Thursday, August 15, 2019, State Capitol, Nashville, TN

Today, Joani, Mom and I met Doug, Carol and Matthew for lunch at the food court in the Farmer's Market in downtown Nashville, TN. We were a little early so we looked around while we waited for the working folks to arrive on their lunch breaks.

It was warm (by warm, I mean it was mid-90's with 90% humidity) and while there was a pretty good selection of fresh produce for the middle of the summer there was nothing that screamed: "Take me home."

We headed back inside for some much-appreciated air conditioning while we checked out the wide array of dining choices. Between the six of us at the table, we had quite a collection of foods: Indian, Mexican and Chinese.

Easily visible from the Farmers Market was the Capitol building. Getting there was more of a challenge than I had expected. No longer a Nashville native I was thankful for Google maps to navigate our way to the Motlow Tunnel on Charlotte Avenue where I dropped Mom and Joani off. The Motlow tunnel provided direct access to elevators to the Capitol without any stairs.

Parking was available off of James Robertson Parkway at the bottom of Capitol Hill. The climb was a bit daunting in the heat.

Along the way, I passed the burial site for James Knox Polk, a prominent Tennessean who became the 11th president of the United States in 1845.

The last time we were in the area a significant portion of the building's exterior was cloaked in scaffolding and tarps for some renovation. Our timing was better this visit and I was able to appreciate the classically inspired architecture. Tennessee has one of the few capitol buildings without a dome.

Tennessee is one of ten state capitols without a dome.

I found Mom and Joani patiently waiting for me in the cool halls of the capitol. There was a guided tour available but we opted to just look around on our own. I had visited so many years ago that I had forgotten there was no rotunda. The building seemed very small and not quite as impressive as many of those we had visited.

We had to work around this professional photographer for pictures of the house chambers. He was taking his time setting up the perfect shot. He had two assistants and a truckload of equipment.

The library was the only room I recognized from long ago. I seem to remember we were able to use the spiral stairs and browse the upper levels - no more. I'm pretty sure there was nothing on those shelves I would want to read anyway.

Hiking back down the hill to retrieve the car was much quicker but this time I found the road in front of the Motlow tunnel closed due to construction. I had no choice but to wait on the curb on Charlotte Avenue while Mom and Joani walked to me. Not being quite as confident in the Nashville traffic as my brother I did not attempt any further sightseeing downtown and we headed home.

Wednesday, August 14, 2019, McNamara's Pub, Donelson, TN

After reconnecting with a couple of old high school friends on Facebook we agreed to meet face to face one afternoon at McNamara's Pub in Donelson, TN. I brought my laptop PC with a collection of pictures of us in our 20's and a copy of our Senior year annual to trigger old memories.

Mark, aka "Zemo", on the right had just retired and was adjusting well to the concept of not working. His hobby was working on Civil War-era history and he just self-published his third (or is it fourth) book.

Mike, behind us, had not made the leap into retirement yet. He had no compelling ambition or interest outside of his work at NASA to make him leave the ranks of the employed. He did, however, have quite a few questions about fulltime RVing.

We had a couple of pints and some Irish nachos (quite tasty!) before heading to Mark's condo to sip some scotch and continue reminiscing for a few more hours. We will have to plan on another get-together but maybe not wait another 40 years before we do.

 Not very many pictures from the '70s have David in them, but every now and then he would set the timer and jump in the photo. This one has Mike (far left), Zemo (yellow coat) and David (far right).

 Another timer shot - Mike far left and then David, Zemo is in the window center.

 David is behind the camera this time, but Zemo is second from the right and Mike is fourth from the right.

I took over camera duty to capture David in front of Fall Creek Falls.

Sunday, August 11, 2019, Goodman Family Mini-Reunion, Mt Juliet, TN

We learned Steve and Jane's son Danny (Joani's nephew) lived nearby so we tried to get everyone together for a little reunion. Steve was able to get in touch with Joani's younger brother, Ron, and his wife Kelley. They drove over from nearby Goodlettsville to visit for the afternoon. Rachel brought Steve and Jane's two grandsons, Blue and Chase as well, making this the largest family gathering, on Joani's side, in some time. (Trying to avoid last names can sometimes be a challenge.)

Oldest to youngest (L to R), Steve, Joani and Ron. Ken, the youngest brother, unfortunately, could not be reached. Ron thought it was unfair that he wasn't on the permanent vacation I call retirement but he will have his chance in a few years (he was only 56).

Everyone was interested in Joani's newest passion - lapidary. She has quite a collection of rocks and minerals that never fail to amaze. They were even more impressed when they found out she was willing to let them have a few samples for themselves. Kelley teaches science in middle school so she picked some specimens for show-and-tell. 

I think everyone enjoyed the afternoon and we all agreed we should try to get together more often.

Saturday, August 10, 2019, Tomato Arts Festival, Nashville, TN

My brother, Doug, took me downtown to the Nashville Tomato Arts Festival. We hit the same event a few years ago and I was looking forward to some people watching and some more of that famous Nashville Hot Chicken.

There was a lot of good people watching at the festival but not a single food truck with hot chicken. As it neared noon we headed to Hattie B's where I took the challenge and ordered the "Shut the Cluck Up" chicken, their hottest offering. It did work up an oh so delightful sweat but an ice-cold PBR balanced things out.

Afterward, Doug drove us around Nashville and I must confess there was little I could recognize as the town I grew up near. In my early years, the only tall building on the Nashville skyline was the Life and Casualty Tower. That building was dwarfed by all of the new construction and, in fact, I couldn't even spot it on the skyline below - it must have been behind one of the new towers. At least the Capital building was familiar and visible on the extreme left of the picture.

One of the most recently completed high rise hotels made for this artsy photo. 

The "Bat Tower" loomed behind the old buildings along Broadway.

Nashville had certainly taken on a party atmosphere as tourists flocked to the "Gulch" for food and drink and music. Apparently, this is one of the most popular destinations for bachelorette parties and we saw many open-air party buses filled with young ladies having a good time.

All in all a great day cruising around Nashville - thanks Doug!

Sunday, August 4, 2019, Move to Cedar Creek COE Campground, Mt Juliet, TN

Today's drive of 67.0 miles (95,010.8 total) to Mt Juliet, TN, was pretty easy until a right turn heading into the park that looked nothing like we expected from viewing it on Google satellite view. Luckily, the traffic was light and I used all of the road in both directions to negotiate my turn. The park was a little more of a problem. We arrived at about 11:45 to a closed office. A surly park host let me know the office wouldn't open until 12:00 and we were 3 hours early for check-in and we should have known that because it was part of the reservation instructions. Fortunately, there was room to park alongside the road and wait for our site to open up.

I should have taken a few pictures. Sometimes it is difficult to remember the camera when you are in the moment. Our site was spacious and level but a bit muddy. That was easily handled with the large mat we placed at our doorstep. What I really hate was that I never got a picture of the dozen or so vultures that raided the trash bin on a regular basis. The hosts tried to keep netting over the garbage but the birds seemed to have no trouble getting to the tasty scraps people had thrown out.

Friday, August 2 and Saturday, August 3, 2019, Move to Clarksville, TN

The move from Hollister, MO, to Clarksville, TN, was more than we were willing to tackle in one long travel day so Joani found a Walmart that allowed overnight stays in Dexter, MO, to break up the trip. First, we needed some diesel and we found a Kroger fuel center that could not have been more perfectly placed. I parked off to the side of the lot while Joani headed inside to purchase some gift cards (at 4x points). With points in hand, we pulled up to the pumps and filled up at an average of $1.84 per gallon! 

A few more miles down the road we found the Walmart. It was very conveniently located and we were able to park in the shade. After 242.9 miles (94,772.3 total), I was ready for the break. What I did not understand was why we were the only ones staying overnight at what had to be our best Walmart experience to date.

The next day we continued east on Missouri highway 60 which eventually became I-57. We left the Interstate highway on the much smaller highway 62. As we neared the border, the road became narrower with not even a hint of a shoulder. Big rig trucks were coming from the other direction so I reasoned the road must be OK. I just had to steel my nerves and take it slowly. The road took us to a sketchy looking bridge that crossed the Mississippi River. I'm not sure there was much more than a few inches between us and the bridgeworks - it was a good thing there were no pedestrians - my mirror might have whacked them.

Immediately following that rickety bridge into Illinois we turned right and headed across another early 1900's vintage bridge over the Ohio River. I'm pretty sure we will take whatever route, however many extra miles we need to avoid crossing those bridges again. Another 20 miles of narrow, shoulderless road and we reached I-24 and a much-needed rest stop.

The rest stop was quite a sight with the facilities inside an old mansion and expansive grounds and gardens where Sam was able to work out some of the tension from the drive.

Holy cow! This is the rest stop just inside the Kentucky border in Paducah.

We finally reached the Clarksville RV Park after 171.5 miles (94,943.8 total) of road I would prefer to never see again in our travels. I was so grateful Joani added the overnight at Walmart, I'm not sure I could have managed that 420 miles in one day!

One of my friends from high school, Paul, and his wife, Janice, live near Clarksville and agreed to visit. We had only briefly met one time in the past 45 years so we had a lot to catch up on while we had some BBQ and talked about life on the road fulltime. 

Joani's brother, Steve and his wife, Jane, live in Clarksville, TN, so we planned a few days stay to see them as well. Their daughter, our niece, Kristy was down from St. Louis, so we were able to see her too. They taught us how to play Hand and Foot and we had a great time until late into the evening.

I had such a great time with my big brother, Steve, his wife Janie and my niece (their daughter) Kristy.

Monday, March 26 through Wednesday, April 4, 2018, Cedars of Lebanon

One of the longer drives we made in a while, 264.0 miles (85,912.1 total), took us all the way to Cedars of Lebanon State Park in Tennessee where we will visit with family over Easter weekend.

Our family camped here when I was young, but I can't say I really remembered anything about the park. I did a little hiking around with Sam and found the park had a lot to offer. There were a lot of facilities available for group activities, a nice nature center, cabins and lots of trails. They were working on expanding the campground and the new area looked very promising - large well spaced lots with easy access. We will definitely visit here in the future.

My brother Doug and his wife, Carol, their son, Matthew and his wife Lindsay and their new baby boy, Sanders made it to my mom's place for a big dinner on Saturday, March 31st. My youngest brother, Don, and his wife, Barbara, and his daughter, Adley were there as well. Adley brought a "plus one" who seemed very pleasant. Maybe we will see him again someday. Counting Mom, we were 12 with enough food for 30 - needless to say no one went hungry. Sanders was passed around from lap to lap always with a grin on his face - he has to be one of the happiest babies I have ever known.

Any family gettogether eventually requires some Rook play. Matthew was trying to get Sanders started early on the game but it looked like he had other things on his mind.

One day I met Doug in Nashville and we had lunch at Hattie B's. After trying several places, I decided they had my favorite hot chicken. This time I tried the "Shut the Cluck Up". It was their hottest offering and mighty tasty. Along with the baked beans, fries and a cold PBR, it was a truly satisfying meal - I am a fan of Nashville Hot Chicken!

Back in the park spring was in the air as the first of the flowering trees burst with color.

Mom seemed to be fully recovered from her hip surgery and we had taken care of a short list of things around her condo, so it was time to move on after a little more than a week. We always hate saying goodbye, but that's part of the full timing life.

Saturday, October 7 through Thursday, December 28, 2017

With the coach tucked away again at All Things Storage in Lebanon, we were settled in for rehab support for mom's second hip replacement. Since this is a travel blog and we were not traveling, I thought I would just summarize a few of the highlights of our stay.

We returned to Tennessee just in time to visit Octoberfest.  My brother, Doug, and I headed to Germantown, a neighborhood in downtown Nashville. It was Saturday, October 7th and the final day of the celebration, but the crowds were out in force.

There was plenty of music with Oom-pah bands around every corner, dancing in the streets, brats and, of course, beer lines everywhere.

On the 16th mom had her surgery. Unfortunately, there were complications with the procedure which meant she was looking at 12 weeks of recovery and rehab instead of her expected 5-6 weeks. Needless to say, she was very disappointed, but she followed her doctor's orders and things progressed well. There were a few extra days in the hospital followed by almost two weeks at the Lebanon rehab center before she came home.

The Lebanon Octoberfest followed the Nashville festivities by a couple of weeks (October 22nd). It was quite different in that the focus was on a huge antique and classic car show and much less on beer and brats. 

I think the classic '56-'57 Thunderbird is my favorite - who knows, maybe I'll have one someday.

The car below had some of the most impressive bodywork and paint. I loved the openings in the hood surrounded by the 3-D paint - what a piece of art!

Mom's rehab was progressing nicely and we were able to get out to see the Lebanon Christmas Parade at the beginning of December. I was surprised at the extent of this parade. It rolled by us for over an hour.

Santa and Mrs. Claus were riding in style in the LFD bucket ladder truck near the end of the parade.

We received some tragic news from Iowa early in December. My cousin, Keith, died in a horrible accident on his farm. We drove up to attend his memorial service on the 7th of December. Keith was well known and loved in the community as evidenced by the number of people who attended. He will certainly be missed.

I have a lot of fond memories of my cousins - especially Keith since he and I were the oldest in each of our families. I always loved visiting the farm as I was growing up.

Story City, IA decorated their Christmas tree in the middle of Main Street.

After we returned to Tennessee, Doug and I headed downtown again. We took in several sites including the new Top Golf facility. The place was hoppin'! Who knew there was such a demand for this kind of place. Virtually every tee was in use. We had a beer and watched for a while as golfers ran the gamut from duffers to pros

Outside of Cumberland Machine, where Doug works, they set up a sleigh perfect for photo ops. Rudolph and the others would have a difficult time pulling this beast fabricated of half-inch plate steel.

Next, we visited the Marathon Automobiles Museum. How did I never know Nashville was home to one of the earliest automobile manufacturing sites? The company was poorly managed and only operated for a few years before World War I, but still?

It was estimated only five of the original cars still exist and three of them were in this museum.

Probably 50 of the machines used on the original manufacturing line were on display in the halls of the old factory.

I guess sometimes you have to leave to discover something new about your old hometown!

On Christmas Eve my nephew, Matthew and his wife Lindsey, brought their brand new baby, Sanders, over for a visit with his Great Grandma, Marjean.

Sanders is one of the happiest babies I've ever seen and who doesn't love that new baby smell?

My niece, Adley, brought her cute little Teacup poodle, Lincoln, dressed in his holiday outfit - as Joani says "how adorable!"

There was a little tension over just whose dog food this was, but ultimately, everything was good.

What? There was no tension! Sam is always willing to share.

Christmas Day was special as everyone gathered at mom's house and enjoyed an endless buffet of great snacking and eventual overeating! Merry Christmas everyone - Life is good!