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<\/a><\/p>\nThere were air quality alerts and messy skies just before Knoxville, and some traffic slow-downs there and closer to Nashville.\u00a0 Definitely a long day of driving!<\/p>\n Even though the main reason for the trip was to visit with my son, daughter-in-law, and grandson, we always enjoy exploring the area when we’re down there.\u00a0 On Saturday, we drove to Lebanon where we checked out some houses (just for possible<\/em> future reference), and went to a most amazing fabric store.<\/p>\n I didn’t take any pictures inside, but I highly recommend Lebanon Vacuum and Sewing<\/a>\u00a0if you’re ever in the area!\u00a0 They have the most beautiful and extensive selection of fabrics I’ve EVER seen, with SO many colors and designs, and all arranged perfectly.\u00a0 I could have spent a literal fortune in there as I “oooohed” and “ahhhhed” over so many different bolts of material.\u00a0 I showed great restraint, however, and “just” spent $50, but as I told the owner (fabulous people there, too!) that maybe in a few years I’ll apply to work there part time.\u00a0 \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n As we drove back through the Hermitage area, we discovered a park that had a unique sundial made from aircraft wings:<\/p>\n It was incredibly hot and humid, but it wasn’t too bad in the shade when we got to another park that’s near the dam on Percy Priest Lake<\/a>.\u00a0 Wayne used the zoom to get a picture of Papa Turney’s BBQ<\/a> on the other side of the lake.<\/p>\n He also zoomed in on Nashville Shores<\/a>.\u00a0 It was no surprise that their water park was doing a booming business!<\/p>\n People on our side of the lake were finding other ways to keep cool:<\/p>\n Obligatory “selfie” (in the shade!) at Percy Priest.<\/p>\n We hadn’t originally planned to go all the way into Nashville on this trip, but we decided to drive down early on Sunday.\u00a0 It was another beastly hot day, especially at the Riverfront Park<\/a> along the Cumberland.<\/p>\n The “Batman” building and Nissan Stadium:<\/p>\n Blessing the Cumberland River:<\/p>\n And then it was on to Broadway!\u00a0 Even on a Sunday morning it was a busy, vibrant place, with music and refreshingly cool air spilling out of every open doorway!<\/p>\n Definitely a blend of traditional and modern in this fascinating city….<\/p>\n While some people like the adventure of “Peddle Taverns,” we opted to sit inside where it was cool(er)!<\/p>\n Music.\u00a0 So much music! (I did a nice recording of the harmonica player that I planned to post, but I think I accidentally deleted it.)<\/p>\n After the hustle and bustle of Nashville, we had a quiet lunch at Papa Turney’s.<\/p>\n As always, it’s hard to leave Tennessee, but we’re thankful that we got to spend some time with our special people there…..<\/p>\n We left on Monday morning, and just 20 miles into the trip on I-40 East, we ran into standstill traffic.\u00a0 (I watched a praying mantis make its way from the grass to the side of the road.\u00a0 I pointed out several different types of weeds and flowers growing in the median, and if there had been roses, I could have stopped to smell them because we WERE stopped….) According to the Waze<\/a> app on my phone, the traffic jam was due to both an accident and<\/em> construction, so we literally crawled along for well over an hour, with no exits and no options….<\/p>\n Losing so much time here just seemed to skew the rest of the drive home.\u00a0 What should have taken us just under 9 hours took closer to 11!<\/p>\n We made the best of it, though–taking turns driving and taking pictures–and we were fortunate to miss getting caught in the worst of the late afternoon thunderstorms that popped up along I-81 in southwest Virginia.<\/p>\n As it was just a couple of days before the Solstice, we were back in familiar territory before dark.\u00a0 It was a crazy, crazy<\/em> long drive this time, but I still smiled as we talked about our family, the music we’d listened to in a variety of bars on Broadway, and everything else we’d seen and done during the long weekend in Tennessee.<\/p>\n “I see the moon and the moon sees me We had the opportunity to make another trip to TN in the middle of June, so back down the road we went! \u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 There were air quality alerts and messy skies just before Knoxville, and some traffic slow-downs there … Continue reading <\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n
\nAnd the moon sees the one that I long to see
\nSo God bless the moon and God bless me
\nAnd God bless the one that I long to see.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"