Saturday, January 16th
Bob had mentioned something about sleeping in this morning, but at 6:30 he was up and rarin' to go. He had already set up the days itinerary and it would start with a hardy breakfast at Le Peep. So, after our first round of coffee we headed off for breakfast.
Click on the photos below for a larger image.
Menu cover shot.
La Peep is an upscale breakfast place literally within a stones throw of Bob's place.
Are you interested in experiencing the Le Peep Lifestyle?
Le Peep is a marvelous world of generous servings, abundant flavors and enticing aromas. You'll find a steaming pot of coffee at each table. The aroma of big breakfasts drifts in from the kitchen. Juicy sausage, lean ham and crisp bacon sizzle teasingly. Simmering sauces, homemade pancakes, and toppings are being whipped up. Le Peep® delivers it all with smiles, good attitudes and in a pleasant, warm decor.Source: La Peep
A bit pretentious - wouldn't ya say?
Interior shot of the Belle Meade La Peep at 5133 Harding Rd.
Pretentious, maybe. But the food was delish. Bob and I both had the "Hen Pen" : Two large eggs, a choice of bacon, sausage, black forest ham or corned beef hash. It includes Peasant Potatoes and a toasted English muffin.
I opted for the hash with dry wheat toast and tomatoes instead of taters.
Bob had the links so we shared our meats.
Now it's time to fuel of the Rover. I snuck this shot of Bob at the pump.
OUCH!
Knowing how much I love to hike and my particular fondness for Rail-Trails Bob chose the Cumberland River Bicentennial Rail-Trail near Ashland City for our hike.
The Rail-Trail is about 20 miles northwest of Nashville along the Cumberland River.
Transformed into an artery for the Tennessee Central Railroad in 1901 to transport ore, lumber and other products, the Cumberland River Bicentennial Trail runs beneath a dense canopy of oak, maple, sycamore, elm and redbud trees, skirting both the Cumberland River and its tributary, Sycamore Creek. Its first four miles from the Marks Creek Trailhead to the Sycamore Harbor Trailhead make up the paved Trestle Bridge Segment.
Six railroad trestles are featured along the way—some, made from weathered and blackened timber, cross rivulets of spring run-off. The longest, the 550-foot iron Sycamore Creek Trestle built in 1903 by the American Bridge Company, spans the broad creek.
One of the many beautiful Hackberry's (Celtis occidentalis) I have seen since my arrival to the Nashville area.
American Beech (Fagus grandifolia) trees often have interesting root configurations. They are often fluted and or buttressed. But, these reminded me of a bunch of squirming snakes.
Much of the trail is cut into the rocky hillside making for some very picturesque scenery. Some of the rock walls were 50- 60 feet tall.
At bottom right is a Great Blue Heron which had just taken flight.
We saw quite a few of these stately birds on our walk along the Cumberland River.
Source: WikiPedia
Granite mile markers - pretty classy.
At this point we turned around and walked the 3 miles back to the Rover making for a nice 6 mile jaunt. I am really looking forward to coming back here - hopefully in the Spring time.
Bob wanted to show me the northern end of the Rail-Trail which is mostly undeveloped and the surface is packed stone.
As we walked along the river this tug loaded down with side-by-side containers moved slowly and quietly up the River. Is that Tim I see in the Captain's seat?
These Trumpet Creeper ( Campsis radicans) vines were all along the rocky sections of the trail. I imagine it would be hard to even see the rocks in Summer time.
I bet these vines were used quite a bit by the natives and pioneers for baskets, ropes, etc.
I thought this was cool. An American Beech had sent a tap root right down this crack in the rock face. I wonder how big the crack was when the tree first started it's relentless push.
After about a mile of strolling we headed on over to the Narrows of the Harpeth.
The Harpeth River is one of the major streams of north-central Middle Tennessee and one of the major tributaries of the Cumberland River. The lower portion of the Harpeth is designated as a "scenic river" under the Tennessee Wild and Scenic Rivers Act.
This is the entrance of the Montgomery Bell Tunnel which was dug by slave labor.
The Montgomery Bell Tunnel is a man-made water feature in Cheatham County, Tennessee, which directs water through a tunnel at a narrow portion of an oxbow on the Harpeth River. Created in 1818 by Montgomery Bell, the 290-foot (88 m) long tunnel (state park signs at the tunnel give its length as 200 feet) was devised to power an iron-manufacturing operation known as Pattison Forge. The area is now protected as being a Tennessee state park, as well as a National Historic Landmark.
Source: WikiPedia
Next stop - Las Americas!
Bob introduced me to Las Americas in 2005. That was my first visit with Bob in Nashville and a very memorable one it was!
The photo above shows two fish Ceviche tostada.
At that time I had never heard of Ceviche or Pupusa.
Ceviche (also spelled as cebiche or ceviche) is a citrus-marinated seafood dish originating from the coast of Peru. Although it is a typical dish of Peruvian cuisine, many other countries in Latin America have adopted it, albeit, with variations. Both finfish and shellfish are used; finfish is typically used raw while shellfish is typically cooked.
Source: WikiPedia
The fish is technically raw - not heat cooked, but cooked by marinating it. It was delish! Bob and I both thought it was the best we had ever had. BTW - Bob ordered the Camarón (shrimp) Ceviche.
Next up - pupusas!
The blurry shot shows the hand made corn flat bread which, in this case is stuffed with cheese and shredded pork. Very tasty. But, I have to say I am partial to the pupusas I had at El Trebol in San Francisco, just a few months ago.
After I polished these off with a coupla beers I was feeling quite stuffed!
When I stepped up to the register to pay I saw this little goody wrapped and waiting for me. I asked the lady behind the counter what it was and she said "cheese bread". I decided to try some so I bought a small piece and took this shot when we got back to Bob's digs.
We had it the next morning with our coffee and it proved to be quite tasty - sort of like pound cake with cheese in it.
When we got back to we watched John Carpenter's "The Fog". A bit hoaky, but it's always nice to see Adrienne Barbeau.
Good night, Adrienne!!