Icy Visit to Music City

When we planned our U.S. trip many months ago, we thought our stop in Nashville, Tennessee would offer a slightly warmer respite from the Northeast winter.  Ha!  Our visit to the Volunteer State coincided with the coldest, iciest weather in years.  In fact, our initial flight into Nashville was cancelled because the airport closed down icy runways and ran low on de-icing fluid.  We arrived a day late to frigid wind blowing over icy walkways.  Undeterred, we set out to see the sights of the city.

Jeremy practically skating on the frozen lawn of The Parthenon

Of course, any visit to Nashville must include several stops on the country music circuit.  I went in open-minded, but not being a country-music lover, I felt like a fish out of water.  We took a tour of RCA Studio B and the guide was spouting out all these names, clearly sure we knew everyone she was talking about.  (Guide:  "I don't need to tell you about the legacy of Waylon Jennings, Chet Atkins, and Hank Snow."  Me:  "Huh?  Who?")  One of the first exhibits in the Country Music Hall of Fame was an entire hallway dedicated to Alan Jackson, another artist I'd never heard of, so I didn't care to spend much time looking at the jackets he wore at various performances.  I came away feeling that these sights were clearly targeted to the knowledgeable country music fan coming to worship at the altar, rather than the curious individual looking to learn more about an unfamiliar genre.

Jeremy inside the Country Music Hall of Fame

Another obligatory stop for us was the State Capitol building.  Since our cross-country trip in 2005, we have made a point of visiting the Capitol building of any capitol city we pass through.  I won't bore you with the full list, but we've seen the Illinois, California, and Massachusetts Capitols to name a few.  Comparatively, Tennessee's State Capitol was not as impressive as others we've seen.  Its design was very understated, topped with a humble tower rather than a grand cupola and built in earth-toned limestone with modest interior adornments.

Tennessee State Capitol

Although the cold, icy, and eventually rainy weather did its best to put a damper on our visit, we persevered to have a good time.  One side benefit of the poor weather was that we easily entered uncrowded honky tonk bars to hear several fun bands.  But, if you're planning a trip to Nashville, I think visitors would appreciate it most in milder, warmer weather that you can enjoy on foot.

Erica with the downtown Nashville skyline