Sept 25, Nashville, TN

Today we called Enterprise (because they pick you up and take you to their office) and they came from Paducah (25 miles) and picked us up at the marina. We rented a car and drove to Nashville. We had planned to go to Nashville in the boat, up the Cumberland River, but because it has been raining all week the rivers are swollen, the current is running a reported 5 knots and there is debris in the water, we decided to rent a car instead. It would have been a 150 mile trip upstream (with two overnights before Nashville) and dockage was planned downtown at the city floating dock where they have room for five boats. The location is right downtown at the foot of Broadway.

Union Station Hotel

Lobby Union Station Hotel

Ceiling Union Station Hotel

It rained again today. We arrived in Nashville and are staying at the Union Station Hotel, downtown. The first thing we do is visit the city dock.

'Loopers' EARLY OUT and SEASEA in Nashville.

There are two 'looper' boats here, EARLY OUT and SEASEA, who have braved the river conditions. Security guard tells me water levels have risen three feet earlier today and then dropped back to normal. The current and water level are fluctuating based on discharges from the upstream dams. We can see a lot of debris in the water. Several other boats in Nashville have posted on the AGLCA site that the current is still 5 knots and because of all the debris, they are not moving until conditions improve.

We are glad we are not having to worry about the boat and head off to see the sights.

Ryman Hall.
First home of the Grand Ole Opry.

Nashville is the home of the Grand Ole Opry and country music. We see Ryman Hall where country music got it's start, and then tour the Country Music Hall of Fame, which tells the history of the industry and has displays, gold records, costumes and personal and professional histories of many of the performers.

Country Music Hall of Fame.

Elvis Gold Cadillac.

Gold Records.
Each gold record signifies 500,000 copies sold.

Hank Williams costume.

Hall of Fame costumes.
Gram Parsons, Emmylou Harris.

Conway Twitty, Loretta Lynn, George Jones, Tammy Wynett.

Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood, Alan Jackson, Vince Gill,
Alison Krauss, Faith Hill.

We walk Broadway and Second Street where there are lots of bars and restaurants each featuring live entertainment. Nashville is a magnet for aspiring country singers so we can walk along Broadway and listen to group after group who are all trying to 'make it' in Nashville. Good entertainment.

Downtown Nashville.

Sign featuring guitar playing singers.
Says they are 'Honkytonk Heroes'.

Hundreds of guitars for sale in every configuration and price range.

Former American National Bank building.
Now a tatoo parlor.

Cadillac Bar is typical of Broadway.
Elevated stage for entertainers.

Most are 'too loud' for us. We're ready to stick some pieces of paper napkins in our ears. We keep going and find a spot with good music, not too loud. We persevere. Lots of activity in downtown Nashville.

We visit the Frick Museum (surrealist photographs) downtown and then head out to the suburbs to the large Gaylord Opryland Hotel complex and take a ride on the GENERAL JACKSON, a riverboat with a popular show/cruise. Very enjoyable.

Approaching downtown on the Cumberland River aboard the
GENERAL JACKSON

Floating debris in the river because of the heavy rains and high water.

The GENERAL JACKSON midday show, Tim Watson's 'Fiddlin Around', has been a long running show in Nashville. One of Ken Horner's favorites. We agree.

Tim Watson (left) on stage.
Tim says he's getting too old to do the splits anymore.
But he sure can play that fiddle!

The Gaylord Opryland Hotel looks to be the new center for tourism in the Nashville area surpassing the downtown area. Interesting.