Nashville

 Our office qualified for a trip to Nashville.  Susan's husband does not like to travel on State Farm trips so she takes turns taking her staff on the trips.  I actually should have went on the Las Vegas trip last September, but since I was 9 months pregnant I got skipped & Natalie got to go instead.  I did end up having Whitney while they were in Vegas, so I guess it was a good thing I didn't go!  When this trip came up I was so excited since I have never been to Nashville.

It was an awesome trip!  We were gone 3 full days & 2 nights.  I was ready to get back to my little family!  Kyle was a little limited with what he could do, so my parents offered to keep Whitney.  Since they had Whitney they thought it would also be a good time to keep Aubree.  They also had my brother's 3 kids  ages 5, 3, & 11 months so they had two 5 year olds, a 3 year old, a 12 month old & an 11 month old.  Yeah,  I think they are a little crazy!!!  All in all I think it went well!  I think my mom must have been super Grandma to handle them all.  She had such a good attitude about them & when I called she didn't sound stressed out :-)

I think Jenae had a bit of a hard time with me being gone.  She is by far a much bigger Country Music fan than I am & it would be a dream of hers to get to go & experience Nashville.  She called me several times wondering what Stars I had all seen.  I think she really thought I would be walking the streets with Miranda Lambert, Blake Shelton, Taylor Swift & the Band Perry! 

Probably the 2 highlight of the trip were touring the Grand Ole Opry & going to a concert at the Ryman Auditorium.  There was a lot of talk of the TV show Nashville & the entire show was filmed in Nashville.  We got to go a lot of the places that was in the show.  I watched the first episode last night.  It looks like a good show, I am sure it is more interesting just coming back from Nashville. 


Getting a pat down at the Grand Island airport.   Every time I fly, something goes wrong with me getting through security.  This time the ex ray machine went down so we had to empty out bags totally out & they swiped everything in our bag with a cloth looking for chemicals that can be used in explosives.  Wouldn't you know they found traces of chemicals on my boots!!  So I had to have a pat down.  When they found out that I lived on a ranch they said it was not uncommon to have residue on my boots.

 

The resort we stayed was decorated so pretty for fall.

Susan standing by the waterfall at the resort.

We did some shopping & came across some very interesting shoes!

Susan has an obsession with kettle corn, so imagine her excitement when we found this stand!!  I think he had 20 different flavors of kettle corn ranging from birthday cake flavor to dill pickle flavor!

Me & Susan outside the radio station that was right in the hotel where we were staying.

Me & Susan at a dinner State Farm hosted for us.  We had lots of southern food & the highlight  for me was the goo goo cluster dessert!

We toured the Grand Ole  Opry.  I am not a big music buff, but the tour really gave me an appreciation for & got me much more excited about the industry.  All Opry members get a mail box where they get their mail that they get from the Opry.  If the artist does not stop by to pick their mail up they do not get it!  The Opry does not forward it on. 

One of the dressing rooms at the Grand Old Opry.  This was actually the dressing room that one of the singers on the show Nashville was in when the show started. 

Susan & I standing on stage at the Grand Old Opry!

Looking at the Grand Old Opry Stage. 

Down town Nashville. There are a ton of little honky tonk bars that have live music playing.  So many talented people waiting to be discovered.




The Ryman Auditorium was the original place the Grand Ole Opry was held.  We went to a concert there on Thursday night.  It was a country classic show with  Crystal Gayle as the spotlight artist.  I love country classics!

 

 Crystal Gayle singing.  She still has really long hair, just a little thinner than it used to be. 

We did not check bags since we were there for such a short time.  My one bag was busting at the seams it was so full coming home & my other bag I could not even zip shut!