Standin' by Tennessee

Our trip to Tennessee was a pretty good trip and unlike any other trip we have ever taken.  As most of you know, we fly standby and usually the trips are uneventful because we can usually get on any flight that we are listed for. It was not to be this time…  Ooooh Nooooo.

We started the trip Friday night and the flight we were listed for was leaving at 11:00pm, so we arrived around eight and checked our bags then went to The Buena Vista located within SFO to have a celebratory cocktail where we were actually carded!  She must have seen me on my left side…

Libations at the Buena Vista in SFO

Anyhoo, Sweet heard our names and we were on the flight. He was a little stressed because the flight was delayed due to maintenance.  I couldn’t sleep, not sure why, so I watched the in flight movie instead which was My Week with Marilyn.  The movie was pretty good but it made me sad for her.  After about an hour’s worth of sleep, we landed at O’Hare where we were supposed to have a 1 ½ layover, but with the delay in San Francisco we only had minutes.  So we get to our gate and we are told another delay, this due to weather.  Now Sweet is not happy with himself because he always checks the weather for our connecting flight and did not do it this time.

With flights delayed or cancelled due to a hailstorm and also a few plane inspections we were pretty sure we were going to be stuck in Chicago.  So Sweet went to work trying to get us out of there.  The answer?  His parents were driving from Ohio to meet up in the big TN, so they would detour and pick us up in Lexington, Kentucky.  Whew! 

Still with me? 

After a pleasant little flight on an express plane, we land at the Blue Grass airport in Kentucky and grab a bite to eat at The Tap Room located right inside the gate.  The derby was that weekend so hats and hatboxes were invading the waiting areas and sidewalks.  I wanted one so bad!!!

Attempted Derby Hat

It is now a road trip to Nashville after his parents pick us up!  We travel along the Kentucky Turnpike and the drive was beautiful!!  We all talked and laughed our way to Tennessee.  Our arrival is timed at somewhere around 5:30pm and we now need to go to the Nashville airport to retrieve our luggage that has been there since 8 that morning when we should have been.  Alas, we would have missed out on the quality time with his parents.  Which was good because they were very clear that at their age, it was probably their last trip.

I have to give thumbs up to United Airlines because when we walked into customer service to get our suitcases, the young man behind the counter was professional and prompt.  Now onto the rental car!  Avis check in was fab and the young woman behind that counter was wonderful, she had us in and out in no time.  We get to our car and as Sweet is loading the vehicle, I open the passenger door to get in and something pricks me.  I lean forward and my hand goes underneath me to see what it is.  I pull up a razor blade that was in the crevice of the seat blade side up. No bueno..  also no blood so complaint filed, we move on.

Finally at our destination, we check into the WyndhamNashville and it is gorgeous!  After unloading luggage, going to the store for groceries and libation ingredients (a must have when vacationing with parental units) we settle in out on the patio and relaxed!!  It was definitely a long and memorable day!!

Patio view from our room at Wyndham Nashville