Day 33: Travel Day
Welcome
Yesterday we drove from Kansas City, Missouri, to Nashville, Tennessee.
When we asked Gabe what he wanted to do on his birthday he replied that there was nothing he would rather do than spend nine hours in a van with us. This was an easy wish to grant as we had another 900km journey ahead of us to catch up with the National’s three buses and three semi-trucks that would have already arrived in Nashville by this point.
Gabe’s birthday cake was shaped like a glazed donut, and he received twelve of them in a cardboard box, an easy way to keep them safe throughout the day. He also received a brand-new knock-off pelican case from Harbour Freight, a hardy plastic container finished in International Safety Orange, which he can use to carry some of the bits and bobs from his professional audio rig.
We grabbed a quick breakfast to go from a Wholefoods Supermarket and my quartet of salads turned out to be astoundingly expensive. Bistro Pasta Salad, Smoked Mozzarella Pasta Salad, Marinated Collard Greens Salad, and Sesame Beetroot Salad were the four options I chose, and then ate in the back of the van as I balked at the money I had just parted with.
Our Ford Transit 350 carried us east across the state of Missouri and at St Louis we saw the Gateway Arch and we crossed the Mississippi River. Then we were driving through Illinois and heading southeast, crossing the Ohio River to enter Kentucky, and then eventually crossing into Tennessee where the State Capital of Nashville lies in the centre of this very wide and short state.
Gabe’s present to himself, a graspy camera tripod.
The Gateway Arch, St Louis.
Crossing the Cumberland River with Nashville’s skyline in the distance.
We didn’t waste any time once we had checked into the hotel, for there were still hours remaining in Gabe’s birthday, and there were still shrimps remaining in the city of Nashville. Liz had found a good-looking seafood restaurant where Gabe’s favourite food could be found in abundance and in this case, we enjoyed them in the context of a Cajun Seafood Boil which was served in plastic bags and then emptied out onto trays for us to pick over.
It took a long time to cleanse our hands of the Cajun and garlic butter sauces but eventually we left and headed towards the downtown to meet some of The National’s crew who were out for a drink. We found ourselves on Broadway, Nashville’s main drag at an establishment called Robert’s Western World which was busy and very lively for a Monday evening. A band was wailing away on the stage just inside the front door playing country and bluegrass, and after barged our way down to the back of the room we found our friends deep in the process of enjoying a day off. Some great yarns were had, accompanied by some expensive beers, and it was a fine way to end Gabe’s day of birthday celebrations.
Here is another submission for the Silver Souvenir, this time from Tristan, a very reasonably priced glass ornament to bring back to a loved one.
