September 5 – 16
From Cincinnati we journey on to Nashville, TN. We stopped here on our trip last summer and enjoyed our visit so much that we decided to add it to our itinerary this year. Our campground of choice is the Nashville KOA. Among the amenities are a nice pool and hot tub area, a concierge who can arrange tours, tickets, and transportation, and a downtown shuttle. We especially like the deluxe patio sites with large patios, upgraded patio furniture and specialty fire pits. The campground is conveniently located near the Grand Ole Opry, Opry Mills Mall, and the Gaylord Opryland Hotel complex.
Unlike many of our other destinations we have no set plans other than a Lady Antebellum Concert for Saturday night. We toured several of the iconic landmarks when we were last here – downtown Nashville and lower Broadway, Country Music Hall of Fame and Studio B, Ryman Auditorium, Hermitage and others. After checking the Grand Ole Opry schedule we buy tickets for the Friday night show which includes Charles Esten (Deacon on the TV show Nashville) and Tanya Tucker.
Saturday evening we drive into town, park at the Nissan stadium, and ride the shuttle to the Bridgestone Arena for the Lady Antebellum “You Look Good Tour” with Brett Young and Kelsea Ballerini. Although the view from our seats is partially blocked by cameras and sound equipment the performances are awesome and we thoroughly enjoy the concert.
Over the weekend we spend a great deal of time watching the weather as there’s a storm in the Atlantic named Irma which has already devastated portions of the Caribbean and is now lashing out at Florida. We are scheduled to leave Nashville Tuesday morning and go on to Greenville, SC for a few days but decide to cancel. The question is now whether to extend our stay in Nashville or try and skirt the storm by heading south and west. When we check with the campground office we discover that our campsite is available for the next two days. Decision made – we stay put.
Since we have more time in Nashville why not enjoy some more musical performances? The lineup at the Grand Ole Opry for both Tuesday and Wednesday nights looks enticing so we secure tickets through the concierge for both nights. Tuesday night turns out to be a very special night as a segment for the Hand in Hand 2017 Telethon is broadcast live from the Opry. The segment is hosted by Blake Shelton and Reese Witherspoon with guests Nicole Kidman and Usher. After the telethon Blake Shelton, Jon Pardi, Trace Atkins, and others perform to a full house.
Wednesday night’s Opry lineup includes Clare Bowen (Scarlett on the TV show Nashville), Charles Esten, Randy Owen, and Luke Bryan.
Obviously, we’ve enjoyed our extra time here but once again we’re faced with the dilemma of “should we go or should we stay”. Hurricane Irma has worked her way across Florida and is currently around Atlanta. It looks like she’s headed toward western Tennessee. We know that our area of Florida is without power and that the traffic on I-75 is very heavy. The ladies in the campground office are able to figure out a way for us to stay for two more days but we must change campsites. Again, decision made – we’re staying in Nashville. Our original itinerary puts us in Myrtle Beach for the week of September 17 but we decide to cancel and plan to head home when we can from here. Although rainy, cool, and a bit breezy, the weather here during the storm is not as bad as we expected.
On Thursday morning we move to our new campsite (no more deluxe patio – bummer) and settle in. We receive word that our house is intact but power is still out. As the effects from Irma diminish here, the sun begins to shine, and the temperature and humidity begin to climb. So where does one go when it becomes uncomfortable outside? One of my favorite places – the mall. Yes, Bill is forced to go shopping with me.
For our last night in Nashville we talk about having dinner downtown but it’s Friday which means lower Broadway will be packed and dinner reservations hard to find. Consequently we go to a nearby Chuy’s instead – not quite what we had in New Mexico but good nonetheless.
Saturday morning we pack up and head out. Our goal is to overnight near Cordele, GA and reach home sometime Sunday afternoon. Stay tuned for the conclusion to our adventure.
