Nashville...

Well, folks... here we be! Rebels with a cause! The vacationing Barkers are at it again!

First... the usual bitchin' and moanin' about technology:

I... HATE... FRIGGIN'... LAPTOPS...!!!

Hey, you know me... I'm a BIG guy! These hands... these fingers... they just ain't made for typing on a laptop!

And here's the thing: I was on the hotel's public desktop... but the browser they use (I've never heard of it) wasn't properly opening certain web pages - including my own "new posts" page here at Usually Right!

Anyway...

(*SHAKING OFF MY ANNOYANCE*)

...I'll survive.

(*WINK*)

So... we arrived yesterday. Flew into Nashville and picked up the rental car (and awesome brand new Chevy Impala by the way) and were on the road headed to The Heritage before 9:00 a.m.

GOD BLESS OL' HICKORY!

After three and a half hours of touring this national treasure dedicated to one of the finest men this country ever produced it was off to lunch at Marche Artisan Foods.

Suffice it to say...

(*MOAN OF CONTENTMENT*)

...um-um-um-um good...!!!

Folks... you know me... when I say this place is AWESOME... one of the best lunches I've had in my LIFE... you can take that to the bank!

After lunch... off to the hotel - our little "cheapie" for the first night since the B&B we're moving to today wasn't available last night. Let me say... for $109/night it's  gonna be hard to find a better place! Last night they gave us a free happy hour - drinks and hot and cold snacks! This morning... hot breakfast! Nice outdoor pool; kick-ass indoor 12-person hot-tub!

Anyway... after checking into to our King Superior room we took a nap... (having been up since 2:45 a.m.) and after that we showered prior to joining some other hotel guests for a for a round at the bar prior to heading out to our first night's entertainment in Nashville, a show at The Ryman - "Opry Country Classics" hosted by Larry Gatlin and featuring Ray Stevens (on "our" night).

What a GREAT show... and what a WONDERFUL venue! Living history, my friends... living and breathing!

Next... off to Acme Feed & Seed for a bit (more) live music and a couple beers!

Again... folks... I can really pick 'em! Great music... fine selection of adult beverages... happy crowd... and all with no cover! (Gotta be the best bar in the "tourist" area!)

Next...

YES... I said "next..."

Merchants (Established 1892) Restaurant for a late night (10:45 p.m. or so) "snack."

Gotta be honest... the food was good... not great. Still... the setting... atmosphere... the history of the place... AND THE EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE... all made it a stop we're glad we made. (Hell... one of the hostesses was a little lady from Warwick, NY - 20 minutes from our little village of Harriman, NY.)

Anyway... we finally got back to the hotel at around midnight. After a good night's sleep we awoke this morning and had breakfast here at the hotel before taking a soak in the hot-tub. (The pool is beautiful and the water's not really all that cold... but this morning it was only in the low 60's with a bit of a breeze so we decided to skip a morning swim.)

Now... packing up to head to our next stop...

TO BE CONTINUED...