Nashville, Tennessee!

Nashville is awesome. It's just a cool city. Go there and enjoy.

Is that enough? Probably. It's hard to go wrong here. 

Day one

We drove from our home to Nashville, and it was an easy and enjoyable eight hour drive. (This was not true on the way back, when it was a slow, traffic-filled ten hours. I think people returning from spring break played into this, too.) We stayed with our friend Molly and walked from her house to ML Rose, where we ate a delicious dinner.

Day two

Rondi checked her trails app and saw there was one around a lake close to Molly's house. Kris, Rondi, and I drove to Radnor Lake Park, parked, and started running on the trail. 

We passed a woman and she yelled after us, "There's no running on the trail!" Just as we saw a sign that said, yep, no running or jogging on the trail. We ignored her, but then there were a lot of people around, all with binoculars, watching birds.

I ran/walked back to her and said, "You yelled at us no running, then we saw the sign, we're obviously not from around here - are there any trails in the park we CAN run on?" 

She gave me a forced smile. "There's no running here. You can run in the road. It's a nature preserve."

"How incredibly bizarre," I said.

"Have a great day," she said, hating me.

"You too," I said as sweetly as I could. Bless her heart. She wanted me to get hit by a car.

We got back in the car and drove to ... Percy Warner Park, where we checked to make sure there were no restrictions against PHYSICAL ACTIVITY.

I am so happy we went here, because it was delightful. Super steep hills up and down the whole five mile loop, wildflowers in bloom everywhere, and even a surprise waterfall! Wonderful.

We got back with the group and we went to eat at an iconic place - The Pancake Pantry. However, the line was really long and around the block, plus it was raining ... so we went across the street to Ruby Sunshine - and it was great! (We had really nice servers the entire trip, too.)

We waited for Molly to get out of work and went to Germantown - Von Elrod's. It was very much the vibe of being in Germany, with the pretzels, giant mugs, and long picnic table seating. Very fun.

We walked around the neighborhood to more places (Neighbors, Red Door Saloon) and the eating highlight of the trip for some of our group was Velvet Taco, which had a variety of choices. We then listened to some music at Winners, and we ended the night dancing at The Dogwood to a DJ under a giant mirror ball, with college girls and guys dressed to kill.

Day three

I ran to a lovely park and Rondi ran on the treadmill. We kept marveling at the magic of Molly's house and Nashville in general. For instance, even though we are all different sizes, Molly's clothes in her closet fit all of us. Even though Kate wears a size 6 shoe, Rondi's size 8 feet fit perfectly in them. Rondi ran at a higher speed on the treadmill than normal. Highly recommend magic. 

We went for a walk in - you guessed it, the walking park, Radnor Lake! We saw an eagle in its nest, tons of turtles, beautiful flowers, and lots of signs preventing things like playing musical instruments or having a picnic. It made for lots of laughs as we galloped, skipped, and did the grapevine through the park, as those activities were allowed.

We headed to eat some Nashville BBQ, and we chose Peg Leg, which was great. My BBQ sandwich I ate here was the best food of the trip. The  place was also incredibly popular. You have to have your food before you get a table, but it seemingly all worked out, as turnover was high. 

Oh - we Ubered all over Nashville. None of us wanted to deal with parking, and Molly lived close. They were always amazingly quick.

We took an Uber to downtown and put our stop at Tootsie's - it calls itself the most famous honky tonk.

This is what I love about Nashville, and also what I remember about being here before. When you get out at Tootsie's, all of Broadway is laid out for you like a gift. The people, the city, the buzz - it's just so exciting! I was so filled with joy at that spot.

We went to Tootsie's to listen to the band, and we also went to the second floor outdoor patio. This is another great thing about Nashville - giant, outdoor spots! 

We left here and the streets were packed like it was New York City. Tons of people. (I'm saying this as a positive. It was the place to be!) We were drawn into a boot store that looked inviting, and ... Rondi found some adorable white boots for only $40. (Every girl in Nashville was wearing white boots. They are very in right now.) 

I loved them, and she said I should look for some, and I said there was no way they would have two, since we wear the same size, and...they did! Magical. Kate and Molly found hats, Szanadue found some souvenirs, and we were off! Boots and hats secured.

We put our name in at Miranda Lambert's Casa Rosa for a two hour wait, checked out the Assembly Food Hall, (more music there), and made our way back for tacos when our name was called.

We then went to my favorite - Kid Rock's. It is four floors of music and dancing - packed with people, all of them in white boots and hats! - and we danced until we were exhausted and Ubered home.

Day four

I went running in the same park and saw the healthiest fox I've ever seen. Unlike ones I normally see, it looked well-fed, like its hair had been brushed, and was very perky. It was like seeing a cartoon character of a fox. Just some more Nashville magic.    

We said goodbye to Molly and to the city. 

I packed up my boots, and they looked like they had had a rough night. Scuffed, spilled on, and obvious signs of dancing. White boots make no sense ... but they're perfect, and I can't wait to wear them again.

Hocking Hills and Columbus Zoo & Aquarium, Ohio

 I don't like looking at places before I go to them, because I like to be surprised. Hocking Hills was a great surprise! I remember seeing pictures of it on someone's Facebook page years ago, and then had to quickly click away and not look at them, because the glance of it convinced me I wanted to go. 

As a result, I didn't know which hikes we should go on. We drove to the Visitor Center, and even though the internet said it was open, it was not. I was disappointed, but then like magic, a lovely ranger opened the doors a half hour early and invited us in.

She gave us exactly what we wanted - a physical map and suggestions of the best hikes. Glorious! This is why I love visitor centers and knowledgeable rangers. 

Old Man's Cave

This hike starts right from the Visitor Center. It was so amazing. Every turn - a new waterfall, a new cliff, turns in the river, caves you can climb into and lie down! It was breathtakingly beautiful. If you can only go on one hike, go on this one.

Cedar Falls

It is possible to hike here from Old Man's Cave, but it's also possible to drive to a parking lot and hike directly there, which is what we did. Everything is very well marked, but we often did not have cell service. Physical map to the rescue! This is only a half mile and leads to... you guessed it, a gorgeous waterfall. 

Ash Cave

Again, we drove and parked at this trailhead. This one looked like a movie set, it was so dramatic. The waterfall and scene was so pretty, and also really easy to get to, so it was super popular. 

Cantwell Cliffs

The guide told us that this one required you to be careful, because there were cliffs you could fall off of, and she wasn't being dramatic! It went right along sheer cliffs where you could die. It was all I could do to not hold my kids' hands and lead them away from it like a gentle shepherd. Instead I yelled at them for getting too close and apologized as soon as they were out of danger. But - I wasn't afraid for me at all! It was exhilarating!

These four hikes were great, and when I go back, I'll go on the other three. This is a gorgeous place, and I loved it.

We stayed at the Holiday Inn Express in Logan, Ohio, which was nice and close to the park. We ate at the Hungry Buffalo, which was super kitchy-cute and had great food.

Columbus Zoo & Aquarium

This is open every day except Thanksgiving and Christmas, but some things are closed except for in the summer, plus all of the bird things were closed for avian flu. However! There were so many things open that we spent five hours here seeing it all! And we did see it all - gorillas, elephants, fruit bats, rhinoceros, and animals we've never seen before. We loved watching the seals swim, the manatees eat heads of lettuce, and we loved touching the sting rays. They came up to you like they were dogs and you would pet them. I didn't ever think a sting ray would come up to be petted on purpose. What do you know?!

We stayed the night before at the Hilton Garden Inn in Dublin, Ohio, which was just 11 miles from the zoo. The night before Kris found an awesome place for dinner - Pins. It was a happening place! It's full of arcade games, and they're all free. For money, you can play ping pong or go mini bowling. You can eat there or order in food. It was such a cool, entertaining place.

Hiking with my family is my favorite thing to do, and we had a great time ... even on the cliffs. Totally a great place - way to go Ohio!

Madeira Beach, Florida

Rondi is training for a 100-mile run, and she wanted to do a training run…in Florida! She sent flight information to Molly and me, and we booked the tickets in January, when it was cold and dark. A nice trip to look forward to during the winter!

Day one

Rondi and I flew on Allegiant from Flint to the St Pete-Clearwater International Airport. We hadn’t flown from Flint in a long time, and it went great. Nice, small airports, both of them.

I’m all for budget airlines, because I’ve never had a problem with them getting cancelled (I have with American the last two flights, but it’s not really the fault of the airline) and they’re inexpensive. 

We took an Uber to our hotel – Cambria Madeira Beach Hotel. It was a great place – rooftop pool and hot tub and bar/restaurant, bike rental, and just a block off the ocean.

We ran many miles, but it was prohibitively hot at 88 degrees, so we ran/walked back.

There are a variety of places to eat in the tourist town! We stopped at Fort Knox, then had dinner at Conch Republic Grill, and everyone was friendly.

Kudos to the servers everywhere in this town. FRIENDLY. So friendly. Everywhere seemed to be well-staffed, too! Happy spring break!

I watched the sunset on Madeira Beach. This beach is great, and just what I think of when I think of Florida. White sand, wide beach, right off the city, and tons of shopping and food options. We went to Captain Billy’s with Molly to watch MSU win in the NCAA tournament! 

Day two

We woke up with goals – a triathlon! 

We ran 3.1 miles, then rented bikes at Cambria and rode for an hour. We walked to John’s Pass, which is an area with lots of shops and restaurants and ate at a place facing the water - there were many, but we went to Sculley's and had awesome mahi tacos. 

Since we were sitting right on the water, we were delighted to see – dolphins! The entire time we had lunch we watched dolphins in the water. It was exciting, and the scene itself was so beautiful.

We walked back (about 2 miles) on the beach, and then we went to the rooftop pool and hot tub. Then we swam in the ocean – my favorite. I love just floating in the salt water. Fun triathlon complete!

We went to the Beach Bar on the way back, and then we went to have dinner on the rooftop of Cambria again. Beautiful view and great place.

Day three

I woke up early, so I ran on the empty beach, and the Rondi, Molly and I ran again. 6 miles total for us! We walked to the Madeira Snack Shack and ate ice cream and breakfast. Then it was an Uber back to the airport.

I’ve never gone to Florida just for the weekend, but I totally recommend it. I feel like I got a great workout, lots of sunshine, and tons of time to talk with my friends. I came home on the first day of spring, and it set me up wonderfully for it. 

If you need a warm weekend, this is a great place to do it. Hopefully my friends will always need company for spring training!

Hottest part of Saturday

Sunday morning

Indianapolis, Indiana - Big Ten Tournament 2022!

In 2020 we came to Indianapolis when the Big Ten Tournament was cancelled, but our Airbnb could not be! This year was a redo for me. Kris has traveled to the Big Ten Tournament many times, but this was my first real time.

Eight of us total got a house together on Fletcher St. It seemed to be an Airbnb neighborhood! It was within walking distance of Gainsbridge Fieldhouse, though we did drive and park closer at one point when it was bitterly cold.

Thursday

We got there on Thursday night, and we ate at Kilroy’s before the game.

One of the things that Kris likes best about going to the tournament is that the atmosphere is awesome. Everyone’s watching basketball, everyone’s decked out in team gear, and everyone is in a good mood. I found this to be completely accurate! It was so much fun being out in the city with every bar and restaurant packed, every street full of people, and every TV tuned to basketball.

In the olden days, you could buy tickets from people on the street after their team lost. It’s not like that anymore. Now, you have to troll Stub Hub, Vivid Seats, and the university sites to get tickets. People post them as they lose, and you’re never sure when the right time to buy is. Basically the best strategy for us was to wait as long as possible to get tickets – usually about an hour before the game.

Gainsbridge Fieldhouse was great, and we loved cheering MSU to a win! They also sold ice cream cereal shakes that you could also add shots to - this is definitely not offered at Breslin. Delicious.

Afterward my brother wanted to sing karaoke, and I’m so glad he did! We went to the Wild Saloon and Kris and I sang a duet, and Gage sang Bad Company, by the band Bad Company, on the album Bad Company to ... good company? Ha! Such a fun night.

Friday

Jess and I got up and ran to the Sailors & Soldiers Monument. This was the same route as the marathon my sister Tracy and  I ran in November, and if you ever get the chance to see the nighttime show projected on it, you should. It’s glorious. I haven’t gone up in it yet, but I want to. 

We went to the Indiana State Capitol and since it was Friday, it was open! We walked all around it and admired how beautiful it was. Totally worth a tour or a self tour.

We watched the early game at home and then went to the Slippery Noodle, where Kate’s friends were having an event.

Again, we were at the Slippery Noodle in March 2020 when we heard the bars and restaurants were going to be closed, and I was so sad. Now – normal and joyful!

They all went to the game and I met up with my friend Erica, who watched the game with me at the Slippery Noodle – and a bunch of friendly MSU fans! Another win.

We had made a reservation for eating at St Elmo Steak House, one of Kris’ favorite steak places.

We had come in 2020, and I had a few bites of steak. They were delicious. I’d been having an issue with low iron, and I’d tried taking iron supplements, but they made me sick. While at St Elmo, I decided that maybe I was a meat eater now – after not eating meat for 24 years. That led to eating meat every once in awhile, to once a week, to now very frequently! And it all started in Indianapolis!

Now after two years of eating meat, I can confidently say that St Elmo is really good. However…it’s really expensive. I don’t get any bigger kick out of an expensive restaurant than I do a good, reasonably-priced restaurant. And the steak Kris makes at home with our own beef is the best, but that’s not something you’re probably going to get (check local listings). But thank you for the life changing experience, St Elmo!

Saturday

Indianapolis is a great city to run in (especially for the marathon) and it was this day too, despite it being 14 degrees. We then went to Gainsbridge Fieldhouse and got tickets for the game. Amazingly, Kate’s friend gave her tickets to a suite! We watched Michigan State lose, but we still had a blast.

We went to Sun King, a brewery we remembered from last time, and then ate at Dough King, a pizza place Andrew’s local friend recommended.

Then it was back to Fletcher Street, where they had a shower with a timer (so you can gauge how long you’re in) and a thermostat that tells you the exact temperature you’re turning the faucet to! I prefer 122 degrees, and take 5 minute showers, or even more when I’m messing with the faucet night of the king trying to figure out the right temperature.

It was interesting to see Indianapolis in the beginning of Covid, then lively for the marathon, then even more packed and vibrant for the tournament. It’s busy, but you can get in places. It’s a city, but you can drive around it AND FIND PARKING. I’m a huge fan of Indianapolis during rain, shine, pandemic, and back again on the other side!

Key West and the Florida Keys

I met Alicia, Aimee, and Laurie when we lived in North Carolina in 2002. After we moved to Illinois, they invited me to meet up in Miami with them in 2003...and we've been traveling together ever since!

(Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, and Belize should have gotten a writeup for sure. The time the bridge detour was driving on two planks over a ravine...trusting a guide will catch you before you plunge down a waterfall...riding a galloping horse when you have zero experience...)

This time we decided to explore Key West. Alicia and Laurie had been there long ago, but Aimee and I never had.

Day one
We all met up in Fort Lauderdale. The car rental line Aimee and Laurie had to wait in for Budget at the airport was so long, but I don’t know how to make the car rental process any better. They are still expensive and the lines are horribly slow, because there’s only ever one person working. I thought by now there would be a better option, but it hasn’t happened yet.

Aimee and Laurie were a couple of hours behind us, so Alicia and I took an Uber to the Fort Lauderdale boardwalk, where we walked a long way in the warm sunshine, people watched, and put our toes in the water. It is a beautiful beach and there are many choices for eating – I had my first blackened mahi sandwich, which I then ate at almost every place we went on the trip. So good!

Aimee and Laurie picked us up and we headed to Key West, stopping along the way at Mile Marker 88 for dinner and sunset. It’s right on the water, they have a serene, picturesque spot, and it was super pretty and popular.

We made it to Key West in the dark, wishing that we had the two hours back they waited in line for the car so we could see the drive but – not to worry! We’d be back the same way in the light.

Alicia found a rental house right off Duval Sreet (the main strip) on Petronia, and it had a back yard and pool! We hung out in the backyard and were surprised by a possum, but hey – that’s a city. Everybody wants to be there.

Day Two

I got up early and ran to the southernmost point, noting that there were chickens and roosters and chicks the entire way, the roosters crowing so enthusiastically! I then realized they were everywhere, and a lot of people put out feed for them. I thought it was super charming.

Alicia got us croissants from Croissants de France, and I ate my first chocolate croissant.   

We rented bikes at Blue Sky Rentals, which were $10 a day, because it was within walking distance of our place. We rode to Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park, and it was fantastic! Name any facts you can about Zachary Taylor. Done? Didn't take long? You will have MORE when you leave! We walked all around, rode our bikes on the trails, and then went to the beach there. It was picture perfect. White sand, blue sky, rocks, a little concession stand - and warm! Looked like paradise. Definitely a great spot.

Riding bikes around Key West is great if you aren't afraid of traffic. Even though you're riding a vintage bike, no helmet, right with cars...I still felt safe since it's the city, so no one can go very fast, and there are bikers and walkers everywhere so people are always watching for them. There are also lots of bike racks for locking up.

We rode to Schooners Wharf and ate right by the water, where a couple of charter boats were coming back with their fish. The pelicans gathered around and hoped for scraps, and the people all admired the fish. There were giant tarpons and nurse sharks in the water too. The pelicans were so tame! I've never gotten that close to them.

We rode to South Beach because Alicia said it had great people watching, and it did! Real characters there.

We walked to Mallory Square for the sunset, and there was a big crowd there to applaud it and watch street performers. On the way we stopped at the Mile 0 sign and then the Mile 222 sign - my favorite number!

We stopped by the Green Parrot for a drink and to watch the MSU basketball game, and then we went to Blue Heaven for ping pong (yay!) in their outer spot and dinner across the street. I love outdoor ping pong, even though you spend most of the time chasing the ball.

Day Three

Another run to see the sunrise...but this time as I started down the block, a rooster started chasing me! He was fast and chased me so long that I even took a video while running! This was a definite first.

We had booked paddleboards the day before with Lazy Dog in Cow Key. We drove the six miles there. The guide gave us a map and a suggested route, which we tried to follow but have no idea if we actually did. Do you know how alike mangroves look? THEY ALL LOOK ALIKE. So you're paddling and turning, pulling yourself through mangrove tunnels, looking at a map that basically is meaningless to you, and just hoping you make it back in time because maybe one of you has a work meeting you can't miss! (Yes, me.)

Alicia: I should have told you I wasn't listening to the directions.

Laurie: This is not the direction we came.

Aimee: The salt pond might be this way.

Me: This mangrove has a rope tied to it for people just like me.

Right as we were heading back, we saw manatees! One came right up beside my paddleboards and it was so cool! We were all so happy we saw them. Then a man in a kayak with a child leaned over to look, fell out, then jumped back in when he realized his phone had been in his pocket. He did not find it. Meanwhile, while on the trip my waterproof phone case somehow broke, so I was really careful on the way back so I didn't end up like him.

Near the end, we also saw many, many nurse sharks below us in the water. They were huge! Even though they don't bite people, it is a little bit of a thrill to see them waiting for you under your board to fall off.

Alicia picked up key lime pie from the Southernmost Key Lime Shop on Duval. It was frozen and covered in chocolate and perhaps the best food I ate all vacation. I'm not even a huge fan of pie, but this was more to me in the cheesecake family.

We swam in the pool, and then Aimee and I biked to Higgs Beach and see amazing kite surfers and some sort of other surfers with butterfly-shaped sails. They were doing tricks, there's a long pier to walk out on, and it was a cool spot.

We then had to get back in time to return our bikes and shower before we had to leave for the sunset sail. It took us longer than we planned, since we thought we knew the way and did not, but it turned into a nice little 50 minute bike ride!

We walked to Schooners Wharf dock to go on the Schooner Spirit of Independence sail boat. As soon as we got on, they asked it there were any volunteers to help, and I was so excited! I thought it would be pretend help, but I had to pull on ropes to lift the sail the same speed as the girl beside me, and it really did take some work. The skipper (is that the right word? It feels right. Or ...starboard.) said that when no one volunteers it's a real pain.

It was a beautiful sail! The weather was so warm, the water was so pretty, and we sailed for about two hours and watched the sun set.

We went to Caroline's, Irish Kevin's, and then to my favorite place Sloppy Joe's, because they had a live band and everyone was dancing! The band was the Lima Bean Riot,  and they were so fun to dance to - they hit the highlights of cover songs, so you didn't even have time to get tired of the repetitive parts!

Day Four

I ran to Higgs Beach to watch the sunrise and to figure out the way home. Unfortunately, it was hard to watch, because when Aimee and I went on our bike ride, I forgot my sunglasses and sunburnt my eyes. Can you tell I don't live close to the equator?

We left Key West and stopped in Marathon to eat at a waterfront restaurant called Key Fisheries. We drove on to Long Key State Park and went on their nature trail and through the park. Very secluded, very serene, and very hot if you went away from the water.

We drove over the Seven Mile Bridge and admired the view all the way to Islamorada Key. We stayed at Chesapeake Resort and went right out to their very open and pretty beach, pool, and hot tub.

We ate at Lazy Days, which was really popular, but it was right on the water so we didn't mind waiting - and saw more tarpon and nurse sharks. We ended the night by going to Florida Keys Brewing Company in their beer garden, where - this doesn't get old - it was so warm we didn't even need a jacket.

So! Key West was different than other places I've been in Florida, and I liked it and can see why it's popular. Hot, nice beaches, tourist town feel, and everything is open to the outside. I particularly liked biking and running around, the urban chickens, paddleboarding, and sailing. And of course - the company. Here's to lifelong travel partners!

And finally ... our first trip in Miami in 2003: