Nashville

After a relatively short (three hour) drive, we arrived in Nashville.  We checked into our hotel, changed, and decided to check out the Grand Ole Opry first because it is right near our hotel.  We were shocked to discover that the Grand Ole Opry is really just a huge tourist trap.  The Opry itself is located within a huge shopping center-convention center complex.  There is a movie theater, some outlet shopping, and restaurants.  We were totally confused, and decided to skip it in favor for a slightly more authentic picture of Nashville.  (We will probably go back and check it out later today.)

We drove into the heart of Nashville and were bombarded by sound.  It seems as though every restaurant has live music going on at all times of the day and night.  We were fortunate enough to catch a street party of sorts.  It was sponsored by Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville, so the streets were packed with people in grass skirts and parrots on their heads.  We didn't participate, but chose to watch some free music from the sidelines. 

We also visited the Country Music Hall of Fame. It is a pretty cool looking round building downtown.  We browsed through the exhibits on the first floor, and visited the (blissfully air-conditioned) gift shop.  We chose not to tour it because we probably wouldn't even know most of the people there anyway!

By the river, the trees were full of cicadas.  Apparently, they only show up once every 13 years.  But when they do, they are NOISY.  And everywhere.  The birds, at least, were having a field day.
Eric noticed the Symphony Orchestra Hall a couple blocks away, and wanted to go inside.  Although the space is not open to the public for tours, a very nice girl at the box office took us inside and showed us around.  It was like having our own private tour guide.  Repeatedly, we are astonished by the sincere kindness of the people here in the south.  It is SO different from the New York mentality we are used to.

At night, we went out in Nashville to see some live music.  The city goes through a drastic change from day to night.  What seemed like a garish, commercial tourist trap during the day, changed into a popular music scene at night.  The clubs were very different from those we are used to.  In New York, younger people tend to go out alone.  It is very rare to see anyone over their mid-30s mingling with the 20-something crowd.  Here in Nashville, daughters, mothers, and even grandmothers were all out dancing, singing (songs I've never heard), and having a great time together.  Another stark contrast was the dress code--there wasn't one.  It was just as common to see people in sun dresses and sandals as it was to see them in jean shorts and tank tops.  Finally, every single club had live music with no cover.  Where we are from, you pay to get in and listen to a DJ.