Nashville

Arrived in Nashville in between rain showers. Checked in at the KOA.  It is very close to Opry Land and shopping Mall. Very nice park with paved spaces and enough trees to make it pretty.

Got set up then went to tour desk to ask about tours and places to eat. 

She recommended Nashville Palace - a bar type but has live music all day.

The food was OK with mostly fried. Also, we were offered all types of drink, but when I asked for ice tea she said we have sweet tea - just sweet tea. OK, so when in Rome…. I had the "sweet tea." Actually very good. Drank lots!

Entertainment was excellent. He sang Roger Miller, Tom T Hall among  other things and even cowboy music from Riders in the Sky!  We could have listened to him all afternoon.

Opry Stage

Saturday we went to Grand Ole Opry. Took a back stage tour. It was interesting to see the dressing rooms and history behind the Opry. The original building was in the Ryman Theatre. In 1974 the new building was built. A circle of wood from the original theater was cut out and placed on the new stage and became the performance circle. You can see the wood is a different color. Performers from the beginning until now performed in the same circle. During the tour we were able to have our picture made in that same circle!

Little Jimmy Dickens

Trace Adkins

During the performance Saturday night Little Jimmie Dickens surprised us with an unscheduled  performance. He was all dressed up in a western suit with sequins everywhere! He is 93 years old and still can sing! Trace Adkins was the key performer, but in between there were  a number of good acts.

Enjoyed being able to go to the Opry!!

Sunday we  went to the grocery store and to the mall to get some things for the grand-kids.  We actually cooked dinner that night: grilled fish, rice and sauteed spinach.

Our neighbors in the campsite next to us are from New Hampshire and are very nice. Have enjoyed visiting with them.

We hit the wall on Monday. Too much sightseeing, walking, etc. Spent the morning sitting around, then in afternoon drove over to "The Pickers" Nashville store. Small shop with lots of old stuff. Nice old motorcycles. The store is in an old warehouse - Marathon Automobile  factory. 

Jacket in The Pickers Store

Then it rained and rained and rained, all evening and night.

On Tuesday we rested again until the afternoon and then went for a tour of the Blackbird Recording Studio.  Our reason for going was actually to visit Dennis' cousin who manages an academy for sound technicians.  The academy is a part of the studio.  The tour was great.  Some of the biggest names currently in the music business record at this studio.  But most of all it was good to reconnect with family we have not seen in quite a while.

On Wednesday we went to the Country Music Hall of Fame. Saw the Ryman Auditorium and walked around downtown Nashville. Noticed LOTS of boot shops!! Most of them had a "buy one pair, get one free" sign in the window.  One of the shops had a "buy one pair, get two free" sign.  People must buy a lot of cowboy boots in Nashville.

Hee Haw's original set

Hank Williams suit

Earnest Tubb Record Shop

Eating lunch at the Acme Seed Farm Restaurant. Alan Jackson bought the building recently and re-opened the restaurant. Food was good.

Nashville has a shuttle bus that picks up at the KOA campground and drops off downtown then makes the rounds and picks up to return us to camp. It is a nice way not to have to drive and park downtown.  On the shuttle bus going back to the KOA we met another couple from New Hampshire who are camped at a Jellystone Campground not far from the KOA.  As it turns out, they come to the Texas Hill Country every spring and camp at one of the campgrounds in Kerrville that we like to camp at.  We spent the entire ride back comparing notes about the Hill Country and the area around Galveston that they also like to visit.  It seems to be a small world out on the road.

We enjoyed our time in Nashville and glad it was on the way home.

Tomorrow we head for our first stop on our journey to OKC.