G.O.O., Here we come!

We started our day today, Tuesday, bright and early trying to find the G.O.O. (Grand Ole Opry) entrance. We THOUGHT we had succeeded in finding the entrance, (no sign), and talked with about 6 other "early birds" who also THOUGHT they were in the right place for a tour of the Grand Ole Opry. Close to the 10 o'clock tour starting time the waiting group numbered about 25, and finally a young tour guide came out to put up the entrance-for-tour sign...<g>.  The hour-long tour was very interesting. It included short video clips, a tour of the building including star mailboxes, dressing rooms, the studio where "Hee-Haw" was filmed, back stage, star artifacts, etc. The highlight of the tour was the chance to go on stage and stand on the famous wooden circle, which was brought from the Ryman stage. (A photographer would take your picture on the famous circle on stage which you could purchase, if you wished.) I opted to use my personal photographer, (Ladd), and save some fixed-income retirement money. At the end we learned that this was the very first tour our young tour guide had given. You never would have guessed it with her poise and presentation. I'm glad our large group was a polite group. It was an informational, interesting, and fun tour.

Then Ladd and I started our own walking tour in downtown Nashville. There are many interesting historical sites, cool shops, varied restaurants, and funky "hot spots". The fact that we are really out of shape was verified as we walked up and up the steep Nashville streets. (Notice I didn't say the down part...they were easy - ha!) We had intended to next visit the Country Music Hall of Fame and have lunch there, however, they are closed on Tuesdays. We were disappointed, but where we ended up for lunch soon had us feeling happy again. We went to "Puckett's" on 5th Street and Church Street. There was a short line, but we were seated within minutes. The restaurant was FULL and it seemed the largest portion of the patrons were local business people: a good sign for a restaurant. Ladd and I both had one of the selections "Plunkett's" is noted for: BBQ pulled pork with corn bread, sweet-potato fries, and onion rings. Yum! Our waitress was very friendly, as was all of the wait staff. "Pluckett's" was both a great lunch and a fun place.

We then headed to the Ryman Auditorium and opted to do the self-guided tour. We learned the history of the Ryman, about Thomas G. Ryman, the start of the Grand Ole Opry there, learned from many interesting exhibits about such stars as Tex Ritter, Johnny and June Cash, Minnie Pearl, etc. You can use your mobile phone to listen to personal accounts of Ryman's past recorded by John Carter Cash, Garrison Kiellor, and others. We also got to watch the "roadies" and engineers setting up for the performance at the Ryman tonight of  Scotty McCreery.