Over the years, I have written about places that we grew up loving but are no longer here. From clothing stores, to malls, to water parks, to restaurants, all have had a place in our heart at one point or time.
This place I am going to bring up, was not any of those. You could eat there, but you had to bring your own food. In fact, on a sunny day, it was the perfect place to have a picnic. There were plenty of parking spaces and on those pretty days, there would be a bunch of people around and having a great time.
There was also no music. You didn’t need any because at this place, you couldn’t hear it. At all. It was as relaxing a place as any in Nashville. It has been gone many years now but it wasn’t replaced by a condo or an apartment building or anything like that. One day it was there, then it was gone.
It was located at the end of Vultee Boulevard and you couldn’t go any farther, because it ran into the airport. Yes, it was the parking lot and field where we could all go and watch the planes land and take off. It was a big field and you could walk up to the fence and watch all the planes come and go. It was amazing. Yes, you could grab your lunch and sit in your car during the day and watch everything.
Then one day, it was gone. With the world changing, some of it not for the better, they closed off the field and you could no longer walk down. If you did, security was there in the blink of an eye to tell you to move. Sad actually, but there was nothing one could do.
Look, airplanes fascinate me and I am not the only one who feels that way. It was literally the perfect spot to watch these modern marvels. I spent so much time there watching Air Force One fly into town and it was amazing. 747’s and F-16’s and everything in between came and went and we saw it all.
That is why I wish the airport would bring a place like that back when all the construction is done. I know they have a hotel with a rooftop on the property and I have been up there and it is most cool but something about driving up and sitting in your car or in a field to watch the planes will always be special. I am not sure where exactly but there has to be a spot that would be perfect.
I know change is inevitable and not many things stay the same but as I have written, they can take the buildings, the structures, but they cannot take our memories.
So hey, airport people, let’s start making some for a whole other generation.
