the blog. Opinions are, as always, my own.
Nashville Day 1 – Country Music Hall of Fame/Museum and General Jackson Showboat
Sex and the City Bus Tour of 2010, I knew I needed to wait several years before
expecting my husband to hop on another tour bus, but I couldn’t pass up the Nashville’s Homes of the Stars bus tour. Officially, I’m not sure how I feel about
celebrities’ addresses being revealed to the public, but since I know I am not
a threat to anyone’s safety or security I allowed my curiosity to overtake my
morals and signed up for this tour.
better fenced than others, some are completely treed, and some actually in
gated communities that you just drive by.
I managed to get some decent shots of
Martina McBride and Dolly Parton’s homes (which I decided not to post, just to
boost my perception of my own morality) and if we had gone more slowly past Taylor
Swift’s I could have taken a great picture there too. (“She’s not home today,”
our driver/guide informed us. “When she’s home, there are security guards pacing
up and down the fenceline.”) He was able to tell us if most of the stars were
home or not, as he was also aware of what they (and their partners) drive.
Again, I’m not going to do anything with that information, but not sure if it should really be out there for the less stable members of the general population. We also saw the homes of Dierks Bentley, Charles Kelley from Lady Antebellum, Trisha Yearwood (though she and Garth reside in Oklahoma most of the time), and various other celebs.
my window. Did I make that sound dramatic enough? Actually, the truck barely clipped the
bus but scraped off a chunk of bumper and it required a call to police and us
waiting for another bus. Turned out it was a 17 year old boy who just got his
permanent licence. His mom came to check things out, followed by his dad who,
in a very classy gesture, boarded the bus and said “Well, since my son’s the
reason you’re sitting here, I figured I’d hop on and share some more
information with you!” He proceeded to share some tidbits about celeb homes in
Nashville, including the fact that Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen had just purchased
the house behind his, as she is pursuing a songwriting career. When one (bold, or perhaps just desperate) woman
requested, he even took a small group back to his home to use the facilities!
back with warm, gooey, delicious just-out-of-the-oven homemade cookies. If that kind mother ever happens to read this, I
totally want that recipe. And I think you and your husband handled this
situation in an admirable way (when you could have said “That’s what you get for snooping around residential areas!”), which certainly solidified the positive
reputation of the city with a bus full of tourists.
So, sure, we wasted some time waiting for a replacement bus to come and return us downtown, but it made for a good story, right?
since the first weekend of August is Tennessee’s no tax weekend (also their back-to-school weekend,
believe it or not!)
found myself a pair of cowboy boots. I had looked
downtown (there are several boot shops) but either the selections were too pricey (I wasn’t paying $300 for boots, and some ran as
high as $1000) and my other problem — be ready to sympathize here — is crazy skinny ankles. Yes, I know it is a blessing not to struggle with weight issues, but when you put skeleton legs in size ten boots with wide tops,
it’s hard not too look like a kid playing dress up. At “50 East Shoes” at Opry Mills Mall, a helpful saleslady told me to go with Dan Post boots, as they are designed with narrower tops — and I found my ideal pair. (Look for them in the Grand Ole Opry picture below, since I wore them right out of the store!) Now, perhaps I could have found the same pair at a local store back home, but I like being able to say my boots came from Nashville. (Note to self: I think we need to have a cowboy/girl themed day for Spirit Week at school this year…)
interests but also where we were, since it was a rehearsal studio.
My advice would be that if you are a fan of very old country, or don’t mind some “new” (to you) faces, then by all means book tickets in advance and enjoy. However, if you’re hoping to see a current star, you really might want to play it by ear as much as your plans will allow, though you should also keep in mind that each artist only performs a couple of songs, so it’s not like attending an actual concert. I also wish I had booked a daytime tour of the Opry in advance, since when we arrived that afternoon we were told that the rest of the tours for the day were all booked up. (That’s what I get for trying to fly by the seat of my pants for once!)
And don’t get me wrong, the show was excellent, if that’s the sort of thing you’re looking for. It still really is a radio broadcast, so there’s an “On Air” sign, with an announcer who reads very old-fashioned messages from the show’s sponsors…it felt like a bit of a time warp!
Speaking of time…ours in Nashville was quickly winding down…stay tuned for the final installment:
Nashville Day 4: Ryman Auditorium, Waterfront and General Tourist Tips
Dierks Bentley is gearing up for his eighth annual Miles & Music for Kids celebrity motorcycle ride and concert, taking place Sunday, November 3rd in Nashville.