We went to Columbia
A very last-minute girl's trip down south
We went to Columbia
Ginger told her daughter, “We’re going on a girl’s trip to Columbia.”
Her daughter replied, “South America!?”
I told my girlfriend, “We’re going to Columbia for the weekend.”
She asked, “South Carolina!?”
No, we’re going to Columbia, Tennessee. Not many people from Nashville would consider it a likely place to have a girl’s weekend.
But I try not to compare and therefore I don’t like to say it’s not as interesting as those other places. It’s that IT IS JUST AS INTERESTING as those other places if you take the time to explore.
Experience a Top 10 Best Small Town! Columbia, Tennessee, aka 'Muletown', is just south of Nashville, showcasing a classic Town Square and vibrant Main Street in a trendy downtown. Explore the emerging Columbia Arts District, outdoor recreation, the Duck River, and our Presidential history. VisitColumbiaTN.com
Starling Davis lived here
By now you know I love history and old houses so here’s the story of where we stayed.
Ginger found the most charming guest house for us. The Airbnb host greeted us and shared what he knew about the home built in the 1920s.
Since we lived in Nashville he thought we might have heard of Starling Davis. A few of us knew of Starling, a successful Nashville realtor, but we had no idea this is where she grew up.
Her mother, Starling Davis, was only the second owner of this home which she bought in the 1950s. She completely redecorated the home and was so fastidious about it, she even kept a book of the 200-plus paint colors she used throughout the home.
According to her obituary she was a well-loved lady in Columbia who was affectionately nicknamed “Ma”.
“She had the most uncanny southern accent, making every one-syllable word into five.
Ma was quite a traveler. She often said Hong Kong was her absolute favorite place to visit.
When she wasn’t traveling, she was taking care of her family with delicious southern, comfort food. Ma always said ‘Honey, you need to add a little more garlic, onion and a stick of butter.’”
Columbia Military Academy 1904-1979
As I was trying to find the Airbnb, I overshot the address and drove a few house down. I couldn’t believe what I saw and became super curious about this stunning place, Columbia Military Academy built in the late 1800s.
Here’s what the historical marker states.
“In 1888, local residents gave 67 acres to the U.S. Army for an arsenal. The Bowling Green stone buildings quartered troops in the Spanish-American War. Columbia Military Academy was founded in 1904 and opened formally August 23, 1905 with 167 young men from eight states. Designated an “Honor School” in 1935 by the U.S. Government, youth nationwide trained here as military and civil leaders among them general officers, battle heroes, governors, educators and corporate heads.”
Does anybody know what “Bowling Green” stone is?” Bowling Green, Kentucky is about an hour-and-a-half from Nashville. There’s probably a connection
Over-the-top breakfast
We asked our host where we could go for the most authentic breakfast in Columbia. He suggested Bucky’s Family Restaurant.
Bucky’s was pretty authentic for sure. But the amount of food we were served was insane. They gave us, not only one plate but, TWO plates of food.
The best part of Bucky’s though was meeting the older man sitting in the booth behind us. We struck up a conversation with him. As we got up to pay, he grabbed all of our checks and picked up the tab for the four of us.
It was a small act of kindness, but it made our day. We thanked him, took a photo and went on our way, but we'll never forget his act of generosity.
Art is everywhere and for everyone
What does “art in the ordinary world” mean?
Art is all around us, and it's something that we can appreciate and connect with on a personal level.
So what if Columbia, Tennessee isn’t as glamorous as the the other Columbias in the world. There’s still a lot about this cute little town that is interesting:
The history & architecture at the Columbia Military Academy
President James K. Polk lived here in his parent’s home from 1818 until he married his wife in 1824. We didn’t visit the museum but I want to go back.
My childhood friend, Brian McKelvey is County Commissioner. Next time I want to see him too. But look at this juicy nugget I found online. A little Nashville and Tennessee State Historical Commission story I didn’t know about until today.
I’m going down a rabbit hole again. I just realized James Campbell Blvd. in Columbia is named after my son, Edward Campbell Dunn II’s, relative. He was a doctor in Campbellsville, Tennessee in Giles County. In addition my friend, Lyn Franklin Hoyt, has family history in Columbia too. This is a story I want to research more.
Last but not least, my weekend travel companions, as cultured as they are, still snore.
I don't snore, you snore.
This is a lovely recap of a really fun, diverting trip with the gals. The photos are gorgeous! Where are we going next?