Music City USA

We stopped down in Nashville, TN in mid-October.  Just a day after an unseasonable tornado warning in the St. Louis area, we hit the highway to Music City USA.  Chris and I had watched a couple episodes of the new TV show "Nashville", and were excited to check out the town.  Our first night we headed downtown to enjoy some live music in those famous honky tonks my Grandpa D had told me about.  Give me some live music, a cold beer, and I'm a happy girl.  After dinner at Jack's Bar-B-Que, we wandered up and down Broadway listening to some country bands.  We had our fill of the Broadway scene, and wanted to check out something different.  Chris read about a blues club a few blocks away, so off we went to a place called Printer's Alley.  Immediately I felt like I was in New Orleans.  The colors, architecture, music, and ambiance all said "Big Easy."  There was even a fire breathing waitress who threw Mardi Gras beads to us in the balcony!  I loved it.

Ashley found Elvis

Chris on Broadway

Nashville is the home to many stars, so we booked a tour to see where they lived.  Just to mention a few, we saw the homes of Martina McBride, Tim and Faith, Garth and Trisha, Taylor Swift, and Little Jimmy Dickens.  We heard you may see stars around town.  In our case it was Vince Gill and Vanderbilt Head Coach Kevin Stallings having breakfast at the Pancake Pantry.  Yep, there we were enjoying some AMAZING sweet potato pancakes, and sitting next to us were those two!

I must say one of the coolest things of this stop was experiencing The Bluebird Cafe.  If you've never heard of this place, it is a must for music lovers.  This intimate venue holds a maximum of 100 people on any night.  It's a place where songwriters are featured, and where people are discovered.  That night, we had the pleasure of seeing four performers "in the round".  So basically four guys sat in a circle with their guitars, and went around playing songs and telling stories.  This was one of the places I was most excited about on our Nashville stop.  I had seen it on "Nashville", and the movie, "The Thing Called Love",  and we almost didn't get in!  We were standing in line with about 20 people in front of us and another 15 behind us when the host came out. She said there was room for only 11 people.  I was heartbroken, but tried not to let it show.  Some people got mad, others just left.  Soon, we were the only ones left in line.  Chris and I knew from our time non-reving not to leave until we were certain there were no seats left.  Sure enough, just as we were about to leave, a couple walked out the door.  This left two seats open for us!  So glad when things work out.

The Bluebird Cafe

On stage at the Grand Ole Opry

What trip would be complete without a stop to the Grand Ole Opry.  Wow, what history!  Our campsite was down the road from here, and even though Chris is not a huge country music fan, I talked him into a tour.  The tour included going backstage, seeing the dressing rooms, and even getting our picture taken on the Grand Ole Opry stage!  Luckily, the Opry has been fully renovated after a devastating flood hit Nashville a couple years ago.  I was fortunate enough to score an amazing center stage seat for a show.  It is unlike any other concert you will ever attend, because it is actually a LIVE radio brodcast.  I saw multiple acts ranging from up and coming country stars, to old timers such as the likeable Little Jimmy Dickens, who has been a member of the Opry since 1948.  The nightly talent is always changing, you never know who will be performing at the Grand Ole Opry.  I wish we could stay and see more shows, but the temperature is dropping, so it's time to head South.