Gettin’ Carried Away

I’m sitting in my hotel room in Nashville, Tennessee. It’s my first day here, and I just finished exploring the city. I have come to the realization that Nashville is a one-day kind of place to visit. Here’s why:

• It’s a pretty small town, and the downtown area is very concentrated.
• You pretty much have to walk everywhere. The MTA public transportation system is not really tourist-friendly, especially if you are staying in the outskirts of the city, like I am. Plus, cabs seem to come around more frequently at night. During the day, you’ll probably have to call for one.
• If you like historical landmarks and country music, you would love to spend a few days here. But if you do, my advice is to rent a car, because not many sights are situated around the city center, not directly downtown

Don’t get me wrong… I am having a lot of fun in Nashville! However, if I had to plan this vacation all over again, I would fly to Nashville, rent a car and drive to Memphis for a day, as well. But since I’m only going to be staying in Nashville for a few days, I am going to take my time and really take in all that the city has to offer.

First stop… the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum!

Each year, many of us hear people talk about their New Year’s resolutions to lose weight, to spend more time with their families or even to watch less television. In 2009, perhaps you can make one resolution that takes care of everything in one feel swoop: travel!

~* In 2009, I’ve planned trips to Nashville, New Orleans and London… so far! *~

Think about it…

Example #1
If you are a busy career mom who stores up plenty of vacation days and never uses them… stop that! Plan a little getaway for your family. Floridians, head north and stay a ski resort in Minnesota or Colorado. New Yorkers, fly south for the winter and lay out on the beach in Florida or Mexico. Get the family together and explore new places. When you’re outside, you can’t watch TV. And this is also a chance to try interesting cuisines. An occasional hot dog or hamburger is okay, but try something new… sushi, salads and more!

Example #2
After all the hustle and bustle of the holidays, you might have had your fill of family parites, especially if you are a new couple who had to run back and forth between two sides of two different families. You may be in desparate need of some alone time. So plan a romantic getaway! Make a promise to each other to spend the entire trip together, whether you are out exploring or in the hotel room snuggling. Turn off the TV and spend time together.

Forget the regular ol’ New Year’s resolutions. You can cover them all with one that is fun, affordable and just… amazing. New Year’s Resolution for 2009: TRAVEL!

We arrived at Wrigley Field a little over two hours before the park was slated to open. After taking plenty of pictures of the surrounding Winter Classic banners and such, we headed inside the stadium. Passing the security check, we received the giveaway: a pair of binoculars for the Lost Logo Challenge. Basically, you had to look through the “binos” (as I call them), spot the Hawks player who did not have the teeny tiny Reebok logo on the back of his jersey and text his jersey number to a specific number. This entered you into a contest to win a trip to see the Stanley Cup! For those of you who know nothing about hockey… it’s the championship game.

Anyway, we decided to check out the view from our seats before buying a little something to eat. I’ve been to Wrigley Field a few times for baseball games. And each time, I sat in the upper deck. But this time, I was sitting in a field box seat (like a main floor seat), just 20-something rows up from the field (rink)! To be honest, I would rather have those kind of seats for a Cubs game. A little tip: I have found that it’s much better to sit high up for hockey games. You can see the puck a heck of a lot better! However, because the game was outdoors, and the sky was mostly cloudy, there were zero glares on the ice, and I could see all the action from up close.

I’m pretty sure most of the Hawks fans were extremely pumped up for the game… because we stood for all three periods. I didn’t mind, though, because I definitely felt warmer standing up instead of sitting down. During the first period, the Hawks dominated the Wings taking a commanding 3-1 lead. I’ll spare you the terrible details, but from the second period on… the Hawks… basically did nothing. They stood around, they didn’t play hard and they definitely took a back seat, allowing the Redwings to crush them 6-4.

Although the Blackhawks lost, I believe that the game was more about the experience, for the players and the fans. Only two players (Ty Conklin, the Redwings goalie and Brian Campbell, a Hawks defenseman) have ever played in a Winter Classic. While I am not sure how many fans have ever seen an outdoor NHL game, I figure that 90% of them had never been to such an event. Many of the fans have probably been to a Bears game or two, but this was unique. It was a hockey game inside a baseball stadium! Not only was the game sold out, but the bars and restaurants surrounding Wrigley Field were packed before, during and after the game. I’d make a hefty bet that the Winter Classic will return to Chicago soon.