WE BROKE THE RV AWNING! // Exploring Nashville, TN #RVLife

Nashville is my hometown, so I'm super excited about us getting to spend some time here on our Airstream adventure. But before we dive in, we'll introduce ourselves. We're Lauren and Daniel, travel addicts, small business owners, and now full-time Airstream dwellers. We're on a mission to visit all 50 states in 365 days, shopping 100% American-made and as locally sourced as possible. It's our hope that as we share our journeys with you, you'll be inspired to wander local too. If you watched the last episode, we found ourselves in a bind just before we were supposed to leave for Nashville. After our 12-point-some-odd-mile hike to the second-tallest peak in Tennessee, this is what we came home to. Our Airstream wasn't going anywhere like this. Thankfully, we have insurance, and were able to find a local RV repair company to remove it for us. We searched for local Airstream dealers to fix it, but sadly, they didn't have any in stock. But when life hands you lemons, make lemonade, and since Ohio is already on our travel schedule, we decided this was the perfect opportunity to visit where our baby was built, the Airstream factory. That being said, since we destroyed our awning, we've learned that it's one of the most common RV screw-ups. So we'll do a full video about our experience when we visit the Airstream factory in a few weeks. But for now, we're taking you to Music City, USA and my hometown, Nashville, Tennessee. When we got to Nashville, things were already looking up. Daniel managed to successfully back in the Airstream on his very first try. We stayed at the Grand Ole RV Resort, a family-owned campsite just outside of Nashville. With live music every night and traditional Southern hospitality, the place is a gem. After a few days of catching up with work in the Airstream, we were thrilled to take a day off to explore a few of our local Nashville favorites, which of course, started with a coffee shop. One of my favorite Nashville neighborhoods is Germantown. It's totally walkable and the coffee shops and eateries are outstanding. My favorite place in all of Nashville is here, Veggie Village, owned by Chef Troy and Miss Gail. This Nashville treasure will make any non-vegetarian reconsider. They're known for their Caribbean-style vegan food that they smoke on the porch, but no matter the creation, it's always mouth-watering goodness. Their story is so heartwarming, so I'll let Chef Troy and Miss Gail take it from here. I've always dreamed of having my own restaurant. We kind of stumbled upon this whole thing. Pulled up this street and there was a police sign that had been put out the night before we came. Told her what we were gonna do, but she asked me, so what kind of business are you? I said a restaurant. She said, what kind? I said vegan. She said, oh, I'm vegetarian. It was an instant match made in paradise. From there, everything pretty much is history. We wanted fresh vegetables like we grew up on. And to be excited about food. Excited about food. Going somewhere, you know. Something different. We're blessed. We're gonna stand strong. Nashville strong. Tennessee strong. After thanking Chef Troy and Miss Gail for our food and promising to be back soon, it was time to find a spot to eat. So since Veggie Village is just across the way in Germantown and they don't have outdoor seating, we decided we would come to one of my favorite parks to eat lunch. So the Bicentennial Mall is a state park that you see right around us, but it's really interesting and fun. It's a great place to come walk. There's tons of history about Tennessee that you can learn from and it is really beautiful. I've had the vegan wings before and they're the best I've ever had. This is the Jamaican Jerk seasoned wing and this is like a sweet chili. Absolutely delicious. Always impressed with this place. When you come to Nashville and visit Veggie Village, it's really important to know they do have staples, but they also create new custom creations. One of those things that they did today was this incredible pizza. Apparently their chef figured this glorious food topic out, or food item out, over quarantine. I mean seriously, wouldn't you eat this like a hundred times over in quarantine? It is so good. Amazing. After we finished our lunch, it was time to visit another fan favorite. Welcome to the Nashville Farmers Market. Unlike most farmers markets that are open typically on your Saturdays and Sundays, this one is open seven days a week. When we like to explore local, this is one of our favorite ways to get in and learn a little bit more about the small businesses, which are essentially the heartbeat of America. The Nashville Farmers Market was actually founded in the early 1800s, when Nashville consisted of little more than a post office, a newspaper, a few local stores and taverns, and an inn. The facilities include two covered open-air sheds, a container farm, a greenhouse, and a food hall that includes some two dozen restaurants and shops. Who knew? We're on a safari. I feel like we need that for the Airstream. What do you think? I don't think it will fit. No? A little too tall? After exploring the local vendors and buying a few things to stock the Airstream's kitchen, we decided what better way to cap off an afternoon at the Farmers Market than with a wine tasting. One of the little gems that we found at the Farmers Market was Natchez Hills Winery is actually here. The wine is made about an hour south of here in Hampshire, Tennessee, which I actually don't know where that is. I'm gonna have to look that up, but I mean, how can you pass up a wine tasting on a Saturday afternoon? Cheers! After our wine tasting, we headed back to the Airstream for a quick catnap before it was time to meet up with some of our best friends at another local favorite later this evening. To round off our day of visiting local Nashville favorites, we are here at Yazoo Brewing. It's actually a brand new location in Madison, Tennessee, which is like 30 minutes outside of Nashville. Yazoo was one of the very first craft breweries to become big in the States, and it originated here in Nashville. So what a better way to round off the day? Safety first! What I love most about Yazoo, other than their beer, of course, is their founder story. Linus Hall started brewing beer in college because, and I quote, he couldn't afford to buy as much beer as he wanted to drink. But after graduation, he moved to Nashville for a job and joined a home brewers club where he started creating his own recipes. When the other brewers liked his creations, his dream of opening a brewery was born. And in 2003, he opened Yazoo, the very first production brewery in Nashville since Prohibition. Oh my goodness, that's really good. Yeah, we make some good beers here. Founders Nuon. Before we knew it, the evening was coming to an end. We relaxed with a few friends and had a beer or two before heading back to the Airstream for a good night's sleep under the starry Nashville sky.