Our Tennessee Weekend

We got home this afternoon from a weekend in Tennessee. Friday around noon we left and headed up to Monteagle, TN, where I we stayed in a little cottage (their fancy name for trailer!). We checked in, changed clothes, and headed out to Nashville, an hour and a half drive from there.

We got to BB Kings right around 5:30, the time the Bart Walker Band was going to start their set. Seated on high stools to the side of the stage, we had a bird's eye view. We ordered dinner and Bart's band played their first set.

Bart is an amazing musician! Jimmy loves the blues, and we had a great time listening to him. Typically Reese Wynans plays keys for him, but he was in a recording session that night, much to Jimmy's disappointment. At the break, Jimmy rushed up and purchased a CD from Bart and we chatted a bit, and then who walked in the door but Mr. Wynans!

Jimmy was thrilled to death! He bought a poster and got it autographed and had his picture taken with him. He wanted one of me and Reese and Reese misunderstood and offered to take a picture of me and Jimmy! LOL, I told him that I had plenty with Jimmy already!

The second set was off the hook! It's an amazing thing to be listening to the man who was with Stevie Ray Vaughan all those years. Man, he's a legend, and we had a blast!

At the second break, Jimmy and I headed over to the Limelight where Stephen Cochran and Jeffrey Steele were going to be doing a show. We got there and joined some friends at a front table and waited for the show to begin.

Stephen was first, and he did a great show. Jimmy enjoyed his bass player, Ryan Byrne, who was playing with some slick moves! Afterwards, Jimmy bought him a drink and enjoyed chatting with him. We also talked to Stephen a good while and I must say he is a super guy. He has always been so sweet and genuine every time I've ever seen him, and Jimmy told him that he was his hero. He was injured in the war and has a remarkable story. His back was broken into six pieces and he was told he would never walk again. But, oh, does he walk!!

Then came what I had been waiting for....Jeffrey Steele! Holy crap, that is one talented man! He can sing, play the crap out of the guitar, harmonica, and keys, and engage an audience like nobody I've ever seen. And his songwriting skills are remarkable! To name a few...Tim McGraw's "The Cowboy in Me," Diamond Rio's "Unbelievable," Rascal Flatts' "These Days," Faith Hill's "When the Lights Go Down," Trace Adkins' "Chrome," LeAnn Rimes' "Big Deal," as well as Montgomery Gentry's "Speed," "Hell Yeah" and "My Town." And there are tons more!!

We started out standing at the front over to the side, but it wasn't long before we made our way over to the center right in front of him. He did a 3 1/2 hour show! Unfortunately we had to leave about 45 minutes before he finished due to our long drive back to Monteagle. I'm glad we did leave when we did. It was very foggy and took us until about 2:30 a.m. to get back.

Saturday morning I woke around 7, made some hot chocolate and watched Good Times on television. I crawled back into bed with Jimmy and we got up around 12:30! We grabbed some breakfast at a local Waffle House, then came back and slept all afternoon!

Saturday night we went to a 4 star restaurant there in Monteagle, called High Point. Jimmy had made reservations for us and it's a good thing. The place was covered up! The house the restaurant is in was built and financed by Al Capone. It was just beautiful. We were seated at a corner table in what was probably the original dining room. The house has all the original light fixtures, and it was a pleasure just sitting there!

Our waiter started us off with a drink- me a pomegranite martini and Jimmy an Old Fashioned. He brought bread for us to eat while we perused the expansive menu. We finally decided upon Brie en croute for an appetizer, Lobster bisque, High Point Oscar steak (filet with lump crab meat and asparagus), baked potato, and we shared a creme brulee for dessert. It was an amazing dining experience. I certainly would drive the hour and 45 minutes or so to eat there again.

This morning, Sunday, we woke early and decided to head on home. It was pouring rain and rained terribly on us the entire way home. We have had a nice, relaxing afternoon. I spent some time working on the pictures I had taken and uploading them. It's been a great weekend!