Texas 2023:
Day 24 - Nashville


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Texas 2023: [Day 1 - Tulsa] [Day 2 - Lawton] [Day 3-4 - Lubbock] [Day 5 - El Paso] [Day 6-7 - Davis Mountains SP] [Day 8 - Big Bend NP] [Day 9 - Seminole Canyon SP] [Day 10 - Falcon SP] [Day 11-14 - South Padre Island] [Day 15-16 - Goose Island SP] [Day 17 - Houston] [Day 18 - Stephen F. Austin SP] [Day 19-20 - McKinney Falls SP] [Day 21 - Arlington] [Day 22 - Cooper Lake SP] [Day 23 - Crater of Diamonds SP] [Day 24 - Nashville] [Day 25 - Heading Home]


Monday, February 13, 2023: We woke early to sun coming through the open mesh top of our tent. It had gotten down to 38°F overnight, but our tent never got below 59°F even though the roof was open. We love our space heater.
We were packed up and leaving the park before 8:00 AM. One of our favorite things about staying in state parks is how often we see deer in the morning.
As we made our way through Murfreesboro, we saw all kinds of businesses with names reminding their possible patrons that they were near the diamond field.
Check out the rainbow colors on the Shamrock Motel sign!
It was a beautiful day for a long drive, ...
... and was even better after we stopped at McDonald's for breakfast.
As we neared Hot Springs, Arkansas, we saw Best Court Cottages, a gorgeous, well-maintained, old-style motor court.
We saw the Central Theater, ...
... and then the Malco Theater.
We parked in a lot near the Hot Springs National Park Administration Building. It had coin-operated parking meters and we were delighted to use some of our nickles to pay for parking.
After we crossed the street, we saw this broken National Park Service disk embedded in the sidewalk. It looks like a snowblower might have eaten the other half.
This moss-covered fountain was fed by water in the underground hot springs, and it was steaming slightly in the cool morning air.
This sobering display was a tribute to the first National Park ranger murdered in the line of service.
We were here to see the Stephen Mather plaque in the reception area of the administration building, and were disappointed to find that the building was closed to the public. The sign on the door said that it was the offices of Congressman Bruce Westerman, and was open only by appointment. Not wanting to leave without seeing the plaque for a second time, Debbie called the phone number on the sign and told the woman who answered the phone why we were here, who then asked an NPS employee to come down and let us in.
We waited outside for just a few minutes, ...
... and a nice NPS employee opened the door. When we remarked that it was an odd request, she smiled and said that it wasn't that odd, because it had happened before. The Mather plaque was right inside, just a few feet from the door.
There was a small sign underneath the plaque explaining how Mather had gotten the job as the first Director of the National Park Service.
Having photographed the plaque, we walked up the street, passing the Lamar building that houses the gift shop, ...
... and made our way to the Fordyce Bathhouse hoping to see the Visitor Center. Unfortunately, it was still closed, just like the last time we were here.
We walked back toward the parking lot, admiring the crocuses blooming along the sidewalk.
Back at the van, we decided to fill one of our water jugs with water from the hot springs. This time, we were prepared for the temperature of the water.
We left the national park and continued eastward, driving through Little Rock, Arkansas, and eventually passing through Memphis, Tennessee. We passed the Hatchie National Wildlife Refuge near Brownsville, Tennessee, ...
... and missed the sign for the Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge just before crossing the Tennessee River/Kentucky Lake, ...
... on the Jimmy Evans Memorial Bridge.
Just after 3:30 PM, we crossed the Cumberland River, ...
... and stopped at the Opry Mills Mall in Nashville, Tennessee.
This is the only LEGO Store in Tennessee, ...
... and they had a giant Clutchers Baseball Player minifigure in the front window.
We spent some time filling two small cups at the Pick & Build wall, and then Debbie went to check out the Build-a-Minifigure station. She found the pink wig that she'd been looking for, so we spent some time picking out enough pieces to fill a minifigure pack as well.
Their Build-a-Minifigure station was sorted by piece type, with separate containers holding legs, torsos, heads, and accessories. We really appreciated the extra effort from the store staff to do this, since it makes looking for specific pieces much easier.
Back in the van, Debbie photographed her loot. We were thrilled to find the big yellow support pieces at this store, since we hadn't seen them in most of the stores in Texas.
As we left the mall, our route took us by the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center, which is an absolutely huge building, ...
... and the Cock of the Walk restaurant, which we'd eaten at on previous trips here in 1998 and 2001.
It was eerily vacant as we drove by on our way ...
... to the Nashville KOA right next door, our destination for this day.
We had booked a one room cabin for the night. It had a queen size mattress and two bunk beds, ...
... with a small table and refrigerator under the window by the door.
This was the first KOA cabin we have ever been disappointed by. The windows were filthy, they had broken screens, and the door was warped so badly that there was nearly half an inch of space between the door and the frame: all the space in the world for flying bugs to come right in. We put our heavy clothing duffelbag against the door to try to keep it closed, and plugged in our USB-powered bug zapper to deal with any stray bugs. We smiled every time we heard it crackling as it got one.
Dinner was Sweet & Sour Rice and Chicken with hot chocolate for dessert.

Day 25 >


Texas 2023: [Day 1 - Tulsa] [Day 2 - Lawton] [Day 3-4 - Lubbock] [Day 5 - El Paso] [Day 6-7 - Davis Mountains SP] [Day 8 - Big Bend NP] [Day 9 - Seminole Canyon SP] [Day 10 - Falcon SP] [Day 11-14 - South Padre Island] [Day 15-16 - Goose Island SP] [Day 17 - Houston] [Day 18 - Stephen F. Austin SP] [Day 19-20 - McKinney Falls SP] [Day 21 - Arlington] [Day 22 - Cooper Lake SP] [Day 23 - Crater of Diamonds SP] [Day 24 - Nashville] [Day 25 - Heading Home]

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