Feb. 8-14 - Week in Review

Day 1 – Chattanooga, Tennessee
As we were leaving Georgia, a strange and horrible noise starting coming from the ‘Tima - a rattling, grinding, expensive sounding noise. Did a belt break? Did something snap? Was our engine tearing itself apart as we drove?

We pulled over at the nearest gas station and popped the hood, pretending to know what we were looking at. Nothing looked glaringly wrong. In an act of desperation, I called my brother, our personal mechanic, at work. Of course he was busy and couldn’t talk but he was willing to lend his partial attention to our dilemma. Just as I was doing my best ‘Tima impression, Michael emerged from underneath the car with a huge, I mean monstrous, tree limb that had attached itself to our underside. Mystery solved.

Day 2 – Nashville, Tennessee
Choo choo! Last night we stayed at the famous Chattanooga Choo Choo hotel. Thank you, Priceline!

This was actually our second stop in Chattanooga, the first time being for the 1AA Championship Football Game between the Montana Grizzlies and James Madison. You remember.

We felt silly as we recalled how stressed we were entering the city the first time. Things were much calmer this time around. Being familiar with your surroundings changes everything. We had a delicious dinner at Big River, played some trivia at Buffalo Wild Wings and walked back to the Choo Choo, reminiscing about the Grizzlies Pre-Game Pep Rally that overtook the hotel the last time we were here.

Day 3 – Nashville, Tennessee
We arrived in Nashville, Tennessee late yesterday afternoon singing the one line we know from Bobby Bare, Jr.’s song about the city. Our hotel was the Best Western Music Row – what did that mean?

We soon found out. Music Row consists of blocks and blocks of studios, record companies, agents and agencies and other businesses that have sprung up around the idea of making music. This morning, the hotel lobby was filled with people and guitar cases. We were the only people here sans instruments.

It was cold and dreary today so we spent the afternoon indoors. When we did venture out, it was to eat. And oh, did we. Christopher Pizza Co. was just across the street from the hotel and offered the insane special of any 16” pizza and a bucket of beer for $15. We kept waiting for the catch; it never came. We left with full stomachs, leftover pizza and cash to spare for the rest of the evening.

We walked through Vanderbilt University and along the side streets of Nashville and ended our evening at the sports bar right next to Christopher’s, where Southern girls sent by Miller Lite gave us free beers, a free winter hat, and a pair of fingerless gloves, all of which came in handy for the brisk walk back to Best Western.

Day 4 – Nashville, Tennessee
We checked out of our hotel this morning, made a stop at the State Capitol and went north towards Clarksville, once again with a song stuck in our heads. We weren’t looking for the last train; the Fort Donelson National Battlefield was our destination.

This weekend was the anniversary weekend of the Civil War battle so re-enactors were setting up Union and Confederate camps and the Rangers were getting frequent calls from their off-site supervisor, which they didn’t seem to appreciate. We debated whether or not to come back the next day for all the hoopla and then we remembered – we’re not really big fans of encampments and costumed Civil War re-enactors.

But we did stop and visit the Dover Hotel, site of the Confederate surrender to U.S. Grant. Nurse Mary Bickerdyke, resurrected by a costumed interpreter, was making a special appearance at the hotel as part of the Fort Donelson anniversary events. Once you got over the fact that these ladies were speaking in the first person about events which occurred over 100 years ago, it was a pretty nice conversation.

Lunch was at the Blackhorse Saloon and Pub in Clarksville. Dinner was back at Nashville in our new hotel, half priced courtesy of our Priority Club membership. Michael teases about my laundry list of membership numbers, pass codes and points, but sometimes they work!

We enjoyed our cheap meal while listening to bands perform at Writer’s Night, a special amateur night held three times a week at the hotel. Performers must write their own music. No covers allowed. Once again, the lobby was filled with guitar cases. Were we the only ones here not waiting for our turn on stage? My gosh, this really is Music City.