Thought I was all finished with Nashville, but ended up going out for brunch before skipping town! Went to the famous "New York-style deli, Noshville.
Although there were many delicious options, I ordered the bacon, spinach, and cheese (choice of which cheese, I had cheddar) omelette. (See picture) It came with fruit and a bagel, and you can't have brunch without a mimosa, so mimosas were involved, too. :) It was great!! Greasy, and very diner-ish, and delish. Our server's name was Karma, and, as it turns, out, Karma isn't a you-know-what.
Got on the road and had a pleasant drive, about 5.5 hours exactly, to St. Charles, MO.
Though I didn't hit any rain, there were some very ominous clouds (see picture) that I couldn't resist photographing. It was literally one second bright and sunny, the next second turning into nighttime, much darker. As I said, though, no rain, so that was nice.
Got to the party, and it was great to see everyone. Had some good snacks and good conversations! Kevin and Ashley had a great time, and everyone went out downtown afterward. Aunt W. and I headed back to her apartment, I got settled in, and we watched some TV then went to sleep.
Sunday:
Aunt W. and I woke up around 8, got ready, and picked up Lisa to take her to the airport (for Seattle). We dropped her off, and then went for a drive. I was originally going to show her the very -- uh -- rural "Main Street" that my GPS originally led me to on my way to St. Charles (was not my intended Main Street, seeing as my cousins have a huge condo and this main street had four houses and dead-ended into an old orchard factory/mill-type thing. I thought to myself, "Self, this is not where we need to be." Turns out I needed to put "South Main Street," and ended up getting there fine.).
So, we got a chuckle out of seeing "the other Main Street," and ended up continuing our Sunday drive for another two hours! We drove all around St. Charles county, seeing houses, farms, people in their gardens, PLENTY of cornfields, etc. We stopped by Portage de Sioux, MO and New Town, MO.
Portage was cool because of the history and quaint feel (all the places in town are listed on one sign -- what an effective directory!).
New Town was a SUPER neat place because of the location and modern meets classic feel; there were adorable houses with porches that faced each other so that neighbors could talk, cute little shops, and lots to do! It'd be a great place to live in any stage of life, Aunt W. and I decided -- with kids, as a single couple, in retirement, whenever! It was awesome!
After that we came back to St. Charles and chatted at the apartment. Aunt W. told me lots of great stories and showed me lots of neat pictures, ones I'd never seen of people at different ages before I was born. It was awesome, and I really appreciate/value that quality time learning more about my family.
After we went out for dinner with Scott, Jeff, and Uncle M. We went to Llywelyn's Pub on historic Main Street (the right one this time!). I had the Pub Curry, Jeff had the Bangers and Mashed, Scott the Shepherd's Pie, Uncle M. the fried pies, and Aunt W. fish and chips. It was delicious! We then headed across the street to Quintessential for an after-dinner drink, and chatted some more. It was a really great time!
We headed home, watched some TV, and went to bed early (talk about tired!).
Monday:
Woke up this morning and went biking with Jeff on the trail(s) behind their condo (Katy Trail). We rode 12 miles, then came back and got cleaned up. Aunt W., Uncle M., Katelynn and I then went to a movie (Solitary Man w/ Michael Douglas) and it was great!! Funny, sad, touching -- really good movie, definitely recommend it.
Back now, and heading out to dinner here pretty soon (possibly O'Charley's?); yum!
I've had a really great time in MO. Everyone here lives near each other and I know it's not a novelty for them to spend time together, but for me it's really a treat. I have enjoyed seeing them several days in a row and getting lots of chances to talk, laugh, share about our lives, and catch up. I really hold our conversations and times together close to my heart, and look forward to seeing everyone again in a week and a half or so.
Tomorrow: Dewar, IA!
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