Music City: Nashville, TN

I forgot to mention the campground I stayed at in my last post. I was tired after driving all day and forgot that I would be crossing into East Coast time so I lost another hour. I was supposed to camp at a state park but it was 20 miles off the interstate so when I pulled the off at that exit I saw a sign for a campground .3 miles down the road. There as no one around so I drove around looking for a tent site and it hit me that all these campers have satellite dishes and lawn ornaments and I'm pretty sure it's a trailer park not a campground. I ended up taking a site close to the main building (it said A-1 and had a hookup so I figured it was an actual site). I got my laundry done, charged up my stuff and took a shower so at least I got to use the amenities. The next morning as I was leaving (after another rain soaked night) I came across the manager and paid him the $10 and he looked at me in disbelief that I had slept in a tent in that rain. At least it confirmed that it was in fact a campground. Either that or I just paid a trailer park bum.
I was slow getting into Nashville because a semi had flipped which closed off one lane. My first stop was actually in Brentwood, the ritzy southern section of Nashville. I was wondering how many country stars' houses I had passed because they were pretty fancy. I went to the Agricultural Museum and it was very interesting. I recognized most of the implements because I grew up with them hanging on the walls of my house and perched in our flower beds as decorations. It had a couple buildings out back but the lawn was too wet to go back there. I next went to Fort Negley which overlooks downtown Nashville. It was the biggest fortification they had but was never challenged in the Battle of Nashville. I was disappointed in this site because it had fallen to ruin but in the 1930's the WPA reconstructed some stone walls and a visitor center so it would be preserved. I don't know why they couldn't recreate the fort because it seemed really cool. It's not much to look at a bunch of recreated rocks. Next I went to the Upper Room Chapel which is on the Vanderbilt University Campus. Basically it's just a chapel on the second floor. I planned most of my itinerary back in March so I forget why I put a lot of these stops down. It did have a nice stained glass window and I took a bunch of pictures before I saw the no photography sign. Oops! I then went to the Parthenon. There was an entrance fee and I had no clue what would be inside so I just walked around the outside and took pictures. Very random.

I drove downtown and tried to find free parking but feared getting caught in an illegal spot. I ended up at Fort Nashborough which is just a collection of 5 old buildings with a few exhibits on old life inside. What was funny is that it's located across from the Entertainment district so through the wooden fence you can see the Coyote Ugly saloon. Classy

I lucked out and found a meter with 30 minutes left on it so I threw in some nickels and dimes and set out. I saw the Ryman Auditorium, Country Music Hall of Fame, Ernest Tubbs Record Shop, and other local color of Nashville. It is a huge city with lots of big buildings but it all looks very clean (unlike Memphis). While I was walking around I saw a big production truck blocking a lane and lots of security guards standing outside a door. I didn't get to see anyone famous but I assume they were shooting a music video.

Funny story. I knew my meter had run out and I was trying to check out at the cashiers with my postcards and this guy was asking for directions to the Ryman and the girl (who freakin worked there!) was flipping through a phone book and picking up the phone to call and ask. I butted in and told him where to go which then started a discussion about what's within walking distance of downtown. I guess because I was wearing cowboy boots he assumed I was a local (buying postcards?) but he listened and I shooed him out the door and ran back to my car. I stopped at Bicentennial Mall park which had a big water fountain that kids could splash in and the capitol overlooked it high on a hill.
I then drove over to the Opry Mills complex. Apparently the Opry is in the same parking lot as a mall. The oddest thing was that all the speed limit signs around the complex were 24 mph! I was trying to think of the significance but I couldn't. The Opry radio is 650 AM. It was never explained so now I have to figure it out. After that I had to head out because it was almost 4 hours to Great Smoky Mountains and I was going to cross over into Eastern time. I listened to Jack to direct me to the campground which is on a dead end road and he took me over a freakin massively switchback mountain (which was soaking wet from the rain but at least it was paved) and the road he told me to turn on was a dead end to a completely different section of the park. I then had to race over the Foothills Parkway and that linked me back up with the road I should have taken an hour ago. I was pissed because I was tired and hungry. Damn it Jack. He had guided me faithfully through Nashville, spot on, and I was lured into trusting him because I was tired. He's really not a country boy I'm realizing.