Memphis

Hmmm... so maybe I should've picked a different time of year to make this trip.  Unlike yesterday I am not all warm and snuggly in bed.  This stupid fancy shmancy hotel doesn't have free wi-fi in the rooms so I'm sitting in the hotel lobby still shivering from the walk home from dinner. 

Okay, lets begin at the beginning; Garrison (from dinner last night) recommended Pete's for breakfast this morning.  He said it was the best place for a good home-cookin' meal.  I might have preferred the little french crepe bistro, but they weren't open early enough, so Pete's it was.  I had eggs, bacon, potatoes, biscuits & gravy and coffee all for $7!  I think that may have been my first and last time trying biscuits & gravy, but I figured I won't be able to get it in Seattle so why not give it a try.  My favorite thing about breakfast was that while the waitress was busy one of the "regulars" saw me sitting around waiting so he decided to just get up and get me a cup of coffee himself!!!  It's not like I was trying to be impatient, but I guess I looked like I needed a cup.  The waitress thanked him for his help and he went back to his table.  Only in the South!

The roads were still pretty nasty this morning and there was a lot of white-knuckle driving, but once again... I survived.  When I hit Nashville the first stop was the Grand Ole Opry.  According to the AAA guide book this was a "must-see".  After driving around in confused circles for awhile I came across a GIANT mega mall.  For you Virginia folks, this mall had to be 3 times as big as Potomac Mills!!!  It even had an aquarium and an IMAX.  After following the GPS directions I found myself in this deserted mall parking lot and then tucked in a little corner was the "Grand" Ole Opry.  It was completely dwarfed by the ridiculous shopping mall.  I walked up, but it was completely closed in preparation for an upcoming show this weekend (according to the gift shop girl).

Downtown Nashville

After that total bust I headed to downtown Nashville.  I saw, but didn't feel the need to go in, the country music hall of fame.  I walked up and down the touristy little strip of downtown.  I stopped for lunch at a brewery/restaurant so obviously since they brew their own beer in house I had to order one with lunch.  I had a nice little salad with pears, blue cheese, and hazelnut crusted chicken breast.  Not too bad :)  I also saw what was apparently the original grand ole opry house and is now the Ryman Auditorium.  I didn't feel the need to pay $13 to go in.

Ryman Auditorium

After lunch I headed to Memphis and was happy to see my first few rays of sunshine since beginning this trip.  After checking into my hotel I researched the duck walk at the Peabody Hotel.  I was really hoping to catch it while in Memphis, but apparently they do it at 5:00pm and I didn't realize this until 4:57pm.  Not enough time to get there :(  I headed out to downtown Memphis and checked out the eerily dead Beale St.  No thanks!

I found a lovely little restaurant for a nice glass of wine and some seared sea scallops over butternut squash and pine nut risotto with and orange bacon-butter sauce.  Yum!  I was planning on taking the trolley back to the hotel, but for some reason I only saw them running the other direction.  Since I was freezing cold I just booked it back to the hotel.  Time for a nice hot shower and BED!