November 1, 2009 – Ribbet, Ribbet One More Time

So it was cool and overcast Saturday morning. The campground had some evidence of flooding, especially the one low area where 12 to 18 inches of water accumulated. But since the rain had stopped and was forecasted to have passed (OK, it is a bad expression. You cannot forecast the past; you can only report what you believe happened. So let me change it.); the weather was forecasted to continue clearing (OK, that’s better); we decided to do make a touristy visit to downtown Nashville. Our first stop was the capitol building. Given that it was Saturday, parking was not a problem, but it also meant the building was closed. The capitol grounds have several statues of famous Tennesseans: Jackson, Johnson, Carmack and Sgt. Alvin C. York.

The capitol building sits on a rise, overlooking the city on all sides. Across the street, to the south of the capitol, sits the Tennessee War Memorial building. The structure is open in the center with plaques listing the war dead from WWI. In the mall area around the building, there are similar tributes to the Korean and Vietnam War dead. I could only assume the WWII dedication is within the building itself.

We left the capitol mall area and walked about 12 blocks to “The District”, an area of shops, restaurants, bars and entertainment. On the way, we walked by the old Ryman Auditorium. Originally built as a church in 1892, it later became a theater, hosting such notables as Enrico Caruso and Sarah Bernhardt. From 1943 to 1994, it was home to the Grand Ole Opry.

The district was just as advertised: live music pubs with country music and no cover; western wear stores; music stores; memorabilia and souvenir shops. The streets were busy with tourists and Georgia Tech fans, in town for the game with Vanderbilt. The music was already cranked up in most of the pubs. It was loud and not always good. We opted for a more traditional Saturday afternoon tradition and grabbed a couple of beers in a sports bar while watching college football.

Carol thought it might be fun to go to the Grand Ole Opry. Our campground is only a couple of miles away, so getting there would not be difficult. She went on line before we went downtown to see about tickets. I was skeptical. After all, it is Saturday, tickets could be scarce. Not to worry, she got two decent seats for the 7PM show. It was a great show. The GOO moved to a dedicated theater in 1994 when the Ryman Auditorium was renovated. As a tribute to all of the performers who had played in the Ryman, a three foot diameter circle was cut from the Ryman stage and placed into the stage at the new GOO music house. The GOO is the longest running, live radio show, still being broadcast on WSM and XM satellite radio. The show ran the gamut of C&W from Little Jimmy Dickens (who must be 80) to some Cajun, a little cowboy music from Riders in the Sky and finishing with Blake Shelton, a contemporary performer.