Charleston/Nashville Vacay!

Last week, Mike and I went on a fun-filled vacation to Charleston, SC and Nashville, TN with our families. We have been planning this trip to Nashville forever...we went so that I could participate in graduation ceremonies! We figured that since we were kind of in the area, we should also go to South Carolina, since that is where Mike went on his mission. My family and Mike's mom, sister, and step dad came along with us to Charleston, and then my grandparents also joined us in Nashville.

Day 1: Travel...not much to report other than we flew into Atlanta and then drove to Charleston.

Day 2: We took a walking tour of historic Charleston. I absolutely loved seeing all of the old buildings! It was amazing to see all of the history; it almost reminded me of stepping back in time.
This was also a neat day because Mike's family got to call and talk to his brother, Trevor, who is on his mission!

Khemia, me, and Beth

St. Michael's Church: I believe that this church dates back to the 1600's. Two of the signers of the Declaration of Independence are buried in its cemetery.

Historic "Rainbow Row": this row of houses got its name because each house is a different color.

A view of the cobblestone streets.

Day 3: We headed out to Fort Sumter, which is where the Civil War began. The Fort is located on an island just outside of Charleston Harbor.

It was pretty interesting to learn more about the Fort and see all the cannons. There are a few places where you can still see cannon balls lodged in the side of the wall.

Day 4: We went back to downtown Charleston to do some more exploring and then went to Folley Beach. The beach was great! The water was warm enough to swim in...it was so wonderful!

Khemia and Beth in the Pineapple Fountain. We were joking about how there was a sign that had tons of different rules about wading in the fountain, such as not blowing your nose.

Mike and me at Folley Beach

Mandy and me

Day 5: We travelled from Charleston to Nashville...it was a LONG drive, but the scenery was beautiful. We drove through the Appalachians and the Blue Smoky Mountains.

Day 6: We visited the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum and explored downtown Nashville. We also grabbed some lunch from a DELICIOUS BBQ place called Jack's BBQ.

Me pointing out Elvis's start on the walk of fame..

Beth, me, and Khemia in downtown Nashville.

For dinner, we went to the Loveless Cafe. While we were waiting for our dinner, my dad, Beth, Kristin, David, and Khemia decided to pose for a picture.

Day 7: GRADUATION DAY!

Vanderbilt's graduation ceremonies are pretty formal. After doing some ceremonies with all of the graduates, each school broke off and did their own event. During the nursing graduation, I received my academic hood. It was so hot and humid in that cap and gown, but I am also really glad that I decided to go out and participate in commencement. It was really neat to see the campus, since all of my classes were done online and I had only visited it once before.

Later in the afternoon, we got a HUGE rainstorm, which I loved. The house we were staying in had a screened-in porch, so I sat outside and enjoyed most of it. Later, we went out for more BBQ at Judge Bean's. It was way good!

Day 8: We visited a Civil War battlefield in Franklin, TN. This site was significant because a nearby plantation was turned into a make-shift hospital. You could still see blood stains on the floor in a few rooms. Also, this is the site where four Confederate Generals were killed and their bodies were laid out on the back porch.

The site is home to the largest private military cemetery in the United States. After the battle ended, the plantation owner buried all of the bodies. A few years later, the bodies were moved to this cemetery.

Later that night, Beth, Mandy, and I decided to go back into Nashville. We went to a few different bars and listened to some live music. Unfortunately, it seemed like each time we got into the bar, the band was just finishing and we had to wait while the new band set up.

Day 9: We left to come back home. It was so fun to get away, and I am so thankful to both of our families for taking the time to come out and support me during my graduation. Thanks for the fun times!