Friday, May 9, 2014

Nashville, Crashville, Johnny Cashville

On to Nashville!  We opted to take the Hop On, Hop Off Trolley.  It runs the same route around Nashville all day long and you can hop on and hop off as you please.  Our first trolley was an open-air trolley, and with temperatures in the 80s and not a cloud in the sky, it was a wonderful feeling to have the wind and the sun as we zoomed around town.

Our trolley driver shared with us a wealth of knowledge and facts about his city and the attractions there.  Davy Crockett was upset with the politics, so he volunteered for the Army, which is why Tennessee is the Volunteer State.

The first site we saw was the Parthenon.  It was built to commemorate Nashville's centennial in 1897.  Nashville was called "The Athens of the South" and they build a full scale replica of the Parthenon.  Inside is a 40 foot tall statue of Athena and Nike.  The lower floors of the Parthenon were busy with kids on school tours.  One of the museum workers said that the third floor, where Athena is, was currently empty as school groups had left but the next group hadn't yet gone in.  The hall was enormous, with great tall doors and Athena herself.  I stood there in awe for several minutes before I could move.

Our next stop was the Country Music Hall of Fame, where we searched out the stars for Jimi Hendrix and Roy Orbison.  The city has an amazing rose garden, and we were lucky to be there as the roses were in bloom.  On a hot day with a light breeze, the smell of roses was everywhere.

Next we went to Hatch Show Print, a printing company that makes posters the old fashioned way, using blocks for letters and images.  We went on the tour, and at the end we each got to print our own souvenir poster.

After Hatch we walked around in the Country Music Hall of Fame, were we saw costumes of great country stars.  I was delighted to see Marty Robbins sequined jacket, vest and boots, a black jacket from Johnny Cash, and Willie Nelson's running shoes and bandanna.

We stopped in a boot store but didn't find anything we wanted to buy.  Next we visited a record store but struck out there too.  During our walk around we did get to hear live music from all the bars.  Most places have doors where there windows are, so they can open up like bi-fold closet doors or roll up like a garage door.  People can enjoy the weather AND passersby can enjoy the music.

The last stop of the day was a the Johnny Cash Museum.  This museum is authorized by the estate of Johnny Cash and has a great deal of personal artifacts and outfits on display.  We enjoyed seeing handwritten notes, songs, letters and doodles from the Man in Black.  I was delighted that there was a recording of Johnny Cash singing "City of New Orleans."  We also spotted Elvis at the Johnny Cash Museum.  He was part of some kind of a commercial or news video shoot, so we kept our distance.  I tried to sneak a picture of him but the lighting worked against us.

After walking around all day in Nashville, enjoying tours from the trolley drivers, listening to music and seeing all the sights, it was time to say goodbye and point the car North.
The Batman Building in Nashville

A boot store with a fun neon cowboy, next to the Johnny Cash Museum.

The Johnny Cash Museum, where we spotted Elvis

The Capital Building

On the Trolley

The Parthenon

Athena and Nike

Athena with Nike in her hand

Laurie at the Parthenon

Keep your toys off the Parthenon!  Hoodlums!


Downtown Nashville

Johnny Cash mural.  Our trolley driver pointed it out, or we wouldn't have ever seen it!

Roses in bloom in Nashville

At Hatch Show Print:  "Preservation Through Production" is the motto.  
They print the real old fashioned way.

Tony printing his very own souvenir poster

Laurie's completed souvenir poster


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