2018 Trip 3: KY and TN: March 23: Caves and Crafts, Booze and Bluegrass (Music and Horses)

Nashville, KY. March 23

Grand Ole Opry Building in Nashville

Music. Music. Music. Friday was a music day. A paddle wheel boat excursion began the day. The General Jackson showboat is based in the Grand Ole Opry/Gaylord Opryland hotel/Opry Mills shopping area. We arrived at 11 AM for a lunch, cruise, and show. Friday was the first cruise show day of 2018.

“Taste of Tennessee is an energetic stage show showcasing the many songs and stylings made famous right here in Tennessee. A versatile and virtuoso show band guides the audience on this exciting journey through the Volunteer State supported by gorgeous costumes, lights, and multimedia.” So sayeth their brochure and the show lived up to its hype.

Taste of Tenessee show on the General Jackson Showboat

The show lasted for about an hour. When it ended we went on deck to stretch our legs and enjoy the cruise views. The ship turned around shy of making it all the way to downtown Nashville. The river views were blah, the banks showing scrub brush and leafless trees. A section of the river was industrial; it made for the most interesting portion as we were able to watch sand and gravel being unloaded and transported to the storage area by truck and conveyor belt. Back inside, two of the performers took requests and entertained with songs and banter. The boat landed back at the dock at 2:30.

Views of the Cumberland River

The General Jackson was well-maintained and in good shape. We probably had about 250 people on board, roughly half of what it could hold at its peak. Our table companions were from Seattle, London Ontario (more Toronto Maple Leaf fans), and Kansas City and provided companionable conversation. The buffet lunch was good, a cut above normal buffet lunches at entertainment venues.

Gaylord Opryland Hotel

After the cruise, we moved the car closer to the Grand Ole Opry. We knew we would be getting back to the car late and we lucked out as the afternoon event was ending (possibly a high school show choir competition) and parking spaces opened up. We walked over to the Gaylord Opryland Hotel and Convention Center. I knew this place would be big, and it was. Think of a Vegas-style resort without the skyscraper aspect. The hotel has about 3,000 rooms with several covered atriums with flowers, waterfalls, a flowing river, etc. In 2010, flood waters from the Cumberland River devastated Nashville and this resort was not spared. It closed for five months for renovations.

We enjoyed the scenery and climate controlled atmosphere at Opryland but when we discovered they only offered gelato and frozen yogurt on the premises we headed over to the Opry Mills shopping complex for an ice cream fix and a snack at Johnny Rockets. The wait staff put on an impromptu dance skit while we were there so our food came with entertainment without a cover charge. We had time to kill before attending the Grand Ole Opry evening performance so Johnny Rockets came in handy.

While we had heard of the Grand Ole Opry, we had never listened to it so the experience was brand new to us. Four half hour live radio shows are produced in sequence. Each half hour show has its own host and three acts, including the host, perform. It appears two numbers are allotted to each act. With introductory banter and on-air commercials, the thirty minutes are completed, the curtain comes down and then the curtain goes back up for the next show. There is a fifteen minute intermission between shows two and three; I am not sure what happens on the radio stations during that time.

Ricky Skaggs at Grand Ole Opry

We had only heard of one of the performers that night but, given our low knowledge level of any music performers, that was to be expected. The 4,400 seat auditorium was almost full, we were up high. As is usual nowadays, there were three jumbo TV screens providing an up close and personal view also. Our favorite performers were Striking Matches, a male-female duo paying guitars and singing. Ricky Skaggs had a smiling, thirteen year old boy paying guitar that was entertaining also. A 14-year-old girl “phemom’, Tegan Marie, did not impress us.

Overall, it was enjoyable although Chris said she would even prefer opera. Frequently the lyrics were not distinguishable. It was comfortable; as one stated later, music performers have fans but Grand Ole Opry is family. The audience, many of whom were first-timers and included groups of show choir youngsters, responded enthusiastically all night. For me, too many of the performers always asked “how are you doing”, “are you having a good time”, “where are you from”, etc. We were glad we made this a priority. Some of the tunes are still reverberating in our heads this morning.

Number 18 dressing room at Grand Ole Opry

After the show, we went on the backstage tour. There were groups of 25-30 people who had paid extra for this. Originally we were to attend an afternoon tour; evidently it was canceled in favor of hosting the show choir tournament. The back stage tour covered the TV recording studio-where Hee Haw had been filmed, the 20 or so individual dressing rooms for performers, the stage with the performers circle of old wood which is a remnant of the stage at the Ryman Theater in downtown Nashville where the Grand Ole Opry started, etc. The 2010 flood damaged this facility also, bring water waist deep to the old dressing rooms and higher than the stage. When renovations were made, the dressing rooms were improved and each had a particular theme. Performers are assigned to the rooms based on the theme and/or their preference (for big name performers).

We arrived back at our lodging at 11:30 PM, satisfied with a full day of Nashville music experiences.

Ed and Chris. March 24

Epilogue: Snippets on life in America from Chris
Day 8: How many iconic American performance venues have you been to: NYC’s Carnegie Hall, nope. The Hollywood Bowl, nope. Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry, yes!