Nashville to Chicago - not as easy as it sounds!

We were up early this morning, had breakfast for the last time at the Best Western on Music Row, packed the last few items, checked out and sat in the sun while we waited for our chauffeur driven limosine to come and whisk us away to the airport.

We had a nice stay at the Best Western. Tina and the lady who cooked the omelettes at breakfast time were very helpful and kind. The managers were all very polite and assisted us respectfully.

We didn't wait long until Tony from Mears Global Chauffeured Services rolled into the driveway in his sparkling black SUV. He was not only very handsome, but he was dressed in a most dapper way ... and his boots were particularly groovy!

Jenny and I were quite star struck.

As we drove to the airport we chatted about Memphis, Nashville, Australia, Canada and Ireland. He was a delight and it felt like a very short trip.

Once inside the airport a beautiful little lady called Renee at the American Airlines console organised our luggage and boarding passes. Because we had no connecting flights, it cost us $30 each to send our one suitcase. Next we had to go through security. It was really intense! Apart from the usual things like putting your computer and mobile phone into the trays, we also had to take our shoes off (because we were under 75 years of age!), go through the body scanner, and I even had my pants legs patted down. And if I thought that was thorough, just wait til next year!


We still had an hour to wait, so as we made our way to the gate through which we would be boarding the plane, Jenny had a shoe shine with Clarence.

By the time he was finished Jenny's cheap boots sparkled like a $1000 pair. It was a good investment for $10.

There was a Starbucks directly opposite our boarding gate, so we bought ourselves a coffee each and sat down to hear our flight being called. 

Like many other airports in the world, Nashville is undergoing renovations. Jenny and I kept glancing at the gate as we chatted and checked our electronic devices - Jenny was on Facebook, I was putting together the playlist for our Route 66 Trip. There didn't seem to be any movement, and we didn't hear any boarding calls. Finally at about five minutes past the time our plane was due to leave we wandered over to find out if there was a delay on the plane leaving, only to find out it had gone! We were bewildered and really worried about what we were going to do. 

Fortunately, little Renee came to our rescue and booked us on the next flight to Chicago from Nashville. It meant we had to wait another 3 hours, but it was at no additional cost. Thank you Renee and American Airlines.

So a quiet afternoon was had by us both. It was pretty cool in Nashville as I did some writing and Jenny did some reading. We were able to keep our devices charged by the USB ports under our chairs. We were really up close and personal with the screen at the Airport gate, and when people movement was expected we followed the instructions on screen. We didn't miss this next plane! 

I confess that I slept as soon as I boarded the plane. The steward stood over me and stared at me until I jolted awake (before we took off!) and asked me if I was frightened of flying!! I said "No, just tired!" I remember being given a drink of water and a packet pretzels. I drank the water and put the pretzels in my coat pocket. Fortunately I woke just as we were descending on Chicago. 

Collecting our bags was easy. They had been put aside in the baggage office. Then we took numerous escalators to find the place where we would catch a shuttle bus to our hotel.

Just as we were standing around waiting for it to arrive, Dan - the co-tour guide introduced himself to us. He is bringing his Mum on this tour. We met her too.

Before we knew it, we were back at the hotel and being introduced to Dale Butel who had organised our whole tour. What a nice guy.

After doing the formalities of booking in, finding our room and unpacking our bags, we headed down to the bar for a cocktail to unwind after a hectic day. It also gave us a chance to meet our fellow tourers. .. mainly blokes This is going to be a fun trip!
Thought for the day: