complimentary shuttle, the parking costs down there are very high" (Down there is about a mile away). "They are pretty much together and the people there can help you find your way from one to another". Please understand that up until about 15 minutes past this point, I was under the gross misconception that this whole thing was one big building with a boat parked out back on the river, although before we left Knoxville, a friend had said, "It's really big over there". The shuttle dropped me off what I now understand as the convention center. (Blue in the upper right.) (Oh, I found this map this morning.) So I entered under the huge lit up "carport" expecting to find a desk with very helpful people to direct me quickly to my quest. No so! I wandered down hallways desperately looking for people who looked like they worked there. Finally I found myself in what I now know is the Delta where "a river runs through it", and people were buying tickets to ride a "riverboat" around the inside of this building????? I got the attention of one of the ticket sellers, simply asking for someone who could help me find my destinations. She said, go around this corner, take the elevator up one floor , turn left and take the black and white hallway. Sounded simple enough. I found the elevator, punched 2 and off I went to wrap this thing up. Got off the elevator and found myself in the middle of radiating hallways to rooms. No black and white hallway in sight. In fear of really getting swallowed up, I jumped back on the elevator with some ladies who were on their way to the 4th floor, saying " I have no idea where I'm going"... They just smiled sweetly (you know people don't talk on elevators). After they got off I punched 1 to retrace my steps. When I got off, there I was on another floor just like 2 with no black and white hallway. Now, my momma didn't raise no dummy. My steel trap mind quickly grasped the fact that I had really started on floor "0". I punched "0" and there I was back by the place I had entered. I was really desperate by now. Using my keenly sharpened navigational skills, I remembered that on the way here in the shuttle, I had seen signs marked "General Jackson". It was time to renegotiate with myself. The goal had been reduced to finding our tickets to the General Jackson cruise which now was about 2 hours away and get back to the room in time to rush back over here (wherever "here" is) to board the riverboat. So I retraced until I found a General Jackson sign which pointed to what I thought was "through the woods". Surely since my advisors had said they were close together, unless they had really dropped me off in Hendersonville, I would find the river and General Jackson just up the path. On my way across a footbridge, I ran into a bunch of kids and could see "Opry Mills" signs in the distance to the left. Until about 20 minutes past this time, I had assumed Opry Mills was some seperate thing "up the road", I now know that it is apparently the mall. I asked these kids where the General Jackson was. The first girl pointed (I now know) in the right direction while her friends pointed 90 degrees to the right. About that time a guy (either iraque, pakastani, or something of that ilk) in a uniform came across the bridge. Then kids said, "do you work here?" As he answered in the affirmative, I could see that the next few minutes where going to be a challenge for these old midwestern ears. The kids left me in his hands, as I asked him my most important question, "how far is it?" Once we established what "far" meant to both of us, he pointed toward the right (where the kids had directed me). "You see those cars all lined up over therrre?" Pointing about a quarter mile off across the mall parking lot to cars bumper to bumper heading to the right. I acknowledged the cars. "Eats about one half mile from therrre, do you have a car?" "Not here". "I have a car, I will take you there and bring you back here"... Oh boy; dilemma again. I'm thinking, with that line of cars, we could be hours... Although I want to trust this guy, I have heard too many stories of people being hijacked in situations like this. (The last story was from a guy in the parking lot in Knoxville who needed some money because he was just back from Iraq and some people gave him a ride from Sevierville and stole his $1200. We chose to not believe him because we couldn't figure out why he wasn't at a police station rather than in Calhoun's parking lot down by the Tennessee River.) With those thought swirling in my head, I thanked him ( he may still be standing there with that bewildered look on his face), and started out on foot across the parking lot (to the right (that's important). I got to the line of traffic and found a sign to the General Jackson..... pointing to the left. Now I began the second half mile of my trek, walking down the road against that line of traffic, til I finally got to the General Jackson which was "behind" the mall right where the first girl had said. That was probably a quarter mile from where I met the kids on the bridge. Got our tickets then set my compass to return to where the shuttle had dropped me off. Since I had decided that I was now on the other side of the mall that I had seen when leaving my drop off spot, I headed through the mall. I entered through the "Apple Barn". When we had returned from Pigeon Forge, my sister had said, Don't miss the Apple Barn in Pigeon Forge. Unfortunately, we had already missed it, but here's another one. ( we'll check it out today or tomorrow). I navigated through this huge mall, across the parking lot, down the path through the trees and really did see the welcome sign for a convention where the shuttle had dropped me off. I called for the shuttle, thus ending my first adventure.Got back to the Hyatt Place where I received really simple directions to the General Jackson. Sat down for a few minutes to update Georgia. (She will have to read this to find out the gory details; I obvously write in more detail than I talk.) We got ourselves together a bit, me foregoing the shower and change of clothes I had planned, and off we went for our cruise. We got to the boat just in time to board, missing our opportunity to have our picture taken and along with that the chance to buy the $25 photo package. We were of course the last people at our table, so sat with our backs to the stage. Met some very nice people. A young couple with 3 girls from Hendersonville, another local couple (I think he is a farmer), and 2 couples from Savannah, Ga. Obvously they all had to put up with our accent, but we enjoy swapping lies and convictions. The great meal was served family style. Between the meal there was time to go out on the (cold) deck and watch Nashville go by. Before we turned around to return, we were made aware that the Lady J (Alan Jackson's yacht) was out partying. As we passed by, they honked and waved at us. It was about this point that we realized that in our haste, we had each left our camera. I finally remembered that I had my phone and it contained a camera, but I'll have to wait til I get home to my adaptor to get them in a useful state other than e-mailing them... and their not worth e-mailing to everyone. We went back in to see a really great Christmas show with tributes to Tina Turner (Yes we all sang "rollin on the river"). Elton John who did a bunch of oldies and Christmas tunes, and Elvis who started it off with "Blue Christmas"... They were all terrific. We got off the boat about midnight and wandered back to our room. At this time of nite the traffic was slim, so I felt a bit more safe in taking uncharted turns. After all, I had previously walked all over this place and had several landmarks in my mind. We stumbled onto the entrance of the Gaylord Hotel (Pictures below) I don't think we have ever seen so many lights on one tree (after tree after tree). The lighted white nativity was stunning also. I have posted a few pictures here . There are more if you can find me on facebook. So after a trying start, the evening turned out great, though chilly. I seemed to have more energy than usual. Probably that hike that got my juices stirred and my hips aching. Finding no one else "up and about" on my cyberspaces, I read Greg's apology (you must understand the meaning of apologetics to know why I used the term apology) on his blog and had to comment before going to bed. I hope I didn't do him a dis-service by using that term. After all, language arts is his field, not mine.
Now I'm off to see what this place looks like in the daylight.
2 comments:
Wow--you just wore me out. I remember how ominous this complex felt when I first arrived last year. I actually entered The Gaylord through the north-west lobby only to have to walk what seemed miles to get to a meeting on the other side. It's certainly anything but insubstantial. No disservice on the apology--as you uses it, that is just what it is.
Who says you can't learn from your kids????
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