When it's Turkey Time Down South

I arrived in Nashville just in time for a BBQ dinner at Jack’s and a tour of “Lower Broad” from my cousin, Brad.  Delicious food and crazy to see all the music venues there—you can simply walk in one door and out the other to the one next door, and some had multiple acts in different floors and corners.  Brad was great at helping me appreciate the history there, and how they’re recovering from the recent floods.  We called it an early evening, though, so we could hit the road early the next morning for a day trip to Memphis.

It rained pretty hard that night and as we left Nashville, but cleared up by the time we reached Memphis.  We had a light breakfast so we’d have a hearty appetite for Gus’s Fried Chicken and my introduction to fried pickles (tasty). 

  

We walked it off by rambling along Beale Street, “Home of the Blues...Birthplace of Rock ‘n Roll”, and exploring a genuine general store that had the most “general” selection of merchandise I’ve ever seen.  Then it was over to the Peabody Hotel, where mallards live in the penthouse and spend their days swimming around the fountain in the lobby.  We next took the trolley for a view of the mighty Mississippi, and I couldn’t help but think about Huck Finn floating down it on a raft.  Our next stop was more somber, as we visited the Lorraine Hotel to see where Martin Luther King, Jr. was shot.  They’ve left the facade intact, and the site is now the National Civil Rights Museum, which was unfortunately closed that day.  Our next stop was historical but on a lighter note (no pun intended):  Sun Studio, where Rock ‘n Roll was born.  

It was great hearing some of the music that came from there, including Elvis’ “That’s All Right, Mama” and getting to visit the actual recording studio, which is still in use.  I was surprised to learn that U2 recorded some of “Rattle and Hum” here.  If you ever visit, you must get a milkshake at the counter.

From seeing where he got his big break, it was only fitting that we finish the day with a trip to Graceland.  I was surprised at how...normal the outside was, but the inside didn’t disappoint.  To boot, it was decorated for Christmas.  The kitchen was quite modest, but the rest of the house shows what happens when it’s the 1970’s and you don’t have a budget.  Jungle room, anyone?  

 

Truly an enjoyable time.  A friend of Brad’s met us afterward and we dropped by Stax Records, now the Museum of American Soul Music (also unfortunately closed), on our way to dinner.  He’s in the music industry and was also able to get us into Ardent Studios for a brief tour.  Kinda cool to see a modern recording studio and all their equipment.  In keeping with the Elvis theme, we went to Corky’s for dinner and I tried Memphis-style ribs (dry rub).  So tasty!  A tasty, great day!

Wednesday morning we were on the road again, this time driving to see my cousin, Susie, and her family who live in Helena, Alabama.  The scenery was nice, but you could tell it must be stunning in the summertime.  Helena is just outside of Birmingham so we briefly stopped there, and it finally clicked for me that it’s main industry is iron when I saw the 50-foot statue of Vulcan on the highest point in the city.  Helena looks like a cute town, but we didn’t spend much time playing tourist.  It was Thanksgiving, after all, and the main attraction was catching up with family.  In tribute to my travels of last November, I introduced them to Tim Tam Slams.  

They, in turn, introduced me to the Iron Bowl.  A checker in the supermarket was genuinely shocked when I admitted I’d never heard of it before and couldn’t tell the difference between the two teams.  All too soon, the holiday was over and we were back in Nashville and tourist mode.

In keeping with our BBQ streak, I had a BBQ “salad” for dinner.  Is it really a salad if the ratio of meat to veggies is 3:1?  I was glad Christmas was already in full swing, as it made the Gaylord Opryland Hotel even more beautiful with its Christmas decorations. We finished Saturday night at the Midnight Jamboree, a weekly country music concert that’s broadcast globally.  Unfortunately, since the flood it’s no longer live and at midnight.   Musically, Memphis is definitely more my scene, but being in the context of Nashville made it a good time.

We spent my last afternoon in Nashville enjoying a few of the sights:  a full-scale model of the Parthenon built for Tennessee’s centennial, the Cash family graves, and the remains of Johnny Cash’s home.  

This style of travel was a bit of a departure from my norm, but just what I needed.  It was so great to spend time with family, and I’d never had so many tasty types of BBQ!

Bikes and Pies

The same friends that put on “Tour de Cupcake” earlier in the year had another idea for combining bikes and food: biking around New York City and eating pizza. I’d enjoyed the Tour so much that I wanted to make sure this happened, and appointed myself to the “Planning Committee” by suggesting we hold it the weekend after Labor Day. The logistics were a bit trickier, but it turned out even better than we could’ve planned.

We caravaned up to transport the bikes, reaffirming my feelings about Toll Booths and driving in unfamiliar cities, but I was delighted to find a free parking spot right in front of Kenway’s apartment. We arrived so late that I had little sleep before our ride, but was so excited I didn’t feel tired. Although I love my bike, I decided to rent one for the day up there and found a bike shop near where my friends were staying that became our rallying spot. Imagine my surprise when amongst Stephanie’s New York friends was Aaron, visiting from Orange County. Truly a small Mormon world. The temporary tattoos for this ride were bicycles and pizzas, and I had one running up my forearm like a sailor.

Two of Stephanie’s friends, Tim and Adam, were our guides who not only planned our route but made sure none of us got lost (we proved the value of that more than once). We started off with a leisurely ride through Central Park, enjoying the perfect weather and lack of cars.
Next leg: Times Square. The thought of biking on the streets of New York made me rather anxious, but it turns out that they’ve made bike lanes throughout the city. And riding with such a large group on a Saturday meant we were more visible and the traffic was lighter. The taxis may not have liked it, but we took over the slow lane for the part where we shared the road.
After a few miles of biking through neighborhoods we were ready for our first food stop: Joe’s Pizza. Learning my lesson from the Tour I shared a slice with friends, but couldn’t resist the gelato place nearby for dessert. I was glad I did, as our next few stops were all closed for Yom Kippur.

Our next successful stop strayed from the pizza theme, but the doughnuts were round and delicious so no one complained. From there we biked across the Manhattan Bridge to Brooklyn for pizza at Grimaldi’s. Adam became our hero by braving the line so we could enjoy the gorgeous weather and city skyline at a nearby park, where we eventually had a picnic with this delightful fare. I’d say it lives up to the hype and is well worth the wait…especially if someone else is doing the waiting for you.


The worst traffic we encountered were the pedestrians crowding the Brooklyn Bridge as we headed back to Manhattan, but it gave us a chance to slow down and enjoy the beautiful views more. Back in Manhattan, I was surprised at the light traffic. Where was everyone? No complaints, just a little confusing to see a deserted street in that town. We biked to a shop on a quiet street that specialized in cookies and milk—again straying from the theme, but providing a round treat that we all enjoyed.

The final stretch was biking up the west side along their bike path, enjoying the setting sun and the perfect day. My previous trips to New York always left me exhausted from all the walking around; exploring it by bike was a revelation because you got places so much faster and with much more energy (my feet weren’t the least bit tired). After returning the bike to the shop, we parted ways to shower and change before reconvening in the evening for a bit of a victory party. There was a YSA conference that weekend, and we recruited a few folks to join us for a karaoke party in Koreatown that’s not to be forgotten. We couldn’t have asked for better weather or company, and it ended all too soon.

Peaks of Otter

Labor Day weekend provided the perfect chance to go camping with some of my girlfriends, and leave it to Carren to find the best spot. We camped along the Blue Ridge Mountain Parkway at a campsite named Peaks of Otter right at the base of Sharp Top and near a small lake. Highlights included:
• Musicians playing Appalachian music at the nearby amphitheatre
• Taking the shuttle up so I only had to hike a bit to enjoy the spectacular views from Sharptop
• Perfecting our S’mores and baked apples (great food all weekend)
• Meeting our fellow campers
• Discovering a historic farm in the middle of the woods
It was this last one that was the most surprising. We learned the area had once been a thriving community, with that farm along the main road. Then the Great Depression hit and most families moved away to find jobs in the bigger towns. It was then the area became a National Park and the trees grew back, disguising former farmland. After that, I looked at the trees a bit more carefully and while many were old, most weren’t over 100 years old. It made me wonder if any new areas would become parks in the current economic situation, if they would let that happen to a town somewhere.
It was only a few nights and just perfect—all the fun of camping, but I returned to my hot showers before I missed them too much.

Summertime GIS

July brought what’s become a bit of a tradition: GIS conferences in California and a chance to see my family. The first was up in Pacific Grove, my parent’s old stomping grounds. I arrived early and used the extra time to visit some family graves and walk along the coast, something I would do in my spare time the rest of the weekend. The company was great, but the scenery was spectacular!

The second was in San Diego, and proved how much of a nerd I am because I opted to spend every possible moment inside the convention center when I could’ve frolicked outside. Never fear, I did take the ferry to Coronado one night with my coworkers for some tasty Mexican food. My friend, Kate, was kind enough to let me stay with her and it was great catching up. An unexpected treat: meeting the LDS church’s GIS team and learning how they’re using this technology for Family History and everyday ward use (email me for details, but let’s just stay I got really excited by the possibilities).

Gettysburg

My cousin, Gregory, came to visit shortly after his high school graduation and around the 4th of July. He’d visited the previous year so we were able to venture further afield, and with his love of military history a battle re-enactment seemed perfect. The concept of battle re-enactments always fascinated me. I mean, who knowingly volunteers to be on the losing side? Do they ever get carried away and try to change history? We drove up to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania to find out. First order of business: enlist him in the Union forces. The battle itself wouldn’t be until later in the day, giving us time to wander around and attend presentations on Civil War medicine (the REAL killer) and other aspects of life at that time. It truly gave me a new respect for the suffering and sacrifice of the War.

For many, re-enacting was clearly about camping out with your buddies and dressing up (especially for the women). The level of authenticity varied greatly, as some opted for the convenience of the food booths and their cell phones, wearing gowns so fine they’d normally be reserved for a ball rather than an open field. At last, it was time for the main event: the Battle of the Brickyard. It was then that the geography nerd in me got a little frustrated, because this wasn’t actually held on the site of the battle. The National Park Service forbids re-enactment s on their land, so this was held on an open field just outside the town. Fine and dandy for Pickett’s Charge, but from the description of the Brickyards this field simply wouldn’t do. Nevertheless, it was interesting to see the troop movements and cannon fire, and I was glad I went.

We celebrated the 4th itself by going to see the fireworks on the Mall by biking to the Lincoln Memorial, my favorite place to watch them and my favorite way to get there.

Author’s note: there are some state- and privately-owned battlefields that allow re-enactments. I went with friends to the Battle of Cedar Creek, and truly appreciated seeing the impact of the hilltop and creek on the troop movements and outcome. It didn’t hurt that my friend’s boyfriend, Tom, had been a re-enacter growing up and gave us an expert’s guide to the event.

One Short Day…

It’s not Business, it’s Personal…days, that is. And when I learned I had one remaining use it or lose it day at work, I quickly decided to use it by taking a day trip to New York City to finally see my friend in his show on Broadway. I left work a little early and took one of the many buses up there, arriving in time to ride the wooden escalators at Macy’s and stroll through Midtown to his apartment. We called it an early night so I could get an early start the next day to see another NYC landmark I’d never visited: the Statue of Liberty. I’ve been close, but never got off the boat to visit her in person. While I couldn’t get a ticket to go up in the crown, it was still quite a climb to the pedestal and a great view of the city. There wasn’t much time, but I still had a quick run around Ellis Island and thought about my grandparents who went through there. It took a good deal of time to travel down there, but well worth it.

Before I knew it, it was time for the main event: a matinee performance of “Wicked” starring my friend, Kenway, as a dancer in the cast. It was thoroughly enjoyable! I’ve been fortunate to attend Broadway shows before, but it’s somehow different when you actually know someone up there. And although I’m biased and no expert, I still assert that Kenway did a great job and was the best dancer in the ensemble. It was funny to compare the characters enjoying their “One Short Day in the Emerald City” with my quick trip to the Big Apple.The best was yet to come, though. I met Kenway at the stage door and was pleasantly shocked when he gave me a backstage tour! I saw the costumes up close, met the hair and makeup staff and a few of the actors, held some of the props, saw where the orchestra plays and even got to go out on the stage. Instead of taking away from the magic of the show, it deepened my respect for it and their ingenuity. Those costumes are even more exquisite up close and it’s clearly a lot of work.

After the show, we grabbed an early dinner at one of his favorite Italian restaurants before he headed back for the evening’s performance and I caught my bus to DC. Although it was a long way to travel for such a short time, I was so glad I did it and can’t wait to go back.

Devan's Graduation

Memorial Day weekend this year brought a special treat: Devan’s graduation from OCC. It’s only a step on his planned educational journey, but it was a long time coming and well worth celebrating. Congrats, Devan!