July 18 & 19

We left Dallas on Saturday and flew to Seattle.  We spent the day Sunday just hanging out revisiting some of our favorites from when we were here 2 years ago.  We all agreed Pike Place market was where we wanted to go back.  We went by the original Starbucks, but the line was around the corner so we just snapped another picture and got drinks at another Starbucks.

Thomas found a movie store that stocked copies of hundreds of different movie scripts!

We walked past Seattle's "gum wall" which totally creeped me out…

Then we headed to Pike Place Chowder for lunch.  Yum.  I had clam chowder and the others all had chicken corn chowder.  The line is long, but soooo worth the wait.

They also had a Target that was in a high rise office building and was three stories…so of course we had to check that out!

Pike Place Market is a fun, quirky, hippie sort of place.  I confess that I did purchase some organic granolaish lotion and lip balm from some type of commune.  Lots of local artisans showing their wares, beautiful fresh flowers, fresh seafood….a great way to spend the afternoon.

Scott hired a car service to take us from Seattle to Vancouver to spend the night so we'd be close by to board the ship the next morning.  It was a large suburban so we could get all 5 of us and our 5 massive bags!  The drivers name was Ron and he reminded me of Norm from Cheers!  The drive was going great until the car died just before the Canadian border. Ron pulled off and managed to get it started again.  Then, after we went thru the Canadian Border Patrol stop it died again.  This time we sat on the side of the road for about 20 minutes. 

They immediately dispatched another car to head our way, but the driver managed to get it started once more and finally made it to our hotel.  After all that excitement, we decided to just order pizza at the hotel and turn in for the night.  The kids thought it so funny that we ordered Canadian bacon pizza in canada!

Next stop the Disney Wonder!!

Blessings,

Leslie

Day Eight: Nashville

Today was a work day for Jane, Scott and I.  We are really in Nashville for the National School Public Relations Conference where we are presenting.  Andy drew the short straw and hung at the hotel all day with all 5 kids!

 After a fantastic lunch with some of my favorite school pr friends and our late afternoon session...which was packed, we headed for the GRAND OLE OPRY!!!  When we got back to the hotel to change and walk over, the girls were in full on beautification mode!!!

 They all looked so cute in their dresses and boots...

 And OMG the Opry was amazing.  Everything I love about country music in one evening.  Bluegrass, steel guitar, true vocal talent, class, love of country and Jesus.

 If you have not heard anything by artist Chris Jansen, go to iTunes right now and buy his stuff.  Amazing,  I cried.  Scott's comment was that he had never seen anyone play with such conviction.  He is crazy talented.  Referred to his step kids as his "bonus" kids and i quote, "I stepped in to their lives, they didn't step in to mine."  Never seen an artist shine with His light quite like this guy.  Show. Stopping.

 All of the girls were beside themselves that Chase Bryant was there.  I'll be honest, I wasn't even really sure what the guy sang when we got there, but I did recognize his songs!  Afterwards, the girls got to meet him and get his autograph!

 And then......Vince.  I love, love Vince Gill.  He has one of the most soothing voices I've ever heard.  He was outstanding.

I absolutely love the opry.  I could never live in Nashville, because I'd want to be there every night!
Headed for Memphis early in the morning.

Nashville Blessings,
Leslie

Day Seven: Nashville

We started off today with breakfast at a yummy local coffee shop called the Frothy Monkey!

 Then we headed over to the Johnny Cash Museum!!  Mandy loves the song "Ring of Fire" and we knew she and the other kids would get a kick out of seeing the Cash collection.

 After the Cash Museum, we walked across the street to the home of the Goo Goo Cluster!  Much fun was had here sampling and shopping.

 Then we spent the rest of the afternoon going in and out of lots of different shops!

We spent an hour at the buy one pair get 2 free boot store.  Seven pairs of boots later....

We again had a late lunch and everyone was ready for a little rest at the hotel!!  Jane, Scott and I actually have to work tomorrow.  Boo.  But, we do love our NSPRA friends and seeing them is a bit like a vacation so it'll still be fun!

Nashville Blessings,
Leslie

Day Six: Louisville to Nashville

We left Louisville early this morning.  Since it was Sunday, the Louisville Slugger plant didn't open till 11:00 so we just ran by and had our picture made with the big bat and then hit the road!

 We met the Braddocks in Nashville about noon at the Hermitage.  This is Andrew Jackson's home.

 You aren't allowed to take any pictures inside the house so I don't have a lot to share.  We walked in the gardens outside just long enough to pay our respects at the grave and then find air conditioning.  It was about 1000% humidity.

 This is one of my favorite pictures of all these awesome kids...

 After the heat at the hermitage, we headed to Franklin and had an early dinner, some frozen yogurt and headed to the Opryland Hotel.  We had adjoining rooms with the Braddocks and there was lots of giggling, netflix watching and this...

Nashville Blessings,
Leslie

Day 5: Lansing to Louisville

Upon the suggestion of a friend, we decided to check out Saugatuck.  It's a quaint little town on the water with all kinds of boutiques, speciality shops, fudge...

 We wandered down to the water and checked out the yachts...

 After a quick visit there, we headed on to the Henry Ford Museum.  Friends....I thought this was just gonna be a bunch of boring old cars.  I had absolutely no idea what all is here!  History lovers...You MUST go!!!  It's really what I have always wished the Museum of American History at the Smithsonian was like.  It does show you the history and progression of cars, but it also shows you how that innovation and progression influenced American life.  For example, the drive-thru...

 Lots of cool old Model A's and Model T's...

 These are ration books from WWII for gasoline...

 This is the first engine that Henry Ford ever built!  He made it in his workshop and brought it in to the kitchen sink and had his wife pour gasoline in it while he cranked it!

 Over in the car portion of the museum, the had an area where kids...or teenagers... could build their own cars and then test them on test tracks...

 We also saw the oldest existing school bus!

 They had this area chronicling Roadside America and part of it was an old room from Holiday Inn in the 70's!!  I totally remembered this room.  I remember staying in a holiday Inn with my parents that looked exactly like this!

 Then, possibly my favorite, was ALL the presidential limousines from Teddy Roosevelt to Reagan! This one belonged to Teddy...

 This was the limousine used by Franklin Roosevelt...

 This was Ronald Reagan...

 And this is the limousine that President Kennedy was riding in on November 22, 1963 in Dallas.  After his death, it was overhauled and a permanent top was put on, as were handrails and steps for the Secret Service.

 Then, theres a whole entire American history part to the museum!  This was George Washington's field cot.  Literally...George Washington slept here.....

 The actual rocking chair that Lincoln was sitting in that fateful night at Ford's Theatre...

 Then there is a section on civil rights...

 And the actual Montgomery bus that Rosa Parks was on!!!

 Grace is sitting in Rosa's seat in the picture below...

 The Oscar Meyer weiner car was here too, and this little "couch" and "throw pillows" were beside it!

 Every so often they had those old wax figure making machines.  I think we left with 4 or 5!

 For lunch we ate in the middle of the car portion of the museum in an old diner from the 40's that they had moved to the museum...

 I seriously could have spent 2 full days there.  There is an entire historical village of some type that we never even saw because we ran out of time.  It is amazing and soooo very well done.  It would hold the attention of even younger kids. I will have to go back at some point!
Since it was July 11, we mapped us up a 7-11 so we could get our free slurpee...

 And then, we met Aunt Liz for dinner!!!  We stopped in Cincinnati so we could spend some time with Scott's aunt before heading to Louisville for the night.  We love Aunt Liz and really wish that we got to see her more often...

Kentucky Blessings,
Leslie