Our Week In Nashville..... "AWESOME"

We arrived in Nashville, checked into Montgomery Bell State Park, unhooked the old wheelhouse and found our friends Gary and Debi.  Gary and Debi live just outside of Nashville in a beautiful little community of Kingston Springs.  Everywhere we drove was like a park setting, with homes having huge landscaped yards (acres), lots of trees and rivers and streams.  The Nashville area is nothing like we expected.

Our first outing was into Nashville where the New Grand Ole Opry is located.  There is a massive convention center, hotel and shopping area that we had to see.

 

The entire complex was inside and was unbelievable.  There were canals with boats to take you around, waterfalls all over the place, trees and foliage everywhere, with restaurants and shops intermingled.  The upper levels were hotel rooms that overlooked all the beauty.   We spent hours walking around in amazement.  And the best part was it was all free.

Looks like you are outside, but it is not.... 

Outside, and just a short walk away, is where the new Grand Ole Opry is located.  The original Opry House, the Ryman Auditorium, is located in downtown Nashville.  A large circle was cut from the floor of the Ryman stage and inlaid into the center of the new Opry stage.

After hours of walking around the Grand Ole Opry area, it was time to sit down, and enjoy a refreshing Beverage....... BEER.  We drove closer to the downtown area and stopped at the Historic Union Station, that has been refurbished, and is now a hotel, restaurant and pub.  The beer menu at the pub must have had 200 different beers to choose from.  This landmark has exquisite architecture with historic Southern charm.  If you get to Nashville, definitely check it out.  Beer is optional.

After a few days of camping in our wheelhouse at Montgomery Bell State Park, we pulled up stakes, parked the wheelhouse in the woods by Gary and Debi's, and stayed with them.  They have a beautiful home in the woods, and if we didn't know better we would have sworn we were in a park.

 

You can't visit Nashville without stopping by the Honky Tonk area of downtown.  Music venues, restaurants and bars galore. 

 

And if you want to see it all, and have a drink while doing it, might we suggest the "Peddle Tavern".  You don't have to worry about a DUI, because the bartender steers the Tavern, but you do have to power it by peddling.  Every seat at the bar has peddles, and you are required to do your part.

Too Much Fun



Another evening we went to Music City Roots, Live From The Loveless Cafe.  This is a weekly, two-hour radio show, that revives the historic legacy of live musical radio production in Nashville.  They broadcast on Wednesday evenings from 7pm to 9pm, CST.

Here is the link if you would like to check it out.

http://musiccityroots.com/

 

We had a wonderful time in Nashville, and will definitely return someday.  We owe our "GREAT" time in Nashville to Gary and Debi, who took the time to show us around, give us a beautiful place to stay, and since Gary is a gourmet cook, fed us some delicious meals.

 

When in Nashville, stay at Vern and Helga's Bed and Breakfast.  There is no place better.

 

We are now headed for Knoxville, to check out the Great Smoky Mountains, Dolly World and whatever else we can find.  We'll post again in a few days, so come back soon.

 

As always, thanks for looking in on us.

 

Steve and Roberta