A Day of Rest

We've been on the road for a long time. It's been a really good time, but long nonetheless. So today we decided we needed time to recoup before beginning some long stretches of driving over the next couple of days.

Sleeping until you wake up rather than being woken by the alarm is the perfect start to the day. Since last night was late, we also slept late this morning. A long shower and a light late breakfast and we headed out to see a few sights. It was already late morning but it felt so good to not be in a rush. We stepped outside into sunshine and wind. The Opryland Hotel is just down the street so we began there. What a fun place! We walked around enjoying the beautiful indoor gardens, waterfalls, and canals. Watched the water show, did a little shopping, ate lunch and finished with a HaagenDas ice cream cone. Doug always needs to test chocolate chip ice cream to see if it is up to par. It was.

Next stop was the Grand Ole Opry. It was closed but at least we can say we saw it.

The seventh president of the United States, General Andrew Jackson, had his home here in Nashville. He named it the Hermitage and it is a beautiful old southern plantation. The home is filled with original furnishings, wallpaper, and art work. The family owned the home until it was sold to the preservation group in the 1890's which is why there is so much of the original furnishings in the home. One of Jackson's slaves, although freed during the Civil War, lived on the property until 1901 and was a tour guide when the home opened to the public. It would have been so fun to have him give you a tour. I'm sure there would have been much to learn from his stories. He is buried in the family cemetery which is on the property.

The tours of old houses, battlefields, monuments and memorials has been very informative. We've had glimpses into the lifestyle of another time and, really, of another culture. It's been thought-provoking. We have much to be thankful for to those who founded and built our country. But we also should learn from the mistakes of those that have gone before us. Understanding where our country has come from, both the good and the bad, should help us make better decisions for the future. We found ourselves sitting in front of the slave quarters at the Hermitage contemplating how slavery was ever justified. Trying to understand how people could own other people and think it was okay. The enormous wealth and lavish lifestyle of plantation owners was dependent on the labor of slaves. What an impact this aspect of our history has on our society today. We have found ourselves bewildered by men like Thomas Jefferson who wrote that 'all men are created equal' yet was a slave owner. I guess we all justify things in our lives. It does cause us to contemplate human behavior, sin and self-justification. No answers, just lots of questions.

Well, after all that thinking and contemplation, it was time to do some necessary grocery shopping in preparation for long travel days. Once the food was put away in the cooler, Doug picked up some dinner and we are now watching the play-off game between the Indians and Red Sox. A good ending to a good day. Well, the good ending part may depend on who wins the game. :)