For 10 days in September, Jaiman and I visited my sister, Christy, in and around her new home near Nashville, Tennessee. We knocked out some Life List things in the area, ate too much, slept too little, laughed until our eyes teared up and our cheeks hurt, and made ridiculously fun memories and new inside jokes. It was a refreshing break from the stress of a relocation and new job for Christy and a new (stress-inducing) manager for me. Often, when in a slump, just planning a trip is therapeutic, and that was definitely the case with this one. Nashville had, at one time, been a planned destination for us sisters and friends prior to any of us living there, but that trip was spoiled, along with so many other things, with COVID-19. So, actually going on this trip was all the more wonderful! Beyond that, this itinerary could even serve as a Nashville / Tennessee Bucket List!
We flew from LAX on Christy's birthday, and had just a little bit of downtime after landing before we gussied up for dinner and our first Nashville adventure - a show at the Grand Ole Opry featuring a favorite country star of Christy's, Brad Paisley. We had dinner at Paula Dean's where we ordered a number of country-style comfort food which immediately set the tone for our extended trip. Eating too much food, also, established a general theme for the indulgence that is all too typical when the three of us travel together.
Laura's Life List #51 - Attend a performance at the Grand Ole Opry
Getting to the Grand Ole Opry and parking was super easy, and there were lots of great photo ops on the outside. Once in, we scoured the gift shop which had a ton of selections, and then grabbed some beers and drinks for the show. Christy had gotten us fantastic seats in the front row of the balcony, where we sat in church pews which has a kind of hilarious feel. Country music isn't really my thing, but live music is (almost) always fun. We really enjoyed the first few performers and got to see a first-timer's Opry debut which was super neat.
Before the headliner, Brad Paisley, came on, this goofy trio of older men dressed in chaps came out and sang very Western songs, called Riders in the Sky. One, and for the life of me, I never figured out which one, would periodically whistle and scream "yaaaaah".After the song was over, they bantered a bit and commented on the *whistle* "yaaaah" and then tried it out in "Danny Boy" to the roaring laughter of the audience. Brad Paisley did his thing, including bringing a charity auction winner on stage to sing with him, who was so nervous he was practically crying and sweat through his entire outfit. All in all, it was a fantastic night and great way to kick off our time in Tennessee.
Jaiman's Life List - Dollywood
Pushing through our sleep deprivation, we started out early and headed to Dollywood. We rode just about all the rides, and enjoyed the multitudes of Halloween decorations around the park, including fake jack-o-lanterns which all sorts of fun patterns and themes. We rode Blazing Fury, Dragonflier, FireChaser Express, Lightning Rod, Mystery Mine, Tennessee Tornado, Thunderhead, Wild Eagle, and the water ride Daredevil Falls. As the day wound down, Jaiman and Christy got the infamous cinnamon bread 
and I got the amusement park obligatory Dippin' Dots. We did some shopping and headed out to grab some dinner and find our AirBnB for the night. A local car show made it difficult to find a place to eat and traffic exhausted our patience, so we opted for our first-ever visit to the oft-ignored Shone's chain. All things considered, we concluded it wasn't too bad - "better than awful!" We found our way to the AirBnB and after exploring the adorable little cabin, we passed out pretty quickly.
Anakeesta
We stayed in the Pigeon Forge area after Dollywood so that we could have a short trip to Anakeesta. The wait was exponentially shorter for the bench-style chair lifts versus the enclosed gondolas. We had hoped to do the alpine coaster but our weight precluded us from doing that. Nevertheless, the drinks flowed, the rope bridges and obstacle course was hilarious, we shopped and dined and had a fabulous time. After leaving the park, we found a wine tasting room serving cotton candy wine, which we obviously had to taste, and proceeded to buy several bottles to take back to Christy's. All things in the area done, we headed back to Christy's apartment outside of Nashville.
Work-cation
Christy went into work Monday and Tuesday, while I stayed and worked remotely from the apartment. Monday night we attempted to get into the Bluebird Café where many aspiring musicians get their big break. We didn't make it in for seating, but they did let us in to stand for the length of a song for the experience. We dined at a steakhouse nearby since we didn't get in for dinner. Tuesday night we had burritos from some place called Bubacakbooboo or something like that for dinner. Wednesday was a little different in that I went in to work with Christy and started the morning off with a two hour Excel class for her team and several other party crashers from various functions of the mining company she works for. It went smashingly well, and while I could have taught all day with such a fun and engaged group, we wrapped and I took the car back to start my work day. Jaiman and I picked Christy up at the end of the day and went to the winery near her work for dinner and drinks. We took Thursday off, and Christy took Friday off (I have Fridays off all the time).
Loveless Café
Thursday morning was a perfect time to grab brunch at the adorable and tasty Loveless Café. After putting our names in, we did some shopping and took silly pictures around the property and then got seated soon enough. The food surpassed our expectations, and the ambience was just right. Definitely recommend making the trip out to that restaurant.
Parthenon
It may not be a Nashville icon, but there is a full-scale Parthenon replica is a pretty interesting visit and photo op. We didn't go inside but it seems like its an art museum. Playing with the pillars and shadows and statues outside was sufficient for our amusements.
Kayne Prime
Some of the best steak in town is found at this classy restaurant. Jaiman got the last of the semi-annual shipment of a very special Japanese wagyu ribeye of which only 1600 cows in the world can produce apparently. Obviously, we were sold. Christy also got a wagyu flight of sorts. It was pretty unbelievable!
Honky Tonks on Broadway
Not to be overcome by sleep yet, we took to the street for some barhopping good times. We made our way first into Kid Rock’s Big A, and stood in the crowd rocking out to the adorable live band playing. Then we moved on to Luke Bryan's Luke 32 Bridge. There, we scored some cocktails and a couple seats, and comfortable enjoyed the sights and sounds of a most beautiful guitar player and singer making eyes at Christy. Since he failed to propose to her after several songs and drinks, we moved on. Tootsie's seemed like a must, so we grabbed drinks and propped 
ourselves on some bar stools there for a bit. We popped into one or two more and finally called it a night.
A day in at last
We stayed in for the most part on Friday, drinking our sweet strawberry wine and watching Hocus Pocus. Our attempt to get candied ribs from the Candied Rib place was foiled by the fact that they did not yet have candying abilities or ribs, but that didn't stop us from getting some pretty decent barbecue from the place. More drinks - mead and martinis - were had back at home, and Mongolian barbecue for dinner.
Tennessee Railroad Museum Train Robbery Excursion Ride
As our visit winded down, we did a silly train ride with a volunteer-based acting troop that "robbed" us for charity. The train was very cool, but the experience left us a little wanting. Nevertheless, food and drinks were had, and with great company, good times were had. Wine slushies and the macarons from Christy's apartment coffee shop made the day completely indulgent.
Prince's (Nashville) Hot Chicken
For a spice lover like me, a trip to Nashville could hardly be complete without some hot chicken. Since I'd had Haddie B's a couple times previously, Prince's was a must. It's hard to compare, but from my amateur point of view, Prince's seems like the real deal. Get it, if you dare!
Well, that about wrapped up our trip. Nashville was great, and I am so grateful I got to spend the time with my sister, as she may be moving to Knoxville next. Such is the life of great managers seeking great work environments, I suppose! Cheers to promotions, living life to the fullest and adventuring with loved ones.
