I woke up in Nashville! It was certainly hospitable for the very short duration of time that we were there. I really enjoyed the atmosphere and we lingered a little while this morning just soaking it all up. I made coffee and we each selected our own breakfast from either leftovers or easy grab and go items we have stocked. Knowing we would be on the road for a couple of hours, I dressed in my workout attire in hopes to hit an earlier workout. Failing to plan is planning to fail!
We started heading South towards Alabama. The temptation of stopping along the way for each whiskey distillery sign that taunted us was strong. When we passed the Jack Daniels sign, Tyler quickly looked up the location and saw that it would add another 39 miles to our route one way. With the luck we had yesterday, we didn’t want to risk the detour to have it be closed, so we drove on.
Just after the Alabama state line was a welcome center which we decided to stop at. Many of these states have very neat welcome centers offering not only restrooms and vending machines but also brochures, maps, monuments, and historical information. Since we weren’t able to stop for the state line sign, we used this opportunity to have the kids get out for a few pictures before continuing on our way.
Cullman, AL was our destination for the night and we arrived in good time. We looked for a place to park for a while so Tyler could continue to work and finish out his day. We also were hoping to find a park or somewhere suitable to workout before it got any warmer. It has been so HOT. It’s not necessarily the temperature that causes it to be warm, it’s the humidity. We drove around for a bit and found a nice park with some shade we could workout in. Before we left on this trek, we started our whole family out on a nutrition plan. It wasn’t forced, but the kids wanted to join Tyler and me so we jumped at their excitement and rolled with it. They continue to crush their workouts and although we have splurged a few times while on the road, we have tried to stay grounded on our macros. I took some pictures today at their request and did a side by side to show them their progress and these kids are nailing it!
While at the park, we worked out and when we finished Tyler was speaking with a few clients by phone outside of the trailer, he had a nice lady pull up next to him and ask if we were traveling. When he nodded, she asked if we were broke down or needed anything. How kind is that?
Cullman has been hospitable. We made it to our Harvest Host for the night and set up. Tonight we are staying at Goat Island Brewing. We are situated between two Giant RV’s. After supporting the establishment for a short while, we decided to unhook the trailer and find the best BBQ in town as recommended by one of the locals. When we got there, we learned it was carryout only. Fortunately, a quick call in to order, we were driving away with food in hand within 15 minutes. Together we shared ribs, beans, mac n cheese, and their famous potato salad. We also tried hush puppies and fried pickle chips. The food was delicious, though the potato salad was not like what we are used to. That side was not our favorite!
Today, during our drive, Tyler and I have turned on the Southern accent to annoy the children. We have accomplished our mission and they have begged us to stop. It is so fun to get under their skin, I think we will keep it around for the long haul!
Tomorrow we will be heading West through Mississippi. We are hoping to be in Branson, MO by Thursday. We will likely make the longer part of the trip tomorrow and only have a few more hours to finish off on Thursday.
I will be sad to leave Cullman, AL tomorrow. The town has all the small town feels, but also has large town amenities. Some of the beauty in our travels is seeing so many different places that we would never otherwise see. In the meanwhile, I will be making my list of places I hope to return to someday!
The Church Hideout 