrive. We thought we were going to freeze to death…but we didn’t; we lived to see our next adventure on Sunday…
For Sunday, I made reservations for the General Jackson riverboat cruise, that included lunch and entertainment while you float down the Cumberland River through Nashville. We slept in, took our time getting ready, then headed out for our adventure. The year before, our client recommended this excursion as he had heard good things about it; I remembered that in making my plans for this year with my friend. The riverboat tour was awesome. The afternoon we went was the first day of a new program and it was amazing. The food reminded me of a Sunday backyard barbecue and the entertainment kept up with that theme. We floated down near downtown Nashville, took some pictures, then the boat took us back. It was definitely worth it. The next morning, Monday morning, I thanked the client for the recommendation the year before. He seemed surprised I remembered.
The riverboat tour started and ended near the Grand Ole Opry. After our excursion, we decided to take a little walk. We walked through the grounds of the Opry House, then headed next door to the Grand Ole Opry Resort. While I had been to the Opry House, I had not been to the Resort. It was absolutely beautiful inside. I had never seen anything like it before. The pictures do not do it justice. It is a must see for yourself.
We ended our Girls Weekend at one of my favorite places in Nashville…The Patterson House. It is an upscale bar in the West End. One of my co-workers joined us that evening as well. I just love Elizabeth, am thankful for our friendship, and was truly grateful she was able to join me for the weekend during one of my #audittraveladventures.
