Thanksgiving in Nashville

Happy Thanksgiving Day 2012

Wednesday
After a day of classes, Kelsey picked up me and Annabelle in her little beetle and we headed over to Nashville (about a 3 hour drive West) into central time zone. It was Kelsey's birthday last weekend so her mum, Melissa greeted us with pizza and birthday cake. We were also greeted by their two GIANT Corgis. I didn't even know corgis could get that big, but they were hyper and excited to see people from their homeland, so I spent the weekend conquering my fears with two dogs Maddie and Sophie who wouldn't leave me alone, think they could smell my fear! Me and Soph were best mates by Sunday...

Sophie, the world's largest Corgi

We went to the local $2 cinema with John, Kelsey's brother and his girlfriend Ashanti to see Looper. I hadn't heard of it before but it was a really good film.

Thursday
Happy Thanksgiving y'all! We convoyed with the family to Smithville where their great-aunt lived who was cooking us dinner. Kelsey had told us that they had a lot of money but I don't think me and Annabelle were quite prepared to arrive at a millionaires house with a swimming pool and gym in it. There were about 30 people round for dinner and there were still left overs so you can imagine how much food there was! Everyone was lovely and one of the uncles had been to Leeds before on business, small world!

Thanksgiving Dinner Home

Jade and Annabelle with Kelsey's parents and grandparents

Birthday, Murica Style

We also weren't prepared for the Delaney family tradition of toddling down the road for Thanksgiving dinner number 2 just a couple of hours later. We arrived at Kelsey's grandma & grandad, Carol and Tucker(!)'s house just down the road which of course had a swimming pool too. Carol had made a full dinner, which nobody could eat because we were still full, as well as not one, or two, but three Birthday cakes for Kelsey! So we had tea and cake by the pool whilst playing Trivial Pursuit and a cheeky game of Bingo. Ha it was one of those 'how did I end up here' moments, they seem to happen to me a lot recently ;)

Thanksgiving afternoon by the pool

Friday
It's bound to be a good day when it starts with Thanksgiving dinner leftovers for breakfast. The day after Thanksgiving is called 'Black Friday' and is like our boxing day; all the shops open at crazy o'clock and there are sales everywhere. We were too tired to get up, but still managed to grab some bargains from Urban Outfitters. Some things never change, still love a bargain more than ever!
We made our way to the main street, Broadway and somehow managed to spend nearly all day there just being excited and taking pictures of everything. It's a strip of cowboy boot shops, tat shops, cafes, restaurants and bars with live music, but it's got such a great atmosphere. I'd love to go back and have a night out there...when I'm old enough! The only other thing we had time to do Downtown was go to the Country Music Hall of Fame, we didn't go round the museum, just had an apple cider and did some people watching in there.

Big Boots Shop

 

Annabelle, Kelsey, Jade - Downtown Nashville

We then went to meet Kelsey's friend Jasmine, who I met in Manchester and her friend Walker who's dad is from York! Yet again, small world. They wanted to show us the Parthenon; some giant monument that's like something from Rome, it looks so random in the middle of Nashville. Then the best bit came when we drove to Gaylord (hehe) Opryland hotel to see their Christmas lights - check it out, it is beautiful! www.gaylordhotels.com/gaylord-opryland/index.html We stopped on our way back at an American Diner called Logan's.

Opryland Hotel

Nashville, Country music capital

Saturday
Guess what I had for breakfast? Thanksgiving leftovers, again! We drove out to East Nashville at lunch time and met Kelsey's friends, Hunter and Kara who go to Uni in New Orleans for a spot of boutique shopping and a coffee stop! It was really good to see the little neighbourhoods, rather than staying in the city centre all the time. Hunter and Kara are in a band, so we went back to theirs for pizza, a few beers and then went to watch them play at a gig. Not my cup of tea (punky time music) but it was a good laugh and we met up with some other people who go to UT in Knoxville. We finished the night in a good old American way...at Waffle House! So so good.

Hotdog Van!

Sunday
It only feels right to tell you what I had for my breakfast on the final day too. English muffins and English breakfast tea! Kelsey's mum had gone on a special mission to Aldi to buy them for me and Annabelle. We all headed over to Carol and Tucker's again for a 'back to school' dinner. On Thursday we'd somehow got talking about how we'd never made a Gingerbread House, so grandma only went and bought us the stuff to make one whilst she put the Christmas tree up! Christmas is coming...

Gingerbread House in working progress

Celebratory Milkshake for our Union Jack Gingerbread House

 So, I definitely must have gained about a stone this weekend, but I've had a great first Thanksgiving and hoping I get to experience it again someday.