Nashville and NW North Carolina with the family.

[kijip]

I am headed to Nashville, TN later this year for a conference and thinking I can take the family with. We are going to then rent a car and road trip 6-7 hours to western North Carolina for some family tree research and fun in Lenoir NC.

Tips on husband and kid friendly activities while I am teaching fundraising plus any must stop/must eat at in Nashville or headed east out of Nashville would be appreciated.

And thanks to Kate/kedss for establishing that my family line does trace right back to Caldwell County, NC. Very convenient that I have to travel east for this conference anyways! We are all super excited to plan this trip now, whereas before it was sort of a meh conference facilitation obligation with some side fun in Nashville.

Thanks!

[crl]

It's been a long time, but dh and I had some good food at Corky's BBQ and fun at the drive in movie theater (only time I have ever been to a drive in) in Nashville.

Catherine

And, whoops, I am old. I remembered this was Memphis, not Nashville. Sorry!

[larig]

DH (a TN boy and big walker/camper/outdoorsy guy) said clingman's dome http://www.clingmansdome.com/
and if you're a nature person DH said cade's cove (he said it is one of his favorite places in the world) http://www.cadescove.net/

if you're anywhere near Chattanooga run, do not walk, to the aquarium. It makes Seattle's look tiny and lame. Chattanooga's is lovely and we spent a FULL day there.
http://www.tnaqua.org/Home.aspx

Asheville! (Biltmore $$$$$$, gardens, restaurants, etc.)

Oh, and if you're near Knoxville you can go see the wig store at the Sun Sphere. ;-)

ETA: I'm so excited to read about kedss's awesome genealogical detective work! You must be thrilled!

ETA2: if you're in Oak Ridge head to Billy's Time Out Deli--famous for steamed sandwiches http://maps.google.com/maps/place?client=safari&rls=en&oe=UTF-8&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=billy's+time+out+deli&fb=1&gl=us&hq=billy's+time+out+deli&cid=12291046549017930201
and the Soup Kitchen is an institution. http://thesoupkitchen.com/ (French Market soup is the best SOUP I've ever eaten)

[SnuggleBuggles]

I just visited friends in Nashville. They took me to a yummy hole in the wall type place called Calypsos. Yummy, yummy, cheap, healthy food!!
http://www.calypsocafe.com/home.htm

Beth

[kedss]

Happy to help :) hope you have a blast!

[BayGirl2]

Love Nashville, I went to business school there and try to go back often. But I have to admit I have never been there with kids, I saw a lot of them around OpryLand and the outlet mall next door, but otherwise I'm not up on family activities. If you and DH get to go out for a night and want some ideas let me know, I have lots of recommendations for more grown up fun.

[kijip]

It makes Seattle's look tiny and lame. Chattanooga's is lovely and we spent a FULL day there.

Well, it doesn't take much to best Seattle on this but we will have to try and check it out.


ETA: I'm so excited to read about kedss's awesome genealogical detective work! You must be thrilled!



Seriously. Best BBB benefit ever. That's some serious BBB Mojo. T is so excited because he is working an a giant family tree that he is placing on a map showing where people were born.

I am a total skeptic but here's an odd coincidence: A woman named Julia Etta was on this totally new to me piece of family tree- she was my great-grandfather's SIL and she was perhaps related to his mother's side of the family as well. The elephant memories here may recall that our girls name choice when we were TTC #2 was Etta Julia or Etta Julianne to be called Etta Jules. Even though people said Etta was far too old fashioned, I felt very, very attached to it and would not let it go, though after the miscarriages I felt potentially odd about using it when I planned to use it before. And no, I never saw this name on our tree before ever, because as far as I knew, no one knew the names of my Great Grandfather's parents for sure or his siblings- he left NC sometime before 1900 for Oklahoma, married there and then died in Texas. Freaky fun coincidence! :D

[WatchingThemGrow]

Neat stuff on your trip, Katie. Let us know how Nashville looks and how they are recovering from the floods last year. Do you remember seeing all that? I have family there, but I missed seeing them this year because DS2 puked when we were almost at our family gathering and I'd promised to turn around and go home rather than bring a sick baby to play with all the other babies.

Anyway, I once enjoyed doing a carriage ride around downtown Nashville and visiting the Opryland Hotel for the little water show. I would think your guys might enjoy some time playing at the huge outdoor store (is it Bass Pro Shops) at the Outlet Mall.

In Asheville, we enjoyed the Grove Park Inn. Nice, calm place and there are pools, tennis courts, ping pong, etc in the resort game room. The Biltmore is always interesting.

[klwa]

If you get a chance, head up towards Boone/Blowing Rock & take the kids to Tweetsie. :) We need to take DD there sometime. Took DS a few years ago when they were having Thomas weekend, but I prefer the old school Tweetsie train ride. :)

[DietCokeLover]

We're going to Nashville in August, so I've been trying to research a little. The Opry Mills (outlet) has not reopened as of yet from the flooding and from what I can see has no plans to do so anytime soon.

I checked out a couple of potential restaurants that they filmed Diners Driveins and Dives from Food Network, but I am on my phone and can't link to them.

I'll be watching this thread.

[WatchingThemGrow]

http://travel.usatoday.com/hotels/2010-11-15-gaylord-opryland-hotel-reopening_N.htm Looks like the Opryland Hotel has reopened, though! Amazing what $270 million can do.

[MelissaTC]

Another vote to see Biltmore if you can. They have run a promotion the past couple of years that gives free admission to children. We just loved Asheville when we visited.

[larig]

Well, it doesn't take much to best Seattle on this but we will have to try and check it out.



Seriously. Best BBB benefit ever. That's some serious BBB Mojo. T is so excited because he is working an a giant family tree that he is placing on a map showing where people were born.

I am a total skeptic but here's an odd coincidence: A woman named Julia Etta was on this totally new to me piece of family tree- she was my great-grandfather's SIL and she was perhaps related to his mother's side of the family as well. The elephant memories here may recall that our girls name choice when we were TTC #2 was Etta Julia or Etta Julianne to be called Etta Jules. Even though people said Etta was far too old fashioned, I felt very, very attached to it and would not let it go, though after the miscarriages I felt potentially odd about using it when I planned to use it before. And no, I never saw this name on our tree before ever, because as far as I knew, no one knew the names of my Great Grandfather's parents for sure or his siblings- he left NC sometime before 1900 for Oklahoma, married there and then died in Texas. Freaky fun coincidence! :D

wow! that's quite a story. That naming thing is crazy! It gives me chills, in a good way.

okay, I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks our aquarium is kinda LAME! At Chattanooga's they have this tank which is stories tall and they have this sloped ramp that you walk across in front of it so you can see the fish that like to live in different places--top and bottom. I was tremendously impressed, and I have always loved Chicago's Shedd, but thought theirs was every bit as good.

[marymoo86]

you may want to google smoky mountain kin - they have done a lot of research on lines that are in that area - could give you some great places/ideas to start looking to incorporate into your trip

[kijip]

wow! that's quite a story. That naming thing is crazy! It gives me chills, in a good way.

okay, I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks our aquarium is kinda LAME! At Chattanooga's they have this tank which is stories tall and they have this sloped ramp that you walk across in front of it so you can see the fish that like to live in different places--top and bottom. I was tremendously impressed, and I have always loved Chicago's Shedd, but thought theirs was every bit as good.

Not just our aquarium but the Science Center and parts of the Children's museum are really showing their age too, or am I crazy? We almost did not re-up the memberships. Some of dislays were exciting and new and not broken, when I was young enough to enjoys going to them as a kid. Maybe that is why it seems so sorry to me...I saw them as a kid 2 decades ago. With all the money here donor wise and for all the kids we seem to be having in Seattle, it seems they could all use a rehab.

[DietCokeLover]

Here is an unusual idea for something to do in NC if you are there in the warmer months. There are two places that I am aware of - Sliding Rock near Brevard and Bust Your Butt Falls near Highlands/ Cashiers. There are places where the waterfalls have made the mountain rock so smooth that you can literally slide down the mountainside into a fresh pool of water. It is so fun.

Here are a couple of links:
http://www.ncwaterfalls.com/sliding_rock1.htm

http://www.highlandsinfo.com/Video/BustYourButt.htm

Anyway, I thought it might be a fun thing for y'all to do after having been in the car travelling. You can picnic nearby and get wet in cold, fresh mountain water.