I had such a great time in Nashville with my girlfriends last weekend! Summer and I try to plan a weekend to get together every year since she and her family moved away three years ago. They just moved again – this time to Alabama, so we decided to meet in Nashville and stay with Summer’s in-law’s. I could tell you lots of interesting stories about midnight runs to Walmart and Kroger from the weekend, but I’ll try to stick to the highlights.

First of all, I really should have missed my flight to Nashville. By the time we got to the airport, I had already decided that I would just get on the next one. Took my bags to the counter, told the lady I had just missed my flight, and asked if there was room on the next one. To my surprise, she said my flight was delayed and I could still make it!! And I did – in plenty of time. Whew!

After landing in Nashville, I found Summer and we headed to the baggage claim area. I saw a news anchor and his camera man, and made some comment about wondering if someone famous was in the airport, when they started walking over to ME! News Channel 5 was doing a story on holiday travel, so they asked Summer & me whether we thought prices were high this year, and if we had ever been anywhere tropical during the holidays, etc. Well, I had gone on a business trip with my husband to Cancun during the second week in December about five years ago, so the quote they pulled from the entire interview was about that. Unfortunately, the video clip is no longer available for your viewing pleasure. I know you’re so disappointed!!

Friday night we started our shopping at Opry Mills. You’ll notice a trend of shopping throughout the weekend.

Saturday morning we had breakfast/lunch at the Pancake Pantry – really it was lunch since we finally ate around noon. Summer and I waited in line outside in the cold for at least thirty minutes just to get in. It was so good though! Summer ordered her favorite Sugar & Spice pancakes with sides of scrambled eggs, bacon and grits. I had never tried grits before. I decided they taste about how they look – not bad actually. I had Sweet Potato pancakes with a side of fried eggs and ham. YUM!

After lunch, we took a home tour of ten houses in Hillsboro. It’s an old, established neighborhood on the West End of Nashville, and the houses we saw had been refurbished, and some had been added onto. I don’t have any pictures, but it was very neat! Later that afternoon we got some great deals at Macy’s One Day Sale. We grabbed dinner to go at SATCO (San Antonio Taco Company) where you create your own tacos with all kinds of different toppings to choose from. I highly recommend the chicken fajita taco!

We ventured back downtown on Saturday night to the Wildhorse Saloon for some line dancing. Stony Run was the band playing that night – great music! Summer said they used to show live video stream of this place on CMT. I’m not really a country music fan, and I hadn’t been line dancing since the first time I went in college. Fortunately, they had a couple of gals leading and teaching some of the moves. Great fun! Trying to talk my husband into taking lessons with me sometime…

While we were downtown, and it was dark outside, Summer wanted to show me a great place to see the moon over Nashville. She led me into a courtyard at a memorial building where there is a very large statue. Naked. Backside. You get the picture.

Sunday morning we went to church at Christ Church in Brentwood. Their choir was amazing. So were the testimonies from the missionaries. We browsed their bookstore after church as well. More shopping Sunday afternoon and evening at Opry Mills and Kohl’s…

On Monday morning, I said goodbye to Summer, and my neighbor from Knoxville met us in Nashville. We lived next door to Byron and Amy in 2000-2001. Our older daughter was born there and is highly loyal to Tennessee. Amy and I hadn’t seen each other for five years, but she’s one of those friends you can pick up with wherever you left off. We had lunch at Bandywood Food Co. – very delicious, very quaint, very pricey! Then pedicures at the Venetian Nail Spa across from Green Hills Mall. Neither one of us has had a pedicure in the last year, so it was a great treat.

After that we did some (more) shopping at Opry Mills (ran into Summer since she apparently wasn’t ready to drive home yet) and it was time to go. Missing my sweet friends already! Can’t wait to plan the next trip…