Honky Tonk Express

Spent a good portion of the morning lounging around and figuring out what we wanted to do, so we didn't get downtown until mid-afternoon. We decided to take the Gray Line Discover Nashville tour, a 3.5 hr small bus tour of the city. The tour began a little late, as we spent an hour picking up fellow tourists at their hotels and there was some unnecessary confusion at one hotel, but we were on our way then, driving into the heart of Nashville. We cruised along 2nd St and Broadway, the center of entertainment and made our first stop at the Ryman Auditorium. We toured the Ryman, originally a church, which served as the Grand Ole Opry from 1943-1974. We boarded the bus again and headed past the Tennessee State Capitol, down to Bicentennial Park, saw Vanderbilt University, the Parthenon and then up Music Row and over to the Country Music Hall of Fame for a tour of the museum. We were a little rushed at the Country Music Hall of Fame; wish we would have had a little more time to see everything. After the Country Music Hall of Fame we headed over to Legends Bar for a little live country music and a refreshing drink. This concluded our tour and we were delivered back to our campground to grab a quick dinner and get ready for the show at the Grand Ole Opry. The Grand Ole Opry was an impressive show. It consisted of four parts; each hosted by a different host and about 12 different music acts. It was a real experience, enjoyed by all.