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Fall Trek to Nashville Recap

group grand ole opryOn Sunday October 6th, 50 travelers boarded a south-bound bus for Nashville.  The Twin Cities was the first stop on day one, and on Monday the bus continued to Waterloo, Iowa for a tour of the John Deere tractor assembly plant. The plant was amazing and a real eye-opener on how machines are built. St. Louis, Missouri was the next destination.   Because of the government shut down, trek participants were unable  to ride the Arch tram, but pictures were taken and it was a fun place to see. The final destination, Nashville, was reached on Tuesday.  The Grand Ole Opry was on the agenda for Tuesday evening, and what a treat it was.  Clint Black, Chris Young, Diamond Rio, and The Charlie Daniels Band were just some of the outstanding entertainment on the historic stage. An early start was in order on Wednesday to get in everything on the busy day’s schedule. A tour of The Hermitage, President Andrew Jackson’s home,  Music City Hall of Fame, Opryland backstage tour, and dinner at the Backstage Grille were all on the agenda. The entertainment during dinner was by the serving staff, all hoping to be discovered.  Shopping for some and rest at the hotel for the others ended this busy day.  On the following day, tourists were off to the Belle Meade mansion tour and lunch. For the afternoon, the local culture was experienced on Broadway in downtown Nashville. Enjoying the nice weather in the south, people walked along Broadway and stopped in at several pubs and restaurants to listen to music.  Every little bar, restaurant and shop had some type of live musicians performing.  After the relaxing afternoon, fall trekkers returned to the hotel to get “gussied up” for the dinner cruise on the paddleboat “The General Jackson.”  Dinner was served in the elegant  Victorian Dining Room followed by a live stage show. 
  On Friday the bus started its trip back north. Card games, conversation and small naps were all a part of the travel day. Davenport, Iowa was the stop for the evening and dinner was enjoyed at the Thunder Bay Grille. The Twin Cities was our destination for the day, with a stop in SE Minnesota to visit some of the local Amish culture. Beautiful baskets, homemade preserves and handcrafted furniture were just a few of the items created by the Amish at the various stops.  If the bus would have been pulling a trailer, it would have been full with all of the Amish goods.  After hours of very slow travel due to Interstate 494 being closed, the bus made it to the hotel, so all could check in, change clothes, and board the bus again to spend the evening at the Chanhassen Dinner Theater. This was an amazing end to the adventure, as the food was wonderful and “Fiddler On The Roof” was top-notch!
As the saying goes, “All Good Things Must Come to an End”. Sunday was the final day of travel.  Many friendships were made and lots of fun took place during the trip. Many are already asking where the next trip will be. Stay tuned to find out the answer to this popular question.