The Glebe in the USA 2013 - Nashville - Part 2

It's my second full day in Nashville and today I'm heading for Music Valley and Opryland.

After my car trips yesterday I'm now fully confident of my driving. It's a pleasure compared to the mad rush on Britain's roads. So it's up the Gallatin Pike and down the Briley Parkway where I find Music Valley. I'll have a wander around here before movin' on. 

Fiddler's Inn

Cooters

Remember the Dukes of Hazzard ?

I'm not sure if that's the original General Lee though, the website says 'a General Lee'.

The Nashville Palace

Now under the ownership of Jesse Lee Jones owner/operator of Robert’s Western World honky tonk in downtown Nashville

Willie's Store

I spent some time and dollars in here. Never saw the great man, I think he was "On the road again", but I did talk to one of his musicians.

Caney Fork

I was almost tempted by their Cajun Gator Sliders 

Interesting characters on the roof.

I'm now moving on to Opryland where my first stop is the unbelievably extra large Marriot hotel, the
Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center

 I walked round much of the outside, it's really a car drive !

 The front entrance

Reminds me of the staircase in Tara in 'Gone with the Wind'

Completed in four phases over a twenty-year period, this is the largest non-gambling hotel and convention complex in the USA.

 I was able to get lots of pictures without people in them, but they were about.

 Everything about the place reeks of quality, at roughly £100 a night it's probably great value. Actually you can get a better deal. I just checked, one room for a couple for seven nights in February 2014 for £1133.

 This particular carpet wont have been affected, but the hotel was closed back in May 2010. It sits along the Cumberland River, which broke its banks, flooding the city and causing more than a billion dollars of damage. Like Newton Stewart's once every fifty years flood this was so severe it's forecast to happen only once every thousand years. At the time, the hotel was closed indefinitely.

Here's a symmetrical collage. A corner mural, shopping and nightlife area, the complex's own radio station and the chefs. Spot the 'visitor'.

The Atriums and Gardens of Opryland encompass nine lush acres of indoor gardens separated into three areas known as the Cascades, the Delta and the Garden Conservatory.

 The complex has it's own river where you can take a flat boat cruise through the complex. If you fancy it you can dine with Shrek !

It has an amazing interior eco-system. Lot's of colour,water and waterfalls, plants and trees.
 

And you can book a room overlooking the gardens.

These are the arrival and departure desks.

As I wandered around I talked to quite a few members of staff and all were very helpful in answering my questions. However, I've been looking at comments on TripAdvisor and it seems not all is well with it's service. People are certainly impressed with the layout, but overbooking, overcharging, poor service and conventions ruin it for many. I guess I won't be booking until I'm a part owner then !

I'm moving along to the Grand Ole Opry itself now.

The Grand Ole Opry started as the WSM Barn Dance in the new fifth-floor radio studio of the National Life and Accident Insurance Company in downtown Nashville on November 28, 1925.

On December 10, 1927 it became the 'Grand Ole Opry'. After moving around various venues it found a permanent home in 1943 at the Ryman Auditorium.

 In 1974 it moved to this site I'm at now, but only the gift shop will be open, the Opry moves back to the Ryman, November to February.

A young lady from Boston Massachusetts took my picture in return for me taking hers.

It's a shame I couldn't look in, but I'll make up for that later in the week at the Ryman Auditorium.

I also spent a few more dollars in the gift shop.

From the gift shop I headed over for a look in Dave and Busters, a very large complex of Restaurants, Bars, Arcades, Bowling and Pool. I didn't stay long. 

I moved on to the Opry Mills Mall, there's a few pictures from there on my earlier 'in situ' posts.

To complete my visit to this part of Nashville, I had some Chinese Cajun chicken in the food court.

It's been an entertaining day so far. I'm off to the graveyard next, or to be more accurate I'll be visiting the Woodlawn-Roesch-Patton Funeral Home & Memorial Park

See y'all agin soon!