The Hermitage; Nashville Closings

We LOVED the wagon tour of the Hermitage. Collin and Katie had been wanting to ride in a carriage since Vienna last summer - and we never did spring for the carriage ride!
Here we all are...waiting for the tour!

Andrew Jackson's tomb

The Hermitage: Andrew Jackson's home.

Our little Jackson just could not stay awake! Now someone ask Matt, "Was our Jackson named after Andrew Jackson?"

We wanted to take our children to the Rainforest Cafe - closed.

We wanted to go see a show at the Grand Ole' Opry - also closed.

Opry Mills mall - closed

OpryLand hotel - closed

OpryLand USA - closed but several years ago...not because of the recent flood; but my mom, dad, sister and I loved that theme park!

I guess we will need a trip back to Nashville after they have all recovered.

And now the conference has officially started so we will see less of Matt and have less history outings.

Traveling to Nashville; Elliston Soda Shop; The Parthenon; a full rainbow!

More Rest Stop riding...
while Mommy takes care of the baby.

Katie tries to get some music playing.

This place boasts of the best chocolate milkshakes ever! Collin agreed!

Jackson tried to sample my vanilla shake.

Low on customer service but high on personality - Elliston Soda Shop.

For all you Percy Jackson fans...Collin's reaction to seeing The Parthenon in Nashville. While the movie does not accurately follow the book, Collin was still really excited to see where that portion of the movie was filmed!

The Parthenon in Nashville

Side note: Ran into an ACU professor here. She is also in town for the Christian Scholars Conference.

Katie REALLY needed her picture next to this thing.

After doing a little Target shopping, we came out to see this rainbow, a full one! We headed to the Granny White church driving toward the rainbow! Wonderful! We were also blessed to see our "old" preacher from Tallahassee here in Nashville. He is now the preacher at Granny White. Hello Scott and Sherry - my new blog readers! Our kids LOVED meeting you!

Mud Island; southern cooking; Stax Record Co.

Just a block away from our hotel was Mud Island.
Walking the bridge over the monorail...note to self: see The Firm again once at home.

At Mud Island you can wade in a mini-Mississippi from start in Minnesota to finish at the Gulf of Mexico.

Fabulous fun! It took the kids 1 hour to wade the length of the mini-Mississippi.

Jackson was a smidge bored.

Then after wading in the mini-Gulf of Mexico, we rode the monorail back to land. Mud Island was very fun!

I chose the Four Way Restaurant for lunch. Sweet tea tastes a little different in Tennessee-very strong and very sweet. The menu consisted of fried catfish, fried chicken, fried green tomatoes and NECK BONES!!! And what exactly ARE chittlins? Maybe we are not southern...

Maybe we are soulful...so now we go to the Stax Recording Company AKA Soulsville USA. Great museum!! Even for a person like me who did not have a clue who Isaac Hayes was/is...but it's still a great museum!

Memphis down...now to conquer Nashville.

National Civil Rights Museum; dining in an old trolley car; Walking in Memphis

Everyone ready for a little history lesson? Let me just say that the visit to this museum sparked MANY questions about "light and dark skin", why people today STILL murder (Katie thought it only happened with Cain and Able) and why it's important to learn about history.
The spot right outside room 306 where Martin Luther King, Jr. was shot and killed.

The hotel has now been turned into this museum.


Very interesting, moving, sad, educational all in one.

Where can you dine in an old trolley car? The chain restaurant Spaghetti Warehouse. I have never been to the one in OKC, but if they have an old trolley car we'll be there soon. How fun!

A side note: Jackson has eaten carrots, peas, green beans, sweet potatoes and squash. This week we are on squash and the boy does NOT like them! Favorites so far: carrots and sweet potatoes!

We don't own any blue suede shoes but here we go walking...

to the famed Beale Street.

I don't have a clue who sings the song "Walking in Memphis" but I haven't stopped singing that song since we arrived. And I always mess up the lyrics but it is still such a catchy tune.

Had our first Elvis sighting today! He's staying at our hotel and ate breakfast just 2 tables away. Wish I had had my camera.

This pretty much sums up night 1 AND 2

I love playing the role of Clark W. Griswold

I love to plan our family vacations! I love packing everything except the kitchen sink!
I love the excited looks on my children's faces really early in the morning! And I love making them wear matching/coordinating clothes on vacation!

A seven hour car ride turned into a 12 hour car ride thanks to Jumpin' J!

And the fact that I planned for us to stop at EVERY point of interest on our route. Stop number 1: Ft. Smith, Arkansas. Great history lesson for even the non-history member of our family and Collin and Katie earned their Jr. Ranger badges here! Great museum! Great trails to walk! Highly recommend stopping here!

One of 2 rest stops where we stopped so I could feed this little guy!

The Arkansas rest stop. Doesn't everyone need to wear a helmet when stopping at a rest stop?

I told you I packed everything...

And then we arrived in Memphis. We are at a great hotel in a great location! Presently Jackson is asleep in the pack-n-play, Collin and Daddy are asleep in one bed and Katie is begging for me to post only pictures of her on the computer. Time to go over the details of the plan for tomorrow. Until next time...

My Momma

My Momma
(insert photo of mother with children)
drove ALL the way from Abilene, TX to see grandchild number 1, AKA Collin, in his performance of "Jack and the Beanstalk". Unfortunately some CRAZY Oklahoma weather caused the performance to be rescheduled for this Wednesday. Sniff...sniff...so Grammy has STILL not seen Collin in action.

If Blogger would download my photos, you would see Collin as the giant in Jack and the Beanstalk and then as the evil Snow King.

We will be making the video tape this summer Mother. Just for you...LOVE...and HUGS...and thank you for driving all this way to see a performance you didn't get to see. You are awesome!