Day One - Chattanooga Part 2

June 20 – Arrival in Chattanooga

We arrived at Phillip and Kim’s house and were welcomed with big hugs from both of them. Their furry family—Maisie, Sophie (the dog), and Fergie—gave us an enthusiastic greeting filled with barking, tail wagging, and plenty of love. What great pups!

It was so nice to catch up with Phillip and Kim. We shared a lot of laughs and happy memories.

For lunch/dinner, we went to the Boathouse Rotisserie & Raw Bar, which sits right on the Tennessee River in Chattanooga. The views were absolutely beautiful. We even got to see a sculling team practicing. I had the Trout Almondine, which was delicious. Kim really enjoyed her fish tacos, while Phillip and Ray ordered the wood-grilled redfish—they were both very impressed. We also shared a roasted garlic appetizer served with olive oil and feta cheese. So good!

Later, we made our way to Nashville, where we decided to take it easy and relax for the evening. Tomorrow, we're off to explore the city—good food, great music, and new adventures await!

Day one! Chattanooga and Nashville.

Al and Ray’s Excellent Adventure: Day One! 🚀

Today marks the legendary kickoff of Al and Ray’s Excellent Adventure! The sun is barely up, but the tires are already screeching—Al peels out of Ray's driveway like Vin Diesel in a minivan, adrenaline high and the playlist loud. Ray barely has time to fasten his seatbelt before they’re rocketing toward destiny (and a likely Cracker Barrel stop).

The duo are off like legends in the making, chasing the open road and chasing down weird roadside attractions like a pair of middle-aged Lewis and Clark… if Lewis loved Cracker Barrel and Clark needed bathroom stops every 90 miles.

Destination #1: Chattanooga – 6 hours to visit the King clown himself.

Not Bozo.  But let’s be honest—on this road trip, everyone’s a bozo on the bus. The King and Kim welcome them with open arms, and probably a bowl of Bradfordville snacks. Hopefully there's some Tootsie Pops in there Al exclaims. Kim looks about as happy as she does when she's at the Village Pizza and Pasta, eating garlic rolls!

After lunch and a catch-up with Kim and Phillip (who clearly earned King Clown for putting up with this circus), it’s back in the car, windows down, and snacks within arm’s reach.

Next up: Nashville, Tennessee!

Music City, here they come—2.5 more hours of asphalt, anecdotes, and arguing over whether that was a cow or a mailbox they just passed at 80 mph. Country music and questionable decision-making.

Buckle up, Ray—because you’re not just riding shotgun today, you’re copiloting a full-throttle memory in the making

Ray tightens his seatbelt like a man bracing for reentry. Al cracks his knuckles, adjusts the sunglasses, and says with a grin:

Here's your barf bag Ray—this is just Day One of adventure of a lifetime!