The Shop at the W Nashville Hotel presented a fashion show for Swim Week on Thursday, May 4, 2023 from 6:30 p.m. to 12 a.m.
The show celebrated swim suit designs featured in the hotel shop. Many of the attractive pieces used sustainable materials and some local sourcing. Here are some highlights from the program:
“Fair Harbor beachwear was born out of deep care for our waterways and a desire to preserve the magic of the shoreline for future generations. That’s why we made all of our signature beachwear from recycled plastic bottles, for versatile comfort that considers the ocean.”
“Melissa Odabash – Each collection illustrates signature Odabash style and quality. From the finest quality Italian swimwear fabrics to reworked archived and vintage prints that are ethically sourced and manufactured.”
“Peixoto – Creating high-quality clothing that makes the wearer feel beautiful while doing our part to make the world a better place. At the core of our mission is a commitment to foster economic empowerment, health, safety and equality in all we do.”
Designers included LSPACE, SOLID&STRIPED, VIX PAULAHERMANNY, BEACHRIOT, FAHERTY, MELISSA ODABASH, PEIXOTO and FAIR HARBOR.
The event tickets were sold as general admission and VIP, with the key difference being VIP was about $20 more and came with a gift bag featuring some of the designers. Solid & Striped included towels and sunscreen in the VIP bag. L Space included some spa creams.
Models included Charika White, Christen McAllister, Shelby Hunstad, Morgan Watkins, Hannah Roberson, Lauren Kentfield, Alyssa Mocci, Tallulah Kokoski, Alyssa Schoener, Malik Perry, Bea Guti, Aidan Daniel, Mercedes Northup and Ronzell Williams.
Hair and makeup was done by One10 Beauty House.
Gallery Images provided by Sarah Hughes. Photos of Swim Week fashion show models walking and posing. All rights reserved.
Swim Week presented by The Shop was part of Nashville’s fashion events, with Nashville’s fashion week taking place officially in April. The show was held at the pool of the Gulch neighborhood W Nashville Hotel at 300 12th Ave S, Nashville, TN 37203.
Christmas is coming and maybe you’re still looking for a good present for yourself or someone else. Urban Decay has been featuring eyeshadow palettes for lower sale prices recently.
Some of the ones we’ve tried are Naked3, Naked Wild West and of course, Naked Honey. Different colors have been going on sale all month with Naked3, Naked Wild West and Naked Honey being discounted 50 percent right now. On Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2022 Naked3 was $27 marked down from $54. Naked Wild West was $24.50 marked down $49. Naked Honey was $24.50 marked down from $49.
Images provided by Melinda Wilson and Sarah Hughes. Pictures of Urban Decay makeup and application inspiration. All rights reserved.
The Naked3 palette is good for work or subtle looks with neutral brown and nude colors. The Naked Honey or Naked Cherry are good for sparkly dramatic holiday looks. The Naked Wild West would look awesome in the summer or at a festival. All are fun for dabbling with and staging a photoshoot with your besties! Pictured are some ways to apply it. The palettes can be purchased at https://www.urbandecay.com/naked-palettes/?start=0&sz=18
In late Sept. or early Oct., the TN Honey Festival draws honey enthusiasts and festival goers in Nashville. Apiaries in Tenn. submit honey for competition and purchase.
Here are reviews of one local Springfield honey and one award winner from the TN Honey Festival.
According to https://www.benefits-of-honey.com/good-quality-honey/, a good quality honey has low water content, low HMF (Hydroxymethylfurfural), low adulteration with Inverted Sugars or additives, no visible pollen, and a pleasing color. While graded into light, amber and dark colors, these categories are thought to have little bearing on quality.
“Honey color is measured on the Pfund Scale in millimeters.” says Benefits of Honey, “While it is not an indicator of honey quality and there are exceptions to the rule, generally speaking, the darker color the honey, the higher its mineral contents, the pH readings, and the aroma/flavor levels. Minerals such as potassium, chlorine, sulfur, iron, manganese, magnesium, and sodium have been found to be much higher in darker honeys.”
Typically color and taste are affected by what pollen bees pick up and digest. So no two honeys are exactly alike, though the process can be pretty similar.
“Raw honey comes straight from a beehive,” says WebMD, “Some honey producers pass the substance through a coarse filter to remove foreign matter, but it remains unprocessed food. Most of the honey sold in stores goes through a heating process to make it less sticky and easier to filter.”
“High temperatures pasteurize honey and destroy yeast cells in it that can cause unwanted fermentation,” Says WebMD, “Honey is basically sugar. It is actually higher in calories than the typical white sugar used for cooking or baking. Because it is sweeter, you may need less if you’re using it as a substitute. Also, honey adds flavor that white sugar does not have.”
Richard’s Pure Raw Honey hails from a Springfield apiary established in 1903. Owned by Wayne D. Richard, this honey comes in an affordable plastic squeeze bottle filled with a generous amount for $12. It’s dark golden-brown and barely transparent. It has a rich flavor, sweet with faint toffee flavors in the mid to after taste. It smells like dandelion and honeysuckle.
Tyler Pippen, who enjoys going to farmers markets and tasting honey, says of Richard’s Pure Raw Honey, “the flavor is sweet but subdued due to its probable age. It smells of raw honey. There’s a separation of sugar and nectar.”
Just B’s Pure Raw Honey was the festival winner of 2021. It is a clear warm amber color and comes in a cute glass hexagon jar. Just B’s lists which queen made each honey and “Queen Cora” made this one. It has a watery thin consistency. It tastes like it would go well with green teas, herbals and juices.
Pippen says of Just B’s Pure Raw Honey, “Is sweet and smells a little of pollen, which makes me feel like it was bottled in their own backyard or farm. Smells like raw honey in its most potent, purest form. The consistency is like water. There’s subdued hints of something other than honey…jasmine? Lavender? I like it.”
That viscous little golden substance may be good for most people’s well being when consumed appropriately.
The Mayo Clinic lists the following health benefits, “Research on honey for specific conditions includes:
Cardiovascular disease. Antioxidants in honey might be associated with reduced risk of heart disease.
Cough. Studies suggest that eucalyptus honey, citrus honey and labiatae honey can act as a reliable cough suppressant for some people with upper respiratory infections and acute nighttime cough.
Gastrointestinal disease. Evidence suggests honey might help relieve gastrointestinal tract conditions such as diarrhea associated with gastroenteritis. Honey might also be effective as part of oral rehydration therapy.
Neurological disease. Studies suggest that honey might offer antidepressant, anticonvulsant and anti-anxiety benefits. In some studies, honey has been shown to help prevent memory disorders.
Wound care. Topical use of medical-grade honey has been shown to promote wound healing, particularly in burns.”
However, honey’s benefits aren’t for everyone, such as those with allergies and young babies.
Mayo Clinic cautions, “Avoid giving honey — even a tiny taste — to babies under the age of 1 year. Honey can cause a rare but serious gastrointestinal condition (infant botulism) caused by exposure to Clostridium botulinum spores. Bacteria from the spores can grow and multiply in a baby’s intestines, producing a dangerous toxin.”
‘Some people are sensitive or allergic to specific components in honey, particularly bee pollen.” Says Mayo Clinic, “Although rare, bee pollen allergies can cause serious, and sometimes fatal, adverse reactions.”
Honey can be purchased from health food stores or farmers markets, but WebMD points out that processing doesn’t affect the health advantages honey may provide.
“Raw honey is not superior to processed honey in nutrition or health benefits,” says WebMD, “Researchers found that processing does not affect honey’s nutritional value or antioxidant levels.”
“Honey contains antioxidants, which can protect the body from inflammation. Inflammation can lead to a variety of health issues, including heart disease, cancer, and autoimmune disorders. One study discovered that antioxidants in buckwheat honey were detectable in blood plasma, showing that eating honey could enhance antioxidant activity in the body.”
Supporting local apiaries by buying honey at festivals or farmers markets helps the environment by promoting green practices.
“The food is typically grown near where you live, not thousands of miles away or another country,” says the USDA at https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2012/07/02/top-reasons-shop-farmers-market, “Shopping at farmers markets also supports your local farmers and keeps the money you spend on food closer to your neighborhood.”
Check out your local farmers market or the next TN Honey Festival to try your own honey. Tickets can be purchased at https://tennesseehoneyfestival.com.
Tiny homes have been an affordable alternative for housing in recent years. They provide an option for avoiding increasing rents, while providing a type of home ownership.
Yet prospective tiny home builders looking to build in Tenn. may need to familiarize themselves with legal concerns. Some local events provide some information for prospective builders.
“Tenn. does not have any state-wide laws pertaining to tiny homes, so whether or not you can build really depends on where you’re looking to live. Like many other states, the regulations surrounding tiny homes vary across different cities.”
“It’s not uncommon for homeowners to want to convert their sheds, or other additional dwelling units (ADUs), into tiny homes. But, this goes against Tenn. state law on ready removeables. This law states that you are only allowed to have electricity in a shed to operate tools and machinery—not to a power potential home.
Plus, it is illegal to sleep in a shed in Tenn. So, while a shed may be a tiny space, you’re not exactly allowed to turn it into a tiny home.”
“Tiny homes are also allowed in Nashville, but with much heavier restrictions. They are only allowed in zones behind an existing structure. If you have a lot of yard space and want to build a tiny home on your lot, you can do so in Nashville—a popular choice for those looking to make some extra cash with an AirBNB or guest home situation in the country music capital. ”
While not a top spot for tiny home trends, Tiny home festivals have been coming to Tenn. including the Tenn. Tiny Home Music Festival and the Hippie Living Fair Nashville. Such festivals offer stylistic examples as well as information on building and legal concerns when building tiny. Smaller local festivals like the Clarksville Artsville Fest often include tiny home features.
Shows like Tiny House Nation explore the popularity of liveable structures that are typically less than 400 square feet. Tiny house communities have appeared in some places in the United States.
“According to Tenn. Code Ann. § 68-126-303, ready-removable structures include, but are not limited to, stadium press boxes, guard shelters, or structures that contain only electrical, electronic, or mechanical equipment that are solely occupied for service or maintenance of such equipment.”
“It is against state law to modify ready-removable structures for use as residential, recreational, or emergency housing in Tennessee.”
““Building codes are necessary life-safety measures, and ready–removable structures do not pass the code for sleeping spaces,” said Commerce & Insurance Deputy Commissioner Gary West. “The State Fire Marshal’s Office cannot issue certificates for electrical power to ready-removables that are used as housing.”
“Ready-removables with electrical wiring can be used for work spaces or storage, but must still meet applicable state and local electrical permitting requirements, local building permitting requirements, and have hardwired smoke alarms installed in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. Ready-removables cannot have plumbing systems.”
Tiny builders may want to consider whether they are committed to tiny living for a long period of time. They may also not want to simply DIY a space without being aware of legalities.
Traveling in movable tiny homes, Recreational Vehicles (RVs) and trailers became more popular during quarantine. As populations increase due to people moving to states with lower costs of living, housing costs in those states increase. With this backdrop, tiny living can offer less debt than traditional housing and a place of one’s own as an alternative to shifting housing costs.
Tenn. Populations between 2018 and 2021
According to the United States Census Bureau, Tenn. had a population of 6.651 million in 2018. This increased to 6.709 million in 2019 and 6.772 million in 2020. The estimated population in 2021 was 6.975 million.
According to the United States Census Bureau, Nashville, Tenn. had a population of 692,587 in 2018. According to the Census of 2020, the Nashville-Davidson Metropolitan Government area had a population of 689,447. The estimated population for the Nashville-Davidson Metropolitan Government area was 678,851 in 2021.
According to the United States Census Bureau, Montgomery County, Tenn. had a population of 196,387 in 2018. This increased to 200,180 in 2019 and 204,992 in 2020.
According to the United States Census Bureau, Clarksville, Tenn. had a population of 150,602 in 2018. This increased to 152,934 in 2019 and 156,092 in 2020.
The 3rd Annual 2022 Tennessee Tiny Home Music Festival took place Saturday and Sunday Aug. 20 and 21st 10 AM to 5 PM at the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway, 625 Smith Avenue, Nashville, Tennessee 37203.
The festival provides a place for getting familiar with tiny house examples while enjoying some tunes. In addition to raising money for charity, the festival offers information on legal considerations and tips for building a tiny house.
This is the United Tiny House Association’s 26th For-Charity Tiny House Festival.
“It will be a weekend full of all things “tiny“ & fun!” says https://unitedtinyhouse.ticketspice.com/tennessee-tiny-home-music-festival-3rd-annual “You will be able to tour and view all sorts of tiny structures from professional builders and private homeowners, learn and connect with people who live the tiny lifestyle, and interact with vendors from both the tiny living and local communities.”
“Enjoy Talks and plenty of Workshops on subjects ranging from Building, Zoning, Downsizing, Off-Grid Applications, and other great topics presented by the celebrities and experts from the World tiny lifestyle community!”
You love honey and so do we. The Tennessee Honey Festival brings awareness to pollinators’ roles and the variety of ways their honey can be used.
Taking place last Oct. 3, 2021 10 AM to 5 PM (CDT) at Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park, 600 James Robertson Parkway, Nashville, Tenn. 37243, the festival has been celebrated annually since 2018.
“The Tennessee Honey Festival is a family-friendly event that is put on for the sole purpose of raising awareness and bringing attention to the current honey-bee, pollinator crisis.” says https://tennesseehoneyfestival.com/
If that sounds like the bee’s knees, check out the festival next year. Tickets can be purchased at https://tennesseehoneyfestival.com/
Sarah Hughes discusses her writing process for recently released poetry book, Confetti Spring, giving a glimpse into her process and the meanings behind her poems.
Why I wrote about these topics
I wrote this collection of poetry because the subjects are worthwhile. I can explain them, but it’s personal and lengthy, so if that’s not your thing read the poems themselves. I believe firmly that the work is not always the artist, so maybe you’ll see something different than these heart-on-my-sleeve topics. Or maybe read this last and see if you believe the poems are about the following subjects.
There is a theme that has come up twice in my life. I explore it in writing this book, and will probably write more about it later. It is getting off a rollercoaster that is created by a toxic person or organization in your life. Obviously we all have our moments of toxic behavior, and it is very important to own our own actions. If anyone is out there that needs encouragement to get off an unwelcome rollercoaster, please form a solid plan that involves help and do it. You will never regret it. You can set deadlines for getting off if it makes you feel better. You can even stay longer than you should, but get out of that situation and immerse yourself in people and hobbies that make you feel good, who see your worth. You are worthy. Anyone who tells you that you are not worthy enough and uses dangling false carrots to keep you is not the sort of leader you should be following.
That’s the hardest theme I dwelled on in this collection. Mostly due to mourning unrealized potential and walking away from personal investment that hit a dead end. It is hopeful as there is a discovery of freedom involved. There is a discovery of authenticity as well. I feel I will always be intrigued with authenticity in my writing as honesty is very important to me. I believe it makes people good leaders, and also creates a culture of transparency, which in turn creates a culture of equals.
Part of discovering new layers of authenticity is learning to not always go out of my way to serve everyone else. Not doing that, and getting off rollercoasters feels like I am saying fuck you to certain corners of the world. But that isn’t really what’s happening. I’m just learning I don’t have to play by bad rules and that it’s ok to prioritize better directions.
In being my authentic self, I have been taking on a role of the observer. I label my emotions and don’t ruminate, realizing I am not my reactions. It helps with the goodie-two-shoed serving succubus because it gets me to serve myself first. I’ve been doing ok with asserting boundaries for a bit. However, I am working on explaining to others when I need something or need to express concern about a bad rule.
There is a quote that has inspired me a lot this year. I thought I heard it on Queer Eye but an internet search suggests it’s from Christine Caine, whom I am unfamiliar with. It reads, “Sometimes when you’re in a dark place you fear that you’ve been buried. You’ve been planted. Bloom!”
Motivations and Inspirations
Most of my motivation for writing this collection was a desire to get back into writing shape. I like that I had to just do it. I have been not prioritizing my own creativity for about five years, or atleast being creative in ways that weren’t the right post to hitch myself to. There have been some very cool sewing and crafting projects but I don’t know if I have a record of the timeline of those.
I wrote down a goal in early April to write a book this year, and then my crazy friend, Melinda Wilson sent me the May Musings writing challenge, by BookLeaf Publishing. As I write this list of inspirations, it’s now early June 2021, and I’ve completed that goal way earlier than intended, as well as 29 of 50 I wrote down. It’s surprising how and how fast visions move when you write them down and stay mostly consistent.
While writing this month, I was reading Eckhart Toile’s The Power of Now and Matt Haig’s The Midnight Library. I listened to Yung Gravy, bbno$ and K.Flay whenever I got in a rut. I was obsessing over money guru videos like Suze Orman and Dave Ramsey, as I am considering a career in financial coaching. Really, I still want to have as many careers as Barbie has, which is why I have never known what I wanted to do officially, as long as I was writing and dancing.
The Research Process
There wasn’t a long research process for this book as the poems are from details I observed or personal experiences I fictionalized. I do have a creative writing grounded education, so that and being a reader probably informed some of my work. I did Google poetry form types, especially when I had less time to write and needed to approach writing something shorter. I felt that it was how I was able to restrain my writing to a certain number of syllables so I didn’t overwrite or overedit. Avoiding overwriting is often a challenge for me.
My writing process and challenges
This book was written a poem a day for the challenge, with more writing occurring on days off from my day job. It took a month to write the poetry, with about a week after being devoted to compiling and writing details such as preface, title, description, etc. Some of the poetry was inspired by details of the day, some by issues I’ve encountered, and some by trying to work words into a particular poetry format. The ones that became series were probably my favorites for what they revealed. I greatly enjoyed bending words and sayings out of shape.
I was very inspired by nature and its processes. I was celebrating a new environment filled with more lush green – Tennessee. There are more varieties of growth and wildflowers.than I am used to. It turned my brownish green thumb very green. I was also meditating on financial goals and advice. Part of me is exploring the trauma of bad leadership, and how to have the internal fortitude to do what’s right and be a hero, when bad leadership incentivises doing the wrong thing. It’s hard to exist where a lack of integrity is commonplace.
There were some minor challenges like house remodel noises occurring during some of the writing, as well as adjusting to a new job, and impending visitors for me to worry my good hostess complex at. Those are blessings but they felt like minor challenges at the time. I still did it, as I have lately become very concerned with completing vision-board level goals for myself, and working more on personal pursuits. However, I am tired, and plan to take the next month to myself to putz around, hit the gym more religiously than last month, and lay around watching tv or reading. Also, Tyler, my fiance, deserves a lot of credit for what we have accomplished together this month. I’m sure he’ll be happy to have me back after the deadlines for this silly preface passes in a mere six hours. (Be kind to me for rambling and being overly personal. No one reads this type of commentary anyways! I have had work, and procrastinating sometimes works better).
My biggest challenges were that many of the poems were approximately 80 percent done at the end of a day, and then I wanted to edit them before submitting. A lot of them I did edit and turn in later. Some of the editing process was pretty emotionally raw. I am still recovering from the emotions of poems like Dead of Winter/ Planted/ New Normal. I found I had a hard time going there and staying in that emotional place all in one sitting. I don’t think I’ll be reading that one at any poetry readings.
I wrote this book to explore learning to enjoy and being an observer. It deals with moving to the south and discovering a regular path was not the right one. It’s about admitting when a path is not the correct one, and when people are lying.
This collection of poems explores finding freedom and yourself.
It is about learning to walk away from something that does not serve you or treat you as an equal participant. It is about realizing that a myth of untapped potential has become a parasite, and deals with the emotions of moving on when you have put too much of your hope and trust into a dead horse.
It is about envisioning what’s better, and also demanding nothing less. This collection has hope that work should be inspiring and fulfilling. It’s written in light of enduring work overshadowing life, both during a pandemic and before. It’s about expectations clashing with internal values such as protection of the innocent and honesty.
If you’ve enjoyed reading the Honey it’s Thursday blog, check out Confetti Spring by Sarah Hughes. It’s a poetry book written a poem a day as a part of the May Musings writing challenge by BookLeaf Publishing.
Copies became available on Kindle through Amazon as of Sept. 14, 2021. Kindle copies can be purchased at https://tinyurl.com/34sc4vea. Copies became available on Nook through Barnes and Noble as of Aug. 13, 2021. Nook copies can be obtained at https://tinyurl.com/6wbkbm9d. Paper copies are still to come. Check back next month for an article on the writing process for Confetti Spring.
Activities: “The temperate climate here allows for a lengthy recreation season, including boating, canoeing, and fishing. There is a large playground for the children and horseshoe pits for the adults. A large pavilion will be great for big family get-togethers.”
Amenities: Water Hookup, Accessibility, Picnic Table, BBQ, Fire Pit, Lantern Pole, Full Hookup, Electricity Hookup, Grills/Fire Ring, etc.
Reservation only
Distance from Clarksville: 38 min
Notes: 30 min drive to Nashville, if arriving late it’s highly recommended to call the campground to notify the Park Attendant.
“Nestled in the woods of Pembroke Kentucky, we are a family owned and operated farm, campsite and RV Park. Come and enjoy the outdoors and get away from your fast paced life.”
Amenities: Laundry
Reservation only with application process
Distance from Clarksville: 39 min
Notes: “We are a family owned and operated campsite and farm nestled in the woods of Pembroke Kentucky.” “Dogs must be pre-approved”
Activities: “swimming beach area, archery range, ball field, bike trails, a campfire theater, hiking trails, two boat ramps, and a fishing pier”
Amenities: “The newly renovated Piney Outpost provides campers a place to purchase food and drinks, ice, firewood, tick repellent, limited camping supplies, and other perishable goods. Soft drink machines are located behind the gatehouse and some shower buildings. Washers and dryers are available at Areas B, C, and D shower buildings.”
Walk in and Reservations accepted
Distance from Clarksville: 54 min
Notes: “Piney Campground is now open year-round and offers 384 well-defined lakefront and wooded sites with 283 electrical hookups, 44 sites with electric, water, and sewer, and 57 primitive sites. Most sites are capable of handling large motorhomes and campers. Campers have access to modern facilities, including a swimming beach area, archery range, ball field, bike trails, a campfire theater, hiking trails, two boat ramps, and a fishing pier. Piney also has 19 primitive cabins available for nightly rental. In addition, the summer season offers weekend recreation programs for all ages. Since 1973, in mid-September Piney holds its popular Camper’s Fair with a variety of activities including a campers’ flea market and dealer showcase of new RVs, fifth wheels, and motorhomes. It is open to the public during the weekend.”
Activities: Pool and pool lift, Cable tv, mini golf, bike rentals, WiFi, playground gym, climate-controlled bathhouse, giant connect four game, Lego wall,Disc golf, kids arts and crafts table, ping pong
Amenities: Snack bar, firewood, laundry, wheelchair accessible, store
Reservations accepted
Distance from Clarksville: 56 min
Notes: KOA, Open March 1 to November 30
The pastime of camping is a good way to get to know the landscape and reconnect to nature. Camping is something to do and provides its own entertainment such as hiking, swimming and barbecuing. It’s a great activity for friends and family. Philosophically, it can be used to reconnect to the simple life and find inner peace. It can help revive circadian rhythms by putting you out under the stars and sunrises, according to intuition and a study done in Feb. 2017 and published in Current Biology.
“These studies suggest that our internal clock responds strongly and quite rapidly to the natural light-dark cycle,” said lead author and CU Boulder integrative physiology professor Kenneth Wright. “Living in our modern environments can significantly delay our circadian timing, and late circadian timing is associated with many health consequences. But as little as a weekend camping trip can reset it.”
“Weekend exposure to natural light was sufficient to achieve 69 percent of the shift in circadian timing we previously reported after a week’s exposure to natural light,” Wright said.
Most people go camping when the weather is nice. It’s important to pack gear to shelter and protect from weather, as bad weather can be fatal. Many campgrounds are only open seasonally, with open months listed online or by phone. In general, camping season tends to be Apr. or May to Sept. or Oct. Many campers wait for weather patterns to solidify.
“If you’re planning a camping trip, a good rule is to wait until May for the weather to work itself out” says Bottles and Banter’s section on Family RVing and Travel (see more at https://www.bottlesandbanter.com/2021/02/13/when-does-camping-season-start-best-month-camping/).
Since quarantine has limited travel and entertainment options this year, understandably camping in the USA has increased as an activity. A study by Kampgrounds of America predicts camping interest will remain high in 2021.
According to PR Newswire’s article on the study, Fresh Data Indicates Camping Interest To Remain High In 2021, “More than 60% of these first-time campers plan to camp the same or more in the coming year; across all campers, families are the group most likely to spend more nights camping in 2021.”
“Camping had been steadily growing in popularity prior to the pandemic, but experienced aggressive growth across the U.S. last year,” said PR Newswire, “The 2021 North American Camping Report, which surveyed U.S. and Canadian campers’ sentiments and behaviors on the outdoor recreation in January 2021, shows that more than 86 million U.S. households consider themselves campers and 48 million of those households took at least one camping trip in 2020 – up more than 6 million over 2019.” (see more at https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/fresh-data-indicates-camping-interest-to-remain-high-in-2021-301273611.html).
Be aware of fees and facilities offered at your campsite of choice. Some locations are illegal to camp in or have specific regulations. Most require reservations, and some permits for specific activities. Some have websites or a phone number for reservations. Be sure to get the proper equipment. Leave no trace.
Clarksville’s The Looking Glass is a collection of restaurant, bakery and event space with an Alice in Wonderland charm. Locals and travelers alike should check out this cafe’s unique and whimsical heart.
In addition to candy bar flavored coffees and large beautiful slices of cake, the Looking Glass offers breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner options throughout the day. They are an excellent spot to meet someone for brunch or to sit with a coffee.
“I suppose I ought to eat or drink something or other; but the great question is ‘What?’”
—Lewis Carrol, Alice in Wonderland, Chapter 4, The Rabbit Sends in a Little Bill
The decor is sweet and colorful, with homages to Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carrol. Along with meeting a variety of meal or caffeine related needs, the multipurpose layout offers a wide open feeling, providing intimacy for each table’s conversations. Whether you are there for coffee, a meal or just cake, there’s plenty of space to stretch out. Once full, there is a sweet garden out back to admire.
I found the spot while trying to find a unique eggs benedict that reminded me of granola-cafes back home in San Diego, CA. I enjoyed my crab cake benedict, and my fiance enjoyed a breakfast burrito. We got chunky monkey and oreo mochas in giant teacups. Looking around on my visit, there were many ladies luncheoning. It reminded me of the now sold Claire De Lune Coffee Lounge in Northpark, and an old Hemingway story. Spots like these are a passion of mine and worth our patronage. You can feel the love and history poured into them.
“It is the light of course but it is necessary that the place be clean and pleasant”
― Ernest Hemingway, A Clean Well Lighted Place
Please consider checking this great spot out and supporting a great local small business. I’d rate them four out of five stars.
Their hours are as follows:
Mon 9:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Tue 9:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Wed 8:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Thu 8:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Fri 8:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Sat 8:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Sun Closed
The restaurant is located at 329 Warfield Blvd Ste H Clarksville, TN 37043.