Music in the streets

Nashville, TN – A misty, fresh-washed morning greeted us today with a clear, peach-coloured sky and not a trace of rain.  While Val went for his shower, I strolled over to the office to find out about things to see in Nashville.  I was introduced to Peter, the GrayLine bus tour representative, at his little desk.  I guess bus tour organizers don’t have a lot to do on a Tuesday in early January, because he nearly fell over himself with delight at having a customer to serve.  It was a bit of a challenge for him, because we had hit the high points on our last visit in 2011, but he had some good suggestions.

For today, we decided to drive downtown and stroll along Broadway Street, where we could stop in at the restaurants and bars that offer live musicians throughout the day.  It was a bit early for lunch, so we headed north toward the State Capitol building, and went inside to see about a guided tour.  Crowds of men and women in business suits were flowing through the doors as the guard checked our ID, greeting each other like it was the first day of school, so as we waited with them to catch the elevator up to the main floor, we asked a woman next to us what was happening.

She told us it was the opening day of the legislature, and she was an aide for Dr. Joe DiPietro, the president of the University of Tennessee, who was standing next to her.  She graciously introduced us, and he told us he was there to find out about funding for his institution.  We felt a bit like party crashers in our casual clothes but no one gave us any sense that we were not welcome.  It was kind of exciting to see state representatives in their finery, all set to start a new year. 

The building itself was quite grand, with paintings of previous governors on the walls, and sculptures of President Andrew Jackson and President James Polk set into niches near the large marble staircases.  We learned that slaves and convicts quarried, shaped and transported the limestone blocks that went into the building’s construction in 1845.

Just a block or so from the capitol building was the Tennessee Museum – and admission was free!  So we spent an interesting hour looking at artifacts from prehistoric times through to pioneer days and the antebellum era.  There were exhibits about US territorial expansion, Davy Crockett, and early lifestyles.

Music was spilling out of the restaurants back on Broadway when we got back, and we stopped at Rippey’s BBQ restaurant for a pulled pork sandwich.  A girl band was just packing up on the small stage when we got there, and another started to set up while we ate.  By the time we finished, they were just starting up, but we were not inclined to linger for too long.  Not every performing group skyrockets to the top from their first gig!

Back at the Nashville KOA, one of us made use of the laundry facilities and the other opted for a siesta, followed by a map-and-computer session to figure out the next couple of waypoints on our journey. With brochures, guidebooks and the internet, it’s not hard to assemble all the information we need!