Day 7--Nashville and the Grand Ole Opry

We arrived for a two day visit to Nashville in time to wander down Broadway where the street is mostly made up of honky tonks. Music blared out of every other door in a part of town where for some talented and lucky country music artists dream's can come true. Here is where, at least historically, many country music and blue grass groups were discovered and or paid their dues. Walk into any of these honky tonks and for the price of a beer you can sit and listen to music from 10 in the morning until the wee hours. Toss in a few bucks in the tip jar and you might help a starving artist pay his or her rent and get a free CD of their music to boot.

We had purchased tickets for An Evening with Vince Gill and Friends at the Ryman Auditorium. This was to be the highlight of our entire trip for me. As a kid I remember my Gramma Willie, a true Okie right out of Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath, tuning into the Grand Ole Opry radio broadcasts. I thought at the time the music was kind of weird, but as I grew up and discovered and better understood the legacy of these my grandmother's people and what they had gone through in their lives, I gained a genuine respect them. Today my Okie heritage is a deep part of who I am and I treasure the gift of that heritage from my grandparents. And so it was for me a very emotional journey to walk through the doors of the old, original home of the Grand Ole Opry--The Ryman Auditorium.

The interior looked appropriately like a church with hard wooden pews and stained glass windows all looking toward the pulpit. Only the pulpit at the Ryman is a stage and for generations of country music fans, this was mecca. My grandparents never had the means or opportunity to travel to the Ryman and so this was in effect a way to further honor my grandparents for the hard lives they suffered through to give me opportunities they never had.

We took our seats, chatted with those around us, some of whom were also there for the first time. We looked around in awe of our surroundings. Then the lights dimmed and out walked Vince Gill and seven other musicians. I didn't recognize any of them except Vince Gill who is a very famous country and blue grass musician and composer (he is also know for being married to Christian pop singer Amy Grant). Then I noticed one of the guitar players and knew immediately who he was. It was Dan Tyminski, the husband of country singer Allison Krauss and part of her band Allison Krauss and Union Station. Dan would be most familiar to most of us for his rendition of Man of Constant Sorrow which George Clooney lip-synced in the film Oh Brother, Where Art Though?

I was in heaven! These world class musicians played blue grass for two solid hours and the audience loved it. Towards the end, the group played a few of Vince Gills newer compositions which were very touching, from the heart songs. The gentleman next to me was wiping away tears. Leslie and I looked at each other and we were both in tears as well. It was just so sincere and so genuine. I felt like Gill was just the kind of guy that would be a terrific friend. One of the last pieces was an old time hymn neither of us recognized. Vince sang it and at the end stopping playing and whispered into the microphone, "Ya'll sing along now." We didn't know the words but apparently most folks did. We listened quietly as the entire auditorium solemnly sang along. As the final notes faded, the auditorium sighed. We just sat there with tears running down our faces. What an incredible moment. I made it to the Opry for my Gramma Willie and I will never forget precious time spent there to honor her legacy.

Sadly, the new site of the Grand Ole Opry is out on the edge of town and has become a resort complete with hotel and shopping mall. Another victim of its own success. The recent floods in the south left the new facility under water and we couldn't even visit since it was being repaired for the next 3 months. Ironically, the old Ryman Auditorium was called back to duty while the new Opry house is being repaired The Grand Ole Opry will again be broadcast from the dear old Ryman.

While in Nashville we also visited The Hermitage, home of President Andrew Jackson. It was set on some lovely acreage just on the edge of town and the walking tour around the grounds included his manse and several out buildings, originally slave quarters. The original fields and gardens are mostly surviving in tact. His grave and that of his wife are also on the grounds.

One of our best meals on the trip was at Arnold's Country Kitchen. This James Beard award winning spot is a perfect example of not judging anything by its cover, because through the rustic building front waits an incredible meal.

Arnold's is cafeteria style so there is a line as you walk in, but it moves right along as the dining room turns over quickly. Along the wall are not one but two framed James Beard award medals suggesting what is to come. Order a meat and three sides! I got smothered country fried steak cooked so that it just fell apart and topped with a beefy onion gravy. My sides included fried green tomatoes, corn bread and collard greens. Arnold's is also known for its pie so we had to try some of that. I selected the richest, chocolatiest chocolate cream pie I have ever eaten.

Leslie decided to just get some sides and no meat. She selected the corn bread, mac and cheese, fried green tomatoes (on the right), creamed corn and green beans. She also grabbed a slice of chess pie (pictured left). All yummy!


Next Stop--Pigeon Forge, Gaitlenburg and The Great Smoky Mountains, Tennessee