The Soul of Nashville

Nashville is frequently called “Music City,” and for good cause. Country and Bluegrass call it home, and many artists from all genres of music consider it to be a Mecca, if you will, for them as well. The heart of this reputation is the Ryman Auditorium. This is where Bluegrass was born. The “Grand Ole Opry” may not have started here, but this is where it truly found it’s voice. Many artists have perfomed here, such as Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, ZZ Top, and many more. And we almost lost it. The building was built long before the amenities that performers want were though of. No dressing rooms, no lounge/waiting areas, no A/C. The Grand Ole Opry moved to a new location, and the Ryman Auditorium began to decay. They were going to tear it down, until the artists themselves began to fight for the Ryman. They helped make it relevant again, it was renovated to add the amenities, and is now once again being used for performances.

I drove in to Nashville, and parked in a garage. I found a Bus Tour ticket booth where I could get tickets for a bus, plus any venues that I wanted for a discount (a small one, but every little bit counts, right?). This company has a route they follow through downtown Nashville with 15 stops. They give a little history and local culture (and color) and make it enjoyable. You can get on and off as you please all day long, just hang on to your ticket. It’s a lot easier than walking, or trying to drive, around the narrow streets. Nashville is basically the country version of Vegas, with all the casinos being replaced by country bars. No, I didn’t go in any, they are too loud for me. There are lots of museums, I went to the Johnny Cash museum. I would have liked to do more, but time is short, and I am getting a little worn out by this point in the trip, so I just went back to my hotel. I am heading to Memphis tomorrow, with a stop at Shiloh on the way. This means an early start for me, so I need some sleep. A few pics of the Ryman: