The Sights and Sounds of Nashville

Ah, Nashville, city of music where people come to find fame, fortune and construction jobs. Don’t get us started on how difficult it is to maneuver an RV down the narrow streets and under those impassable railroad trestles. We headed for the Nashville Farmers Market and the Bicentennial Park where parking abounds and the free city bus stops frequently.

It’s always good to thank the farmer that grows good organic food and we weren’t disappointed in the offerings of fall root crops and cruciferous veggies. And lots of mushrooms!  Nashville hosts a year-round market in a huge barnlike structure that also includes a food court and flea market. Since we’ve been sorely missing our Bakery San Juan pizza we headed straight for the wood-fired pulled pork with apple butter and arugula pizza place…yum!  Then we went outside and rented a pair of bicycles and circled the impressive Bicentennial Park. The history of Tennessee in quotes and happenings is captured on a shining black granite wall and makes for tricky maneuvering if you’re trying to read it from a bike. There’s also an interesting WWII memorial which consists of a large rotating onyx globe suspended in a fountain.

 

Then we stowed our stuff and hopped on the free bus and headed to the downtown honkytonks and country music scene. Nashville is the only place where we haven’t found ourselves nearly alone! Crowds of people moved along the sidewalk and walked through the Country Music Hall of Fame. It was fun to get caught up in the excitement. Here are pictures of one of the many pedal-powered taverns on the Nashville streets, and a few pictures from the overwhelming Country Music Hall of Fame Museum. 

Dixie Chicks Safety Pin Outfits

The Roots of Country Western Music

Nashvillians seem to be proud of their commitment to sustainability. For the first time in ten states there was recycling available in our RV campground, and the huge new performing arts complex downtown sported its green features in a huge banner. What also struck us was the multi-culturality of the farmers market and the city in general and the predominate whiteness of the country music scene. Obviously everyone benefits from the draw of the music, but we were hard pressed to find a face of color, or more than a few outstanding women for that matter, in the Hall of Fame.