Road Trippin' through America's Hearland

It's been awhile since I last posted. I had a great trip to Nashville and Indy visiting with my brother and his family. I had a chance to go to another Jimmy Buffett concert (my 8th), but I did miss out on the Def Leppard concert since it was postponed due to a death in the family of a member of the band.

Saturday was a good day. A nice day for the 6 hour road trip up to Nashville from Florida. Leaving out early allowed me to take a little bit more time on the drive while still making good time. It's a fairly easy drive from here but sadly there isn't a whole lot to soak in. That night some friends of my brother came over and we had a good dinner. My brother grilled some kabobs which were fantastic, but the main thrill of the night was the appetizer. Whitewings were the call of the night. For those who have never had them, or even heard of them, it is a popular dish from a Mexican food restaurant where we grew up in Central Texas. It is a chicken breast stuffed with Jack cheese and jalapenos wrapped in bacon and grilled. When done right they are little round balls of greatness, and my brother did a bang up job. Anyone interested can find a recipe here. They are worth trying. The rest of the night was spent on the back patio drinking beer, talking, and listening to a live Jimmy Buffett concert in the background. All in all it was a great day which just happened to be my 33rd birthday. I enjoyed a birthday that was low key with no fuss.

Sunday morning brought a day at the lake on my brother's pontoon boat. I live by the beach but prefer the lake in many ways. I enjoy being able to go out on a boat and just chill. Swim if you want, or hang out with a cold beverage and soak in the sun. J. Percy Priest lake was a lot of fun that day, and it just so happened to be a nice sunny day. Conditions were perfect to be out on the lake with friends and family.

Monday brought in some heat and a chance for me to tour a few of the Civil War sites south of Nashville. The Battle of Franklin was a very bloody affair that is often overlooked even though it was the beginning of the end for the Army of Tennessee. I toured the Carter House which was the site of a major portion of the battle. Here the Confederates broke through the Union line and a large hand-to-hand battle broke out. Our tour guide Alan did a great job. He really gave you a good sense of what went on that day and the horror that the men fought in that horrible day. The Civil War has always fascinated me and one day soon I hope to visit more sites, especially Gettysburg.

Tuesday morning saw my brother and I head out for Indianapolis for the concert that night. I was excited to get a chance to drive through two states I had never visited in Kentucky and Indiana. Kentucky was gorgeous with the rolling hills full of trees. I really enjoyed the ride and was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed Louisville. We stopped here just before lunch to tour the Louisville Slugger factory and museum. I am sort of a baseball nut and anything baseball related gets me excited. The tour was short but impressive and after watching bats for Carl Crawford being made, we exited to check out the museum portion. Of course the main attraction here are bats from throughout history. The bat Hank Aarron hit #700 with was on display among many others. A bat Babe Ruth used in 1927, with which he hit 21 HRs with, was on display, and i even got the chance to hold a bat used by Mickey Mantle. It was a great time and I enjoyed it immensely. While waiting for a bat to be engraved with my brother's son's name, we sought out lunch in downtown Louisville. Both of us were surprised how much we enjoyed the city. From the architecture, to the riverfront, to the art around on the streets we really enjoyed it. We only got to see a few blocks but I was intrigued enough to want to go back for more.

After our time in Louisville was up, we were back in the car for the ride to Indy. Indiana left more to be desired but we did only see a small portion of it. We arrived at the hotel, which was within walking distance to the concert and after grabbing a bit to eat for dinner at 5 Brother's, which might not have been the best idea to eat a gut bomb before the concert, we headed to the hotel bar to meet a friend of my brothers who lived nearby. After a few drinks it was time to head to the show. I was excited and feeling good by this time but soon the weather would change. About 30 minutes before the show began the sky opened up and poured down rain for a good 30 minutes. At this point I didn't care and embraced it as a story to tell. We sat through another great show, we had both seen him once already this year. Soaked from the rain we listened to all our favorites and even go to hear a new song. Jimmy covered the Beatles Rocky Raccoon, which happens to be one of my all-time favorite songs let along one of my favorite Beatles songs. I was thrilled about this and even though Jimmy did a so-so job, he doesn't always do the best covers, it was great to hear.

It turned out to be a long but fun-filled trip. A couple days later I was back home in Florida ready for another road trip. My next one might have to wait a little while but you never know when the opportunity will strike. Lately I have been working on building a new site. I am still working on the design and even the name but hope to have it out and live in due time. I recently purchased an ebook on how to make money with a travel blog and it has really opened my eyes. I was not aware of a lot of what was in the book so I think it will be very helpful. Soon I will give a full review which might be helpful for others who are in the same boat as me. I have computer knowledge but not necessarily the knowledge needed to bring in viewers and money from a site. So look for that and my new site hopefully coming soon. As soon as I nail down a name I'll announce it here.

Till next time,
E