Goin’ South – Part 4 – Nashville

Continuing our southern travels, we made it into Nashville to meet up with Bruce and Julia. We were all staying in the same hotel and Bruce and Julia arrived before we did. We met them in the hotel, got settled in, and then off we went to explore Nashville. Nashville is the country music capitol of the world. It’s nicknamed “Music City”.

Guitars of all shapes, sizes and kinds are found all over Nashville. I just love this picture. It really speaks volumes to me.

Exploring Nashville with Bruce and Julia.

We walked all around and took in as many of the sights as we could. There are plenty of things to see and do in Nashville too. It can be a bit overwhelming if you let it. Just take it all in stride and take in as much as you can. There is always next time to see and do the things you missed.

We saw our first WAGU car, or driverless car.

Lots of street art.

Larry even found a hockey statue to pose with.

Beautiful flowers

The Country Music Hall of Fame. We didn’t have time to go inside, so we just saw it from the outside. One day I would love to pay it a visit though.

And of course, there was the famous Broadway Strip, where all the action takes place and the music comes to life. Anybody is who is anyone has a place on the strip.

We went into the Jon Bon Jovi Restaurant & Grill to have a look around. Who doesn’t love Jon Bon Jovi?! 🙂

This guitar montage really spoke to me as well.

Elvis is still alive in Nashville.

I love the Man in Black, so going to the Johnny Cash Museum was a priority for me. The museum did a good job and had a very nice presentation. Julia and I were having fun swooning over a young “strappin'” Johnny Cash too.

Johnny through the ages.

Johnny Cash was a very prolific music man.

I love just about everything Johnny Cash did, but his “Ragged Old Flag” is one of my favorites.

“Ragged Old Flag”

I walked through a county courthouse square
On a park bench, an old man was sittin’ there.
I said, “Your old court house is kinda run down,
He said, “Naw, it’ll do for our little town”.
I said, “Your old flag pole is leaned a little bit,
And that’s a ragged old flag you got hangin’ on it”.
He said, “Have a seat”, and I sat down,
“Is this the first time you’ve been to our little town”
I said, “I think it is”
He said “I don’t like to brag, but we’re kinda proud of
That Ragged Old Flag

“You see, we got a little hole in that flag there,
When Washington took it across the Delaware.
and It got powder burned the night Francis Scott Key sat watching it,
writing “Say Can You See”
It got a rip in New Orleans, with Packingham & Jackson
tugging at its seams.
and It almost fell at the Alamo
beside the Texas flag,
But she waved on though.
She got cut with a sword at Chancellorsville,
And she got cut again at Shiloh Hill.
There was Robert E. Lee and Beauregard and Bragg,
And the south wind blew hard on
That Ragged Old Flag

“On Flanders Field in World War I,
She got a big hole from a Bertha Gun,
She turned blood red in World War II
She hung limp, and low, a time or two, She was in Korea, Vietnam, She went where she was sent
by her Uncle Sam.
She waved from our ships upon the briny foam
and now they’ve about quit wavin’ back here at home
in her own good land here She’s been abused,
She’s been burned, dishonored, denied an’ refused,
And the government for which she stands
Has been scandalized throughout out the land.
And she’s getting thread bare, and she’s wearin’ thin,
But she’s in good shape, for the shape she’s in.
Cause she’s been through the fire before
and I believe she can take a whole lot more.

“So we raise her up every morning
And we bring her down slow every night,
We don’t let her touch the ground,
And we fold her up right.
On second thought
I do like to brag
Cause I’m mighty proud of
That Ragged Old Flag”.

After visiting The Johnny Cash Museum, we had all worked up an appetite and decided to find a place for dinner, but I will go more into that later. After dinner, we strolled along the river banks of Nashville, taking in even more of the town they call Music City. We even popped into a couple of the “Honky Tonks” to listen to a few tunes.

After a long day and a lot of walking around, we decided it was time to head back to the hotel. We had another very full day ahead again the next day. We all gathered in our hotel room and visited over a lot of laughs for the rest of the evening. 🙂

Have a great day and make everyday great. Everyday will always be better when spent with good friends. Life is short. Live life to the fullest and enjoy the ride. ‘Til next time.