Day trippin'

Outside of Nashville, "14 miles and 100 years", is the small, historical town of Franklin, Tennessee. It has a 16 block National Register district full of boutiques, restaurants, historical homes and art galleries.

It is also home to the Franklin Theatre opened in 1937. Many national acts, and not just country, perform here.

One of the most famous places to visit in Franklin is Puckett's Grocery and Restaurant. Puckett's started as a grocery store in the small town of Leiper's Fork and is thought to be the model for Cracker Barrel where you can get homestyle food and shop all in one place. My lunch of fried chicken, squash casserole and green beans was delicious!

Visit in the evenings for live music by up and coming local groups with a cover charge of $12 and a full bar available.

Our hotel for the weekend was the beyond ginormous Gaylord Resort and Convention Center,  also known as Opryland hotel. This is the epicenter of the Gaylord Entertainment Group which also includes the General Jackson showboat, Opry Mills Mall (both located next door to the hotel) and the Grand Ole Opry, which is a short walk away.

This place is so big that they have employees stationed around the hotel to help those that get lost - and you are given a map at check-in. There are 17 restaurants, an indoor pool, outdoor pool, a boat ride down a model of the Mississippi River and an atrium that I can't even describe.(The boat ride does cost extra and it is a whopping $20 for parking - but be aware that if you eat at one of the restaurants they will validate your parking for you)

It really is something to see!