Nashville

 Nashville,  TN

April 8, 9,10,11th 2022

Another trip with Tulip travel took me to Nashville, TN. Although I have only been one other time, it is definitely a city I could fall in love with. I was super excited for a chance to return to this gem of country music. I'm unfortunately not a big country music fan, but I do love me some Patsy Cline, and who couldn't resist a little honkey tonk? I'm lacking the boots and the cowboy hat, but I was all about putting my country swagger on and livin it Nashville style. 

We flew from Syracuse to Nashville on this trip. (no more trains for a while, thank you.) Here Annette and I ready for take off. Travel days pretty much consist of traveling, so we spent the day going through airports and security checks until we were finally descending into Nashville. The travel day, wasn't over just yet and it was late when we landed. We still needed to get our rental vans. Which were not available when we went to get them. It was nearing midnight and we still had no vans. Finally, we were given the go ahead to pick up the vans and we waited even longer for the line to get us to the check out. ( There has got to be a better way.) Eventually we were all on the vans and headed directly to our hotel, where we promptly fell asleep.

Our next day was a quick breakfast in the hotel then we were off to the Opry. The Grand old Opry. 

We stopped here to pick up our evening tickets as well as shop in the gift store. Better to shop now then after the show tonight when the place will be a mob. So we got some pictures with the giant guitars, and did a little shopping. 

The store had some artifacts as well as some cool painted guitars. They also offer a tour of the place, buy we skipped it this time. 

The current opry house was built in 1974 after many years at The Ryman theater. (More on that later). Legends like Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash, and Loretta Lynn have played in this building as well as some of the newer acts like Carrie Underwood, Darius Rutler and Keith Urban. (He was suppose to perform later that night.)

I got my usual magnet and assisted the travelers in their purchases. 

After we had spent some money and our tickets were purchased for the show later tonight, we headed on down the road to this free little museum called Cooters. That's right the same Cooter as in The Dukes of Hazard! 

I was a big fan back in the day. Bo and Luke Duke. Who couldn't love those country boys, but Boss Hog. 

But the real star of the show was the general lee. And of course Flash.

This free store/museum offered an abundance of things on the show and almost anything you could want to purchase related to the show. 

The Dukes of Hazard aired on CBS from 1979-1985. It was one of the networks most popular shows during it's air time. There were some things about the show that my 9 year old head was not aware of, like the Duke boys were actually on probation for running moonshine, or at least they had been. I'm not 100% sure, but they were always evading the law. Which was crooked. Always out running Boss Hogg and Rosco P Coltrane in the General Lee. I only watched because those Duke boys were awfully cute. Of course the guys watched for Daisy Duke and her very high cut shorts. 

Lovin the General Lee. 

Next door to Cooters was Willie Nelson's store. The museum was not free here, so we didn't see the museum, but we did some more shopping before heading off to a late lunch. 

We had hoped to hear some live music, but there wasn't any and we all were hungry for some BBQ.

I had the pulled pork sandwich and fries. Annettes meal is the one up top. 

Back at the hotel we cleaned up and prepared for the evening adventures at the Grand Ole Opry. I was excited!

Annette and me ready for the show!

They started the show with some square dancing. The line up included Connie Smith, who has been an active participant with the Opry over 56 years and was inducted into the Country Hall of Fame in 2012. 

Tammy Rogers and Thomm Jutz reported that they had been writing songs via skype during the pandemic and had a ton of new songs. click here for a listen https://is3-ssl.mzstatic.com/image/thumb/Music126/v4/dd/32/0b/dd320ba3-a20d-d849-cee9-42fdb16a2174/9451.jpg/1000x1000bb.webp

Nate Smith had the crowd going wild. Wild about his song Wildfire. Nate got his start on Tic Tock with his song Wildfire. He is definitely going places. I just loved Riders in the Sky. These old timers have been around since 1977 and have released over 40 albums. They are a western themed comedy band that once had their own television show on CBS.  They have won two grammys and played the music for Toy Story II and Monsters Inc. For what ever reason this is the style of music I think of when I think of the opry, the fiddle, bass, guitar and accordion just sounds like what the opry music makes me think of. They played raw hide and I was thrilled. 

Up next was Waylon Payne. He wasn't scheduled, but since Keith Urban was out due to an illness,they had him in. 

Waylon is the son of another country singer Sammi Smith and acted as Jerry Lee Lewis in Walk the Line. He also brought his dog on stage. 

Tenille Townes came out and she sang. She is a Canadian singer. Nothing personal Tenille, I had a hard time listening to you. I wasn't a fan of her voice, but the crowd liked her and she even did a song with Nate Smith. 

Sara Evans is perhaps the most well known. I enjoyed her the most. She has a nice tone and she has been around for awhile. She also had her daughter singing with her. She did a great job.

The whole show was pretty awesome. I just loved this. At the end of the night, we were offered a ride back to the vans. I walked, but these guys got on the cart and enjoyed the ride. 

    The following day, we had breakfast in the hotel and then headed out to Ryman Auditorium.  The Ryman auditorium was where the Grand Ole Opry started. 

The auditorium was originated by Thomas Ryman in 1892. Ryman was a businessman, who owned several saloons as well as a fleet of riverboats.

Ryman had attended Samuel Porter Jone's tent revival not planning on being overcome with the spirit, but as a result he became a dedicated Christian. This change in his beliefs brought on the desire to build a tabernacle. (I had never heard that word before this tour). The intent was to build an indoor arena for the people of Nashville to gather and listen to the gospel. 

The theater took over 7 years at a cost of over $100,000.00 dollars. The building was named, Union Gospel Tabernacle. Ryman refused to have the building named for him, but after his death, just two years after the building was completed Jones renamed the tabernacle as an auditorium in his honor. 

Although the auditorium was build to house gospel music, the bills to maintain the building were getting bigger and the building was soon being leased out for other styles of performers. In 1904 a single mother named Lula Naff began booking entertainment in her free time. By 1920, she became the Auditorium's manager and made this her full time job. Her ability to book some of the times most desirable performers helped to make Nashville the music capitol it is known as today. 

Some of Naff's bookings included; Houdini, Will Rogers, WC Fields, Bob Hope, and World known singer Enrico Caruso. The building was also host to presidential lectures made by Theodore Roosevelt and William H Taft. 

Over the years, musical groups became more and more popular, names like; Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Little Jimmy Dickens, Patsy Cline and even Elvis (one time) preformed at this venue. Minnie Pearl and Roy Acuff (pictured here in bronze) were regulars at the Auditorium.  The venues challenged the segregation rules of the time where race was often intermingled. 

The 1st sell out was in 1913, presented was Helen Keller and Ann Sullivan. This must have been an interesting lecture. 

While the Auditorium was growing in popularity with the shows, talent and lectures across town a local music radio program named WSM Barn Dance, and later The Grand Ole Opry being broadcasted both local and making its way into several states. The stations popularity and the communities desire to see the performers perform, the little station soon became to small to support the fans and decided to make the show a live performance in conjunction with the radio show. They moved to the War Memorial, as the years progressed they were asked to leave the War Memorial. 

The new home to the Grand Ole Opry became Ryman Auditorium in 1943 and continued to call it home broadcasting shows 3xs a week for 30+ more years. 

In 1969, discussion about building a new place for the show began. The building lacked air conditioning, it was small often unable to accomidate the number of show goers, and there was no true dressing rooms. Friday March 15th was the last performance at the Ryman Auditorium for the Grand Ole Opry.  After the Opry moved the Ryman suffered. The building was deterorating, and lacked the ability to sustain. The building was purchased by The Gaylord entertainment group and restored to todays beauty where performances continue, Tanya Tucker was preforming the evening we were visiting. We were unable to take the backstage tour as a result, but that is cool that concerts continue to this day.

The theater has some items to look at as well as some information about the history. 

At the end of the tour, we all got to get a picture on the famous Ryman stage. It was great fun. 

Up next we took a short walk past the several honky tonk bars and headed to The Country Music Hall of Fame. 

Party Bus going down the street. 

The Country Music Hall of Fame.

I enjoyed looking at all the outfits from the country music stars. 

For some, the flasher the better. The changes over time and the evolution of the music was very neat. 

Some of the older country music stars like Gene Autry. Then the prarrie day outfits. 

Some of the outfits are so detailed and embroied. 

Beads and tassels, fringe and sparkles. 

I also enjoyed this car. There were guns everywhere. 

I was never a country music fan, so I do not know many of the stars featured in the hall of fame, but I do remember the comedy show, Hee Haw!

I also like some of Garth Brooks songs. My favorite is Unanswered Prayers. 

The wall of gold records was impressive, it spans several floors. 

The outfits are signs of the times. Here is a little 60's style country. 

Interesting band instruments, as well as some sparkles. 

Of course, country has inspired many movies. Bandit, the firebird trans am, featured in the Smoky and the Bandit movie. One of my favorite movies is A Cole Miners Daughter with Sissy Spacek. I love the "baloney" sandwich part. 

Keith Urban's outfit. Sorry he was not there at the Opry last night. 

The rotunda, features all of the hall of famers. Its a beautiful room.

I absolutely love Patsy Cline music. I can sing word for word most of her song. 

We exited the Country Music Hall of Fame and watched this beautiful carriage drive by. It has been a wonderful day. We planned to spend the rest of the day downtown at the Honky Tonks, but there was a show this weekend. (The CMT awards). It made the streets super crowded and difficult to find seating. 

Instead, we drove about an hour away from Nashville to Hurricane Ranch. The home of Loretta Lyn. 

The place is absolutely beautiful. 

We shopped for a bit and I got everyone moon pies. I am not sure, but this seems to be a local thing. 

On the property, there is a replica of Loretta's home in Butcher Holler. 

We enjoyed walking around the property and taking in the sights. 

The tour bus is still on the property. 

The property also houses, Loretta and Dolittle (Mooney) ranch.

Loretta and Mooney stayed married up until his death in 1996, despite several conflicts in the marriage. There was abuse, and adultery reported. 

It was Loretta's Birthday week while we were visiting. We were told that there was an upcoming 90th Birthday celebration coming up.

Loretta still lives on the property in this back house. She may have been there while we visited. 

We headed back to Nashville and had a nice dinner at Santa Fe. 

YUM!

We certainly had some great food in this city!

The following day, after a late breakfast, we headed to downtown and enjoyed the music at Legends. 

We enjoyed Broadway and Music row. There are so many sights to take in and there was music coming from every little honky town bar. We enjoyed the music at Legends for a while and then headed on down the road, lured into other places by the sound of music.

We landed on The Stage. We had the best time enjoying the music and dancing. 

This band played some music that I actually knew, they even played The Devil went down to Georgia. 

Outside, there was practice for tonights show for the CMT music awards. I dont know how this was, but it was exciting to see the practice.

Musicians even stood on the streets. 

The plan was to have a late lunch at Wild Horse Saloon, but it was closed for a private party. Next time maybe. 

We ended the day with dinner at a local place and called it an early day. We headed home the following morning. I so enjoyed Nashville. I would love to visit again someday.