Happy Birthday America

I had a busy July 4th weekend. My parents are in town so we did a lot of Nashville sight seeing. First on the list was to visit J. Percy Priest Lake which is about 1 mile from where I live. It is a large lake with a dam, picnic area, water park, beach and recreation area. It is a popular spot for fishing, boating and swimming because there aren't many lakes in Tennessee.

Next on the agenda was to do a walk-through at my new condo I just purchased. It is brand new construction so I had to do a punch list prior to closing. No better time than when my parents are in town! It is a really nice place with lots of upgrades and quality touches. We then hit a local BBQ restaurant called Famous Dave's and it was excellent. Mom and Dad finally got to have the famous southern sweet tea.

The next day, July 3, we went to visit President (General) Andrew Jackson's mansion and plantation, The Hermitage, hence the name of the town I live in. It was a perfect day to go because they had lots of patriotic things to see (artillery shooting demonstrations, soldier quarters set-up, cannon shooting). It took you back to the war of 1812 and everyone was dressed in old clothing from that era. It was a very hot day, around 98 degrees, but these people didn't miss a beat or seem to notice the weather, despite wearing wool! And of course the mansion was impressive as well as the plantation with the slaves quarters and Mr. & Mrs. Jackson's tombs. After being out in the heat for several hours, we went back to my place to rest before hitting Opry Mills. They tore down the Opryland Amusement Park a few years ago and built a large mall called Opry Mills. It is quite nice with lots of name brand stores. On our drive back home from the mall, we saw fireworks at J. Percy Priest Lake.

July 4th is a busy day in Nashville because they have a free country music concert then a huge fireworks show after. Ronnie Milsap was the guest this year. People start showing up at the Cumberland River downtown around 9am and stay all day waiting for the concert that doesn't start until 7pm. Fireworks are at 8:45pm. It was another hot day around 95 degrees and we didn't want to sit downtown all day in the heat so we made our way to the west side of Nashville to a neighborhood called Belle Meade, which is the richest area in Tennessee. We visited the Cheekwood Botanical Garden and Museum of Art www.cheekwood.org which was built and owned by the Maxwell House Coffee family. The mansion, which is now the Museum of Art, is 30,000 sq. ft. and the gardens make up 55 acres. We took a lunch break half way through our garden walk and ate at the Pineapple Room, which is a restaurant right on the grounds. Even though it was hot, it was nice to be outside and strolling through the impressive gardens. We once again headed back to my place to cool off and relax before heading out for dinner. We ended up eating at the Aquarium restaurant. It is an indoor aquarium filled with sharks, sting rays, and many other kinds of fish. It was awesome and the food was awesome, too! On our way back to my place for the night, we saw lots of fireworks. Once we got home, we watched the Nashville fireworks on TV. The Nashville Symphony Orchestra plays while the fireworks show is going on. It was well done.

I am now back to work while my parents are off to see more Nashville sights (Grand Ole Opry, Country Music Hall of Fame, etc.). Maybe they will even be able to make it down to Memphis to visit Elvis. We are possibly going to the Vince Gill concert Thursday night. Having a great time with my parents!