I'm not really sure where to start on this one! It's probably going to be more than one post for starters. There's definitely the Good, the Bad, the Ugly and the Annoying!
We always go somewhere for our anniversary. This year, we couldn't decide where to go. After three years out west, twice in Arizona and twice in Vegas, a side trip to Bedrock City and the Grand Canyon, a three hour drive on Rt. 66 and a tour of the Neon Museum/Boneyard (a resting place for old neon signs) how do you top that? We first thought of going to Minnesota and Wisconsin for a change. Well, timing didn't work out for an antiques market we wanted to attend in the area so we nixed that idea.
After more deliberation we decided on Nashville (well, antiquing around the entire area to and from), Memphis (a visit to kitschy Graceland) and Paducah, KY (more antiquing)/Metropolis, IL (home of the Superman Museum). Closer to home, we could take our own car and see a lot of TN which I had never really been to (now I know why). So, the first problem arose when I was sick for over a week with I don't know what. IBS attack? Gallbladder surgery residuals? The reoccuring knives stabbing at my right side were at it again. I also seemed to be having side effects from an antibiotic I was on (it only took me a week to realize the connection). I was so sick that we couldn't even leave last Fri as planned. So, fast forward to a week ago (Sunday night) and we are all packed and ready to leave first thing Monday morning. I very innocently got online to mapquest the drive to Memphis as by now we had cancelled going to Nashville since we were three days short. I happened upon a tripadvisor.com sight pertaining to our hotel in Memphis and was suddenly reading about Murder Row, beds that were too short, unclean rooms, airport noise, etc, etc. It didn't sound good. I immediately called the hotel in Memphis who put me on to central res. who tried to assure me that no one had ever called back after staying at the Thousand Oaks Hampton Inn location with a complaint. I was really worried and called the non-emergency police no. and found out that I, the former travel agent, had booked us in a high crime area! Nice huh?
See, when I asked central res. to connect me back to the actual hotel and I voiced my concern to someone there, he kept trying to stress that no one has actually been murdered around there lately but that it was Memphis and he wasn't going to lie about car thefts. They did happen. A lot. It was Memphis after all. The Car Theft Capital of the Nation according to Mr. Front Desk Guy. It was Memphis you know.
So, at 11:00 pm we cancelled Memphis. I checked flights to Tampa and Vegas and there were no "last minute good deals" on my computer.
I worried and fretted all night, got about 5 1/2 hrs of sleep and booked us at the Gaylord Opryland first thing Monday morning for two nights. What the heck. I decided to splurge after the Memphis fiasco and the fact that we didn't have to have hotel rooms for three extra nights.
Off we went after a quick trip to the post office to mail last minute etsy orders!
The drive down was nice. We stopped at Dinosaur World in Cave City, KY. We were given free admission in exchange for my doing an article on Vintage Indie! It was kitschy. It was fun. It was so us. Fiberglass dinos galore.
We hit some antique shops in town and ate lunch at a Mexican restaurant that was yummy!
We arrived in Franklin, KY before dark and went to Bright's Antique World. YUMMO! I was beside myself when I found the booth packed full of vintage 1950s baking playsets from a personal collection. Merry Christmas to me from the Best Husband in the Whole World Universe as we like to say!
Last stop for the night and on to Opryland.
More tomorrow.....
1 comment:
That should be an interesting article! Dino's!
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