Louisville to Music City, USA - Nashville!! DC Day 9!!

April 5th, 2011

Today we hit the road by 915 and headed for Elizabethtown!  We thought it would be quaint but it wasn't that special.  I'm sure we just didn't go in the right area? If you've been to Elizabethtown and thought it was beautiful please let me know! I looked it up and the movie Elizabethtown with Orlando Bloom and Kristen Dunst was actually filmed in Louisville and another town because they don't have the older architecture anymore.  They did however have a cool building (which looked like a court house) in the middle of a big roundabout at the end of their main street and a really interesting looking historical graveyard.  I saw some flyers when we were in our next destination for historical tours and such of Elizabethtown and that's why I think we just missed the good stuff.

Such a quiet main street

We decided to visit this guy...

We had to do something, so we saw a sign and went to Abe Lincoln's Birthplace in Hodgesville, Kentucky! They built this huge memorial around where he was born in a log cabin.  It's quite the shrine!

Ta-Da!

Not a bad view..

We also drank from the same sinkhole spring that Abe did!

They had a Nancy Lincoln Inn named after Abe's mum, that was mainly a gift shop, but you could stay in these super cute cabins for $60/night. Looked fun.

Rocking on Nancy's Porch

Ashley and I had a great time looking around the gift shop where they had everything from toy guys to Abe Lincoln outfits to 'hillbilly toothbrushes' (a stick with corn kernels on it) to slave auction documents to this...

American by Birth, Southern by the Grace of God. 

Amazing.  Kentucky had some pretty great accents.  The park ranger at Lincoln's birth place said there was a Tim Horton's in Kentucky or something that he use to work near so he 'knew some of our folk once.' Yup. We then took a bunch of back country roads on a little Kentucky tour on our way to Nashville!  

We arrived in Nashville around 130 and checked into the Music City Hostel! I would definitely recommend this place if you're going to Nashville. It's about a 15 minute walk to broadway and the people who run it are so chill and friendly! We walked in and there was a guy from Ontario, a girl from Calgary, and a guy from Australia just singing having a great time.  We also met a really nice guy from Slovakia whose name I forget (Tomas maybe?).  We threw our bags in our rooms and hoofed it down to Broadway to check the place out.  Ashley didn't want to drive so we stayed in this general area but it was awesome! We saw the Music Hall of Fame and went all up and down the streets in the area.  

Then we had a yummy dinner at Diana's Sweet Shoppe (I had a roasted red pepper and fresh mozzarella pesto panini..YUM!) and unfortunately were too full for dessert.  We wandered over to The Second Fiddle where we pulled up some stools and tried some random beers! My first was a Shiner Bock from Shiner, Texas.  I loved it, Ashley wasn't such a fan. I forget what she had..a Red Tire or something but it wasn't that good, we went for the old faithful after that (Sorry Dad!) - Bud Light Lime! I know it's awful beer, but it's cheap and somehow went so well with 'Chicken Fried' and all the other country being sung by the band.  The singers were Mike Seals and Robyn Ariston and they were really good! 

It won't let me upload a video currently..

Ashley took a great video which I'm going to try and steal from her and post for you all to hear them!  We listened for quite a long time before heading back to the hostel to change! After our wardrobe change we went back to Broadway, did a little dancing, then got Nashville Predator tickets for $10!!!! It was insane! We went in and enjoyed about a period of hockey (Nashville won 6-2 I think?) and then went to Tootsie's to dance the night away :)

You should have seen our hate Mike Fisher faces..

Ashley is wearing shorts...promise!

Disney Challenge Day 9: Favourite Original Character

Favourite Original Character means between the Fab Five I think...aka Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Donald and Pluto. I'm going to count Daisy and Chip and Dale in this question as well. Not that it matters because my favourite is this guy: 

The real question is how could Pluto NOT be your favourite?

Pluto is friendly, reliable and so very loveable.  I always feel bad for him when he gets teased by the chipmunks and then Mickey gets upset at Pluto for barking or something.  Geez Mickey ease up, it's not Pluto's fault he's being teased. Below is Pluto's first major role in the cartoon Playful Pluto from 1934 directed by Burt Gillett.  The most memorable scene in the short is when Pluto gets stuck on fly paper.  This scene, which was animated by Norm Ferguson, was vital in the history of character animation as it's the first time an animated character really seemed to have a mind of his own! (end history lesson, cue cartoon!)

Update and News! Part 2...

Alrighty then....

CHICAGO! I'll let you know the amazing things we do here once we've done them, but I'm hoping it involves this...

However I feel like it may involve more of this:

I can't even believe that! It looks like of frightening... but I'll try. I'll do my best! :D

When we are in Chicago there is a random high in the tempuratures (says the weather network!) therefore I have great hopes of jogging outside in one of Chicago's many super pretty parks. And don't worry Mummy, I will make sure to stay around lots of people and with Ashley. Yup, I'm dragging Ashley jogging...I don't know if she believes me when I tell her this or not. But with my half marathon coming up May 1st there is no way I'm going 10 days without runs! (and especially if I'm annihilate that pizza up there!)

April 5th: Driving through Indianapolis to Louisville to Elizabethtown (so excited for Elizabethtown!!) we are working out way to Nashville, Tennessee! Yeeehaw, welcome to the south!

April 6th: Exploring Nashville and Franklin! Ahhh to exciting to talk about!

April 7th: This day is going to be amazing, we're making our way through Chattanooga (how can you pass up on a place like that?) through Birmingham, through Montgomery all the way to Tallahassee! There are few things in the United States that I want to do more than see the deep south. I think that it is going to be amazing. I'm excited to stop over in Tallahassee as it is the place that the great and incredible Miss. L.M is from! I'm hoping we get to hear a little Seminole cheer!

Linda and I!

**I'm having mad dejavu about having written this post before...and as I write this I remembered that I did write it this morning...on my itouch. And I gave such better descriptions of everything! My bro-in-law has started calling me Luke, as in Modern Family Luke because sometimes my comments are a little random. I feel like this is that kind of moment. I knew I'd written all this before, and just spent a while looking through out posts for where I already wrote it....dang.**

April 8th: From Tallahassee we're south out of the panhandle towards the Gator Nation! before heading to the Gulf of Mexico for a little R&R! ...as if we won't be getting any of that during this trip! haha. We're going to spend a little time in the Sunshine, 25 degrees Celsius doesn't sound so bad right about now :) and this doesn't look so bad either..

mmmmm white sandy beaches

April 9th-April 11th: Take me home, country road, to the place, I belong! Alright that was SUPER dorky, but this is the day we arrive in, you guessed it, Orlando! We're staying with some fantastic friends and I'm super excited to see them and catch up! We have lots of amazing people to catch up with, some fun activities planned, and a date here:

for lunch on the 11th! Yummmm, what's up maple creme brulee...prepare to meet a stomach that has been dairy free for 40 days! (This is why you start Lent early! and I failed hard at the no refined sugar thing so pretend I never tried that :P) I'm so stoked! Being at Epcot means I also for sure get to see this beauty:

Yelitza!

April 12th: This is Ashley's program start date! YAY! I'm so excited for her! This is also the morning I hit the road to MCO and fly my way back to beautiful Vancouver, Canada! Via Montreal, because that's a completely reasonable route to take!

April 13th: Hopefully I will spend this day with my incredible niece or nephew!

April 14th-April 30th: Home Sweet Home! There really is no place like it. I'm going to spend this time with my family!! and some friends as well :)

May 1st: BMO Half Marathon!!!!! I'm so nervous/anixous/totally stoked for this! I've been running for a few months now and am really excited to do a race! It'd just like to finish well :)

May 4th: My 22nd Birthday! May the fourth be with you ;) ...now you'll never forget!

May 9th: Back over to Vancouver as on

May 10th: I fly to Orlando!!! Yes that's correct, back I go...for University!!!! Yes, it's true, I am a University of Central Florida, Rosen College of Hospitality Management Student!! I want to go to university so badly, and more precisely I want to go to this university to study this subject with these professors in this location. I can't even pretend to contain my extreme glee over all of this!

International Student Orientation is May 12th, then Knights Orientation is May 13th, I can move into housing May 15th and classes start May 16th until June 26th..

June 27th: Fly home to Vancouver and Carebear! ... and the rest of my lovely family! and friends!

July-Mid-August: Prepare for my lovely sister Kim's wedding August 13th! I'm a bridesmaid! Weee! as well as prepare for WORKING AT WALT DISNEY WORLD starting AUGUST 16th!

August 15th: Catch red eye flight to ORLANDO! ...which I haven't booked yet. but will!

So there you have it...nothing that big happening between now and August so I don't really need to post until then.... See you in 5 months!

JUST KIDDING !

I know you're stoked, so stick around, ask me any questions you'd like about me, about the CRP, about UCF/Rosen, about the road trip, about Disney World secrets! (gasp!), about anything, and I'll answer them the best I can. You can even ask for halloween costume inspiration because clearly, if you read yesterday's post, you'll know it's what I'm best at. Kea003@live. ca! I'll leave you with what I'm planning to wear this October:

Thoughts?