Nashville, Tennessee

March 28 - 31, 2009

Two Rivers Campground

Nashville, Tennessee

Lucked out and didn't hit expected rain until 20 miles from our destination. One thing I've learned the last four days of travel is the east may not have as dramatic venues as what we saw the past couple of months in the southwest, but it was soooo good to see green again!

I had conveniently forgotten how volatile the weather can be in this area during the spring. We were getting ready to leave for the Grand Ole Opry when the storms started showing up to the south and west of us. Of course there were tornado warnings all over the place. I was really nervous about leaving Barney and the motorhome. What if one of those tornados hit ground around us?

Ken did manage to drag me away and we took the free shuttle from the campground to the Opry. Impressive, but not what I had expected, which was an old theater or auditorium; instead I got a new (well...1974), well-appointed theater.

Then, I was expecting a show like every other concert I have ever attended. Instead we got a show that was also a live radio show... commercials and all. After every act (there were 12 in all) there was a commercial. People got up and stretched or went to the bathroom or got something to eat...just like home!

My favorite acts were a new group of three young men, Love and Theft; a Columbia recording star, Keith Anderson, (he was very good); and, Ronnie Milsap who didn't sing anything I recognized. And, no, we did not become avid country and western fans. Not really our cup of tea; however, we found ourselves tapping our feet throughout the entire evening!!

Even though I wasn't feeling 100% we took a little time to visit Belle Meade (meaning Beautiful Meadow) Plantation to view an 1853 southern "farmhouse" with a real "President Grover Cleveland slept here". I always enjoy this kind of attraction and am sure I was a southern belle in a past life! I'm probably remembering it wrong...I wouldn't be surprised if I had lived in one of the slave cabins on the plantation.

Belle Meade was a renowned thoroughbred horse farm. Bonnie Scotland came to Belle Meade as a stud horse. Descendents still racing today include Northern Dancer, Never Say Die, Sunday Silence, and the 1973 Triple Crown winner Secretariat. Another famous resident was Iroquois who became the first American owned and bred horse to win the English Derby in 1881. Enquirer carried one of the best bloodlines. He was named best three-year-old of 1870. This is the only horse honored with a monument at Belle Meade.

Nashville seems to have a lot to offer. It would be a great place to revisit some day.

We put the pedal to the metal again tomorrow. Heading home with stops in Pennsylvania, meeting up with Greg and Marilyn for a look at Amish Country and then up to New Hampshire for some maintenance on the coach and of course a visit with Jodie, Dennis and Zander. I'm getting quite excited to see my kids again!!!