My sister, Marilyn, and I arrived in Nashville last Sunday. I left MSP on a beautiful fall day that felt more like mid-July than late October. I had packed for summer weather in Nashville, and sure enough the early evening temperature was warm and very pleasant.
My flight arrived earlier than Marilyn's, so I spent a pleasant couple of hours at Nashville BNA, walking around a little, only a little limited by my carry-on bag and backpack. The airport was very crowded, and it wasn't easy finding the rideshare pickup point. However, our driver Joseph was persistentand he finally hooked up with us. A native of Ethiopia, he came to Nashville years ago because he had a friend here -- a story I heard several times from other transplants to this lovely city.
We were a little shell-shocked when we checked in, but not to tired to head to the 4th floor for our free cocktails. John the bartender gave us doubles, even though we hadn't yet received our drink cards from the front desk. This is a well-known weakness in the online check-in system at Embassy Suites Downtown -- paper cards still required. Like most bartenders, John is an independent type of guy and he simply told us to pick up our cards the next day, which we did, of course.
The next morning Harry joined us at the hotel and we decided to do an overview tour of the city in the Hop-on-Hop-off trolley. We did a full loop first and Harry pointed out a number of points of interest along the way, so that we got our bearings. We refueled with beer and gumbo at Gumbo Bros and walked up the hill, over the freeway, to Harry's apartment. By then it was getting damn hot, well over 80F, and Harry's promised "short distance" seemed endless. Fortunately, I still had the energy to take a few photos of interesting sculptures along the way. When we got to Harry's place, I looked over the balcony and saw a beautiful, inviting pool. No suit, of course, so we had to pass up the opportunity. Harry drove us back to the hotel, and we opted for snacks and beverages on the 12th floor.
Tuesday was a day for the Country Music Hall of Fame, just down the street from our hotel and it seemed like a good choice. The building itself is quite lovely, with lots of space for exhibits and education. I wasn't pleasantly surprised to note that the museum is so well curated, such that the visit includes not only country music but, really, a history of American contributions to the world body of music. All eras are covered, with the transitions from each era carefully designed and executed. A well produced video brings the entire experience together.
Harry picked us up before 6 PM for the drive to the Grand Ole Opry It was rush hour, and the traffic was awful, as it often seeems to be -- as bad in this city as in any other major metropolitan area. Until then, I had seen only downtown and the famous neighborhoods on the trolley tour. I appreciated Harry's excellent driving skills along a creative shortcut past a cemetery, used car lots, a trailer park, railroad tracks, distressed housing and other structures in various states of disrepair. Fortunately, work earlier in the day on his Tesla held up well and I felt confident we would not break down in the remote space that reminded me of the hubcap theft in the original Vacation movie
We arrived in NASCAR race time and had a pleasant interlude in the lovely grounds of the Opry. The e-tickets allowed quick entry and we were amazed at the sightlines from our front-row seats. The performances (Rhonda Vincent, Karley Scott Collins, Wade Bowen, Don Schlitz, Bill Anderson, Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors, Vince Gill) were nothing short of spectacular. My favorites were Don Schlitz, whose many compositions inclue The Gambler and Vince Gill. as charming in person as his fans say he is. He was introduced to the audience by Drew Holcomb, and as the band was playing the first song Vince bent over troubleshoot his mute guitar and/or microphone. He treated the problem very casually and it was soon resolved as he worked with the sound tech. No fuss; no blame.
The next day Marilyn and I separated and I walked to the Tennessee State Capitol. It was a pleasant walk made easier as I could see the flags on the Capitol at several points along the way. While I was expecting Google Maps' promise of a mostly flat walk, various detours took me both uphill and downhill, evening out to "mostly flat", I guess. I entered the Capitol through the tunnel and was somewhat surprised at the absence of other tourists. I joined a tour and was pleased to see both the House and Senate chambers. Of course, lawmakers in the part-time January to April legislature were not in evidence, and since the House chamber was roped off, I didn't even have the opportunity of seeing the desks of the Tennessee Three.
My walk back to the hotel felt a little more arduous. I have little sense of direction, and was dismayed to be unable to read the map on my phone in very bright sunlight. Moreover, by the time I got downtown, the people around me were so noisy that I couldn't hear directions either. From my position, I couldn't see my landmark Bridgestone Arena, home of the Nashville Predators. I asked several guys on the stree how to get there, only to be met with a blank stare, except by one confident looking young guy who pointed in one (wrong) direction: "There's a bridge over there", he said unhelpfully. I decided a bartender would be my best bet, and of course, that was indeed the case.
That evening Harry joined Marilyn and me for dinner at Hand Cut in the hotel. The menu was fairly interesting but I really wasn't very hungry, so I went for a chicken club on a bun, washed down with watermelon hard seltzer. Harry and Marilyn had more substantil meals (pasta for her, coulotte steak for him, with sides of brussels sprouts and asparagus). The next morning Marilyn and I simply packed after breakfast and Ubered to the airport at 1:30 p.m.
I was surprised to witness very little evidence of the November 5 election. No talk, campaign buttons, billboards or political posters. Many convention attendees joined a throng of tourists everywhere. What impressed me the most was the good humor and courtesy of everyone we met. Tourism generates a lot of revenue for Tennessee, and Nashville certainly attracts a lot of people from "elsewhere", including hotel clerks, customer servce staff, entertainers, and even my tour guide at the Capitol.
Nashville is a great city to visit, with lots of activities all year. We really enjoyed the weather, with cool temperatures in the morning and evening, and 80F every day. It really was a wonderful week.
