RV Your Way To The Best Tunes (35-4)
By Lynda Fitzsimmons |
Nashville,
home of the musically gifted
A
six-day, toe-tapping, knee-slapping, hand-clapping July rally
in – where else? – Nashville, Tennessee.
A city flush with southern hospitality, and diverse styles of
quality, live music you can hear around the clock. RV Lifestyle
partnered with Wagon Masters M.B. and Karen Wilson, to host
the Music City U.S.A. rally in July 2005.
 The
location of our campsite couldn’t have been better. We
were literally within minutes of most events and places we planned
to experience. Each evening, a live country music show in the
KOA Music Barn provided us with great entertainment. (We even
had one of our own Wagon Train members perform with a duo one
night.) And, Camping World was within walking distance.
Orientation dinner at the campsite gave us an introduction to
southern cuisine – pulled pork barbeque, turnip greens,
candied yams, white beans, cornbread, and cobbler. Advised that
each Wagon Train trip is an adventure, this was not to be any
different – Hurricane Dennis was expected to bear down
on us that night. (We ended up with only a rainstorm).
With a “How y’all doin” by our tour bus driver,
plus instructions on how to replace ‘eh’ at the
end of our sentences with ‘y’all’, we were
whisked off to tour the city.
Riverfront Park is where famous stars frequently perform free
concerts. The Chinese Gardens present a beautiful array of flowers
and magnolia trees. You’ll also witness The Parthenon,
the world’s only full-scale replica of the famous Greek
Temple, which houses the tallest indoor sculpture – the
42-foot Athena Parthenos.
And, don’t forget the Ryman Auditorium, former home of
the Grand Ole Opry, as well as a national historic landmark.
It’s been named Mother Church of Country Music, and Carnegie
Hall of the South. This great building has been renovated, and
is once again a performance facility. What a thrill to have
the opportunity to stand and have our pictures taken in the
very spot on which music superstars have performed.
The Country Music Hall of Fame is a wonderful tribute to country
music. It’s a building filled with an array of interactive
exhibits, costumes, instruments, videos, platinum and gold records,
plus cars (even Elvis’ gold Cadillac is there). Free time
was spent with a stroll along Honky Tonk Row, famous for country
music artists who have used these stages as a springboard to
fame and fortune.
Taken back in time, we travelled to the Carnton Plantation,
an immense estate near the town of Franklin. Through an informative
tour, we learned that during the Civil War, this house served
as a hospital with two acres of land set aside for the largest
private Confederate cemetery in the country. Fort Donelson,
a national battlefield and cemetery, also gave us insight into
harsh conditions soldiers endured.
Following a Music Barn breakfast the next morning, we were ready
for a backstage tour of the Grand Ole Opry House. Passing the
canopied artists’ entrance, we walked along the hallways,
and into dressing rooms and lounges of entertainers, getting
a rare glimpse of what happens behind the scenes.
 Included
was a visit to the TV studio where Hee Haw was taped. It was
the longest running musical TV show in history. After exploring
the equipment, we joined together to sing O Canada on one of
the world’s most famous stages.
Next was a surprise tour of the opulent Gaylord Opryland Resort
and Convention Centre. This massive complex, complete with almost
2,900 rooms, surrounds more than four acres of lush tropical
plants and waterfalls under a domed ceiling fashioned in glass.
A visit next door took us to the world of Shoppertainment –
Opry Mills Shopping Complex, with a mix of at least 200 retailers,
themed dining and entertainment, all under one roof.
A mid-day cruise aboard the General Jackson Showboat was complete
with a scrumptious buffet lunch, and some of the best entertainment
(Tim Watson and his band) we had seen, all the while cruising
down the Cumberland River. This gifted fiddler even asked someone
from the audience to hold the bow while he played the fiddle
on it. At one point, he had us laughing hysterically, and later
made us cry with his rendition of Amazing Grace as he paid tribute
to war participants.
Our grand finale was a Grand Ole Opry performance on the stage
we had stood on just days before, and where superstars were
known to display their talents. This was the actual, live broadcast,
with stagehands and camera people walking about. Family members
sat in the background, and stood in the wings. It was entirely
different from the production you see on TV.
In that one week, we saw and heard it all – country, rock’n’roll,
rhythm and blues, gospel and bluegrass. Nashville, a metropolis
with the small-town touch that makes it feel so homey. We’ll
be back some day. (Page Top) |
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