Now that I'm in the airport I have some time to catch up writing. The first of the tails I have to share of my time in America is a road trip I took with my dad. We ventured to 3 states in 3 1/4 days, fortunately, my dad is a speedy driver.
Stop 1: St. Louis Arch
The trip started with the St. Louis Arch (or the Gateway Arch.) It's the nation's tallest monument at 630 ft, finished in 1965. There are cars running inside the arch on both sides that take you to the top (for $10.) The journey up takes place inside a small cart that fits 5 people, you are then slowly raised to the top where there is an observation deck. The view of St. Louis is pretty impressive. I was told on a good day you can see up to 30 miles away, it was a bit more overcast while I visited, but it was still a great view. When you feel like going down, simply wait for the next batch of carts to arrive and take them back down.
An overcast day at the Arch
Inside the Car Up...Not Much of a View
The View
Stop 2: Nashville
After the arch, we drove straight to Nashville for the night. There we enjoyed dinner and a show. The Wildhorse Saloon is a well-known establishment, featuring live bands, dancing, and plenty of food options
Some Decorations
The appetizers are a meal themselves! Chicken, Quesadillas, Fried Pickles, and Fried Green Tomatoes
Underneath this giant mound of onion straws is a molasses cooked steak, with a side of garlic mashed potatoes
The house band starts the night acoustic but the whole band plays later in the night
After dinner, we headed to see the Weir, Robinson & Greene Acoustic Trio at the Rymer Auditorium. It's a nice place to see a concert, lots of wide benches and good views in most of the areas, minus the far back of the bottom floor, where pillars pose a problem for some. The band played some Grateful Dead songs at the beginning, then split off into solo acts for another part of the concert. Overall a great first day of our small trip.