A Day in Nashville, A Night at the Grand Ole Opry

The Good Girls planned an ambitious journey, including a drive down the Natchez Trace Parkway along with a side trip to Memphis and Louisiana Plantation Country. We wanted to discover history, taste southern specialties, listen to country music, and soak in the vibe of Mississippi. 

Sign marking the Nashville area entrance to the Natchez Trace Parkway.

We flew to Nashville, Tennessee, for a quick tour of Music City, but also to view the beginning or end of the Natchez Trace depending on the direction you are driving. We were met by fellow travel writer and Nashville native Tom Adkinson, who graciously offered to be our city tour guide. 

We arrived in time for lunch at Swett's Restaurant, a soul food cafeteria-style restaurant that serves a bountiful 'meat and three.' I couldn't resist the fried chicken and greens while Judy chose meatloaf. Tom recounted Nashville highlights from his book, "One Hundred Things to Do in Nashville," while we ate. 

After lunch, Tom drove us downtown and we stopped at the Carl Van Vechten Art Gallery on the Fisk University campus. The school maintains a permanent collection of over 4,000 objects, and we were hoping to see a few of their famed Stieglitz photos. Nope. They were out on loan. Instead, some Gallery Ambassadors led us through the current works. 

Artwork hanging in the Carl Van Vechten Art Gallery at Fisk University. 

As Nashville grew, the city acquired the nickname "Athens of the South." For Tennessee's 1897 Centennial Exposition, a replica of the Parthenon in Greece was built. Plaster replicas of the Parthenon Marbles found in the pediment are direct casts of the original sculptures dating back to 438 B.C. The structure was so popular, it was later reinforced and remains a must-see when visiting the city. The building also serves as Nashville's art museum. 

The Parthenon in Nashville, Tennessee.

We were in awe of what folks called the Batman building because its roof resembles the shape of the comic book hero's mask. The 617 ft, a 33-story skyscraper, completed in August 1994, officially carries the unexciting name of the owner, the AT&T Building. No wonder it dominates the skyline, the office building ranks as the tallest building in the state of Tennessee.

A sidewalk musician plays on the streets in Nashville.  The Batman building hovers in the rear. 

We drove onward to Music Row passing the historic Clock Tower, formerly a US Customs House,  and the gorgeous Union Station for the railroad. Tom parked at the Omni, which connects to the Country Music Hall of Fame. While we were dying to tour the center, we didn't have time. We browsed the concert signage from Hatch Show Print's and made our way to Broadway, the pulsating street lined with Honky Tonks. 

Signs from Hatch Show Print

Orchid painted Tootsies caught our eye as did Legends Corner and Nashville Crossroads. Live music reverberates through the windows out to the sidewalk giving off an exciting feel. Inside, drinks flow no matter what the time. Wannabe musicians get their start performing on these small-stage establishments or on street corners. 

Strolling down Broadway in Nashville. 

Entrance to Tootsies.

The Honky Tonk Grill in Nashville. 

Don't miss the Ernest Tubb's Record Shop, a music store/museum packed with countless vinyl records, CD's, songbooks, photos and memorabilia from hundreds of artists. Ernest Tubb was a member of the Grand Ole Opry, Country Music Hall of Fame and Music City Hall of Fame. He opened his first store in 1947. Loretta Lynn's dress stood out to us, as did an array of her personalized jams and jellies. 

Loretta Lynn's dress on display in Ernest Tubb's Record Shop. 

Statue of Ernest Tubb at the front of his shop. 

Again, we wanted to linger, but we had to pick up our tickets for the Grand Ole Opry and get ready for the big night. The Grand Ole Opry is to Nashville as Radio City Music Hall and the Rockettes are to New York. Performances start at 7pm and we needed to arrive in time to scope out the place. 

Arriving at the Opry

The crowd milling around the grounds of the Opry seemed to span all levels of society and included all ages. We stopped by the giant guitar for a selfie, then made out way into the gift shop stocked to the ceiling with tee shirts, jackets, and all things emblazoned with Opry logos. 

We decided to treat ourselves to a drink. Two gin and tonics set us back $38. From there on, we measured expenses compared to those two drinks! With cocktails in hand, we made our way to our seats. They turned out to be on benches, resembling the pews in the Ryman Auditorium, the previous hallowed home of the show. 

The Grand Ole Opry stage loomed in the front and covered by an immense red curtain. Before the show began, the audience watched a video about the history of the Opry, the Ryman and the flood that severely damaged this new theatre back in May, 2010. We learned that on November 28, 1925, George D. Hay founded a one-hour radio "barn dance" on WSM. Back then, the entertainment was called mountain music. Today, it is the longest-running radio broadcast in US history. 

Then, the curtain went up, the show began and feet started tapping. The concert is a precise work of timing, a live radio show broadcast as it has been for the past 94 years. Our entertainment began with the legendary Riders in The Sky, a two-time Grammy-winning, western/comic group that has been performing on the Opry stage for more than 30 years. 

The Riders in The Sky perform at the Grand Ole Opry. 

We then heard from Bill Anderson, Jamie O'Neal, who brought down the house with her rendition of a Patsy Cline song, and Matt Stell. After intermission, we heard Carly Pearce sing her 2017 debut single Every Little Thing." The Po' Ramblin' Boys followed, a bluegrass group making their first appearance (won't be their last), and we finished the night with the star of the TV show Nashville, Charles Esten. He certainly is mighty fine looking- - and can sing, too.  

Carly Pearce singing. 

We loved this Bluegrass Band, the Po' Rambling Boys.

Charles Esten

We thoroughly enjoyed our day in Nashville and night at the Opry but were ready to return to our hotel and prepare for upcoming adventures. 

Did You know? 

According to a 2015 USA Today story: The Opry has had six homes in its 90 years. The Opry started out at National Life & Accident Insurance Co. in November 1925, moved to Hillsboro Theatre in October 1934, to Dixie Tabernacle in June 1936, to War Memorial Auditorium in June 1939 and then the Ryman Auditorium in June 1943. It settled in its current Grand Ole Opry House, with seating for more than 4,000, in March 1974. The Opry has resided at The Grand Ole Opry House longer than any previous home, and the building has been named to the National Register of Historic Places. 

Preserving the Ryman's stage

When the Grand Ole Opry moved from the historic Ryman Auditorium to the Grand Ole Opry House in 1974, a 6-foot circle of oak was cut from the stage at Ryman and inserted into the new stage at the Grand Ole Opry House. By preserving a piece of the Ryman's stage, generations of country music singers can perform on the wood where the genre's legends, including Hank Williams and Johnny Cash, once stood.