Wil & Elsie's first road game

We took a long weekend getaway to Nashville to take the kids to their first away game when the Gators played Vanderbuilt. Because Jon had similar plans as ours-he just wasn't traveling with a potty-training 2 year old!-we were able to hook up with him and got to experience some pretty cool things together! Jon was so sweet to hold a kid, hold the diaper bag, take a picture! By the end of the trip, Wil and Elsie were all over him! I think he may be their tallest new friend! We left Thursday night and made it a little past Atlanta. We beat Jon to Chattanooga so we made a brief stop at the Chattanooga Choo Choo and explored our railroad history! It is a real cool place with retired sleep cars that have been converted into hotel rooms and the train depot is now an upscale hotel lobby and nice restaurant. I loved the rose garden between the sleeper cars! Somebody really takes a lot of time maintaining it and I don't think they would have liked knowing that the hedge was so thick, it supported Elsie! When Jon called, we headed up the street to the Incline Railway to catch a ride to the top of Lookout Mountain! It was pretty steep and Wil serenaded the whold car with a round of "Old McDonald!" At the top we took in the sights and walked around an old civil war battle site converted into a park. Then it was down the mountain, back to the car and up the mountain again to Ruby Falls. All 5 of us were wowed by the rock formations underground in the cave system. But the climax was Ruby Falls with the color changing water fall! Gorgeous! The game was a lot of fun (because we won!) We put the kids down for a nap at Jon's hotel room (Thanks again, Jon!) and then went cruising in the double stroller downtown Nashville. The neon lights and live bands were awesome and we especially were taken in with the Bluegrass Inn. Thats where the bouncer let us stand in the doorway with the kids and watch the Brandon Giles band. It was a small band with 2 guitarists, a drummer and a very talented pianist who looked and performed like Jerry Lee Lewis! The drummer, Thumper was a real sweet guys and he gave Wil a signed drumstick and let him play around on his drumset! Wil was very proud of his drumstick-showed it off to everyone on the street and slept with it! On Sunday we headed back early enough to stop and "See Rock City!" It was so pretty with all the changing leaves and tiny gnomes and fairies! We wore the kids out and it was a good trip back home!