A trip to Nashville, Tennessee makes it hard not to have the sound of country or other music swirling around in your head afterwards--particularly if going to a concert at the venerable Grand Ole Opry. The music may provide the soundtrack, both live and replayed on radio and in the mind later on, though the town has other aspects for even a brief weekend visit.
In perhaps a similar way that seeing California wine country involves passing by so many familiar vineyard names, being in Nashville means viewing well known names when going by, among other spots, B.B. King's Blues Club, Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville, or the Ernest Tubb Record Shop.
Strip of honky-tonks along main music district
The recorded sounds of Elvis, Roy Orbison, Dolly Parton, and Willie Nelson, to name but a very few, permeate the city's main Broadway strip of bars and clubs at night, competing with all the live music emanating from them. You can enjoy the atmosphere without going in anywhere. Just be prepared to encounter the phalanx of smokers standing outside of establishments that don't allow them to light up inside.
Sometimes you may be hearing the makings of music, especially at somewhere like Tootsie's Orchid Lounge that stands out among the neon exterior along the main drag. Other places are the Second Fiddle bar, the Wildhorse Saloon (which teaches free dancing), and the Stage where live bands perform every night with a rear view of the stage visible through the window in front.
Some come by before and/or after an evening at the Grand Ole Opry. In the winter months the Opry is housed up the street at the Ryman Auditorium, called the "Mother Church of Country Music," which was home to the Opry from 1943 to 1974 before it moved to the Grand Ole Opry House east of downtown.
As a National Historic Landmark, the Ryman is open as a museum for daytime tours seven days a week. Many who don't follow country music will recall such departed Opry regulars as Roy Acuff and Minnie Pearl because of their visibility elsewhere.
Opry concerts are still broadcast live Saturday nights on radio with commercials on Nashville's WSM-AM. The Ryman is also used as a venue for rock, jazz, and soul. Country, country pop, and bluegrass tend to be the order of the day when the Opry is there.
Harris, Osborne, and Dickens at the Opry
On a recent evening at the Opry it was possible to hear Emmylou Harris, now a 20-year Grand Ole Opry member, harmonize and play guitar as well as introduce new artists making their first appearance on stage.
Bluegrass veteran Bobby Osborne brought his interplay of banjo, mandolin, and fiddle, and performed the song he made famous with his now retired brother Sonny Osborne in the 1960s, "Rocky Top."
Also on the bill was Jimmy Dickens, a stalwart on the country music circuit going back to the days of Hank Williams Sr., who at 91 is now the oldest living member of the Opry.
Be forewarned about one thing: the wooden seats in the Ryman, which was originally built as a tabernacle, are rather hard (without padding) on the posterior after a two-and-a-half hour show. It is advisable to stand up during the one intermission.
It should be noted too for visitors that the printed out Opry tickets contain a significant mistake in their directions to the Ryman. If traveling east on Interstate-40, the correct exit to take from I-40 and I-24 east for downtown is 210C, not 201C as is listed on the ticket.
Nashville's nearby 12 South neighborhood
A more sedate side of town can be found in Nashville's newer 12 South neighborhood, a short distance from downtown that runs along 12th Avenue South. Here people can stroll a few blocks on foot to stop in for coffee, go boutique shopping for Western attire, look for guitar strings, or have lunch at Edley's Bar-B-Que on the street which opened in November 2011.
Edley's, designed similar to a roadhouse with garage doors opening onto an outdoor deck (sometimes favored by smokers in cool weather), has dishes including smoked chicken platter, and on toasted bun a smoked turkey sandwich served as thick slices with vinegar-based (and mayo-free) coleslaw containing celery seeds and pink onion, and a pulled rib sandwich. Platters come with grilled cornbread and two side dishes.
The restaurant has exposed barnwood rafters along with booths and tables and eight-seat bar with unobtrusive high definition big screens in each corner. Customers can order a glass of Hap & Harry's Lynchburg Lager beer named for Hap Motlow of Tennessee's legendary Jack Daniel family and Harry Lipman, who is cited as the first distributor of Jack Daniel's Tennessee Whiskey following prohibition.
The 12 South district also is home to Las Paletas, an authentic Mexican popsicle shop making fresh fruit and vegetable popsicles from family recipes. Selling for $2.50 a piece, flavors are listed daily on a blackboard inside. They include avocado, green tea, rice, cantaloupe, pineapple blackberry, hibiscus, cucumber with chili, watermelon, pumpkin, lime, grapefruit, pistachio, coconut, chocolate strawberry, and Mexican caramel.
Opryland Hotel may be tourist trap for some
One destination stop for many not staying at the hotel itself is the sprawling Opryland Resort and Convention Center, which is said to be the largest such facility in the United States without a casino. It is 11 miles from downtown and easier to reach with a rental car and is divided into different theme zones, including a section trying to resemble New Orleans' French Quarter and a botanical garden in an atrium with plants, indoor waterfalls, ponds, and skywalks (the Delta section has a river boat ride)--not to mention the shops, restaurants, and bars/nightclubs all within the premises. But it remains very easy to get lost if not familiar with the place and a good deal of walking can be involved with a lot of crowds at times.
For a brief trip and bite to eat, try the Jack Daniel's Saloon in the Opryland offering chicken, burgers (including veggie burger), sandwiches, meatloaf, fried catfish, and side dishes. One of the libations is the Lynchburg Lemon Drop, featuring black label, amaretto, sours, and fresh lemons.
The Opryland charges a hefty $18.00 for daily parking (for stays longer than 20 minutes), and with taxes added the amount can come to $19.66. This may be attributable to the absence of gambling. Although the hotel would not ever want to publicize it, those visiting can park for free at the neighboring Opry Mills Mall parking lot near the current home of the Grand Ole Opry and walk over to the Opryland.
Down the hill from the Tennessee State Capital and Tennessee Supreme Court buildings downtown is the year-round Nashville Farmers Market, located on Rosa Parks Boulevard and specifying that it is open 362 days a year. Among the seasonable produce during the current time of year are herbs, honey, mushrooms, sweet potatoes, turnip greens, and turnips. Nearby too is the campus of Vanderbilt University.
Visitors will find ample music and other enticements around Nashville, including quieter spots for hearing it. The area has a relaxed friendliness combined with visual arts, architecture, and neighborhoods for viewing, Civil War history sites, and a range of museums.
John Seidenberg - John Seidenberg has worked on newspapers, newsletters, radio news, and produced specialized news publications as well as freelance ...
