Touring around Nashville

      Sunday we departed Syracuse returning to pick up Big Red in College Park, MD.  MAE didn't seem too disappointed in us leaving.  As a matter of fact, as we pulled out, she was already sitting on a party bus heading for Buffalo and Bills football game!  She has made new friends in Syracuse and none of them like to spend too much time sitting around!
      Big Red survived our away time just fine, and Monday morning we headed across Virginia toward Nashville.  We traveled about 5 hours on Monday and spent the night at the Fort Chiswell RV Campground.  It's a nice RV park located right off of I-81, so it is quite convenient for over nighters like us.  And to make it even more inviting, there's a Pilot truck stop with a Denny's restaurant there also.  Tuesday morning found us filling our tank at the diesel pump, and our stomach at Denny's breakfast.  And you can't forget the 15% AARP discount now can we???  Continuing west on I-81 and I-40, by afternoon, we were nestled into the Two Rivers Campground about a mile from the Grand ole Opry.  We stayed there mainly because we were there back in May attending the FORBO Convention.  The sites have a crushed stone bed and are pretty much level, but the roads are not paved, and after a few days of rain, they were starting to get a little muddy.  This time of year there was no problem getting a 50 amp site, but I remember back in May, there were none available.  And right next door, there was a gigantic blinking Christmas light display.  It was quite impressive to sit and watch out our window, but it got even better after we found out there was music!  As we were pulling in, an Airstream trailer from Ontario pulled in across the way.   It wasn't long before I was over visiting our friendly neighbor to the north.  The following day he advised me that their was music accompanying the blinking lights, being broadcast on 101.5 on the FM dial.  Now we had a light show.......for free!  The price to drive through the blinking lights was $25, and cars were lining up at dusk to drive through.  People are amazing!

     On Wednesday we headed over to beautiful downtown Nashville to try and get a tour of the Ryman Auditorium.  The Ryman actually started out as the Union Gospel Tabernacle, built by Capt. Thomas Ryman, after attending a revival by famed evangelist Sam Jones.  Seven years and $100,000 later, in 1892, the Tabernacle was completed.  It was renamed Ryman Auditorium upon Capt. Ryman's death in 1904.   In 1943, the Grand Ole Opry arrived, remaining there until 1974.  After the Opry departed in 1974, there was talk of razing the building, but after a huge public outcry, the Ryman reopened in 1994 after a major renovation.  In 2001, the Ryman was named a National Historic Landmark.

Tuesday afternoon, during our tour, the seats were empty, but Tuesday night, the place was rockin' with Vince Gill and Amy Grant putting on their Christmas Special.  Score 1 for the "old guys" from Mooers.

     We toured around the streets of downtown and stopped in for a cool one in one of the numerous bars downtown.  Seems like that's all there was down there....except for the boot stores.  They were practically giving cowboy boots away....buy 1 - get 2 free!  But this was the best Debbie could come up with!

       Now, Friday was a special day.  Last year we discovered a country music duo on RFD-TV named Joey and Rory.  We both enjoyed their music and their once a week TV show from Pottsville, TN.  Part of the show is a cooking segment from Marcy-Jo's.  Now Marcy Jo is the sister-in-law of Joey, who is the female side of the duo.  Rory is the guy.......confused yet?  Anyway, last year we decided to visit Pottsville, TN and have lunch at Marcy-Jo's....and on Friday we headed down there. And Joey and her new baby, Indiana, were visiting the cafe when we got there.  Can you believe it! Being the bashful duo from Mooers, we didn't bother her, but it was pretty neat seeing her in person.

The food was great, even though the place looked like it was going to fall down at any minute.  If you didn't know it was there, you'd never stop, but there were several other couples like us who watch them every week on RFD-TV, and just wanted to go there.  
      On the way back, we ran across the Carnton Plantation commemorating the Battle of Franklin, TN.  Most people had never heard of the Battle of Franklin, but what took our eye was a plaque indicating a Confederate graveyard.  In our travels we had never seen one as the Confederates were considered traitors and were buried in mass graves at most battle sites up north.  We had an unusual tour guide named Austin who had his history down to a tee.  And he was very enthusiastic about telling us the story of the battle. I guess enthusiastic is being kind.....he was more like a nut.  But again, he knew his history.  (He is also a certified lifeguard.)  But I digress......

In November 1864, the Union and Confederate armies were both moving on Nashville.  If the Confederates got their first, they thought they would be able to secure a Southern Nation separate from the Union at the end of the war.  The Union could end the war and hold the country together by securing Nashville.   On November 30, 1864,  Federal forces positioned themselves on the southern edge of Franklin, a small community of 750 people.  At 4 PM, the Confederate Army launched a massive frontal assault on the Union forces.  The Confederate Army encountered massive canon fire as they tried to sweep across the fields near this plantation.  Five hours later, there were 2000 dead and 6500 wounded and 1000 missing.  This building became a field hospital for the Confederates and soon 4 Confederate Generals lay dead on the back porch.  Blood stains still soak the upstairs floors where the operating tables were located.

 In 1866, John McGavock, the owner of the property, donated 2 acres and created the Confederate Cemetery where 1481 men, killed in the Battle of Franklin were laid to rest.  All the property now belongs to the Battle of Franklin Trust and is supported completely by donations.
     Returning to Nashville, we drove through the current Grand Ole Opry grounds and enjoyed a beautiful Nativity scene on their front lawn.  All the statues are life sized and everywhere is bathed in white lights.  The massive white tree out front is surrounded by colorful light depicting poinsettias.  It was incredible to view, and I only wished I had taken some pictures that captured the scene.

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