♥ Road Trips: Nashville ♥

Nashville, Tennessee is an easy 3 hour drive from Louisville, straight down I-65 S.

On Sunday, my dad and I drove down to do some sightseeing, but the main event was a Michael Buble concert! We left Louisville at about 2:00pm Eastern Time and arrived in Nashville at 4:00pm Central Time. There were snow flurries on the way down, but nothing too major.

When we got to Nashville, our first stop was Centennial Park to see the Parthenon. It is a full-scale replica of the ancient Parthenon in Greece.  It was originally built for the Tennessee Centennial Celebration in 1897. The first construction was meant to be temporary and was only made with brick, wood, and plaster. It was to be demolished after the celebration, but the people of Nashville protested. It was decided in 1921 that the building would be torn down and a permanent building would be constructed in its place. The Parthenon that stands today was completed in 1931 and houses Nashville's museum of art. It was closed the day we were in town, but it was still cool to see!

After a quick (and cooooold visit) to the Parthenon, we got back in the car and headed to Lower Broadway and the Cumberland River.

I love this part of downtown Nashville. If you have never visited, it is basically a street lined with hole-in-the-wall bars (LOTS of good live music), souvenir shops, and landmarks (like the Ernest Tubb Record Shop). It is also where Bridgestone Arena (where the concert was to be held) is located. Dad and I decided to check out the parking situation since we were there pretty early. The arena parking garage was $25 (!!!!) so we definitely passed on that. There were other lots that were several blocks away, but even those were $15. I suggested that since we had time, we investigate the possibility of parking on the street. I figured that someone was bound to leave a spot on the street at some point. Sure enough, on our first pass by, someone pulled out of their spot...right in front of the arena! We could not have been luckier! And, since it was a Sunday, we didn't even have to pay the meter! It was great!

It looks like Batman! :-P

I ♥ Elvis!

We walked up and down the street for just a bit, then went into a bar to get warm.

Around 5:30, my dad's friend, Janet, who lives in Nashville, came and picked us up. The three of us went to dinner at Whiskey Kitchen, just a ways down the street from where we were. It was pretty good, and had a nice, cozy atmosphere. After dinner, Janet dropped us back off at the arena and we got in line to go inside!

I'm not going to write a full review of the concert, but let's just say...I ♥ Buble! :-)

The concert ended at 11:00pm Central Time, and we started our drive back to Louisville. Had we thought ahead, staying overnight would have been the wiser choice. We did not get home until 3:00am.

Nashville is a great city. I visited once before, in 2007, but have always wanted to go back. The city has a really cool vibe, and I could definitely picture myself living there if the opportunity ever presented itself. We only scratched the surface on this trip, but I will definitely go back again. It's so crazy to think that in just a few hours drive you can be in an entirely different state (only 20 minutes if you head north!). That just doesn't happen in Texas! :-)

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♥ Hollydays Art and Gift Market/Louisville.com ♥

Some of you may know that I recently accepted a part-time gig writing for Louisville.com. My job is to write several short articles per week detailing events and attractions around the city. Pretty cool, huh? :) If you would like to check out the website and follow it (it changes daily!), that would be super great! Otherwise, please take a look at my latest article on Hollydays.

Girls Night Out kicks off Fifth Annual Hollydays Art and Gift Market [Louisville newbie]

By Sarah Hinds on December 3, 2010 - 10:14pm.

If you are looking for the perfect gift for the stylish women (and men) in your life, visit the Fifth Annual Hollydays Art and Gift Market at the Mellwood Arts Center this weekend. Hosted by the Junior League of Louisville, Hollydays showcases handmade clothing, ornaments, and fudge from talented craftsmen and women.

The Junior League of Louisville is a service organization made up of over 550 women in the Louisville area. As stated on its website, “the Junior League of Louisville is an organization of women committed to promoting voluntarism, to developing the potential of women, and to improving the community through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers.” Profits from the Hollydays event directly benefit the mission of the Junior League.

L to R: Jennifer Kramer, AVP of Fundraising, Austin Hancock, Co-chair for Hollydays, Jami York, Co-chair for Hollydays

Friday, December 3 kicked off the event with Girls Night Out. Offering pretty pink cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, the room was filled with an atmosphere of excitement and warmth. Large enough to provide a great variety of wares, yet small enough to feel like an intimate gathering of friends, Hollydays is a must for anyone wanting to get into the holiday spirit. While strolling the aisles at Mellwood, one can stop to taste a bite of gourmet chocolate and become mesmerized by sparkly, handpainted wine goblets. There are over 50 vendors represented at the show. There is also a silent auction featuring local cookbooks, photography sessions, and themed gift baskets.

On Saturday, December 4 at 9:30am, stop by Hollydays with your family to have breakfast with Santa! Krispy Kreme donuts will be served, and your children can have their photo taken with the big man himself.

On the final day of Hollydays, Sunday, December 5, moms can enjoy a Princess Tea Party with their daughters. Featuring cupcakes, cookies, and fresh fruit, girls are encouraged to dress up as their favorite princess or tote along their most cherished doll. The Tea Party begins at 2:00pm.

Mellwood Arts & Entertainment Center

1860 Mellwood Avenue

http://www.juniorleaguelouisville.org

Dec. 3, 6 pm - 9:30 pm
Special Friday Night only: Girls Night Out $10

Dec. 4, 11 am - 5 pm
Dec. 5, 12 noon - 4 pm
$5 day pass


Special Events Planned:
Friday: Girls Night out - Food, Music, Drinks & Goodie Bag starts at 6 pm
Saturday: Breakfast and photos with Santa sponsored by Krispy Kreme starts at 9:30 am
Sunday: Princess Tea Party with Cinderella starts at 2 pm

Saturday, December 4, 2010 - General Admission Shopping

Sunday, December 5, 2010 - General Admission Shopping 

Find Hollydays on Facebook

Photos: Courtesy Junior League of Louisville and Sarah Hinds, Sarah Kate Photography

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♥ Churchill Downs ♥

Churchill Downs and the events that occur there are easily the epitome of Louisville living. I love the excitement that is invoked with each trumpet call and the cheering and yelling from the crowd as the horses round the bend at the end of a race! When David and Shannon came through town for about 24 hours, we decided to treat them to a visit to the historic landmark. We arrived mid-afternoon and got in line to purchase our general admission tickets. The sweet woman who was working the ticket booth discreetly slid us four free tickets to the 3rd Floor clubhouse level! We went up to sit in the heated boxes with the big wigs while we watched a few races and enjoyed a beverage. It was a great afternoon!

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♥ Louisville Slugger Museum/Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown ♥

I took a trip today to visit the Louisville Slugger Museum. I know many native Louisvillians who have never set foot inside this tourist landmark, but I thought I would break the mold and go learn something new about my city!

The iconic giant bat (It is 120 feet high and an exact scale replica if Babe Ruth's bat!) at the entrance to the museum is one of my favorite parts of Main Street. I'm not really a fan of baseball, but something about the bat just grabs my attention every time I drive or walk by. I think its a really cool landmark!

The museum is actually much smaller than I expected. There is only one main exhibit room, and there is not much to it. I'm sure that fans of baseball will get more out of the exhibits than I did. Still, I did learn some interesting facts about how the size and makeup of baseball bats has evolved over time and how they are made.

The best part of the museum is the tour through the factory. For about 30 minutes, I got to see where every official bat in MLB is made. This factory is also responsible for crafting the bats for college baseball, little-league teams, and for sale in sporting goods stores. It was so impressive to see a piece of wood carved into a perfect bat in 30 seconds flat! Unfortunately, no photographs are allowed during the tour, but I snapped this one through the window in the museum lobby.

Everyone leaves the tour with their very own souvenir-sized wooden baseball bat! Pretty cool!

Here are a few more photos from the museum.

34,000 pound limestone baseball glove sculpture.

For those interested, there are also batting cages at the Slugger Museum (for an extra fee).

Special for the holiday season, there is a Peanuts display at the Museum through January 2 called, Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown!

No photographs were allowed inside, but it was essentially a collection of copies of Peanuts comic strips dating back to its creation in 1950. There is also a television playing A Charlie Brown Christmas. Next to it is a display with letters written by children after the first airing of the holiday classic cartoon in 1965, pleading to have it shown every year. That was pretty neat to see.

So, that's basically it! All in all, a worthwhile venture! And now I'm a Louisvillian who can proudly say that I have, in fact, been the the Louisville Slugger Museum!

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