Best Life

 After a late start this morning (we both slept late) we decided not to hang around Decatur but to head straight to Nashville.  Way more things to do and see and we hoped to arrive in time for a quick tour of the area. Our welcome to Tennessee came in the form of a chicken. And then there were many more chickens being taken out for a joy ride. Lots of green hills and mountains.  Then we found the people!  According to Google there is an average of 46,000 visitors a day for a total spending of $30.7 million a day!  After taking a two hour bus tour, I believe it.  According to the guide the population is doubling every two years with 100 people moving here every day.  Every day. So many bars, restaurants, museums, hotels, theaters and shops.  Some cool facts we learned:     -the body of the Capitol building architect is buried in the corner of one of the concrete walls,     -businesses in the area have to design their buildings a...

We have made it to Decatur, Alabama.  And what a road trip that was!  We chose back roads for most of the drive.  Everything was green. there were plenty of hills (some even had warning signs that the hill blocked the view of the road so - HINT - be careful) and strange sightings.  We even saw a guy changing his gas price sign while wearing a holstered gun.  I guess you never know when you might need it!  Par for the course down here.  We also noticed the only out of state plates were from Tennessee.  Not a tourist hot spot for sure! Towns came with names unlike any I had ever heard - Arkadelphia, Smoke Rise, Sweet Gum Head, Opp.  And the commercials!  A definite red state.  Every politician had a gun or rifle in hand and some even shot at objects.  Very, very red.                                  In all fairness these girls were...

  Barely 70 degrees with a wind chill in the mid 50s - we essentially had the beach to ourselves this morning.  A few kids in the water with parents huddled in blankets.  Some dog owners.  Siri had no rain predicted but I had my doubts.  Our destination - the pier just over a mile down the beach. The pier - super crowded with very dedicated people fishing.  The wind was even stronger up high and most were wearing multiple layers.  We didn't stay long. Across from the pier is the tourist trap - The Pier Park.  Surf shops, restaurants, candy stores and a ferris wheel.  There were more people wandering than I would have guessed in the cold, and now drizzling rain.  Being early Sunday morning though many shops were not even open yet. A lazy afternoon watching movies since even the heated pool could not entice us. Another brilliant sunset on our last night in Panama City Beach. The plan - tomorrow we start the inland drive towards Tennessee....