THEY CALL ME... MEME!

Monday, May 14, 2012

Music City~

On Thursday we boarded a plane.
With six good friends.
We were headed to NASHVILLE~
MUSIC CITY

Our first stop was PUCKETTS
for their famous breakfast!
The gang...
We walked a bit of the city
and took in some sites.

The Ryman Auditorium...
Former home of the Grand Ole Opry!
Although it was not the Grand Ole Opry's 
first home, it was it's most famous
 home and it stayed at the Ryman 
for 31 years!

A look down Broadway~
If you are a country singer, song writer 
this is where you want to get your start!
Bar after bar,
there is live music coming from each doorway.
All day artists perform on
Broadway.
No cover charge~ they do not get paid,
they pass the tip jar!
Hey, our hotel is always to the RIGHT!
We stayed at the Renaissance Nashville~
It was very nice!
Corner maps help to guide you around the area!
Beautiful buildings everywhere you looked! 
Rose sculptures outside Art Gallery

We found our way to the
TWO OLD HIPPIES
shop.
Peace and Love
The owners are a couple who retired, traveled a bit and decided
they wanted to open a shop where he could
sell guitars and she could make and sell 
hippie clothes!

In the VAULT you will find acoustic treasures for sale!
Sarah would love this one!
Her favorite PEACE sign symbol
and ROSES!
Jim enjoyed the electric guitar room,
while Dennis found the Vault more to his liking!
The stores motto...
Meigan took a ride in the lovebug van!

More walking~
We think we are going to get home and have
lost weight from all the walking!!
We do some more shopping on Broadway and 
purchase some cowboy hats and boats!
Lunch time...

Dapper Dennis!
Just about every server is a singer/song writer, just waiting tables
during the day, and performing on Broadway at night 
or visa versa, since they play during the day too!
We asked our server Krissy if she was a singer
and sure enough she was...
Although she was not performing until later in the day,
she still grabbed her guitar and performed at our table!
Isn't she darling?
She played original music and her songs 
were beautiful!

We walked to the river...
We all sat down for photo and
it appears we may have lost someone!
Once we save him, we take a 
group shot!
Our anniversary couple...
Married 33 years
Jim and Kathy
Dennis and Meigan
Kathy and Gary

We find the Wild Horse Saloon 
and take some line dancing lessons!
I even manage to find myself a pony!
And my very own little diner!
Kathy likes the Honky Tonk Central~
Three floors of music!
Layla even has a marque on Broadway!
Kathy and I with our dueling cameras!
Outside the Ryman, Meigan spots Loretta Lynns rv/tourbus... 
The Coal Miners Daughter
and we wait a bit for a "sighting" but we are told it will 
be about 40 minutes before Loretta goes into the back stage door!
We have places to go
music to hear!
We hit The Stage
just in time for a Zac Brown tribute band!
A wall at the Stage
beautifully painted with some
pretty famous country artist!
We find our way to Tootsie's Orchid Lounge.
This is Jim and Kathy's favorite place in Nashville!
We find their favorite table tucked in the back
and have a seat to hear some really
excellent music!  You know you are good when you get
to play at Tootsie's!
We did some playing there too!
A view from above...
This is the table where it all happens!
We saw some pretty interesting sights on the street too!
From the lost souls performing on the corner for change
to the Pedal Tavern...
This was so funny!   It is a vehicle you RENT for bachelor, bachelorette 
or any other kind of party group!  It is powered by
you pedaling your way through town!
Take a look at this rowdy bunch!
I told them I would put them on You Tube and they were
thrilled... reminded me of a certain Hang Over movie!
They were definitely  having some fun!
Good for them!

On Saturday morning we had breakfast at Monell's~
Where you learn to PASS TO THE LEFT!
Jim and Kathy, who planned our trip,
were so great at knowing just where to go,
and what to see!
This was a great little place to visit!

Wow...
We did have an ELVIS sighting or two!!
This one is blurred because it is
very hard to photograph a ghost
after all!

Saturday night we went to Virago for sushi appetizers ~ 
most excellent!

Here are the ladies...

On separate occasions, when I have been with each one of these beauties,
we are asked if we are sisters~
Put us all together and we DO look like sisters!
I love each and every one of them!

Here are the gentlemen...

They have been good buds for a long time!

Its so fun to have good friends~
Check out the view from Virago's rooftop lounge!

*Be sure to note my beautiful leather shawl/wrap Dave gave 
 me from Two Old Hippies! *
I love it!

Happy Anniversary to 
Jim and Kathy~
It's a love affair really!
and 
Happy Birthday
to me!
I certainly hope to get back to Nashville~
It's the place to be!