Nashville, the Mississippi and New Orleans

 It's been a while, but we are off again.  This time for a couple of weeks exploring Tennessee, the Mississippi and New Orleans.  Nashville is totally new to us, though we have visited New Orleans many times.   

Nashville has an aura unique to itself.  We had dinner at Martin's BBQ near our hotel, the Hyatt Place, pleasant and close to the action.  The meal was fun, in part because of the company with friends Jane and Peter, with whom we have traveled many times.  But the BBQ, disappointing.  We found it dry.  But the atmosphere of loud music, and kitschy decoration made up for it.  John had a pulled pork platter and a local IPA, Ben enjoyed a beef bristet sandwich.  Jane and Peter had huge plates of ribs, which we all shared. The sign of course indicates the average age of the participants!

From there we talked about going to the hotel for a listen to a local singer in the bar, but John, Jane and Ben decided they wanted to see Broadway.  Let's say the lights on Broadway in Nashville are brilliant.  We watched hustlers sellling hot dogs, we walked down the street, crowded with country-music style dressers.  Although the temperature was a mild 50F/10C, the birds were out in their miniskirts and boots, many quite fully chested with deep cleavages.  We encountered one group, probablty sororitiy sisters at the Bon Jovi Bar, practicing their dance routine with the help of the disc jockey.  The old Grand Ol Opry theater, the Ryman Theater, is in the background (the Opry no longer performs there.  Seeing that is tonight's experience, February 28.)  

 

Today we join old friends for a tour of Nashville.  Marty is a chum of Ben's from college, and his wife Corabel is a writer.  Marty is an architect.  We expect a lot of the local scene.