A Rocket & Root Beer

In the more than 900 entries I've posted to this blog I've written about traveling to Nashville a lot. I like going to Music City and do quite often. It's about 80 to 90 miles away, depending on where in the city I go. 

Driving close to 200 miles round trip in one day just for fun is definitely something I've only allowed myself to do since moving to the south 18 years ago. Let me put it into perspective.   

Back in northwest New Jersey, Philadelphia and New York City were just about the same distance away from where I lived then as Nashville is from me now. I also had access to a major interstate highway as well. 

But driving to either of those cities was much more of an event for me back then than going to Tennessee's capital is for me now. 

Never have I ever (isn't that the start of a party game) gotten up in the morning and said "I think I'll go to Philly or NYC today" but I have when it comes to Nashville. 

I would venture to say that I have been to Nashville more times since I've been in Kentucky than I'd ever been to Philadelphia & New York combined. 

This past Thursday, the first day of June, I made my most recent trip to largest city in the Volunteer State. 

The initial reason for my trip was the reason for a lot of them. I was going to the Lego Store in the Opry Mills Mall. It was release day for the latest Lego Ideas product. I'd been waiting for it ever since it was announced mid-summer last year. I got to the store about 30 minutes after it opened. Upon walking through the door, a store employee greeted and and asked what he could help me with. I had him put what I came to buy aside for me while I searched for another great kit. 

The Saturn V is one of the best Lego sets ever.  I can't wait to put it together and display it. 

Along with the Disney Castle set I picked up earlier this year, I now have half of my Lego "Mount Rushmore". A large Statue of Liberty set would be the third part of it. And a Lego version of the Titanic would be the final entry. I have a Titanic brick model to put together but it's not Lego. 

The Space Shuttle Explorer set (31066) is probably the last time Lego will to this particular space vehicle. It's the 2nd one in my collection. 

Before I left the mall I made a quick stop at Bed Bath and Beyond. I picked up a couple of things we needed including a new electric mixer for our kitchen.  

The second thing on my Nashville agenda this day was finding a place that I've been looking for since 2015.  

Rita's Italian Ice and frozen custard is one of my favorite places for summer time treats. The cool fresh ice comes in a variety of flavors. My all time favorite is root beer. 

There are franchises is states all over the country. Unfortunately Kentucky is not one of them; but Tennessee is. Recently I discovered that there are two new Rita's in the Nashville area.  

Today I was going in search of the one in about 25 miles south of Opry Mills. I put the address in my car's GPS and headed toward Nolensville. 

The guidance system took me on a drive through a part of greater Nashville near the City Zoo. Nolensville Pike is lined with shopping centers, businesses, churches and schools. Overall it seemed like a very nice area. 

Finally after about 30 minutes of travel I found my destination. 

My timing was perfect because the store just opened and I was their first customer of the day. I shared with the 3 people behind the counter, (two employees and the store manager) the reason for and circumstances behind my visit. They were very friendly and were amused by my devotion to their product. 

Luckily, they had the flavor I was looking for and I got a large size cup of root beer Italian ice to enjoy. 

 The reason I like the root beer so much is because it tastes exactly like the twin popcicles I used to get as a kid. So not only is a treat cool and sweet; it's a trip down memory lane.

Having captured something I'd been counting the days to get and enjoyed a treat I love so much, my morning in Nashville was over.

The 8-mile trek back down Nolensville Pike eventually got me back to I-24 and then I-65 heading north back to Kentucky. 

My day on the road wasn't over. I had some other things to take care of in Bowling Green before heading home. I won't bore you with the details except for one thing. I stopped at the Toys R Us store to spend my $15 rewards certificate to buy yet another Lego kit.   

For the 2nd time in 30 days, I drove to Tennessee on the 1st day of a month to get something that was brand new in "Legoland." 

I will always remember June 1, 2017 as the day devoted to "a rocket and root beer." Thanks for coming along with me as I retell the tale of this wonderful day. 

I'll be back again soon with the next post in my effort to reach 1000 by the end of 2017. I appreciate you taking the time to come by the RHFactors blog. Later Gator.