Nashville

Nashville skyline.

When we arrived in Nashville we had plenty of time to spare. After all the driving, touring and the competitions it was time for a rest. It can be a tiring process living on the road where nothing is the same from day to day. I think the entire stimulus has an effect on you. We immediately found a hotel and settled in before heading out for some dinner on our first night in town. Can you guess what kind of food we ate? You guessed it, barbecue. We ventured out to a long time favourite called Jacks Bar-B-Que on Music Row which is on lower Broadway in Nashville.


Music Row in the district.

We wandered in to the restaurant and had a good look around. The smell of burning Hickory, pictures of people involved in barbecue as well as neon beer signs on the wall, lots of happy people. Yup, looks like an old school barbecue joint. I ordered the brisket, beans and coleslaw while Jessica ordered the rib special. Good food, crappy seats. I think the booth was last reupholstered in the mid seventies. When I sat down, I sunk to a level familiar to a six year old and felt like asking for a booster seat. Yes sir, old school.


Jacks Bar-B-Que

If you are in Nashville also known as Music City USA I hope you like country music. I, other then a few Carrie Underwood and Taylor Swift songs am not the biggest fan. However the second night we were here, one of my favourite bands Creed was performing at The Sommet Centre, which is where the Nashville Predators of the NHL play. We purchased tickets and really, really enjoyed the show. It was Creeds last date on their tour so they went all out, guns a blazing to finish it off. Nice.


I recognize this guy from somewhere..

We chose to visit the Nashville Aquarium which is not an aquarium like you and I are normally familiar with. This one is actually an indoor restaurant with a 200,000 gallon aquarium in the middle of the restaurant that is full of sharks, rays, tuna and other marine tropical fish. You actually sit at your table and look at the marvellous spectacle in front of you. Odd quirk to this set-up is that the menu is heavily made up of fish? I would think chicken, beef, pork etc., but no, I am eating fish tacos that in theory could be related to the fish in the tank. Hmmm. Anyways, what a great way to have dinner.



After our dinner we headed across the hall to the Sting Ray touch pool. Here you pay to get in and can buy cups full of shrimp to hand feed the full size rays, and there are lots of them. I will post movies of this hilarious adventure next post when I have more time.
We are not done with Nashville as there is more to see but we are getting ready for the Jack Daniels Competition which starts tomorrow. I will have lots to write and share in a few days. My wife flew in from Vancouver last night and my daughter flew home four days ago so we have a changing of the guard so to speak. I also have my friend Shawn Coulter from Vancouver Island, who I have known since I was fifteen arriving tomorrow. I also have a friend from Regina, Rob Reinhardt who has his own top competitive BBQ team, arriving today. Collectively we hope to do our best and make Canada proud.