Top Five Destinations of Nashville

I mentioned Nashville earlier this week when I examined the movies of Mary-Louise Parker, and it got me thinking to my own memories of the many times I visited the city. So, before I turn to the current destinations, I harken back to my own remembrances and what I enjoyed as I passed through Music City, USA.

Riding the Wabash Cannonball

The first roller coaster I ever rode that turned me upside down was the Wabash Cannonball in Opryland. I wondered how it was doing today, and found out that Opryland closed in 1997. So it goes.

Drinking Sweet Tea at an IHOP

I took a road trip with a friend of mine to go down to southern Tennessee and on the way back, we stopped at an IHOP in Nashville. Don?t remember what I ate, but I do remember that it was the first time I had seen sweet tea on a menu for a long time. I had three big ol? glasses and felt ill for the rest of the ride home because of all of the sugar. You can?t go zero-to-sixty in one night with sweet tea.

Listening to the Cardinals and the Braves on the radio as I drove to Nashville

You might wonder why I remember a baseball game over the radio. Well, at the time my favorite Cardinals pitcher was Bob Tewksbury because he worked fast, didn?t walk anyone and generally pitched well for six years. That day, July 8, 1994 Tewksbury opposed Greg Maddux of the Braves and afterwards I still had two hours to drive with no baseball to keep me company. Looking at the detail, both pitchers pitched a complete game, neither allowed a walk and the game only lasted two hours.

Learning to play darts at a Vanderbilt University bar

I can?t say that I?m great at darts, but I?m much better than I was years ago. That?s because I stopped at this bar, on the way to spring break in Florida, and started talking to a couple of girls. We started playing darts and soon they were showing me how to improve my game. We played most of the night, and I still think of them every time I play now.

So, now that I?ve talked about my past in Nashville, it?s time to look forward to these five things that I plan to do next time I run around that town.

Eat at Prince?s Hot Chicken Shack

As soon as I heard about Prince?s Hot Chicken Shack, I was sold. I look at those four words and realize any three in that order, and possibly just two, would still sell me on the whole meal. (Or maybe a concert with the guy in purple.)

See a concert at the Grand Ole Opry

Ideally, I?d see a concert at the Grand Ole Opry for a band or performer that I like, but then again, just to see a concert there would evoke the memories of all the people that have performed there before, and that?s good enough. I just missed Darius Rucker earlier this week, but the Steep Canyon Rangers will perform in late August.

Tour the Johnny Cash Museum

Speaking of music, one of the biggest figures of the country music genre is Johnny Cash, and Nashville has the Johnny Cash Museum that just opened this year. Now I?ll be able to see how accurate ?Walk the Line? was.

The Hermitage, Home of Andrew Jackson

As a fan of presidential libraries, and the fact that our older presidents didn?t construct their own personal museums, for Andrew Jackson, I?ll have to settle for The Hermitage, Jackson?s former home. Hopefully The Hermitage ghost tours are a monthly event.

Hike around Radnor Lake State Park

I love the notes about the hiking trails of Radnor Lake State Park. No pets, joggers or bicycles? That makes hiking so much better. I can explore six different trails each under two miles long and quietly creep around so as to get better views of the wildlife there. I keep forgetting, ?creep? is only a good word in songs about Christmas.

Any suggestions for things that I missed? Any additional recommendations for the area? Just let me know in the comments.