Escape Nashville and Burritos

Nashville has been very rainy lately and this morning was no exception. I can't complain about the rain too much, it's making my garden grow amazingly fast! However, the rain does make getting out not so fun and can limit activity options.

So, what's something to do in Nashville on a rainy day? How about Escape Nashville! I had heard about Escape Nashville from friends before and thought it sounded interesting, so when a friend from school suggested we go, I was pretty excited to give it a try. Although I had heard about the game, I didn't really know what to expect.

Jordan and I were meeting our friends, Rebecca and Katrina, who we had barely seen since we graduated. Rebecca has recently moved back to Nashville from Seattle and, honestly, we really had no reason to not see Katrina other than, you know, life and jobs and such. It was good to get us back together again like old times.

We arrived at Escape Nashville, checked in, and then were informed that we were going to be paired with three other players. None of us had ever done anything like this before and were excited, and maybe a little nervous too. This is the kind of game where you feel like your intelligence is going to be tested even though in reality it's more a game of teamwork than smarts.

The premise of the game is that you are given a scenario and locked in a room. You must solve the mystery and get out of the room (or series of rooms) within one hour to win. We were first taken to a small room, watched a few videos about rules and such and then left to solve the mystery. Suddenly, the race was on and we all started scouring the room for clues.

One of the fun things about this game is that as soon as the timer starts, whoever is in the room with you is no longer a stranger but becomes a member of the team. You're all working together towards a common goal. Once we were down to about 12 minutes, I really didn't think that we were going to make it but we ended up making it out with 6 minutes to spare! We're asked not to share details about the game so it won't be ruined for others, but I can say that it was a lot of fun and if you haven't tried Escape Nashville, you should.

By the time we left, the rain had stopped and the sun came out just long enough for us to have lunch on the patio at Baja Burrito. Baja Burrito has got to be my favorite burrito place in town. I love Chipotle, but I really love Baja. The taco salads are huge and the blackened salmon burrito is pretty on point as well. Pretty much anything you get will most likely be delicious and you'll get it at a good price.

Whether you're a Nashville native or an out-of-towner, I highly suggest giving these two Berry Hill jewels a try.

Snow Days

We've had reportedly record breaking snow here in Nashville over the past few days. I measured 6 inches in my backyard. The amount of snow was quite unusual for the area, but what was even more unusual was the quality. There was 6 inches of pure soft powder. As most Nashvillians know, that is the true rarity of this week's snow. We usually just have a nice coating of pure ice. Even if we do get some nice snow, it usually starts to melt within a few hours and then refreezes as soon as the sun goes down, leaving us with ice. The end result is pretty much always ice. That's why Nashvillians are infamously known for being terrified of snowflakes. What the world doesn't know is that it's not the snow we're particularly afraid of, it's the ridiculous amounts of ice that form from crazy temperature fluctuations that keep us home and off the roads. 

One of the best things about Nashville when it snows is that it doesn't happen too often, so when it does, everyone turns into a kid and goes outside to play. Everyone goes outside and builds snowmen and has snowball fights. And don't forget the copious amounts of snowscape pictures that are taken. Obviously, I am guilty of this as well. What can I say? I'm a native. 

Today, all the snow is gone because after having below freezing weather for the past week, it ended with yesterday being in the upper 40s, and possibly even in the 50s. That's Nashville for you. And even though the world is happily mobile again, the soggy grayness is somewhat depressing. Until next time, we can all take a little comfort in the beauty of the 300 pictures we took of our snow, fun-filled days.

What's it like when it snows where you live?

What's your favorite snow activity?

Watermelon Festival

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Today was the Watermelon festival at the Franklin Farmers Market. This was the first time that I had  been to the Franklin Farmers Market, and I didn't really know what to expect. I have to say, it's probably one of the better farmer's markets that I have visited. There were watermelon themed activities including a seed spitting contest and a watermelon eating contest. 

There were plenty of watermelons, but that's not all they had to offer. There was a great variety ranging from fruit and vegetables, meat, and eggs to organic flowers and local crafts. Most of the vendors are regulars, so it's a great way to get to know your farmer. 

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WORE

Shakespeare in the Park

It's almost September and the evenings are starting to feel like it. It just makes me want to be outside as much as possible before the days become short and cold. 

This past weekend, I went to the Nashville Shakespeare Festival at Centennial Park. This year's production is Henry V. They always put on a great show, and this year was no exception. I've been going for years and it's always been a fun event.

If you live in the Nashville area and you're looking for something to do this weekend, or even if you're not, you should consider grabbing a friend or two or more and spend an evening at the park. You can even bring your dog!

I packed a picnic, but, surrounding the designated theater area, there were many food truck options that would put movie theater snacks to shame, so don't worry about going hungry.

No need to be sad if you don't live near Nashville, there are programs that are similar to Shakespeare in the Park all over the world! So your city just might have its own version going on as well. 

There is no fee for this event; however, a $10 donation is suggested, so make sure you don't take all that hard work for granted and show your support!

You can find out more at nashvilleshakes.org