Winding my Way West

When you think about Nashville, you think about country music. But, the question is, do you think about Andrew Jackson? Amanda, my college friend and Murfreesboro tour guide, drove us to The Hermitage, Andrew Jackson's estate. They had a lovely audio walking tour (yay for not having to stop and read things when you are pressed for time!) and gardens with some of my favorite plants: zinnias and oregano!

Rear of The Hermitage

This morning, Kate and I left Amanda and hit the road to Missouri! Half way along the way, we finished our YA audiobook and returned it at one of the millions of Cracker Barrels we've seen along the way. Our adventures in MO have been among my favorite on the whole trip. I tried some genuine St. Louis pretzels and Frozen Custard at Ted Dewes, BUT best of all, I rode a little pod car with four other tourists to the top of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial (aka the St. Louis Arch or the Gateway to the West). So cool! We were 630 ft. in the air with a great view of the Mississippi (which we crossed a whopping 3 times today!), the baseball stadium (where a game was being played!), the Old Courthouse, and the St. Louis Cathedral.

View of stadium and the Old Courthouse from the top of the 630 ft arch!

Apparently we are in the West now!