Okay, friends…I need your help. Everyone sings the praises of Nashville. Tracy and I yearned for the “I LOVE this place vibe,” but we came up short. We know Nashville boasts being “Music City USA”, so maybe loving all things music is the key. But, seriously, we need you to share how you’ve found its exquisite charm. We could not find it.
Let’s back up a bit…Tracy and I decided on Day One of our trip, we would drive to Nashville. We started the morning around 8:30 in Lee’s Summit, Missouri purchasing food for the trip. We bought turkey, cheese, mayonnaise, apples, chips, bread, and a few drinks to keep us hydrated.
Our leaving couldn’t have gone better. Cars seemed sparse on the road, so our smooth drive took away our stress. We even enjoyed our comfy seats and roomy ride. It was great.
Predicting this would be the case, Tracy and I decided an overnight in Nashville was doable, so we booked our hotel prior to departure. KC to Nashville would take about 8 hours. Then we’d eat, sleep, and spend Day 2 in Nashville. Perfect plan, right?
We stayed at a Holiday Inn Express just outside Nashville with plenty of food options. We chose the cleanest and prettiest Chinese restaurant around. The delightful food did a number on Tracy’s digestive tract, but we both enjoyed the atmosphere.
After dining we saw a Christmas light display. We drove by it and enjoyed the different joyful expressions of the season then turned toward “home” for the night.
The next morning, Sunday, we awoke and began our Nashville adventure. I read the Liberty Bell replica was near the Capitol building, so we started that way. Yes, Dambo trolls and Liberty Bell replicas seem to be my thing lately. Oh, my…I’m a mess!
The first thing we noticed in downtown were people decked out in Titans and Saints gear heading to the Nissan Stadium for their 12:00 game. With a downtown stadium, we had questions about parking. We circled the Capitol parking and found an officer.
Obviously irritated by people, he wound down his window and said, “If you are asking about parking, I have no idea.” I told him we were unconcerned about the football game but wanted to know if it’d be okay to park in the empty Capitol parking lot while we toured the grounds. He replied in his most unhelpful way, “That’s owned by the state. I have no idea.” Now, friends, I understand he didn’t want to help us. I’m sure he didn’t enjoy multiple people asking about parking. But…as a man of the people AND an officer of the city, I do not believe he was unaware of the rules regarding parking. Be that as it may, we thanked him and moved on.
As rule followers we kept driving until we found street parking across from a church. The church’s security man seemed to be watching all the cars, and we felt this spot would fit our needs perfectly. We hid the items visible in our car (put a blanket on our basket of food to make it look like dirty laundry) then hiked up the hill to the Capitol building.
The complex had both the Senate and House of Representatives buildings surrounding the main Capitol. In addition, statues, monuments, old relics, a burial site, and the Liberty Bell adorned the grounds.
Before we look at the bell, I have a quiz. Question 1: How many former presidents have come from Tennessee? Question 2: Can you name them?
Sorry for the tricky questions as no US president was born in Tennessee. However, three US presidents spent the majority of their adult lives there. In fact, they all were buried in Tennessee. They include: Andrew Jackson, James K. Polk, and Andrew Johnson.
On the east side of the Capitol building and looking toward the Cumberland River, monuments to the presidents (and the remains of Polk and his wife) sit. We also found a time capsule from the Freemasons of Tennessee (opening set for 2027) and the Liberty Bell.
This Liberty Bell, like the ones found in Augusta, Maine and Independence, Missouri, is part of a larger event. In 1950, the US Treasury had these bells cast in France to be an exact replica of the original bell residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The bells helped states sell bonds, which in turn, helped fund reconstruction after World War II. I’ve explained it with more detail in my Augusta post, but for now you just need to know I’m collecting visits to all available bells.
After a leisurely stroll to each statue and monument, we returned to our car. Each piece of history amazed us and spurred some great conversations. Tennessee history is rich.
We ended our self-guided tour at the original relics from the Capitol building and were ready for more. Tracy offered Music Row as our next stop, so off we went.
The area was easy to find, but beside “The Naked Statue” (formally known as Musica) and a sculpture of Owen Bradley, everything else seemed to be buildings. Famous people still work in those studios and we watched a large group file into the RCA building for a tour, so, music aficionados, this tour might put some grooves in your moves.
I do want to mention a website I found called Nashville Sites. This site provides free walking tours of Nashville. I found humor in the Music Row tour, and I think this resource could add to your experience. The offered tours provide more information than you’ll likely remember, and I’d give them a try. Maybe then you’ll return to this blog entry and let me know everything you’ve found in vibing Nashville, Tennessee.
Reba Roams the World 
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