On these two pages of my scrapbook, you find me in Spring 2000.

I have just graduated from the Canadian Tourism College in Surrey, which was located at 152nd St and 101st Ave. I was accepted to join my 6-week Work Practice on board World Explorer Cruises’ Universe Explorer in about a month. Deciding to do something new and exciting, I flew down to Nashville, Tennessee. Up to this point, the furthest south I had been was to Yellowstone National Park during one of our many family summer road trips previously.

On these pages, I am wandering around the Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park or commonly known as Bicentennial Park. I had been told a story about how a tornado had travelled up the park and into the State Capitol a few years earlier. After a search to verify this story, there was indeed a tornado outbreak in the area between April 15th-16th, 1998 known as the 1998 Nashville Tornado Outbreak, which produced 13 touchdowns. Some of which did indeed travel through downtown Nashville and produced significant damage to the area. However, I could not verify the story of one travelling “down the center” of the Park.

Located in the shadow of the Capitol in downtown Nashville, Bicentennial Park is 11-acres located in downtown Nashville and was built to commemorate the 200th year of Tennessee Statehood on June 1st, 1996. Containing picnic tables, walking trails, a 95-Bell Carillon, a Pathway of History, the Rivers of Tennessee Fountains, and a 2000 seat outdoor amphitheatre…there are events held year-round for locals and visitors alike.

The two items in the park that stuck me the most was the 200-foot granite map of the state and the granite floating globe fountain located at the WWII Memorial.

Quick Fact: Tennessee Map Plaza This Plaza contains a 200-foot-wide granite map of Tennessee. It contains depictions of the geographical region of Tennessee which includes every city, county, river, highway, and railroad in the state.	Quick Fact: Andrew Jackson Statue Andrew Jackson as the 7th President of the United States from 1829 to 1837. He was known as the "people's president” and founded the Democratic Party. However, in modern times, his legacy has come under scrutiny due to policies he instituted that resulted in the forced migration of Native Americans.	Quick Fact: Tennessee World War II Memorial Like the rest of the park, it was built to coincide with the 200th anniversary of Tennessee. However, it was not finished and dedicated until November 11, 1997 (Veteran’s Day). The primary feature of the Memorial, which children and adults alike love playing with, is the eight-ton carved stone globe, which rests on a cushion of flowing water and can be easily pushed into different angles, though it rotates on its own due to the flowing water.