We went to the Feechie fen...

Or why little adventures are sometimes the best kind.

Last week we went to the Book Launch Party for Jonathan Rogers’ Wilderking Series. In preparation for the trip, we listened to the audiobook and we finished listening while driving the 3 1/2 hours to Nashville. We all really loved the book; my daughter especially loved anytime Dobro Turtlebane laughed or cried, she would giggle so hard and long that her brothers had to shush her so they could hear what came next. It was our first time reading the book and our first time visiting North Wind Manor, home of The Rabbit Room, and it was gorgeous.

The back porch of North Wind Manor.

I have not gone to a Habit retreat yet, but walking around made me wonder if I need to make it a priority. The snacks were charming, there were coloring pages, inflatable alligators, and plenty of fun.

The highlight of the afternoon for me was seeing Jonathan Rogers recreate the Bark of the Bog Owl live. I have pre-ordered the rest of the series, but I may need to get the rest of the audiobooks as well. I usually prefer to read our read aloud books myself, but this is an exception. His varied accents, hilarious sounds, and smooth narration are impossible to beat. I am picky about audiobook narrations, but he has what it takes.

My children’s favorite part was the panther (cheetah) pinata. After asking fifty questions to understand the ground rules, they were all in.

Since we had come all that way, I decided to delay our return to Memphis by a day. I am glad that we did in no small part because this hot chicken ramen dish at Subculture was, to paraphrase a Google review, the dish I didn’t know that I always wanted.

The next day we took a visit to Nashville’s Parthenon, the only full size replica of the Greek original. My boys have just started their study of Ancient History, so the visit dovetailed perfectly and since we have studied Greek Mythology in the past, they were able to recognize some of the figures.

Our final stop in Nashville was McKay’s which I only knew from legend to be the Used Bookstore to rule them all and they weren’t lying. My only regret is that our travels limit what I can reasonably transport to Colorado, so I had to be prudent. In a bookstore.

This is what prudence looks like. Or an attempt at prudence. We’ll see how I did when I pack up in August.

After our visit to McKay’s we made our way back to Memphis in time for a quick dinner, a clothing change, and an organ concert. While in Memphis, we have made St. Peter’s Catholic Church our home. It is the oldest Catholic church in the city and its organ recently turned 101. In honor of this anniversary, the organist from a local Anglican church gave a concert highlighting the full range of this magnificent instrument. I debated whether we could fit one more event into our day, but I am so glad that we did.

While I enjoy taking big trips with itineraries and logistics to sort out, impromptu trips like this one are delightfully freeing. I will be on the lookout for such opportunities in the future.