Middle Tennessee is a Mecca for music, the home of Gaylord Opryland, and one of this country’s great self-contained destinations. That’s a given. But there’s more—much more—to Nashville than just Opryland.
Here are some of the region’s other top draws:
If it’s history you’re after, makes a pilgrimage to Ryman Auditorium, the original home of the Grand Ole Opry. Legends performed on its stage, and did so for more than a century. Listen closely. Hank Williams played here, Johnny Cash too. Hear the rafters reverberate with the applause of audiences long gone. For just a moment, suspend disbelief and drink in those times. Snap out of the reverie and record a classic of your own at the Ryman Recording Booth, the self-proclaimed “Mother Church of Country Music.”
Get your honky-tonk on and head for the Wildhorse Saloon, a larger-than-life music venue with a massive dance floor. The food here flat-out refuses to play second fiddle to the music.
Revel in fast fiberglass cars, and rev up your life with a trip up to Bowling Green, KY. The drive, depending on traffic, takes about an hour-and-a-half on Interstate 65. As you get nearer Bowling Green you might notice a few more Corvettes than usual. That’s because they’re headed for their Mother Ship, the National Corvette Museum. Lose yourself in realistic driving simulators. See more than 70 models of this classic American sports car. Immerse yourself in the interactive pit crew challenge. If you’ve got a vroom, vroom gene imbedded deep in your very soul, this is the place to give it vent. Reality sets in when you go back to the parking lot and putter off in your everyday pair of wheels.
Access to Nashville is easy. Music City is a major focus city for discount airline Southwest.
Story by Jerry Chandler
(Image: TenSafeFrogs)
