3/13

We are in Louisville, about half a mile from Churchill Downs, which we want to visit tomorrow. Thursday, we stayed in Tuscaloosa and the only thing to report was that our motel breakfast was great: fresh fruit, including grapefruit halves. A real treat! Friday we made it to Nashville, and stayed Saturday. We stayed at a Ramada across the street from the Titans' stadium, which is very close to downtown. We drove around town Sat AM, before all the party animals took over Broadway. Spent time in the Frisk museum, which used to be a post office. Beautiful building! Then went to Belle Meade Plantation. We ate dinner at Union Station, which has been converted to a hotel. Magnificent building! We have visited great train stations in NY, DC, Phila, and Indy. This puts all of them to shame. If you go to Nashville and do not visit this site, you are missing a bet. You don't have to stay there or eat or drink there. Just walk through the public areas and marvel. Had a nice brunch at the plantation this AM before mushing on to Louisville, where we ate at Lynn's Paradise Cafe - purported to be one of the top 4 fun places in the US. Not sure what drugs Lynn and her designer were taking, but the place is indescribable. Apparently Bobby Flay did a Throw Down with Lynn at the restaurant, and she won. Crazy decorations, but very good food. We both had salads, and J really enjoyed her mint julep and bourbon ball milk shake.