HONKY TONK HIGHWAY

Singing its praises

Janet has convinced me to go on little tours whenever we get to a new place, just to get the lay of the land. Sometimes they’re hokey and not very informative other times they are just a lot of fun. Charleston’s carriage ride has us joking with the driver and asking him about the best dive bars in that historic town. San Antonio’s carriage had us wincing a bit at the lack of details. The driver a self-proclaimed Jewish Cowboy from NYC would inform us that the bridge we were riding over was made of metal. The Duck boat ride in Liverpool was eye rolling and hilarious and it took us through areas of the city we would not have seen. The tour bus we took around York was a great way to see the city, especially because it was raining and we had a young child with us.

Here in Nashville we had only a vague idea of what was to be found in the Music City.  Yes, it’s the country music capitol, but we really knew nothing about where things were or even the historical aspects of this city. So we went on an Old Town Trolley Tour bus to get our bearings. My daughter was working so we were on our own.

 

TOOTSIE'S ORCHID LOUNGE

We took a Lyft into town because we figured we’d be lingering and drinking and hooting and hollering on the Honky Tonk Highway afterwards. That’s what the four block stretch of lower Broadway is called in Nashville. Starting at the river, Broadway is lined on both sides with bars offering live music all day. Best of all it’s all free. From 10 am until 3 am aspiring and established musicians get up on these little stages and play their hearts out for the contents of a tip jar. When he arrived at the Old Town Trolley Stop on a Tuesday morning the Honky Tonk Highway was already in full swing.

THE HONKY TONK HIGHWAY

But before we could go carousing along Broadway we had to take our tour, which is a good thing because we have to learn to pace ourselves. At first the tour bus chugged us through this historic downtown area, the guide pointing out different establishments like the George Jones museum, the Johnny Cash museum, Ryman Hall, and Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge. It weaved back and forth along the streets clogged with traffic and construction equipment. Every time he would mention a place or a performer he would launch a little sound bite video on screens at the front of the bus. He cracked some really great bad jokes which had Janet waving a menacing finger at me lest I’d remember them for a future faux pas.

CENTENNIAL PARK NASHVILLE

But for every wise crack or song snippet he played he graced us with a sight or factoid that was fascinating and heretofore unknown. He drove us out of the downtown area through a serene Bicentennial Park (near my daughter’s place) past the capitol building and the Marathon Motor Works and told us of the history of this car company that was eventually bankrupted from competition with Henry Ford. He told us about the impact trains had throughout the history of Nashville and about the horrific train crash that occurred near here that remains the worst in U.S. history. He told us all about the humorist Minnie Pearl and drove us out to the Sarah Cannon Cancer Center (Minnie Pearl’s real name), which was remarkably near our Airbnb home, and then past the replica of the Parthenon in Athens which had been erected for the 1896 Centennial celebration. We made a mental to return to this nearby park for some strolling.

 

MINNIE PEARL

The best part of the tour was Music Row. Of course, here in the country music capitol there has to be recording studios. Well, even though it made sense; you have to record somewhere; we had no idea such an area dedicated exclusively to the music industry existed. The tour bus made a turn just past Vanderbilt University and soon entered Music Row, a long stretch of sedate looking homes that were actually recording studios. There is a historical preservation movement that owners cannot alter the outside of their buildings. Given the booming growth of Nashville this preservation movement is a necessity.

SAVING MUSIC ROW

We drove past RCA’s Studio B that has is now on the National Register of Historic Places. Erected in 1956 Studio B has had Elvis Presely Rob Oribson, the Everly Brothers, Bobby Goldsboro and Dolly Parton as a few of its many patrons.

The tour guide kept giving us tips about what where to go afterwards if we were so inclined and whether or not it would be free or for a cost. For instance he’d point out a studio that one could walk in for a quick free tour, whether they were working or not, or a visit to the Parthenon would cost a few dollars, or the rare Marathon cars you can visit for free, or the Belmont Mansion that you can just visit by walking up and knocking on the front door, or the famous tailor to the stars, Manuel, who gave Johnny Cash his distinctive Man in Black look, is still working and his shop is still open for sightseers and Elvis impersonators wanting to gussy up their inner hound dog.

MANUEL

So far I have to agree with my daughter about Nashville, that it is a friendly, reasonable and easy city.

I’m glad we’re here.