Batter Up!

If you ever stay at The Brown Hotel, I recommend you spend a bit more and stay in a Club Level room. This allows you use of the Club Room for breakfast in the morning and in the evening beer, wine and hors d'sources (didn't look it up, his how's my spelling?). Very relaxing and great chance to meet folks from around the country.

From the Club Room on Saturday morning we put on our walking shoes and headed towards the Ohio River, which is parallel by Main Street in downtown Louisville. The walk took us past some great older buildingsand it was very clean, though pretty empty at 10ish.

Turning west on Main we arrived at our destination about a mile from our hotel. (Sidebar, seems all of our walks on this trip have been about a mile, though unlike Nashville, Louisville is pretty flat. End sidebar.)

The Hillerich & Bradsby factory and museum.

Baseball fans know this is the home of the famed Louisville Slugger bat manufacturer, the preferred bat of many major league players for close to one hundred years.

Fantastic place, almost like the Baseball Hall of Fame. The short tour showed how bats used to be made and how they are made today. While place smelled like sawdust, which I liked. One of my favorite things was the wall that was covered with the signatures, burned into wood just like on the bats, of every major leaguer who has had a signature Louisville Slugger (below my Dad's hero and one of mine). 

 Whether you are a baseball fan or not I recommend a cost.

A few blocks to the east of the bat factory and museum is the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience. Heaven Hill, owner of the Evan Williams brand, has built a Disney like tour using interactive videos and short tour to give the history of Evan Williams, first licensed distiller in Kentucky, which was pretty good. The pay off is the small tasting at the end where we received three samples, about one-quarter ounce each. Of the three we sampled one, the Evan Williams biggest brand, was not good, one, the single barrel was pretty good, and the third, Larceny was okay--not great--to my tastes.

Hoofing back to the hotel we stopped for some lunch (soup and salad, because my sister likes to know). We relaxed in the room and plotted our stategery for the Bourbon Trail and dinner options. 

One more cocktail in the bar eavesdropping on the many different wedding parties starting at The Brown, then up to the Club Room for some bites and beer for me and wine for Leslie refreshed.

We got the car out of the garage with the intent to head up river to eat at a fish type place on a creek that does into the Ohio. On our way up the interstate going along the river we saw Louisville Slugger Field and a game was in progress. We quickly pulled off the freeway and found out way into the park where the Louisville Bats were hosting the Toledo Mudhens (M*A*S*H fans will recall that the Mudhens are the team of Col Klinger).

I had the bologna stack (Bologna cooked on the grill with grilled onions on white bread), growing up on fried and barbecued Bolognese I couldn't pass it up. Leslie had a really good hot dog. A few beers, a beautiful night, and the Bats win a well pitched game 1-0.

A night cap in the bar with a piece of the famous Derby Pie and our day was full and complete.

Sunday we see Churchill Downs and start bourbon tasting in earnest.

The huge bat outside Louisville Slugger 

 My hero growing up

 Dad's hero

Along Main Street the Walk of Fame, bat and engraved
home plate of many proficient players who used Louisville Sluggers

Our tasting flight at Evan Williams

A great night at the ballpark

I just like how the flag is backlit, 

bridge over Ohio River to Indiana in background

Derby Pie

The Brown Hotel is very old, lobby phone

American Lion and the Hot Brown

Nashville was a lot of fun, but time to move on. We had reservations at the iconic Brown Hotel in Louisville and on the way wanted to stop by General Andrew Jackson's home, The Hermitage (we learned Jackson preferred to be called General rather than President, even when in office).

Also on Friday we picked up our chariot for the road trip, a Chevy Malibu. I know it's hard, but don't get jealous.

The Hermitage is about twenty minutes outside of downtown Nashville and the grounds consist of about 90% of the original grounds of his farm. After going through the exhibit hall with separate spaces for his career as a general and as a politician we toured the main house. The exhibits were great and very informational. Reading why and how he entered politics, reluctantly and to break Washington of the too cozy relationships between the nation's elected leaders and the monied interests dictating policies and laws, I thought it sounds a bit familiar to today, without the reluctant part.

The main house has been carefully restored and most of the original wall coverings and furnishings are intact. Outside are his wife Rachel's gardens and cemetery for family and tomb for Andrew and Rachel. We walked around for a bit then grabbed a bite in the restaurant (a tasty slow cooked pork with slaw sandwich for me and grilled chicken with Dijonaise sandwich for Leslie) then pointed the Malibu towards Louisville, about three hours away up the I-65.

I had heard about The Brown Hotel from an associate. Well not so much about the hotel as the "Hot Brown," more about that later. Her description of the Hot Brown caused me to make a reservation. When we entered the second floor lobby I felt like I had teleported back many decades. Marble, paneled ceilings, period furniture, it is beautiful. As we checked in for our night I immediately asked about staying one more night, so we are here until Sunday.

After some refreshments in the Club Room to wash away the road dust we went to the lobby bar for cocktails and dinner (the dining room and reduced bar menu are both available in the bar).

We are in Kentucky. The bar whiskey menu has fifty-seven bourbons and about twenty additional whiskeys and ryes (Leslie might have rolled her eyes when I proudly commented I thought I had eleven from the list in the bar at home). Pre-dinner Manhattan and Old Fashion were quite tasty, more so due to the setting and my companion.

I needed no menu ordering, I was having the famous Hot Brown, Leslie went for the open faced steak sandwich with a fried egg on top.

About the Hot Brown. On top of Texas Toast roasted turkey is piled, Mornay sauce is poured over the top and then two pieces of bacon are added, two tomato quarters are added and the dish is put under the broiler.

Let me give you a moment.

If you are ever within one hundred miles....get a Hot Brown.

Today we'll explore Louisville and report back to you.

 General Andrew and Rachel Jackson's tomb in The Hermitage garden

Honoring Jackson's service in the American Revolutionary War, he was 13 when he joined the militia and later was captured and held as prisoner of war

Honoring his service in the War of 1812 which have him national prominence

The Hermitage gardens has an abundance of butterflies

Leslie overlooking the lobby bar of The Brown Hotel

Manhattan backed by an Old Fashion

The Hot Brown

The Commodore and the Man in Black

A rather slow start to our day, most likely due to the two hour time difference from home and nothing to do with consuming Budweisers until after midnight. Yes, most likely the time change.

After finally getting in some shape to explore a bit of Nashville, courtesy of coffee and waffles at the sumptuous Best Western breakfast buffet, and some income producing work for both of us, Leslie and I headed out. The high heat and humidity had dissipated and with a cool breeze we walked to Vanderbilt University. There were two reasons for the visit, one I just wanted to see it, and two Vandy has sent some introductory marketing pieces to our oldest last year. Our timing was perfect, just as we walked into the admissions office a presentation was starting for a large group of parents and high school students interested in attending Vandy.

Sitting there listening to the very good and enthusiastic presentation I kept thinking about how in a couple of years we'll have a high school senior going through the application process and the amount of decisionsto be made between them and now. Such as what direction she wants to go. Small stuff like that.

Fun facts, a student a few years ago counted the squirrels on campus. The squirrel to student ratio is 3:1, we weren't sure if that is 3:1 undergraduates, or 3:1 undergrads and graduate students. So there are either about 18,000 or 33,000 squirrels. The stat was provided as a way of telling us that Vanderbilt is a national arboretum and has on campus every tree known in the state. You can even take a tree tour.

Next on our list was the Country Music Hall of Fame. But first lunch. In our walk to Vandy we passed a couple of establishments, including side-by-side bars called "Winners" and "Losers", one of which caught my eye, The Slider House. Fantastic. We each had two sliders, Leslie having a traditional burger with bacon and caramelized onions, and a hot chicken**, I also had a hot chicken and the Bay of Pigs, the pigs being smoked pork and country ham. **hot chicken is a Nashville thing, the hot spicy seasoning is added to the batter or coating before frying, delicious.

After walking back to the hotel to stop off our bag of Vandy material we Ubered to the Country Music Hall of Fame. We got there at 3:30, it closed at 5:00, so we browsed the gift shop and bookstore until 4:00 to get discounted tickets.

With only an hour we had to use some strategery, and decided our first exhibit would be one in Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan. I'm not a music a music afficianado, I don't remember who sings what songs, can't remember lyric (though have no issues making them up which sometimes makes the girls say I'm weird...) so the learning experience was very appreciated.

The exhibit on Dylan and Cash was fascinating. The two are credited with causing Nashville to be labelled Music City. Cash for his take-it-or-leave-it demand when negotiating for his television show that it be filmed at the Ryman Auditorium, home of the Grand Ole Opry, and Dylan for not only recording in Nashville but using local musicians and giving them credit on his albums. Dylan was a guest on Cash's first show and the two became close friends. Whether you like country music or not I highly recommend a visit to the Country Hall of Fame--and a trip to Nashviille.

For dinner we Ubered to Elliston Place Soda Shop, the oldest restaurant in Nashville in the same location. Stepping in was like stepping back several decades in time. I had to have a milkshake--which was about a two and a half size serving, to accompany my slaw dog and Leslie had the fried catfish filets. On the way back to the hotel we walked to Winners for some whiskey and then took a Joy Ride cart to another bar a block from the hotel for one more sip before hitting the sack.

One thing about Nashville, we enjoyed walking about but if you are planning on it be ready for hills; not quite as extreme as San Francisco but quite a few none the less.

I'm writing this from the beautiful Brown Hotel in Louisville, details on that journey tomorrow.

Smoky's Bandit at Country Music Hall of Fame

Cornelius "The Commodore" Vanderbilt

Don't tell Leslie but we are going here for lunch when we return to Nashville at the end of our trip

Elliston Place Soda Shop, timeless

Music City

Last summer I felt something missing. The prior three summers Leslie and I had driven to Minnesota to pick the girls up from camp. Engaging in the Great American Roadtrip each summer, taking different routes to and from Minnesota, seeing some beautiful parts of our wonderful country.

Last summer however the girls flew home from Camp Birchwood, and instead of driving across half the USA Leslie and I drove up to San Luis Obispo where we meandered around the Central Coast for several days. When we got home Leslie said, "well there's your road trip."

To which I replied, "it was about four thousand miles short..."

With camp and school schedules, plus the girls not wanting to be gone for five weeks, we are again not driving to Minnesota. I spent most of the winter cajoling, bargaining, bribing to no avail, the girls were against a week in the car driving home--I even suggested we drive them there. No Dad!

Not wanting another summer without a substantial roadie Leslie suggested we take off and have our own road trip. When I enthusiastically agreed I asked where she wanted to go.

"Let's do a bourbon tour."

How much do I love this woman? She's stuck with me for almost twenty-one years and comes up with a vacation that entails riding in a car with me for days as I search out one whiskey distillery after another, with the occaisional barbecue joint thrown in from time to time (okay day to day).

After hugging her and professing my undying love, I hit the internet to research flights and routes.

All of which resulted in my typing this on my Kindle sitting in room 312 of the Best Western Plus Music Row in Nashville. A bit bleary eyed and slow of thought following our night carousing on Honky Tonk Row last evening.

Living up to its moniker "Music City", the Honky Tonk Row area of Nashville is door to door bars and restaurants with live music. Walking almost the length of Broadway, the main street, we crossed to walk back up the other side in search of a place for dinner when I looked to the end of the block and saw a neon sign with a neon chicken spinning on top.

"That's where we are going for dinner."

"Where?"

"The place with the spinning chicken?"

"What? What 'spinning chicken' ?"

"There, the 'Acme' sign with the chicken spinning on top."

"Oh, okay."

The Acme Seed & Feed was packed, a pretty good band was playing on the stage and when we entered we were handed a menu card and told, "order there and then find your own seat, it is communal seating."

After ordering (beer braised pork tacos for Leslie and beef brisket sandwich for me) Leslie grabbed two spots at the bar where we remained for a couple of hours enjoying our dinners and several local brews from the taps while listening to the band.


At one point I was ready to explore more of the Row but Leslie said she wanted another cold beer before going out in the heat and humidity--it was 90+ when we landed at 5:30 and by 9:00 had not cooled off much and the sticky was still hanging around, so much so that when we left Acme S&F my glasses fogged going from the a/c to the heat outside.

We meandered back up Broadway, bought some postcards, listening to the music coming out of door after door. We were walking past a boot store and Leslie pulled up, "buy one pair get two free.." and wandered inside.

The place smelled great, floor to ceiling leather boots in all sizes for men and women. Leslie began touching, she's a tactile shopper, and commenting on what boots would look good on the girls, how Blaire now is about the same size as she is, trying  on a few pairs. I looked around the store and said, "you notice there are two men looking at boots and about 15 women?"

Must be the two free pair of boots.

We left bootless.

A few doors down I heard a pretty good band and we walked into the Whiskey Bent Saloon. As soon as we grabbed a couple of beers the bad stopped playing and began breaking down. Ten o'clock and time for the next band to take the stage. After a few cover songs by the new band that consisted of three guys looking like good ole country boys and their dad on drums a tall guy takes the stage looking like a white rapper with hat backward, sleeveless t-shirt, big cross on a necklace, chunky large watch on one wrist and bracelet on the other. He starts to sing and he has a great country voice. It was Michael Scott who has recorded a few records, sung with several bigger country names and was a great entertainer.

After a few more beers, perhaps a few too many, we left around midnight I think. We hopped into what amounted to a extra seating golf cart for a ride back to the hotel where the driver said the cost was only a tip. It is a great system to keep the drunks off the road in Nashville as they have several of these "Joy Ride" carts in operation.

What a great introduction to the Music City.

Unlike LAX only one trash can, not 4 different recycling options

Welcome to Music City

Honky Tonk Row

It was the spinning chicken that lured me in like the Lorelei

You know you are in the south when the add over the urinal is for accessorize your pick up 

Michael Scott and his boys at the Whiskey Bent Saloon

When was the last time anyone saw one of these in California? $8 a pack?

Monkey See Monkey Do: Or Get New Monkeys

Psychology 101

If you start with a cage containing five monkeys and inside the cage, hang a banana on a string from the top and then you place a set of stairs under the banana, before long a monkey will go to the stairs and climb toward the banana.

As soon as he touches the stairs, you spray all the other monkeys with cold water.

After a while another monkey makes an attempt with same result ... all the other monkeys are sprayed with cold water.

Pretty soon when another monkey tries to climb the stairs, the other monkeys will try to prevent it.

Now, put the cold water away.

Remove one monkey from the cage and replace it with a new one.

The new monkey sees the banana and attempts to climb the stairs. To his shock, all of the other monkeys beat the "tar" out of him. After another attempt and attack, he knows that if he tries to climb the stairs he will be assaulted.

Next, remove another of the original five monkeys, replacing it with a new one.

The newcomer goes to the stairs and is attacked. The previous newcomer takes part in the punishment...... with enthusiasm, because he is now part of the "team".

Then, replace a third original monkey with a new one, followed by the fourth, then the fifth. Every time the newest monkey takes to the stairs he is attacked.

Now, the monkeys that are beating him up have no idea why they were not permitted to climb the stairs.

Neither do they know why they are participating in the beating of the newest monkey.

Finally, having replaced all of the original monkeys, none of the remaining monkeys will have ever been sprayed with cold water. Nevertheless, not one of the monkeys will try to climb the stairway for the banana.

Why, you ask? Because in their minds...that is the way it has always been!

This, my friends, is how Congress operates... and this is why, from time to time: ALL of the monkeys need to be REPLACED AT THE SAME TIME.

Your Congressional Representative?