November 7, 2014

Today was tour day - took a Gray Line tour of Nashville - quite fascinating.  Lovely to drive along Music Drive and see slogans like "Honor Thy Music" (even with the incorrect spelling . . . ). Finally got to go to the Country Music Hall of Fame, which was awesome - and the Mother Church of Country Music, aka the Ryman Auditorium, where I'll be going to the Grand Ole Opry tomorrow evening!

Street scene in the Honky Tonk district - lots of places where now famous singers got their start!

Tootsie's Orchid Lounge - where the likes of  Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson met to jam and compose and socialize

The famous Minnie Pearl, enshrined in bronze

There it is - the Grand Ole Opry!

First built by Captain Thomas Rynan as a church, the Ryman Auditoriunm was the original home of the Grand Ole Opry and is doing duty again while the current venue is being used by the Rockettes to practise for their Christmas show.

The columns form a circle and each one has a bell atop it - the bells chime on the hour - happened while we were here!

Looking towards the capital buildings

Chimes again

My tour bus

The Parthenon . . . 

Elvis - still rocking

Inside the Country Music Hall of Fame  

Looking from the second floor downwards

Poster wall!

Gene Autry and Roy Rogers - my heroes growing up!

Impressive!

Gotta have a picture like this

Drove parts of this last year

Grapes of Wrath

Couldn't capture the full sentence:  Will the circle be unbroken

Hall of Famers

Yay Galveston!!

Very cool

Front lobby

The Entrance

Yes!!