Not My Parents’ Last Parents Weekend
My parents came to parents weekend my first year at Vanderbilt, but they have not been to parents weekend since. Honestly, parents weekend is more crowded and busy than most, so my parents try and come when things are calmer (and they can hang out with all of my friends). This year, however, they decided to brave the crowds as it was my sister’s first parents weekend.
In my three years here, I have explored Nashville and found some hidden gems that allowed my family and I to get away from the hustle and bustle of parents weekend. On Friday, we went to lunch at Loveless Cafe. Although a tourist hot spot, my mom had been dreaming about their biscuits for a week, so we went at an off time and only waited for 15 minutes! Then, we did a little bit of shopping for clothes and toiletries. We ended the evening with dinner at McDougal’s.
On Saturday, we were up bright and early and headed to Arrington Vineyards. It was quite the drive- about 30 miles south of campus, but it was totally worth it! The vineyards are completely free. There is a complimentary wine tasting and people are welcome to bring food for picnics. There is plenty of seating, both in the shade and in the sun, and there are even a few tree swings. The weather was absolutely beautiful on Saturday, so we really enjoyed our morning outside.
Saturday evening, we came back to campus to watch the DORES beat the UAB blazers 54-21. My parents got to sit with us in the student section. I loved getting to share the football experience with them because they could see, first-hand, that the football culture is changing for the better.
On Sunday, we went to Opry Mills mall and then a late lunch before I dropped my parents off at the airport. I had a great last parents weekend. I guess my parents will be back to visit my sister, but I won’t be a student here anymore (what?!). It is always sad to say good bye, but there is so much going on at school, that our time apart always flies.