i got into Nashville saturday night around 5 pm, and had a great time celebrating my friend Eric's birthday. he had a bunch of friends over (coincidentally enough, several UNC people i knew who had moved to Nashville) and we hung out all night at the apt, and then they took me on a quick tour of downtown Nashville (the honky-tonk saloons, lower broadway, and music row.)all i have to say is that A) nashville is way cooler than i expected, and B) my friend eric and jess are amazing hosts.
i drove yesterday from 10 am to 11 pm (luckily i keep gaining hours as i move west into new time zones... didn't count on that!) but there were thunderstorms sporadically last night over most of Oklahoma, and i decided to stay at a cheap hotel instead. i feel sad i decided not to camp at the first hint of a little rain... but no more hotels from now on!
the actual driving part so far has been great, ESPECIALLY planning the music for each day. saturday i started off with the original cast of EVITA, Les Miserables, A New Brain, Closer than Ever, and HAIR. Sunday i listened through Kurt Weill's Street Scene (twice), a lot of Berlioz, Frank Zappa, Mahler 1, and underscored the sunset over arkansas with Brahm's Requiem (came on my stereo RIGHT as my turned a corner and passed a sign that said: Braum's ICE-CREAM, next exit!) today i think will be a foray into high school years... with Jamiroquai's new album, ben folds, some sly and the family stone, and maybe some... Beethoven? also, it's been really nice reconnecting with some old friends over the phone.
on Saturday, while driving through the Blue Ridge mountains on I-40, i randomly stopped to give my car some rest, and i found this tiny organic restaurant/coffee shop/bar called "Bean Trees Cafe, on the river front. i realized i had just crossed over the Tennessee border into a "no-horse" town
called Hartford. It seemed really out of the place, and advertised "hot beer, lousy food, and bad service." i would highly recommend it to anyone traveling the same route.The next stop is albuquerque, NM. i'm going to actually get to rest and have time to hang out. i'm seeing my friend John Skillman (who just started his masters for trombone performance atUNM,) and my cousins Charles and Georgia. i am leaving oklahoma city in a few minutes, and trying to make it to Albuquerque by 6 pm (luckily in mountain time!)
When i get the time (hopefully on tuesday,) i will post more pictures and a sort of list or itinerary of my travels.
These are pictures from Eric's
birthday party. as you can tell, it was pretty wild.
And this quote was written on the wall at Bean Trees Cafe.
PS: sorry the layout of the posts are still a little funky... still getting used to it.
2 comments:
Nice blogging, Dave. Keep the updates coming! But a hotel instead of camping? Did it even rain? WUSS!! J/K. Of course you have to make the call for comfort sometimes in order to preserve your strength for tomorrows travels!
Argh! now I have to go home and obsessively listen to 'Hair' for the next week. Thanks a whole lot. I was doing JUST fine with obsessively listening to the Cirque De Soleil Beatles mix. *grouse* *grumble* I highly recommend if you stay in another cheap motel, you ask the proprietor if they have any of the following items available to you: 1. European electrical adapters 2. black candles 3. bolt cutters. 4. toothpaste. Trust me, you'll get great service.
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