Thursday, July 26, 2018

Cross Country Adventure - Day 2 - West Virginia to Nashville, TN

Day 2 of our trip began in a much more leisurely manner than Day 1. It started with a hearty breakfast provided by our hosts, Angela and John, during which we met our fellow guests and exchanged travel stories, followed by a stroll along a quiet lane near the farm. Along the way we watched as a long line of ducks waddled to a nearby stream, and we got a friendly wave from a passing tractor driver. New York seemed like a million miles away.


The mail delivery system in this part of West Virginia is certainly different from New York:


It was so beautiful we wished we had time to linger longer but eventually we had to get back on the road for our six and a half hour drive to Nashville, Tennessee. The West Virginian scenery continued to impress despite the overcast day, but once we crossed into Kentucky the vistas changed considerably. There was a more manicured feel to the landscape, with white-fenced horse farms and expanses of  green pastures as far as the eye could see, home to well-groomed horses.


We passed several small towns en route but picked Mount Sterling as our lunch stop after seeing a road sign advertising its historic downtown. It didn't disappoint. 
Especially when we discovered a delightful bakery, Spoonful of Sugar, the perfect place to eat. Their quiche was delicious!

Spoonful of Sugar
The town may be small but it has a thriving arts community. Built in 1885, this former church on Main Street is now home to the Gateway Center for the Arts.


Gateway Center for the Arts


Unfortunately, the overcast skies became more ominous as our drive continued through Kentucky.



By late afternoon we were faced with not only heavy rain, but also strong winds and, just to make matters worse, the threat of a tornado. Every few minutes the radio beeped out warnings and we had to frantically check the map to see whether we were anywhere near the danger spots.  When the rain became torrential, reducing visibility to almost zero, we had no option but to pull off to the side of the road. We weren't the only ones to do so. 


As far as we could tell the tornado warnings were for counties to the north of us and heading east in the opposite direction, but suddenly another warning flashed up including the very county we were in. Having seen survival programs on the Weather Channel, the availability of a ditch on the side of the road was a modicum of comfort although the thought of having to leap out the car and lie face down in the mud and pray an oncoming tornado would miss us was daunting to say the least. I don't think I've ever been so scared. They always tell you to seek shelter, preferably below ground, when a tornado strikes, but there are not too many options when you are on an open road miles from the next exit.

After what was probably only a few tense minutes, but which seemed like hours, we heard the warning had been canceled, and when the rain eased we were able to move off again. We still had to contend with the rain but by this point all we cared about was getting as far away from the area as fast as possible. 

Two hours later as we crossed into Tennessee, the conditions couldn't have been more different. 


And an hour after that we arrived at our accommodation for the next two nights, an AirBnB in East Nashville. While the house we stayed in was on a quiet residential street, it was only a short walk from a area populated with bustling bars. On the recommendation of our hosts, we selected the Pharmacy, a bar so popular that there was actually a line to get in. After being told we would have to wait forty minutes, we got a text within five telling us our table was available!


Despite the heat and threat of more storms to come we enjoyed a pleasant evening, sitting under the shade of a large tree on the bar's extensive and pretty patio. With a glass of wine in hand, it was finally time to relax. 



Mel writes contemporary fiction with a twist of mystery and suspense. For more information about her books visit her website, or sign up for her newsletter at http://bit.ly/melparishnews   

3 comments:

  1. Glad you’re enjoying your travels and seeing new things, Mel. You’re near my neck of the woods, I live 3 hours west of Nashville. The T-storms are horrific but leave as fast as they come. Safe travels, especially if you’re on 40!

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    1. Those thunderstorms are scary, Elisabeth - and we actually thought the hail was going to break the windscreen! I think we might actually have got much closer to your neck of the woods, but that's for day 4!

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  2. There's just nothing better than a road trip, is there? Keep up the great posts!

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