“I’m going to make a quick phone call,” I told my 14-year-old son not long ago, after picking him up from school. “Who are you calling?” he asked. “You’ll see,” I told him. I speed-dialed Dennis Ferrier and put the phone on speaker. “Hello?” Dennis said. “Hey!” I said. “I just wanted to let you […]

Here in Nashville, weather conditions these last few weeks have been akin to those in… well, Hell. Temperatures have soared into the nineties nearly every day and the godawful humidity here makes it seem even hotter. Unless I’m poolside with a good book, I despise the weather this time of year. I hate the bugs […]

Old Nashville meets New Nashville at Mother’s Ruin, an NYC-based Germantown hotspot that combines speedy free pour cocktails with next-level bar food.   “I keep hearing about Mother’s Ruin,” I told my husband a few weeks ago. “I think we should go there.” “What makes it so great?” he asked. “Well, here’s what I know,” […]

A good friend from my past posted on social media recently that a close family member suffering from COVID had been put on a ventilator. She asked for prayers. The next day, she posted anti-vax and anti-mask memes. On Saturday, a well-known local talk show host died of COVID. Although he was a COVID skeptic […]

Hidden deep in the forests surrounding Chattanooga are blue holes — crystal clear blue pools of water fed by underground rivers. Want to see and even swim in one yourself? Read on! We hiked a mile and a half through a forest just outside Chattanooga before arriving at one of Tennessee’s elusive blue holes, a […]

Fruity, rum-filled drinks, a retro Polynesian vibe… and robots. This East Nashville tiki bar has more than a few fun surprises. A few years ago, a man had a dream. “The dream I had last night was so weird,” he told a friend the next day over coffee. “The only thing I really remember now […]

Looking for the best Nashville hikes out there? You’ve come to the right place! I’ve made it my mission over the years to hike all of the Nashville area’s trails and I’m happy to report there are some fantastic ones to choose from. On the trails I’ve listed below, you’ll find amazing scenic views, old […]

I think of Gatlinburg as a rite of passage for every American traveler. Snuggled up against the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the bustling town offers a colorful juxtaposition to the ancient mountains beyond. Enter Gatlinburg and you’ll find yourself immersed in a dizzying swirl of pancake houses, souvenir shops, tourist attractions, and hordes of […]

Drive a few hours north from Nashville and you’ll encounter a delightful surprise nestled in the hills of southern Indiana: two turn-of-the-century grand hotels, painstakingly restored to their former glory. ‘We need to go somewhere for our anniversary,’ a friend texted me recently. ‘We need something fun.’ ‘Have I told you about French Lick?’ I […]

“I can’t believe we’re finally doing this,” I told my husband as we sat in an Inglewood parking lot. In my hands was a plain brown paper bag. We both gazed at it in silence for a few seconds before I took a deep breath and opened it. Two objects rested inside, both wrapped in […]