I've often been told my life should be a reality TV show, or at the very least, written about in a blog. I don't know if my world is really that interesting. Perhaps people just enjoy how shockingly open I tend to be about everything that goes on. Either way, I'll indulge my friends and followers in this blog and give a deeper look into the adventure that is my life. I don't make any promises about how interesting or inspirational it will be, but I hope you'll find some amusement in it.
Zig Ziglar
said, “A lot of people have gone farther than they thought they could because
someone else thought they could.”
Grampa was
that “someone” for me. He taught me to
have the courage to believe I can accomplish anything I can dream up.
I made note
of that Zig Ziglar quote and how it related to my relationship with my grampa
many months ago and came across it as I was searching for things to share with
you today. It’s as fitting now as it has
ever been as speaking to you today may be the hardest thing I’ve ever
done.
One day back
in November of last year, grampa told me about a man he met who was travelling
from somewhere farther towards the east coast and going all the way to Missouri
on horseback. Knowing my love and
passion for both travel and riding, he had worked out a complete plan on how I
could do the same thing. Travel on
horseback, find farm houses or people in towns who would let me stay with them
each night, or even sleep under the stars.
There was no question in his mind that I could do it. The only detail he forgot was I have no way
to get the horse.
That’s just
the thing though. He believed in
me. Always. He thought I could do anything. In every adventure, goal, dream, or crazy
scheme I came up with, he was always proud and always behind me.
He was like
that with everyone. He would invest
himself in anyone who was willing to learn.
If there’s something you wanted to do or learn, but didn’t know how, he
would never turn down the opportunity to work with you.
He taught me
to drive the backhoe, blow out the lines in trailers, work on the engine of my
old boat, pack wheel bearings, and even redirect a sewer line. That was the great thing about him. Even though I was a girl, he never denied me
the opportunity to try anything.He let
me try everything I was willing to try.Truth be told, I never cared about how to move a sewer line and really
didn’t care to cut into that nasty thing.It was more about the opportunity to be with him.
One of the
most important nuggets of wisdom grampa ever shared with me was, “You just have
to keep on dreaming.”
Grampa had a
lot of dreams and adventures in his life.
Those were my favorite stories to hear.
I think he really
enjoyed the fact that I have a kind of wild and free spirit about me and am
always up for a new adventure. The last
couple of years, I’ve been extra jam-packing my world with adventures to come
back and report to him.
I’ve flown
across the country, gone on backpacking trips, gone hang gliding, ridden horses
across the desert, ties sleds to four wheelers, completed a triathlon, and even
built a log cabin in my living room. And
through all of it, all I could think was… “I can’t wait to tell grampa about
this!” And in times when I wasn’t sure I
could do it, I’d always remind myself that grampa would believe I could.
Over the
past few years, because of grampa, I’ve learned the value of having dreams and
focusing on making those dreams come true.
He bought
the campground where he and grama have made their home for the past 39 years
when it was an absolute pit. From what I
hear, it was a cluttered, filthy disaster.
But he saw so much more. It took
all they had to buy that property and a great deal of struggle at times to keep
it, but that was his dream. He took such
great pride in keeping the property beautiful.
Kassidy mentioned the pride they both had in beautifully mowed grass. She wasn’t kidding. There was a right way to mow that grass and
everyone was aware of it.
Here’s how
great his pride was in maintaining the campground dream and a true testament to
how hard of a worker he was. After one
of many stays in the hospital and nursing home, (actually, he might have been
living at the nursing home and just at the campground for the day, I can’t
really remember)… Anyway, he could barely walk, but he was out with Tyler,
Randy and me. He was telling us how to
blow out the lines on the trailers and at one point, Randy had to go down into
a wellhouse or something underground.
Grampa was determined to give him directions on how to do whatever it
was he was doing so he got down on his knees and leaned deep into the hole
Randy was down in. I remember Tyler and
I just looking wide eyed at each other and shrugging our shoulders. There was nothing anyone was going to do to
stop him and I certainly wasn’t about to be the one to try.
My favorite
thing about my grampa was that he never stopped dreaming. Even in the late part of last year, as his
health was continuing to decline, we sat down one day and he was telling me
about all sorts of things he would like to do or have done. Things like having a barn closer to the
house, buying a golf cart, gosh I can’t even begin to remember all the things
he rattled off. Even knowing his time
was short, he kept thinking about new dreams.
Grampa was
my greatest inspiration and one of the people I love and respect most in my
life. Nothing gave me greater joy than
to hear him say he was proud of me.
There are hundreds of little nuggets of wisdom and special memories of
precious moments I shared with him that will live forever in my heart. In every dream I ever have come true, I will
be thankful to him for inspiring me to have the courage to be adreamer.
There is a room in grampa and grama’s house that we call the
“fireplace room.” It is on the lower
level of the house and has a fantastic wood burning fireplace. We have had a lot of family get-togethers,
cook-outs, holidays and all sorts of good times in that room. Grampa built it as an addition to the house
quite a few years back (maybe 15ish years ago).
That’s where I’m writing from today.
Yesterday morning, my grampa, one of the most special people
I will ever have the pleasure of knowing, passed away. He had been in bad health for over two years
and it was finally his time to be at peace.
I got the call the day before that I really needed to come and see him. That was on Friday around noon. I immediately packed up at the office, got in
the car and headed out towards the nursing home. It is an hour-long drive so I had some time
to send out some texts and make some calls to a couple of close friends.
I arrived and was the only one there with him which I knew
would be a really nice one on one time with him. My uncle had just left shortly before I got
there and would return later on. The
nurses brought in a cart with lemonade, iced tea and some snacks for any
visitors who came. I knew then that this
was definitely not a promising sign. A
few nurses came in and talked with me, telling me this was the end this
time. They had no way of saying how long
it would be, but almost definitely not more than a few days.
He woke up briefly when I came in and said, “Hi Ashley. Turn that heat down.” So I quickly complied and turned the heat
down and cracked the window to get some fresh, cool air in the room. It was an odd request since he is normally
chilly, but I didn’t question it.
I sat a wheelchair next to grampa’s bed and grabbed a pillow
from the couch. I put the pillow on the
bed rail, held his hand and fell asleep there by his side.
I’m not sure how long I slept, but a couple of nurses woke
me up when they came in to give him his medicine and change the dressings on
his legs. It was then that we found out
we couldn’t get him to wake up. He was
still breathing and his vitals were relatively stable, but nothing would get
him to come around.
A hospice nurse who had taken care of him in the past came
by to visit and talked me through what I could expect and also gave me a
booklet with a section circled that was labeled, “Hours to one – two
days.” I didn’t think I needed or wanted
to read it, but I did eventually read it and was glad I did.
After a while, my uncle and cousin came in. Shortly after, grama came in. She didn’t know what was going on yet, but
she sure knew when she walked into the room and looked at all of us.
We had a few other visitors as the afternoon wore on
including more of my cousins and my aunt.
Around 7:00, grama left to go home and get some rest. I (in true Ashley fashion) refused to
leave. One of my wonderful friends went
to my house, packed me a bag with three days’ worth of clothing and stuff and
drove it all the way out to the nursing home for me. I had absolutely no intention of leaving that
nursing home until grampa took his last breath.
My friend who brought my things said, “I pity the person who tries to
get you to leave.”
I sat up with grampa for a while, just holding his hand and
talking to him now and then even though he couldn’t respond, telling him that I
loved him and wouldn’t leave him.
I made a bed on the little loveseat in the room and slept
well for three hours at a time. He was to have a dose of morphine for the
immense pain he was in every three hours.
I set alarms on my phone to go off every three hours to make sure the
nurses didn’t forget. They wouldn’t have
forgotten, but I was determined to be on top of making sure he was as
comfortable as possible.
During one medicine wake up, he roused a bit, which made me
clumsily jump up from my makeshift bed to get by his bedside. I said, “Hi grampa.” And he replied, “Hi Ashley.” Throughout the night, he had a few more moments like this
where he could get out a word or two.It
was obvious he wanted to speak more, but he just couldn’t.
I woke up for his 6:00am dose of morphine and only lightly
dozed after that. By 7:30am I started
wondering if I should get up or go back to sleep until 9:00. I knew it would be a long day regardless of
what happened so I reasoned that sleeping until 9:00 was a good idea. Of course, my heart overruled my reason and I
felt like I should get up and clean up the room in case any visitors began to
come around 9:00. So I did. I busied
myself with cleaning the room up and the nursing home brought by a nice
breakfast around 8:00.
Grampa was pretty active in the morning. He spoke a few full sentences. Not about anything in particular, but he
spoke and was fairly aware. In the book
the hospice nurse had given me, it said that often times a person will have a
surge of energy just before they pass. I
knew this must be it. I texted my uncle
and let him know. I didn’t know if this
meant there were minutes or a day or what, but I recognized this was a change.
I started to sit down in the recliner next to the bed and
read, but something prompted me to go sit next to grampa and pay attention to
him. I don’t know if he awakened a bit
or if he was coughing or what it was. I
really have no idea. I was still only
half awake, but I went to sit by him. I
sat by his side and held his hand and once again told him how much I loved him
and that I wouldn’t leave him. As
minutes went by, it crossed my mind to say that over and over, but my heart
told me to just be quiet and treasure the moment. He already knew.
As I watched him, there came a moment that I knew was going
to be his last. I had a brief moment of
denial and question, but as I listened to his slowing breath and watched his
face, I was certain. I felt the tears
begin to fall down my face and the feeling of sorrow creep in as I watched his
chest rise and fall for the last time and his eyes completely close. I sat for a few moments in sheer amazement
before putting my head on his chest and checking for a pulse for confirmation. When I knew for sure there was nothing, I
looked at the clock and noted the time, 8:43am.
I remember sobbing and gasping and continuing to hold his
hand. I remember my tears soaking in to
his hospital gown as I cried with my head on his chest. I remember standing up and pacing back and
forth while running my fingers through my hair, then pulling my hair. I remember grabbing hold of the chair and bed
to get myself to stand still. I remember
simply not knowing what do or how to handle so many emotions all at once. Most of all, I remember how thankful I felt
and I remember saying it out loud in between sobs. Ever since he has been in bad health, I’ve
known that I wanted more than anything in the world to be there with him when
he passed away. I was so thankful I was
there, holding his hand and watching him as he let go of life.
I finally sat down beside him once more and stilled my
body. I took hold of his hand and
quickly realized that his body had such little relevance to me. It was an incredible and unexpected
revelation. I really thought I would
want to remain close to his body for a long time, but it must be because I
watched him let go that my heart knew with absolute certainty, he was far more
with me in my heart than physically in that room. It was a surprise, but a relief. Everything suddenly felt so peaceful, so
ok. I was still hurting and sad, but
much more calm and just truly ok.
So now, 37 hours have passed without my grampa, but I’ve
found a moment of solitude here in grampa’s favorite room, the fireplace
room. It has been snowing for a couple
of hours and there was no firewood, so I picked up almost every fallen branch
in the yard and broke them down into pieces that would fit in the fireplace to
heat the room. As I was picking up the
branches and slamming my foot down on some of the bigger ones, essentially just
making a fool of myself trying to break branches that were far too big for my
strength and I realized that if grampa was watching me from heaven right then,
he was probably laughing at me. I’ve had to get up a few times while writing
this and bring armloads of branches in just to keep it going, but like so much
else, it just feels ok. I’m sure grampa’s
awfully happy I’m staying warm by a fire on this snowy evening, here in his
room, the one he built with so much love.
I'd like to take a quick moment and thank you for following along with my adventures. Though I know I haven't met all of you who read this blog, I'm thankful for every one of you.
Last week, I had the opportunity to get to know a fascinating woman. This is a woman who has achieved great success in her life. When I first met her, she was speaking to a group I was a part of and I found myself oddly drawn to her. I couldn't exactly pinpoint why it was, but I made a point of introducing myself to her at the completion of the event. Not only was her story incredible and inspiring, but there seemed to be something radiating from within her. Happiness? Success? Contentment? I really didn't know what it was, but I liked her.
She agreed to have coffee with me and impart some wisdom on career paths. We talked a bit on careers, but quickly discovered we share a love for adventure, travel and new experiences. The conversation changed gears and we shared some of our favorite experiences as well as a few items from our bucket lists. I found that she had done some of the things I have not yet checked off my bucket list, so once again, she was inspiring me. I enjoyed my time with her very much and left considering a lot of my favorite memories and adventures.
I truly hope each and every one of you has a Bucket List. I mean a true, written down list that you do everything you can to pursue the dreams on it. I certainly have mine. It is an ever evolving list. There are currently 20 items on my list that have yet to be checked off and, believe me, I'm focused making them all happen. Little by little, I WILL achieve everything.
There is another list I keep as well and that's the one I want to share with you today. It is a list of some of the experiences I've had and skills I've learned that I treasure. Some were crossed off my bucket list, others were more random opportunities. It's important to remember the things you've accomplished. Sometimes when I feel like there is still so much I want to do in my life and feel overwhelmed trying to figure out how I am going to manage to do everything, I look back on the things I have done and revel in how much fun I've had. The list below is a piece of the list I copied and pasted from my personal document. The grammar is massively inconsistent so please forgive me. I just wanted to share some of these things with you and remind you that not every accomplishment or adventure has to be extraordinary, expensive or life-changing. An adventure is an adventure because it brought you joy and opened your eyes to something new, whether it be great or small.
Things I've Done
Bungee Jumped
Parasailed
On the field for first NFL game of the season
Climbed the fence at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Water-ski
Own & ride motorcycles
Own a boat
Can drive a backhoe
Can drive a bobcat
Can drive a forklift
Got tattoos
Slept on the beach
Barrell Raced in a rodeo in Bandera, TX
Played cowbell in a steel drum band
Traveled to Italy
Swam in Mediterranean
Swam in Gulf of Mexico
Swam in Atlantic
Swam in Pacific
Learned to weld
Hunting
Own a home
Ride a mechanical bull
Drive a houseboat
Clean fish
Clean turtles
Hiked up a mountain for the sunset
Helped deliver a calf
Hang Glide
Participated in a 5K
Rode a painted horse in the Rio Grande
Listen to a Native American Storyteller
Spent time with Grampa in hospital & nursing home & held his hand
when I thought I’d lose him right then
Was in a TV commercial
Learned to mountain bike at Women’s mountain biking clinic
I don't know about you, but it seems like a lot of people in my world are getting hit hard with cabin fever, me included! In an effort to combat this horrible state of being, I've decided every free moment is a great opportunity to head out to the woods, snow or shine, cold or colder, no matter what, it's time to get outside!
The first hike of the year was a couple of weeks ago. Turkey Run State Park is about an hour west of Indianapolis and is one of my favorite places to hike in the state. It's just far enough to feel like a getaway, yet close enough to go anytime.
Though we weren't leaving until late Saturday morning, my hiking buddy and I felt the need to get in the spirit a little early, so on Friday we made a trip to REI to look at gear and dream about adventures we'd like to embark upon. REI is like my own little piece of heaven. It's a good thing it is a bit of a drive or I'd be there at least once a week.
Friday night I went home to pack up for the weekend and discovered all my outdoors gear is in a massive disarray. I'm not sure how it got so bad, but little by little, I've managed to scatter my gear over the winter. I managed to locate everything except my headlamp, which I didn't figure I would need anyway, and got everything put into a couple of bags and ready to roll. (I later found my headlamp in my hunting tote)
The following morning, I got up and ready and headed to my friend's house to throw everything in one vehicle and get on our way. The hike was amazing. Temperatures stayed right around freezing, but I was comfortable all day. We hiked for five hours and covered nearly half the park.
It was such a beautiful day. It snowed most of the day leaving gorgeous white flakes all over us and every other surface in the woods. It added a fun challenge to some parts of the trail as well. Nothing like a fresh layer of snow and ice on ladders and narrow ledges to get the blood pumping!
In the evening, we returned to my favorite motel of all time. Every time I go to Turkey Run I try to stay there. It is called the Parke Bridge Motel and is located in Rockville, IN. It is run by a very sweet family and the rooms are so adorable. It's the perfect place to return to after being on the trails.
Here are a few photos from the first hike of the year!
When you're told on Friday evening you have the opportunity to pack your bags and head to Louisville for some great brews and bourbons the following day, what do you do? If you're me, you say, "Hell Yeah," pack up and get your game face on for some fun! And that's just what I did last weekend.
I've made countless trips down I-65 in my time, but Kentucky is always a pass-through state for me. I know Louisville only by the skyline view from the interstate. It was pretty awesome to finally take an exit and venture into the city.
Though I heard about many fun shops and museums to check out, the sightseeing I chose consisted more of food and beverage than anything else. It started out with a Louisville classic, the Hot Brown. Recommended by a friend and affirmed by the locals, my adventure buddy and I set out for the Brown Hotel to get a Hot Brown. I really didn't know exactly what I was in for. I didn't read the description or look too hard at the picture, I just ordered it up. What appeared in front of me was a stoneware skillet filled with a white sauce, tomatoes, bacon and a heap of other stuff I couldn't immediately identify. All I knew was it came highly recommended and it had bacon so I had no worries about how it would taste. One bite and I was hooked!
After filling up on the Hot Brown, it was off to Jack's Lounge for a taping of The Bourbon Lounge TV show. I met some great local folks there including a lady in some fantastic derby attire, hat and all. The hope was that there would be some bourbon sampling going on during or after the taping, but no such luck.
Let's see... what was next? There really wasn't any big plan for the day so plans got made up as we went along. Actually, we invented a very fun sightseeing game. Let's call it GPS Roulette. We found several places that sounded interesting, some recommended by locals, others we found by Googling around and entered the addresses of each place into a GPS. When we were done at one place, we would pick another address on our list, never knowing which place it was. There was a certain level of giddy excitement not knowing where the GPS lady's voice was going to lead us or what adventure was in store next. I highly suggest trying out this game!
The next stop was the Louisville Water Tower. I think there is some kind of art museum right there with it, but it was closed. We had fun taking some pictures with it though.
Then it was on to a place that actually had adult beverages for us! Apocalypse Brew Works is a fun little treasure nestled into a little corner of Louisville with libations with names like Fallout Dust and Nuclear Winter. We weren't quite sure what to expect because this is a newer brewery, so even the locals weren't overly familiar with it. The front of house area was really small, but had everything it needed. They had ten brews on tap and we tasted them all!
After ten tastes and one full beer, it was back to playing GPS Roulette. I thing the 13% alcohol brew I chose at Apocalypse did me good, because I recall giggling like an idiot at how fun it seemed to select the next address and not know where we were heading. We ended up at a large, old brick building in a cute area of town. The building had formerly been a church and is now a bar called Holy Grale. A beer flight was consumed and we were back on the road.
Next stop, Against the Grain! As soon as I heard there was a brewery called Against the Grain I knew I'd be buying a growler whether I liked the beer or not. The brewery's name is also the name of one of my favorite Garth Brooks songs. Amazingly enough, they had a beer that was my favorite of everything I'd tried that day. We had another flight and a whole beer as well as some pulled pork nachos that were out of this world!
Hmmm... I'm trying to count up how many beers I had at least tasted at this point in the day... 21!! How appropriate!
A trip was made back to the hotel to freshen up and park the car so the day could continue safely. Luckily, the Hyatt Regency is right in the heart of downtown and within walking distance to a number of fun spots.
Stop #1 for the evening was the Maker's Mark Bourbon House & Lounge. A little fun fact about me- I LOVE whisky. However, I don't prefer bourbon. But I figured, "when in Rome!" And luckily Maker's Mark makes a bourbon I greatly enjoy, Maker's Mark 46. I sipped my beverage and we enjoyed the company of some other locals who filled us in on the hot spots around the area. They even invited us to join them later in the evening and gave us some insight to avoid paying cover.
Food sounded like the right thing to head for after a lovely bourbon (and 21 beers from earlier). A place called Gordon Biersch looked like a winner. The food was outstanding! Nuff said. Oh, and I skipped the adult beverages this time. ;-)
What a day! So much had happened and I'd had so much fun. I hated for it to end, but I was definitely ready to call it a day. Heading back to the hotel, my adventure buddy (I hope he likes that title... it seems appropriate) reminded me of something we had discussed earlier in the day, a beverage called Drambuie. It came up when I was talking about how I enjoy Jack Daniels Honey. I'd heard of Drambuie on TV or in a movie, but never knew what it was. We checked the hotel bar and discovered they had a bottle, so I had to experience it! We had a great time sipping our Drambuie (I just like saying Drambuie) and chatting with some trade show attendees who were staying in the hotel.
All that in about 12 hours! How's that for an adventure?
It's almost the weekend AGAIN! I wonder what I can get into this time around? Thanks for reading, friends!
WildFrom Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed
As some of you know, I LOVE reading books by female authors. I love the perspective of a woman who some would refer to as being strong or fearless, though I'm not a big fan of the word "fearless." I believe we all have fear in us and I also believe it is a great thing. Without fear, no one would ever do anything great. The thing about women I admire is that they are willing to push beyond the fear to fulfill a magnificent dream or to experience something great.
Cheryl Strayed's story of her hike on the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) is a wonderfully honest and deep look into a woman who has been through some tortuous experiences in her life, from an abusive father, to drugs, affairs, the death of her mother and so much more. I immediately felt a strong bond with her though we have had very different life experiences. She brought her story to life in a way that I felt like I lived every moment with her.
Her hike on the PCT tested her in every possible way. It broke down her body, tested her mentally and threw out some obstacles which caused even some of the most seasoned hikers to throw in the towel. And yet, through it all, Cheryl pushed on and found hope and kindness in so many ways, from California all the way up to the last inches of northern Oregon.
Cheryl's brand of honesty is the thing I treasure and admire most in this book. She bluntly shares intimately real details about both the ugliest and prettiest moments of the adventure that has been her life. Wild is a truly fantastic account of the experiences of this very special woman, and is ultimately a story of hope. The subtitle says it all, "From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail." What an incredible story.
Oh
dear. Where to begin? Well, if you haven't read the previous post from earlier today, be sure to give it a quick glance and get up to speed on couchsurfing before you read this one. If you've already read it, I suggest you go grab your favorite beverage
and settle in for story time.
DAY ONE - FRIDAY
Friday after work, I got in the car and hit I-65 south. As I started driving, I realized I was taking such easy breaths. It was like I had been wound so tight for a while and didn't even know it. But in the car heading for the place I really love to be, everything melted away and I began to truly relax.
I arrived at 8:15 pm at a two-story brick house. I got my bags out of the car and rang the bell at the front door. I was greeted by one of my host's teenage daughters. She was so warm and welcoming. Her dad was not yet home, so she gave him a call and found out he was just a couple of minutes away, on his way home. She showed me where the bathroom was and up to the room I would be staying in.
My room was a bonus room on the second floor that had its own staircase. It was the most perfect room I could imagine for my stay. One entire wall was nothing but windows and bookcases. There was a large log cabin style doll house, a sofa bed made up with a white comforter, a TV and three comfy looking armchairs. I put down my bags in the room and rejoined the young lady downstairs.
I found out she was participating in a prom dress swap the following morning along with
her sister who I'd not yet met. As she was filling me in on how the swap worked, her dad arrived and greeted me with a warm welcome and a hug. There are few things that compare to the welcoming feeling of a hug. He seemed so genuinely pleased to have me there in his home. It was a wonderful feeling to be there and was made even more special by the genuine warmth from both daughter and father.
Shortly after my host arrived, his other daughter came downstairs and I was introduced to her. I was told both daughters are fantastic musicians, excelling in piano, guitar, ukulele and singing. I was shown around the house and told some history of other guests who have have stayed with them.
My host took me back up to my room to be sure he'd provided everything I needed. When we went back downstairs, we found the girls amusing themselves. One sitting on the couch with a laptop and the other casually strumming the ukulele. Before I knew it, my host had convinced his girls to sing and play for me. They sang a song by Fun called "Some Nights." Their harmonies were so beautiful and their talent so magnificent it made tears fill my eyes immediately. I felt like part of the family as I stood in awe of the beautiful music resonating from these fantastic young women.
If you're not familiar with the song, here it is. Very cool!
After the girls performed a couple of pieces for us, my host and I went over to a local brewery down the street called Turtle Anarchy. Funny story... the reason he was not yet home when I arrived was that he was at Turtle Anarchy and got caught up talking with some friends. When he was explaining to me why he was late, he told me he had been at a brewery and they had a special curry stout that night. At that point I knew I had to try this unique concoction. We made the quick drive over to the brewery and chatted, getting to know tidbits abut one another.
The brewery was a nice simple tasting room. I ordered the sampler which consisted of seven small glasses of beer. One of the owners hung out with us as we enjoyed our beverages and told us more about each beer, about their brewery their history, the brothers that run the brewery and his dreams for a future in digital animation. Their stouts were simply fantastic. There was a vanilla one that was better than cake. It was seriously like dessert. The curry stout was unique and something special in and of itself.
At one point in our conversation, the owner asked me how long I was in town and I told him I was leaving on Sunday. He seemed to have a bit of inner turmoil for a moment and then explained to me they had a new stout in the preparation stages that would not be released for another week. It was aged in whiskey barrels.
He went behind the counter and consulted with his brother, then disappeared into the back. Moments later, he returned with a half glass of this special brew for me! What an amazing thing to do! I have to say, I am really really thankful he let me try it early because it was outstanding!
The Sampler
My host and me with the Turtle Anarchy owners
My host and I returned home after the brewery excursion and he told me about some of the options for Saturday's adventures. He actually has a friend who he thought could potentially get us backstage at the Grand Ole Opry! He checked on it before I got there and it isn't something his friend was able to help out with this time, but just the thought that he made an attempt for me before he ever met me was incredible.
I went to bed that night completely exhausted, but feeling a high from the love of the family in the house and the sheer joy of being in Tennessee. Before I went to sleep I snapped a few pictures of my room.
Yes, Elton came with me. We played with the dollhouse.
DAY TWO - SATURDAY
I woke up on Saturday so excited for what the day might hold. I spent a bit of time in the comfy leather chair in my room reading and then ventured downstairs in my PJ's to find the girls packing up some breakfast for their prom dress swap.
My host planned to take me to an adorable little town called Leiper's Fork for breakfast. What makes it even better, he took me there in his VW Beetle! I was about to jump out of my skin with excitement that I got to ride around in this cute little thing.
The General Lee was on our way to Leiper's Fork!
Country Boy Restaurant in Leiper's Fork where we had a delicious breakfast!
A little stage behind some of the buildings where concerts are sometimes held. My host told me he has seen Vince Gill and Michael McDonald play on this stage.
Beverly Hillbillies truck? Absolutely awesome!
After breakfast and walking around Leiper's Fork we hopped back in the beetle and drove into Franklin. We drove around town a bit and I saw the town square, the new police station, shops, restaurants and got some inside scoop about a Starbucks where he's seen Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban before. One of my favorite things in Franklin is a guy named Chip. Chip is a Confederate soldier who stands atop the monument in the town square When the monument was being erected, Chip's hat got broken. And that's how he got his name. Another fun fact, he faces East which is unique becuase most confederate statues face South with their asses to the North. Chip faces East because that is the direction most visitors arrive from, so he is there to greet them.
My host next took me over to the Carter House. We parked in a lot across the street and before he filled me in on the details of the Carter house, he took me in the Franklin Glassblowing Studio to meet his friend, Jose. Jose was a very nice man who owns the shop. The pieces for sale in the shop were absolutely stunning. There was a class going on in there at the time, but we still had the opportunity to chat a bit with Jose and look around at all the pretties.
We left there and took a look at the Carter House. We did not go in or take the tour because we were going to tour another property in a little while and a lot of the same information would be presented. However, my host wanted to give me a bit of background on the Battle of Franklin. The Battle of Franklin was the bloodiest five hours in the Civil War. The Carter House was the Union command post and was right in the center of the battle.
The Carter House
After getting a history lesson about the Carter House and a visual idea of the way the troops came into the battle, we went to the Carnton Plantation. I wish I could share the entire history lesson on this battle and the significance of the places we visited, but I'd probably get it half wrong and bore you to tears so I will try to just throw out some highlights. If you ever get the opportunity to visit these places I highly recommend it though. I'm not a huge history buff, but I was captivated by what happened in this city.
The Carnton Platation became the field hospital for the confederate army. The confederate army took a massive, bloody beating in this battle and wounded/ dying soldiers were filling the house and the yard. They used everything they could find to create operating tables to try to work on these men. There were doors laid across saw horses and any other makeshift table they could fashion. The damage was so great that they quickly ran out of bandages and the lady of the house shredded her husband's and her clothes to create more bandages. At the time of the battle, there was carpet in almost every room. Now many rooms have had the carpet removed and the wood floor that was beneath the carpet is there. There are large stains soaked into the wood from the massive amounts of blood from the soldiers who laid on the floor.
Carnton Plantation
Finishing at Carnton, we decided to grab some lunch and have a picnic at a winery. We picked up chicken salad sandwiches at a nifty little market and then drove over to Arrington Vineyards, a winery owned by Kix Brooks of Brooks & Dunn. Being the huge country fan that I am, I was really excited to go there. We did a tasting of several of their wines and decided to buy a bottle of wine to go with our lunch. We ate on the patio and watched as a snow flurry came through.
The next adventure we embarked on was a cruise on the Natchez Trace. The Natchez Trace runs from Nashville to Natchez, MS. There's plenty more history behind it, but I won't give you another history lesson just yet. ;-) It was an absolutely classic experience, rolling on the Natchez Trace in the Beetle. You know, now that I'm thinking about it, I think this was earlier in the day. Not that it matters to you. I'm just thinking out loud.
Bridge on the Natchez Trace
When the daytime activities were done we returned to the house for a little breather. My host shared many photos with me of adventures he has had. Then we both crashed out on the couch for a bit.
I awoke when a pillow flew at me from the other side of the room and clobbered me. It was absolutely hilarious. I think mostly because my host was someone I'd only known for about 20 hours and we'd already become good enough friends for him to wake me with the throw of a pillow. This is one of the highlights of couchsurfing. Not only did I get to have some great experiences, but I truly made a new friend.
The evening was to be spent downtown Nashville. We met up with a couple of his friends for a Nashville delicacy called "Hot Chicken." I had never heard of this and my new friend seemed concerned about whether or not I could handle it. I was warned about the intensity of the spices and about the type of place that serves it. I was told the Opryland concierge would NEVER send anyone here. Hot chicken is sold in little dives that you would never dream of setting foot inside unless a local took you there. We went to one called Bolton's. The building looked pretty seedy, there were misspelled words painted on the side of the building. Inside the restaurant, well, I can't really describe it. I wish I had a video. Even then you might not believe it. I ordered chicken on a stick and I ordered it "Hot." I also ordered potato salad and macaroni and cheese. Being someone who eats ghost pepper salsa and adds habaneros to lots of her cooking, I wasn't too concerned about being able to handle the heat.
As we sat and waited for our food, I got to know my host's friends. They were a very sweet couple who have been backpacking with my host several times. The girl even thought to bring silverware for us. (Does this give you a picture of the restaurant style? When people think to bring their own silverware...) I was also warned not to touch my eyes if I touched the chicken because it would burn like nobody's business.
Hot chicken came out in styrofoam containers with napkins thrown right in the container and two slices of Wonder Bread. Soda is served in cans. I used my silverware that was so thoughtfully provided to cut a piece of my chicken and have my first taste of hot chicken. It was really freaking good! And really freaking hot. By the end of the meal, my mouth was on fire. The last three bites were a little hard to take, but I did it. I finished all my hot chicken! Making my mouth burn is quite a feat. I was really impressed and will definitely be sure to get some hot chicken every time I go to Nashville from now on.
Nothin better than "Bak Beans" and "Pot Salad"
Hot Chicken!
We left Bolton's and went to a place in East Nashville called Jeni's for ice cream for dessert. They had the most interesting ice cream flavors. I tried things like sweet potato/ marshmallow and Yazoo Sue with Rosemary Bar Nuts before settling on the Whisky Pecan ice cream. I'll tell you what, it was some tasty stuff! And the cooling effects of it were great after the hot chicken.
Leaving Jeni's, we said goodbye to the couple who'd joined us for mealtime and we headed to The Station Inn for an album release party. The party was for a fantastic bluegrass act called Tina Adair Band. Although the place was pretty packed when we arrived, we managed to meet a nice older couple who had a table right at the front and let us sit with them, so we were right up against the stage for the show. There was something so exciting about being at an album release party in Nashville. That's just epic! My host told me about a number of celebrities he has spotted at The Station Inn in the past. Though we didn't spot anyone famous while we were there, it was fun to glance around to see if I recognized anyone.
After the first set at the party we left and headed over to Broadway. Now this is the side of Nashville I know well. Oh wait... before we hit Broadway, my new friend took me to Printer's Alley. I'm not sure how I missed this little nook in all the times I've been to Nashville, but this was the first time I'd been there. We went to a karaoke bar and watched some talented and some untalented people take the stage. Then we headed down to Broadway.
I picked the bar this time. We went to Layla's Bluegrass Inn. A personal favorite of mine. The performers were great. By the time we left, my ears were pounding and I felt like I would have no voice left from singing along with every song. It was there that I learned a new song which I am now obsessed with. It is a song called Wagon Wheel by Old Crow Medicine Show. It's really catchy and fun to sing along with. Check it out. You won't be disappointed.
The final bit of crazy cool fun was a street performer who sits and plays drums and raps what he sees. We watched him for several minutes and he continuously rapped about every person that walked by. It was awesome how fast his mind worked and how he never seemed to get tired.
And we went home and crashed.
DAY THREE - SUNDAY
Amazingly enough, after being out so late and having such a busy day on Saturday we managed to get up and ready in time to make the first church service. When I rolled out of bed and came downstairs my friend had coffee already made.
His church was fantastic. Especially the worship team. One great thing about being in the Nashville area is there is no shortage of musical talent. In fact, some famous Christian artists are worship leaders at this church. They were not there when I was there, but it's still really cool. The service was great as well.
Since I had to leave in the afternoon, we decided to spend the day touring Franklin. We went to brunch at a Cajun place called 55 South. I had some breakfast tacos that were downright scrumptious.
We walked down the street to the historic Franklin Theater. They hold concerts, live theater productions, and show movies in there. It wasn't open yet, but there was a guy in the window, so my friend asked if we might be able to come inside and look around. To my surprise and delight, he was very agreeable. Not only did he let us in, but he took us on a full tour of the beautiful building. We went backstage, up to the green room, into the projection booth and all over every nook and cranny of the theater. He really went above and beyond for us which was amazing.
We walked around town, window shopped a bit and every now and then I would get some fun facts about the city and its history.
The next stop was at The Factory. This is an old Magic Chef factory that used to manufacture stoves. It was restored with incredible vision and turned into boutique shops, offices, event spaces and a theater. I was also introduced to a guy named Rusty there. He is pretty cool. He is made of all sorts of industrial materials and tools. He even has internal organs like kidneys and a liver. And yes, he has a penis too! You know I had to look!
Rusty and me
After the factory we went back to a bit more Civil War sightseeing. We went up to Fort Granger which was the Union Fort. It has a nice little hiking trail around the perimeter, so we walked it and looked out over the city the way they would have during the war. It's funny because the Confederate sites are all covered in signs, monuments and flags. Meanwhile, the union sites barely even have a plaque. Although they lost the war, the south takes great care to keep their history very visible.
Fort Granger
We went from there to Winstead Hill which was the command post for the confederate general. We were able to look back to where we had just come from and imagine what they saw so many years ago and get a visual grasp on how everything went down during the Battle of Franklin.
That was our final stop before heading back to the house. We took some fun pictures at the house to post on couchsurfing.org and cap off the awesome weekend we had. Then we loaded up my car and I headed back to Indy.
The whole crazy whirlwind of fun was something I will remember for the rest of my life. I'm so thankful for my new friend and his incredible hospitality. I foresee some future adventures with him for sure! I'll keep y'all posted!
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