Nashville Trip 2013

Remember that time I went to Nashville?

I've been really lucky to take a few side trips in 2013 and Nashville, TN was one of the places that I've wanted to visit for the past year or so.  When my friend Sandra said she wanted to go there as well, we decided to just do it.

Here are the highlights of our time there:

• We stayed at the cutest Marriott hotel ever, Union Station.  It's a train station that was converted into a boutique hotel.
• According to our taxi driver, at the time it was built in 1900, it was Nashville's tallest building and considered to be a skyscraper.  Clearly it is no longer considered a skyscraper but it is gorgeous inside!

• In case you need it, the Christian Store is right across the street. (Before I get hate-mail for this, I'm really just fascinated by this store because I haven't seen a Christian store since living in the Bahamas.  Of course I would see one while visiting the "Bible belt".)

• We started out at the Peg Leg Porker, an amazing BBQ joint that was located in a gulch behind the hotel.  Yes, a gulch.
• The bartender and patrons were so nice!  The bartender gave us samples of 4 beers and then we ordered two pints.  Then she gave us another beer that she was trying to get rid of. (Stouts don't sell that well in a town that loves their Coors Lite, Miller Lite, and Bud Lite.)
• We ordered BBQ nachos and a Pulled Pork sandwich with macaroni and cheese and green bean sides. Not pictured is the chitterlings that she gave us to sample.  Also not pictured is the chocolate hand pie that we ordered for dessert.
• Fact: Everyone (and I mean everyone) uses koozies in the South.

• The bartender at Peg Leg Porker told us about the Music City Festival & BBQ Championship that was happening that night so we checked it out.
• We ended up hanging out with Norm (with us in the top right picture) at Fatback's tent and eating some excellent BBQ.  They won the competition last year and I can see why.
• Sandra and I ate and drank some more down by the Cumberland River, which bordered the festival.  I took more pictures.  Obviously.

• The next day we went exploring.  We walked through downtown Nashville and over a pedestrian bridge that crossed the Cumberland River.
• Nashville has great views.
• There are tons of boot stores in Nashville. Tons.

• There was a car show going on in town that weekend.  We found some interesting cars on our way to lunch.

• Lunch was at B.B. King's House of Blues.
• Food was good.  Music was great.  The guitarist/singer used to play guitar with Mr. B.B. King himself!

• I bought me some cowboy boots!

• There's live music everywhere in Nashville, so Saturday night we bounced from place to place.
• We ended up at a dueling piano bar (pic in lower right corner) which was really fun.  There are so many talented people in Nashville.
• How many bachelorette parties can you fit into one dueling pianos bar?  At least 5.  We counted.

• After a long night, Sandra insisted she wanted to order food, but the only options in Nashville at 2am are pizza, pizza, or pizza.
• The people at the hotel served us someone else's wedding cake instead.

• The next morning we went for a stroll downtown and discovered heaven in the form of a candy store.  Do you see the train mounted near the ceiling?  I tried to take an action shot.
• Most of these pictures were taken near Commerce Street.

• And then the heavens truly opened up and I found myself in a Pittsburgh bar in the middle of Nashville, TN.
• We entered the bar, Piranhas, around noon and left around 6pm.  I may not be 100% sure about the timeline.
• This Breakfast Shot may indicate why.  It consists of one shot of some sort of whisky, one shot of OJ, and finally a slice of bacon.

• Not only is it a Steelers bar, but it's modeled after Primanti's, which is a Pittsburgh institution that is famous for it's sandwiches. They serve thick cut bread containing meat, cheese, coleslaw, and fries.  1) You can add an egg if you like. 2) The fries and coleslaw MUST be in the sandwich.  I died.

• On top of all this, the locals at this bar were so friendly.  They also liked to yell a lot, drink a lot, and dance on bars.  Case in point.

• Unfortunately ( or fortunately?) we had a plane to catch in the morning and couldn't come back for another breakfast shot the next day.
• I had an amazing time in Nashville and would love to come back to visit again sometime soon!