nashville

Nashville.  What a lovely city.  I didn't really know what to expect outside of that is renowned for its music scene.  There is honky tonk downtown, more local driven in the Gulch and a few venues that host musicians nightly.  We didn't even make it to Broadway until our third day.  I was interested in checking out other areas of the city.
Our first driver from the airport was super helpful in suggesting places to check out.  He had relocated five years ago and had a bunch of ideas of how we could spend our time.  And, ironically, he won tickets to see a show while we were in his car.  That was interesting.  I have never seen that happen. 
Everyone commented on how East Nashville is now a great place to live and/or spend time in.  We were dropped in our airbnb and scoped out the nearby eateries.  We were steps away from a brewery, a tap house and a café.  Perfect.  We ordered trout toast and waited for Sara Jo to join us.  Sharing a few beverages and figuring out the night.  I had made plans to dine at a spot in Germantown, another area that I wanted to explore while in Music City.  I found a nearby bar that offered craft cocktails and some wine.  When we arrived it was not busy but in the hour we were there, the place filled up.  Looked like a great option.
We walked a few blocks to our destination, Silo.  We shared ricotta dumplings, meatballs, deviled eggs and macaroni and cheese.  Everything was fine and the service was okay.  I noticed that I poured more of our wine than the server.  They were attentive to the water situation which I can appreciate.  I tend to be dehydrated most of the time.
We hired a car and returned to our area of town and concluded the night at the taphouse.  Very convenient and a great way to end the night.  Our airbnb hostess had thought of basically everything.  Coffee, creamer, water bottles, muffins, protein bars and a wine opener with red plastic cups.  Ironically, we did not touch the wine opener.  For the first time, ever, we did not find a local bottle shop to stock up the rental with wine.  I still have no idea how  nearby the market is either.  We relied heavily on cars to explore the city.
The next morning, I forced Shari to accompany me to a heated yoga class.  I felt it was a great way to experience a city.  And detox.  Every anniversary trip we have either gotten lost on a long walk or gone to a yoga class.  This class was not too bad.  Music was decent and it was packed. We were mat to mat which limits the opportunity to have an active flow. A little on the simplistic side but not terrible.
I think I ate more Mexican food than I thought would happen in the south.  However, nothing is more satisfying than enjoying chips and salsa after a night of imbibing.  It is the best way to rehydrate and I love it.  We did find three options that highlighted different aspects of what I enjoy about Mexican food.  One place had fantastic chips, one had better guacamole and the third had lovely margaritas.  I was happy in all circumstances.
I did experience hot chicken.  It was okay.  Not that hot and I wasn't that inspired.  However, it is off the bucket list!  I had a wonderful time and will reflect more on it later.  I need to organize and prepare for the day!