Nashville Adventures!

I drove to Nashville on Friday because we were supposed to kayak the Harpeth River on Saturday. But it was super-rainy all day Friday, and I found out on my 3.5-hour drive that the kayak rental company was considering cancelling if the river was too high from the rain. But I was already halfway there, so I kept on going and arrived just in time to grab dinner and dessert on the way to our Air B&B.

KoKo's Plant-Based Ice Cream is on the western end of Nashville, not too far off the highway, and I was driving right past it so ... I had to stop for ice cream! I got a double scoop of Mint Chip and Cookies and Cream. I LOVE this little vegan ice cream shop!

Avo — Nashville's raw vegan eatery — is in the same parking lot as KoKo's, so I swung by for some Kimchi Spring Rolls to go. Avo is best-known for these veggie-filled rolls, stuffed with a tasty kimchi spread and served with Thai dipping sauce.

I enjoyed my rolls in the Air B&B while we watched a movie. We went to bed early because we wouldn't know if our kayaking trip was cancelled until 6 am on Saturday. And sure enough, when Paul called the rental place that morning, they told us the trip was off. We tried booking at another kayak rental place, and they cancelled on us as well. We had some other friends from Memphis who drove up the night before to kayak with us, and we all decided to go hiking at Radnor State Park instead.

We had a nice hike, but I kept wishing I'd packed my running shoes because this trail was perfect for an easy run. No roots or rocks, just smooth trail. While we hiked, we decided to try one more kayaking option, and it worked. Cumberland Kayak was doing rentals that day for one-hour trips in downtown Nashville. We were hoping for a longer day of kayaking, but we took what we could get. On the way to our kayak meetup spot, we stopped at Burger King so I could get an Impossible Whopper.

I LOVE Impossible Whoppers, but I try to only get them when traveling since I'd rather support local restaurants when I can (especially during COVID when restaurants need our help). But we needed a very quick meal since we only had 30 minutes to get to our kayak spot. 

The kayak trip was lovely. The hour went by too fast, but we got a great view of the Nashville skyline.

After kayaking, I was hungry again! Luckily, Tailgate Brewery was open and just a couple miles away on Music Row. We got a spot on the patio, and I ordered a Pickle Kolsh beer (it tasted like pickles!) and their Beyond Sausage Pizza with Vegan Cheese. We had stopped at another Tailgate location last summer, and I loved this pizza so much. I was glad to be able to eat it again. 

We parted with our friends after beers, and Paul and I headed back to our Air B&B for a bit. Then we closed out the night with putt putt! I love being outdoors, and I'm so glad we can still do outdoor activities during COVID. This winter is going to be tough.

On Sunday, I woke up hangry! That's what happens when I sleep for 9 hours, which never happens (but happened on Sunday). Luckily, I'd packed a Cold Brew and Caramel Macchiato Clif Bar to enjoy at the Air B&B for a pre-breakfast.

Then, we headed to our usual brunch spot, Graze. They're not open for dining, but there is a big patio space in the complex they share with several other businesses. We grabbed a table, and I enjoyed a Breakfast Burrito (seitan chorizo, cashew cheese, roasted potatoes, tofu scramble, avocado) while Paul had his usual biscuits and seitan chorizo gravy.

Then I headed home! I was bummed that our original kayaking plan was cancelled, but I'm glad we made a fun day of it anyway. When one adventure falls through, there's always another waiting.