8 Nov. 2018 Belle Meade

We went to Radnor Lake Park to walk a bit. It’s a pretty little park with a trail that goes all the way around. The lake was built in 1905 to supply water to the railroad and was subsequently turned into a city park. We did not walk far but it was good to get out and stretch our legs. We had time to kill before heading for the restaurant Greg told us about. So naturally we went looking for a winery! We stumbled across the Belle Meade plantation (which just happened to have a winery). As we toured the plantation they were preparing luminaries along all the pathways for a Christmas celebration complete with Mr. and Mrs. Claus. The Plantation was responsible for breeding some of the Kentucky derby champions. It was also a major dairy for the local markets. After we enjoyed our tour (and some wine) we went to Midtown Café, and had a wonderful dinner. 

Radnor Lake Park

Front of Plantation House at Belle Meade

Of course we found a winery!

Memorial for Enquirer

7 Nov. 2018 Dinner

We planned to go to mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky. But when we were looking at the tours in the cave the night before, we found that all the tours, except the wheel chair tour, had at least 200 steps or more.  With Leslie’s knee, we decided that would not be a good plan. Leslie heard from her friend Greg Hall after posting where we were on her Facebook page. He gave us some great ideas for other things to do in the Nashville area. We were able to get hold of our friends, John and Cheryl, son Davis and arranged to meet him for dinner. It was fun to find out about his plans in the music field. 

5 Nov. 2018 The District

With the rain over, we went into downtown Nashville to “the District”. Its four blocks of Honky Tonks and restaurants near the river. It was fun to see the musicians walking down the street headed for their next performance. We did not stay for the crazy crowds at night but enjoyed all the music spilling out on the streets. We then took Etta to the vet at Petsmart. Her left eye has been red for several days and we needed to get it checked. She has some kind of infection and we’re given an antibiotic cream to put in her eye. 

The District in Nashville

The District in Nashville

Patsy Cline Museum

Johnny Cash Museum

Where else but Nashville

Had to buy some CDs here!

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3 Nov. 2018 The Grand Ole Opry

After dropping Etta off at the groomers, we made our way over to the Grand Ole Opry House to see the performance stage of country legends. The Grand Ole Opry is actually a live music radio program. First started in 1925, by accident, the program has aired every Saturday night for 93 years. The longest running radio show in the world. The broadcast can be heard in 38 states on AM radio, and also on the internet. It did not really have a location until 1974. Prior to that, the large majority of the shows were done in Ryman Auditorium in downtown Nashville. The Ryman was built in 1885 in downtown Nashville. Ryman became the unofficial home, and became synonymous with, the Opry. In 1974, the Grand Ole Opry House was built on the outskirts of Nashville in its current location. When the stage was built, they inlaid a large circular piece of the stage from the Ryman. The performers normally stand on this portion of the stage when they are performing. In 2010, the building was severely flooded and the show jumped around to various venues until the building was reopened in 6 months. Shows run in the building every Friday, Saturday, and Tuesday, February through October. The shows are moved to the Ryman Auditorium for December through January to allow the Ole Opry House to host Christmas concerts. To become a member of the Grand Ole Opry, an artist has to be invited by the board of directors. There have only been 212 members over the 93 years. For a country artist, and invitation to become a member is a huge honor. Originally, members were required to perform every other Saturday for as long as they were a member. Today they are only required to perform when they are passing through the area. Only two members were ever suspended, Johnny Cash and Hank Williams, due to behavior issues on stage. Johnny Cash was eventually allowed back but Hank Williams dies a few weeks after he was thrown out. We took the backstage tour ($27 per person). We got to see the performers dressing rooms and the “Green Room” where they relax just prior to going on stage. At the performers only entrance (where the artist have to park their own cars, no valet or limousines here), there are post office boxes where the members can collect any fan mail sent to the Grand Ole Opry with their names on it. There is also a members wall with all the members names engraved on brass plaques. We also toured the back stage area and got to stand in the Ryman Stage circle to pose for photos. The tour was pretty neat. Unfortunately, the shows were sold out for Saturday night and the only seats left in the Ryman Auditorium were in the nosebleed sections for Tuesday night. 

Us in front of the Grand Ole Opry House

The stage at Grand Ole Opry House

One of the dressing rooms

Another dressing room

The post boxes of the members

2 Nov. 2018 The Hermitage

Near where we are staying is the home of Former President Andrew Jackson. The last of the revolutionary war presidents (He was only 13 when he served in the Revolutionary army in South Carolina). His plantation, Hermitage, is over 1000 acres in size. The mansion on the plantation was built while he was serving his term as President (1829-1833). It was the third house on the site. The first house was built shortly after he bought the initial plot of land (425 acres) (this was his third farm) and was replaced when he was elected president in 1829. It burned while he was in Washington so his adopted son, Andrew Jackson Jr.,  rebuilt the home and expanded it. President elect Jackson’s wife, Rachel, died before they could move to Washington following his election. Following his term of office, he retired to The Hermitage where he died in 1845. Both he and his beloved Rachel are buried on the property as well as three more generations since then.  Andrew Jackson met Rachel when he was a border at her mother’s house. Rachel had come home to her mother’s to escape her bad marriage.  They were both immediately smitten and eventually eloped together before Rachel’s first marriage was ended in divorce.  The scandal would follow them for the rest of Jackson’s career. In fact Jackson believed the gossip and political maneuvers of his opponents were responsible for her early death at the age of 61, just months after Jackson won his run for the Presidency and they were scheduled to move into the White House in D.C.   President Jackson was known as the people’s president. But he was a slave owner (he owned several hundreds over the years) and was responsible for “removing” native American Indians out of the east and forcing them west of the Mississippi river. He is also known for the defense of New Orleans from British Invasion in the war of 1812 as well as the Creek Indian War. Interestingly, Andrew Jackson and Henry Clay, whose house we toured in Lexington, were political enemies. But it was Henry Clay that negotiated the great compromise in 1832 that helped President Jackson keep Alabama in the Union. 

The carriage road approach to the mansion

The back of the mansion

President Jackson and his Wife's Graves

1 Nov. 2018 Pigeon Forge to Nashville, TN

The drive from Pigeon Forge was tense as we drove through a storm front. The rain was heavy at times but mostly heavy drizzle. Otherwise the drive along I-40 was beautiful with the leaves changing color. We are staying just outside Nashville at Nashville Shores RV resort ($59 per night with GSC discount). We chose this park because it is close to the airport. David was supposed to fly out next week for meetings. But they canceled just before we left for Nashville. We had hoped to see a doctor in Knoxville for Leslie’s knee, but they dragged out the doctor review of her records, so we gave up on them and made an appointment with her doctor in Dallas. We can’t get in until 14 November, so decided to stay in Nashville for most of the original time we had planned (they would only let us cut the stay short by one day). Then on to Memphis for a short stay before getting to a resort just east of Dallas by the 13^th. 

The Nashville Shores resort is a water park similar to Clay’s Park in Canton, only nicer. We are in a pull through site with full utilities. Water pressure is very good. Surface is concrete as are the roads. It looks like it has aged fairly well. There are also back in sites along the lakeshore but there is no lake access (there is a four foot fence along the waterfront). WiFi is good, but cell service is weak. The water park is closed for the season, as is the tree course (those all cost extra).  It is definitely not worth $59 a night.