Nashville Trip Report

“So Ma Goose and I head up to Nashburg to goof around for a couple of days, planning to stay at one of the state parks just outside of town overnight. In the interest of domestic tranquility, I humor MG as we cruise through Cool Springs Mall before we head to the Main Objective (Bass Pro Shops at Opry Mills-aaarrrrr!!!). We finally get to the Main Objective but alas, I find nothing that I can't live without, so we go out into the mall to look around. We were minding our own buisiness when this slick dude at a kiosk says "Pssst, hey buddy, you from around here?"
"We're from Hunstville," says I.
"Well hell, I'm originally from Cullman," says he.
We howdy and shake and he asks if we're staying overnight and if we have our motel reservations. I reply that we are planning to camp at a state park.
"Why pay to camp when I can put you up at one of the best hotels in town?" says he.
Tugging at the hook in my lip, I ask "What's the rub?"
Turns out Slick is selling time shares for Fairfield Inn Resorts. Mother and I roll our eyes and start to leave when Slick says "Hold on there, and let me tell you what I'm going to do for you."
First, Slick is going to put us up at the Sheraton Music City, a first-class, 5-star hotel. This I know firsthand because we stayed there nearly 10 years ago for my 40th birthday. Then he is going to give us $40.00 worth of gift certificates good for any shop at the mall. Then he is going to buy us breakfast at the Cracker Barrel, my favorite apres-hiking eating establishment. To cap it all off, he is going to give us a 3-day stay at any one of their resorts anywhere in the country. All we gotta do is visit a local resort the next morning and submit to a sales presentation. We acquiesce.
The next morning, we show up at the resort, tour the facility and listen to their bullshyte, politely say "No, thank you" and leave with our goodies.
Now the asskicker in all this is that we had jokingly commented to one another about staying at the Sheraton and eating at the Cracker Barrel. I say jokingly because a room at the Sheraton is $250.00/night.
So Mother Goose bought a Cuisinart Mini Prep with the gift certificates to replace our old one, we got free chow and a great room. We'll use the free vacation at one of their resorts in New Orleans this summer for my 50th birthday. I wonder if they'll kick in dinner at Emeril's?
On the way home, we stopped in Murfreesboro to see Binks' new store. We had to walk around the sqaure to Liquid Smoke to find him. We sat and sucked up a couple of Mike's fine beers (Mike is the proprietor of Liquid smoke, a fine cigar and suds emporium) and watched the Tennessee Titans try to lose the football game. Binks' store is really great. He has some great gear and is getting more all the time. We bought a couple of silnylon pack covers and some Aqua Mira from Binks and headed for home.
Not a bad weekend.”

“Good trip report FG can't wait to hike with ya again at Savage Gulf.


8)”

“What's a sqaure???”

“woooo hooooo....sounds like a good time to me.....I have Monday off ..maybe I need to run up to Bink's store.....I'm looking forward to meeting you at Savage Gulf....”

“It'll be good to see you again too, Mike. I look forward to meeting you as well, divinity. If Mother G comes along, you'll have another slowpoke to hike with, LOL.”

“Don't forget me Girl she hikes slow too.

8p”

“wooo hooo sounds great!!!...I sure don't want to hike alone!!!!

you 50th B-day in the summer???

sigh...I guess I am older than you by a few months:)”

“Y'all can hike ahead quickly and set up my tent...have my tea and dinner made and my water purified!!!LOL..hehehehehe”

“A great report, thanks.

Time sure can fly. I thought you were only 40 when we met on the GA AT.

BTW, was the room realy worth $250? Did you sleep any better there than along the trail?”

“Slim, no room in the world is worth $250.00/night, IMHO. But it's a hell of a lot more luxurious than swingin' from a tree. Yeah, I slept like a log, especially after a few drams of Macallan.”

“Y'all can hike ahead quickly and set up my tent...have my tea and dinner made and my water purified!!!LOL..hehehehehe"
divinity
10:10:00 AM

OK, as long as we are shareing a tent. ;)
Want a chocolate on your pillow too?”

“

OK, as long as we are shareing a tent. ;)
Want a chocolate on your pillow too?"
StoveStomper

You want to share after what you called her! I don't think all the chocolates in the world can save your ass.”

“NS...you know how these guys are...."you just have not had the right man before"....
LOL....

"Promise me anything.....but give me chocolate...."”

“WTF! I don't need the right or wrong man!”

“no...no...me silly....he called me a lez... isn't that what you are refering to???..or am I off on another tanget???”

“Oh boy where is this going to go?


How does it feel to have guys fighting over you Divinity?

They saw your picture and you are cute so let them fight it out.

8p”

“

"Oh boy where is this going to go?"
Crazy Mike Backpacks

Go? I want to return to Minnesota! Maybe I can afford it, not that Father Goose has shown how to get free lodging along the way.”

“"Not" should be "now."”

“Nowslimmer then you should go man if I was you I would.


8)”

“follow your heart......”

“Have we ruined Father Goose's thread???”

“"Have we ruined Father Goose's thread???"
divinity
11:43:41 AM
01/04/04

Heavens, no! Have fun with it!”

“Oh Goody...permission to trash a thread....wooohooooo.....”

“She's so cute....”

“Hi SS......hugs”

“Woo Hoo!”

“so exactly what kind of chocolate are we talking about here?????”

“What ever kind you want! ;)”

“You 2 want a room?


8)”

“Godiva in small amounts.....I love Hershey's.....and what is the one that starts with a G???”

“Damn good idea Mike! ;)

Hershey's I can swing, they don't sell Godiva in my little town.

divinity - You want kisses, bars, or nuggets? ;)”

“Lots of kissesss....


LOL......”

“Woo Hoo!!!”

“Sounds like a good deal to me!”

“scorchy...you coming to Savage Gulf???

BTW...love your hair color.....woohoo...LOL”

“LOL

Unfortunately I can't... I'll have JUST started back to school for the new semester and it's a bit far for me for just a weekender. Plus I'll have school/work on Friday and I wouldn't be able to even leave before 5pm on Fri night.”

“well...I will meet you sometime this year....school is VERY important!!!”

“Back to timeshares...... (sorry, BACK to the thread TOPIC!)

In 1987 (most of you kids weren't born then.... lol) the ex and I got something in the mail offering a free stay at timeshares (yes, timeshareS!!) in Daytona and Orlando.

We did this and miracle of miracles, it was LEGIT!! Went to Daytona in March for Bike Week (mind you, I had no clue in 1987 that backpacking would be an activity I would someday not only have an interest in, but would actually DO!!). We stayed in a small hotel right on the beach, then to the large motel to hear the timeshare crap. Ends up the person pitching had already sold TWO timeshares that day, so let us off the hook easily.

So, at the end of however many days we left BEFORE the Eddie Money spring break concert and headed to Orlando. We stayed at a nice motel there and went to something more like an office to hear the timeshare pitch.

This one was a bit different than in Daytona. When we said no, they called in the "gorilla" to close the deal. Lots more pressure at this one. However, we again made it out with a NO.

Fun times as long as you're not killed by the gorillas!! lol”

“LOL! ummmmmmmm End of bold??”

“the "bold" and "underline" were only supposed to be on the "S" of timeshares, cuz I found it so unusual that they sent a person to two different property locations!”

“Back in the late 80's, my ex-husband and I got held up for almost a whole day at the time share place in Orlando. They seemed not to know what "no" meant!”

“Similar thing happend to me in Orlando around 89 and then again in Cancun in 97. This chic damn near hijacked us at the Cancun airport, we bit on the promo deal and got waylayed by three people who didn't want to take no for an answer.”

“I have no compunction whatever about using the negative when dealing with hucksters...it's an entertaining game, really. It cost me a couple of hours of my life and I got some neat stuff, whereas they got bopkis.When I tell somebody no, there is no mistaking the meaning...”