Things are sweeter in Tennessee

Remember how I used to be obsessed with this song? Well, it turns out that things are indeed sweeter in Tennessee, and I sure had a great weekend there with some great company! Here are the highlights:

Church in Memphis. Promise we paid attention, despite the warning from 2 different people that this was a "special" ward... as if we couldn't tell from the Elvis look-alike with full-on sideburns and a purple suit. We were loving the whole Southern Baptist feel of testimony meeting and were kind of disappointed not to hear any "hallelujahs" or "amens" being shouted (though Adam considered it)... oh well.

We drove past the Memphis temple (with the adjacent church building that looked much more normal than the one we attended). I think it's the smallest temple I've ever seen, but of course still beautiful.

After lunch where our waitress called me "hot pocket" and offered us her babysitting services (yeah... no idea), we drove the few hours over to Nashville on what has got to be the most beautiful freeway I've ever seen. Trees line the road, but not like the trees in Washington state or Virginia where it's just dense and green. The fall leaves were still hanging on, and the colors were just beautiful. I didn't take a picture because I knew that it wouldn't do it justice, so you're just going to have to imagine that part. 

Nashville: we hit the highlights. The Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum. 

Yeah, Adam likes cars. And guns. So really, this was made for him.

 Elvis's golden car...

 and his golden piano:

 watching a Jeff Foxworthy act about rednecks...

 Rascal Flatts!

 Yeah, they sell crickets. Like, to eat. Southerners...

 Nashville's Broadway

I really should wear hats more often, right?

 The CMT building!

We took a tour of the Ryman auditorium, which is a tabernacle where they used to have the Grand Ole Opry. There was this little video that they show inside, and they were talking about how awesome the acoustics are inside--"second only to the Mormon Tabernacle." Woot! 

Adam's favorite picture from the trip:

The stage. We learned all about Minnie Pearl (which I'd only ever heard of before from the movie Selena) and all the other oldie performers with the Grand Ole Opry.

Hit up the capitol building

 And then had lunch at the Loveless Cafe. 

My yummy Southern meal. Barbeque pork with sweet potatoes and fries? Yes, please. I may be Southern. Or turning it...

 Our marathon day ended at the movies... James Bond? His idea.

We took a tour of this beautiful old Southern plantation called Belle Meade.

The people who owned this house also owned the horse whose posterity includes every horse who has ever competed in the Kentucky derby... or something like that. Pretty cool.

 There was even a carriage house. Obsessed! Megan and Lisa, I know you'll know why... Gables books, anyone?

 Last stop was this park where they have a replica of the Parthenon. We didn't have time to go inside, but it was still cool to see!

 Yeah, we're cute. So then we started out on the beautiful "five hour" drive back to Little Rock... which definitely ended up being longer than five hours. Just long enough that we got to the airport late and I missed my flight! Good times. btw, if you've ever thought it would be fun and exciting to miss a flight, it's really not. It's pretty much just expensive. Haha. But maybe worth it. We went out to this Mexican restaurant and I got some fajitas--my fave, so it ended well :)

 And then we went to Walmart, because you can't go to Arkansas without going to Walmart... it's just not possible. 

So yeah... it was a great road trip! Who knew that Tennessee was so beautiful (when you ignore all its ghetto areas!)? If I go again, I'll have to bring a better camera and get a good picture of that highway. But yeah, I can guarantee: things are sweeter in Tennessee.