We finally made it to Music City! Nashville was not like any other city I've ever been. It was clean and friendly; it's easy to park; and it was a ton of fun! It was definitely not as intimidating for the kids as New Orleans. They felt much more comfortable walking around, which truly allowed them to enjoy themselves.
We stayed in a campground 30 minutes outside the city in a town called Lebanon. We expected the drive to be traffic filled, but it really wasn't bad. It was nothing close to the traffic we've experienced heading to Baltimore or traveling around D.C.
The first stop on our journey was the American Picker's store, Antique Archeology. We all enjoyed tooling around the shop and seeing some of the picks up close. We're pretty sure they make most of their money on their t-shirts and hats though.
Next door to them was a candy store called "Bang" that specialized in homemade marshmallows. Grace had one that was rose flavored, and mine was blueberry lavender! I personally thought it was a delightful experience, although Dave was not as impressed.
We then headed to Nashville's farmer's market. There were several stands with locally grown fruit and veggies but they were rather over priced in my opinion. I was surprised there were no meat counters. We did eat at their food court for lunch and had an amazing pulled pork sandwich. We got a gyro, some sweet and sour chicken, and cheese cake for dessert. It was fun, but it made me miss Eastern Market in York terribly.
With full tummies, we made our way to lower Broadway. We stopped in some stores and checked out the cowboy boots. Most were $300 but you would get the next 2 pair free. Betty Boots had boots upwards of $900!!!
After walking up and down Broadway checkin' out the honky tonks, we decided to stop in The Second Fiddle to listen to some music. It was so much fun. It wasn't crowded since it was a Thursday afternoon which made it nice for the kids. The girl had a wonderful voice and she sang a variety of country music covers. We danced and sang along and had a great time.
Once we left the Honk Tonk district, we drove to a little thrift store called Goodbuy Girls to look for boots for the girls. Lauryl and Grace both found a pair, new dresses, and Lauryl even got a hat. We had a full wonderful day experiencing Nashville.
The next morning, Dave worked, the kids got school work done and practiced instruments before heading back into Nashville. Our first stop Friday was Provence Bread near Belmont University. My friend Cat made the suggestion and it was a great one! The cookies and treats were delightful! We checked out some of the other shops in the area including a little music store. They were so great to the kids and Grace and Lauryl even had the opportunity to learn 4 chords on the mandolin.
We left there and headed back downtown to listen to some more music. When we got there, Broadway was blocked off to traffic. Apparently the Nashville Predators had a playoff game. There was a huge TV in the middle of the street for fans who didn't have tickets. It was so cool to be able to just walk down the middle of the street in Nashville. We got some great pictures! 
We went in to Tootsies and Honky Tonk Central. Things were much more crowded because of the game, but it was still a blast. For a city, we really loved Nashville. People were great and made you feel welcome and they really put on a good show. I would definitely go back!
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