South to North...Day 5: Nashville, TN

DAY 5
Thursday, July 17, 2014
Nashville, Tennesse, USA
Weather: Cloudy, 22 celsius

The sun was getting low as we finally approached Nashville on the 65 South.

We drove around somewhat aimlessly, taking snapshots of interesting buildings. 

This street made me think of my cousin.

Eventually we decided to park the car and explore on foot. 
We stopped in the Renaissance Hotel for a quick bathroom break.


The lobby of the Renaissance had some very funky chairs.


I was hoping to blend into the city with some boots and denim.

Not knowing where to go, we followed the faint sound of music and arrived on Broadway St. 

Broadway is home to an impressive number of night clubs and bars with live music, the majority of which is country. Both sides of the street are alive with pedestrians wandering up and down, and in and out of venues, many of them wearing cowboy boots.

Almost every establishment has a neon sign posted above the door.

I like the blurry feeling of this photo... it transmits the movement and energy from the streets.

Some classic Nashville emblems.

I used to watch wrestling with my dad back in the 90's and this place on the corner made me think of my favourite wrestler, the Honky Tonk Man. There were plenty of interesting characters in the WWF (World Wrestling Federation, now called the WWE or World Wrestling Entertainment), but I liked his Elvis get-up and how he always brought a guitar to the ring. Most of the time, pink-suited Bret "the Hitman" Hart ended up winning the fight, but the Honky Tonk man put on a good show. Check out this clip for a little wrestling nostalgia.

It wouldn't be Nashville without horses and karaoke.

We walked all the way down the street to Metro Riverfront Park along Cumberland River. 

There was a free concert going on so we stayed to listen for a little while.

We headed back to Broadway and turned down a couple side streets to check out more places. This one stood out because of that movie back from 2000.

 It's been a while since I saw that movie, but it was pretty much the same concept... a noisy bar with girls in boots, dancing on the bar and serving up cold drinks. We stayed for a beer and then headed back onto Broadway to do some more exploring.

A couple of these pedal bars were making their way down the street... I'm not sure who is doing the steering, but it seems like a fun way to get around.

Back on the main drag, we decided to pop into My Stage for some live music.

This band was playing some hard core country... not sure who they are, but we enjoyed it.

It was nice to see this lady reading a book while waiting, instead of using a cell phone.

Here's one last photo to sum up the night. We headed back to the trailer and over to the Fiddler's Inn to crash for the night. It's one of those motels with bullet-proof glass and a drawer to pass your money through to the front desk clerk. 

Day 6 coming up!

South to North... Day 5: Cincinnati, OH

DAY 5
Thursday, July 17, 2014
Cincinnati, Ohio, USA to Nashville, Tennessee, USA
Weather: Sunny with clouds, 25 celsius

We headed into the city mid-morning, ready to explore.

I don't know much about the Ohio River, but we did a little research and discovered that it crosses along the border of six states in the US and also connects to the Mississippi River.

I was very tempted to jump into this waterfall installation... but I guess they really didn't want anyone wading in the water, considering the very abundant signs.

There is a lovely trail along the Ohio River in downtown Cincinnati.

There are steps from the trail that lead down to the rive, but they were closed off today. 

It would have been nice to get a little closer... I like to dip my toes in rivers.

  

A little more history just for fun: Back in the day, Cincinnati was a major trading port, connecting with other cities via the Ohio River. Steamboats arrived in 1811 and revolutionized water transportation for 2 major reasons: 1. People didn't need to use their manpower to move the boats down the river, and 2. They could travel upstream with less effort. Check out more history here.

This is the National Steamboat Hall of Fame Monument. This interactive installation includes the large steamboat wheel along with several pillars, each embedded with speakers that project the sounds and voices of passengers on a steamboat. It's quite relaxing to wander through on a quiet afternoon.

The Great American Ball Park was built in 2003 and is the home of the Cincinnati Reds.   

Javier and I standing in front of the Great American Ball Park. 

After wandering around in the sun for most of the morning, we needed something refreshing. The nearby Moerlein Lager House has an inviting patio on the second floor.

This is the view from the patio looking west...

 ...and this is the view looking east. There are swings along the waterfront looking out onto the Ohio River. You can see some of the wavy grey shades that cover the swings. It was around 12:30pm and every swing was occupied. Seems like a nice place to chill.

Here are the guys on the patio, looking very serious. It was so sunny and hot that we asked our server if we could move to the east side of the deck for some shade.

I ordered a Moerlein Seven.... very delicious and refreshing! We only put enough change in the parking meter for about 30 minutes so we had to chug and run.

This beautiful light fixture is in the entrance of the Lager House.

On the way back to the car, we passed the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame.

This is the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. Beautiful architecture, a somber monument to the past and a reminder that we still have a lot of work to do.

Time to hit the road again, back on the 71 South and headed for Louisville, Kentucky.

The drive took a little more than 2 hours, going slowly with the trailer. 
We stopped around 4:30pm just outside the city for a late lunch at El Nopal.

Ricardo and his seafood dish.

Javier with hungry eyes!

I've been craving tortilla soup for several months, so I couldn't resist.

We continued the drive into Louisville, where the 71 South ends.

The day was still beautiful and sunny with plenty of clouds. 

I've always appreciated the elegant look of outdoor fire escapes and they way they stretch and drape across the walls of buildings. There is something charming about them, perhaps because they remind me of Audrey Hepburn singing Moon River. 
This fire escape is somewhere in downtown Louisville.

After a short tour of the city, we caught the 65 South and headed for Nashville.

Get ready for some flashy Nashville lights!