Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Trip to Nashville, Book 1: Lots of Driving

Welcome to the first of my reports on a recent trip to Nashville, Tennessee. My sister and I both went there for our cousin's wedding. In this installment, I will discuss the worst part of the trip: driving alone, with only my thoughts to keep me company.

When I was a kid, I remember it taking 8-plus hours to drive from Roanoke to Nashville. I made the drive in roughly 6 and a half. But as I think about this, it makes sense. Back then, it was a family of four with two small children in the backseat. This time it was just me. I stopped for gas once and a seperate bathroom break one other time. It was a decent drive.

You know what's bad about long trips though? Bad drivers. They're all over the place. People who are just inconsiderate, rude, vulgar. Take, for instance, a guy in a gold Ford Taurus. He was a dealership owner, 'cause he had those independent dealer tags on his car. He would speed up, ride someone's bumper for about 15 minutes, and then finally decide to pass. And then he would repeat the process over and over again. I watched this happen over the course of about 100 miles. I lost him somewhere just past Knoxville, and then regained him about an hour before I got to Nashville.

Have you ever made this drive? The drive between K-town and Nash Vegas? There is a spot on I-40 where you can see these ginormous smoke stacks. When I was a kid, they seemed bigger. I think they get smaller each time I make the trip.

The drive back? I did the radio the whole way back. I hit scan 'til I found a station playing a song I liked and left it there 'til I lost the signal, then repeated the process as needed. Doing this, I heard Eric Clapton's "Tears In Heaven" four times between Nashville and Roanoke. FOUR TIMES! I used to like that song. Stay tuned for future blogs regarding a great restaurant, and a beautiful wedding.

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