Nashville and Memphis

After some frustration at finding that our first choice Corps of Engineers campsite overlooking a lake was only open seasonally, we reluctantly settled for a conveniently-located KOA. It was some consulation that we needed to do laundry today anyway. That is until one of my "assistants" put a wash load of quarters into someone else's dryer. #lifeontheroad #travelwithkids #laundrywithkids #laundryday #realairstreamlife #safetyfirst

Today both kids were a little "off," Mae working on some new teeth and in a facedown tantrum/mommy-only phase and Wynne pulling some attitude, though we do need to remember that she's four and is asked to be flexible through a lot of change on a daily basis.
I was kinda writing today off as a loss until I realized that we still somehow managed to see Bill Monroe's mandolin, Earl Scruggs' banjo, Lester Flatt's D-28 (along with countless other great exhibits at the Country Music Hall of Fame), had an incredible burger and fries at the Riverside Grillshack (thanks @dmoffatt15!), drooled over hundreds of thousands of dollars of vintage guitars at Gruhn Guitars, watched videos from the International Space Station and made up a song about the planets, and convinced Nigel from @wanderluststream to brave a Tennessee snow storm to pick up hot chicken from Hattie B's with me (thanks for the rec @born2RV). Although I'll admit that I was a bit jealous when I realized that their site in the campground had a nicer view... 😜

#hotchicken #nashville #hattiebs #countrymusichalloffame #airstream #liveriveted #myrivetedlife

It's cold and there's snow on the ground but also there's a huge American flag behind our trailer. #straighttalk #airstream #airstreaminsnow #liveriveted #myrivetedlife

An entertaining quesadilla lunch in the trailer. #bornwild #airstreamwithkids #toddlerlife #trailerbaby #cheeseball

The Nashville Adventure Science Center does *not* mess around. While most of it was a bit over our kids' age level, Wynne's super into space right now and loved the huge models of the planets, and there was plenty of other stuff to explore. Plus, there's an incredible climbing structure in the center of the building that rises all the way up probably 6 or 7 levels into a glass dome on the roof! Oh, and only $6 after 3:30 pm. #roadschool #familytravel #travelwithkids #sciencemuseum #nashvillewithkids #itsnowedallday

Apparently Beale St. in Memphis is under 10 minutes from here. Nice to have temps up in the balmy 40's after a cold week so far! #airstream #liveriveted #myrivetedlife

Between a hurried schedule and recommendations for must-do southern foods, it's taken us a bit to get back into our regular menu routine. And despite my protests, @advodna_ann insists that "hot chicken" is not healthy even if I eat a carrot afterwards. So tonight was a return to homemade pizza night. I usually do a mix of wheat, spelt and white flour and bake one for us in the cast iron and a plain cheese on the baking sheet for the kids. (#airstreamprotip, the Airbake 15.5 X 10.5 Jellyroll pan fits in the grooves for the racks of the Amana oven and acts as its own shelf.) Even after the dough didn't rise while riding in a 40 degree trailer all day, it was delish and felt like home. #airstreamkitchen #castiron #castironporn #pizza

Does anyone smell burning hair? Or fur? It could definitely be burning fur I'm smelling. Oh Gorilla... #spaceheater #hotdog #smartpup #yeswehaveadog #airstreamwithdogs

The cheesy souvenir photo was just too good to pass up. Now if every follower could send us a penny, we'd break even on it! The rest of Graceland ain't cheap either, but we actually found it really interesting and well done with an interactive iPad tour, a great museum (car and memorabilia) and access to two of Elvis' planes. Strangely, someone forgot to remind audio tour narrator John Stamos to include the part about the quaaludes. Still, it definitely sounded like they had a good time tearing around the backyard on all manner of golf carts and motorized toys. So, which Elvis movie should we watch tonight (neither of us have seen *any*)? #familytravel #travelwithkids #fulltimefamilies #memphis #elvis #mytravelingcompanionisfouryearsold #graceland #wynnehangingwiththefamily

The duck march at the Peabody Hotel has its origins in a whiskey-fueled practical joke following a hunting trip. At the insistence of hotel guests, the ducks that had been left to frolic in the foundation in the middle of the lobby were allowed to stay, and the tradition has evolved to include an elevator ride down from their rooftop penthouse and a red carpet processional to their fountain each morning at 11:00 am. At 5:00 pm, they hop out of the fountain and board the elevator to head home after a long day.
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Afterwards, we gave the girls the choice of a rubber ducky from the gift shop or a horse-drawn carriage ride along the Mississippi River (which we hadn't seen since crossing the MN/WI border in October) just in time for a beautiful sunset. They chose the duckies, so we dragged them out of the gift shop empty-handed and they cried until they saw the horses [only *slightly* embellished].
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Yelp gave us a great recommendation of a casual Mexican place with incredible tacos. The staff bent over backwards to put something together for the kids and then delivered a free piece of cake. If you're visiting, check out Maciel's Tacos & Tortas. Thanks @macielstortastacos!

#peabodyhotel #peabodyducks #memphis #mississippiriver #sunset #familytravel #travelwithkids #ducktourism #ducksofinstagram

I foresee many a choreographed dance number in the future for these two... #sisterhoodofthetravelingparents #airstreamwithkids #couchdanceparty #newrainbowsandunicornspajamashirtFTW