American Pie

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Ella and I are sitting in Hernando's Hideaway (the gazebo on our deck) this evening, listening to the 2 hours of New Orleans music that plays on Sirius channel 70 every Saturday night. We decided that we could come up with a pretty good list of things that one ought to do if one were seeking a slice of Americana. Here it is:

  1. Spend a Mardi Gras weekend in New Orleans, to include: Thursday night at the Rock-n-Bowl and Kermit Ruffins at Vaughan's, Friday plantation tour and an airboat ride on the bayou, Saturday parades and an evening at the Tropical Isle.
  2. Spend a Spring Saturday at Keeneland- ideally Bluegrass stakes weekend. Start the day with a tour of Woodford Reserve distillery, one of the better producers of "America's Native Spirit."
  3. Spend a Friday night on Broadway in Nashville.
  4. Spend a Saturday night in Chicago at Buddy Guy's and the Redhead Piano Bar
  5. Visit Phillip's harborplace crab house in Baltimore with some friends. Order steamed crabs by the dozen and bring your appetite
  6. Spend a night at a country & western dance club in Texas. Learn to two-step, and ride a mechanical bull if at all possible
  7. Attend an authentic crawfish boil.
  8. Attend the Indianapolis 500
  9. Visit the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial
  10. See Graceland

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