Hey, Hey, Goodbye

We arrived in Nashville Thursday just before the Labour Day Weekend. We had heard reports of vandalism on the town docks at the foot of Broadway, so reserved a slip at Rock Harbour Marina, several miles from downtown.

This marina has an interesting pricing policy. Two dollars a foot or $500 for six days. Or you can stay for a month for the same price. Nashville is an attractive location to meet friends and family so is a good place for a long stay. Air service is frequent and there are lots of local attractions.

We pulled into our assigned slip. Had a look around. The docks were in poor repair. The slip had ropes and hoses hanging in the water that looked to have been dangling for a long time. The majority of boats on the dock were obviously liveaboards in the worst sense of the word. Boats that likely cannot move under their own power, purchased only for cheap accommodation and receiving no care.

We asked for another slip near a boat we knew. The second slip was in better repair, but had no wifi. The rest of the facilities matched the first dock. One washroom for 200 boats that looked like it had been cleaned last year. No washers or dryers. Ramps were a mish-mash of materials, angles and lengths. Boards gave under foot with nails sitting proud of the surface waiting to snag a toe.

We had made the classic mistake of arriving with no food – almost literally, and a full laundry bag. So we headed downtown to stretch our legs and find a bit to eat. We wandered through German Town a section of Nashville with some new low-rise developments, but mostly re-purposed older buildings. A beautiful neighbourhood with a selection of interesting places to eat. We opted to try a smokehouse taqueria. An interesting mix that we throughly enjoyed. Brisket and pulled-pork in a taco – brilliantly executed.

We continued our stroll through the downtown to check out the ball park, downtown docks and Broadway which is the centre for bars and clubs. We strolled through the site of Live on the Green – a free music festival. And yes, Nashville is bachelorette centre. We saw at least three sets of young women obviously arriving for the weekend. Plus, discovered a new service. Rolling luggage storage where tourists can leave their luggage until their flight or until their rooms are ready.

By the time we returned to the marina, we had decided to move on. We found a slip a little further downriver at the Commodore Yacht Club.

The first time we have left a marina before our reservation expired.