Home Sweet Home...

Yes we are home and the days of fun in the sun are over.  We are happy to be home to see everyone, but are not liking this cold cold weather. Brrrrrr.....
Now we must unpack, do laudry and get groceries. I guess normal life has returned.
This is the last blog for this trip. I hope you have all enjoyed reading about our vacation.
Cheers!

Heading Home.....

Starting to head home now. We are in Kansas City and will most likely be home on Sunday or Monday. We are not looking forward to the snow, but look forward to seeing everyone again. Take care all and see you soon!
Cheers!

Nashville again.....

display in museum ...RoyRogers saddle

picture in hall of fame...to depict country music

Grand old Opry house stage

walking up to the entrance to Opry House

Inside counrty music museum

Another beautiful and eventful day in Nashville. The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum was awesome. There was so much to see in there that I am surewe missed something. The displays were well displayed with lots of information about the era of country music and the artists of that time. You could really see how country music has evolved over time and the influence of technology.  The hall of fame itself is very well done, in a circle room that says, the circle will not be broken. All the hall of fame stars are on bronzed plaques with their face and name. It was really neat to see.  The self tour of the museum  took about 2 hours and could have been even longer if you watched every video they had. We picked the ones that interested us otherwise we would have been there all day.

The afternoon was spent in music valley looking around and then to the Grand Ole Opry House out in Opryland.   This was the one built in1974 and is used in the summer months for Grand Ole Opry and in the winter is used for concerts and other events.  During the flood a couple of years ago the building was under 4 feet of water. It was restored that summer in 4 months and now looks as good as new. Amazingly even during the flood the show carried on without missing a week as they used another venue to put on the show. The backstage tour was very interesting and we were able to see dressing rooms, the green room, and stand on stage in the circle which was cut from the floor of the old opry at Ryndman theater. It was so neat to see and to stand where so many great artists have stood.   There was even a photo opt with a photographer which everyone was groaning about, but the picture of Roger and I turned our really well so we bought it. It was a fun relaxed picture of us playing a guitar and mandolin superimposed on the opry stage. A cute memento of our trip.

Tired and worn out we returned to our hotel for supper and a drink and an early bedtime.

Cheers!

HEE HAW...LOVE NASHVILLE....

Roy Acuff and Minnie Pearl

June Carter and Johnny Cash performing attire at the Opry



The stage - awesome!



Tonight I can hardly contain the excitement of the day as we are amazed at how much we are enjoying Nashville. There is so much to see and do here that you really need a week to take it all in and then you would just touch on things. This morning we took a trolley tour of Nashville that was very informative and entertaining.  We met a couple from Virden that are on their way to Florida at the tour stop and had a nice visit with them. Following the tour we went to lunch together and it was nice to talk with someone from close to home.  The tour took us to many places that we might not have gone to, so we were glad we took the time to do the tour. There is so much history here in so many ways and not just with country music. They also feature a great deal of art here including a museum that is a replica of the parthenon.  

This afternoon we spent time touring the Grand ole Orpy at Rynman Theater including a backstage tour with our guide Wanda. She was very entertaining and was a wealth of knowledge when it came to the country music stars and the history of country music. The backstage area we could not take pictures in, which was unfortunate, because the backstage area was amazing with all the old signed pictures of the stars and early day entertainers. Unbelievable.  The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum was closed today, but we hope to go tomorrow. We walked the streets visiting some of the bars and saloons that were pointed on our tour, including the famous Wild Horse Saloon.  Country music could be heard on the street coming out of the many establishments and by suppertime the area was just getting wound up.  We thought of going out to Opry land this evening, but decided to wait until tomorrow.

Tomorrow’s day is full already, but we are willing and anxious to get started after we get a good night’s sleep.

Hope  y’all are fine.

Cheers!

We have arrived in Nashville....

Into Tennessee

Happy Valentine’s Day! A long day on the road from Savannah to Nashville, but well worth the trip. What a great drive through the country side watching the scenery change and the roads wind and turn as we reached the blues hills of Tennessee.  By most standards I guess it was not an exciting day, but we met some really nice people along the way including a sweet little waitress in Macon. When they talk about southern hospitality they really mean it. I hated to leave Georgia and will certainly return some day as there is so much to see and the people are so lovely.

We hope to spend a few days here in Nashville taking in the country music scene and taking a tour of the area. Roger is tired tonight after the long drive but give him a bit of bluegrass music tomorrow and he will be good to go. I look forward to the many exciting venues of Nashville and can hardly wait to get started tomorrow.

Cheers!

Savannah...

Savannah is just a remarkable as I thought it would be. Pictures cannot do it justice. The streets lined with old oaks and magnolia trees and all the beautiful architecture of the buildings is mind blowing. We took a tour through the city with an excellent guide who made the history so interesting and exciting. My brain was full by the time we were done which was about 90 minutes. Following the tour we had trolley passes for the day so we could sight see on our own. We found a little pub like place to eat called Issacs, since the recommend Paula Deans had a 2 hour wait list, and really enjoyed the southern meal and the chatty waitress.  She was so excited to tell us about the old building we were dining in and all the ghosts that lived there. She was quite animated and had many tales to tell. A man was hung there and buried in the cellar or so the story goes. Anyway, it made for great lunch conversation as we enjoyed our meal.

Midafternoon we made our way to the isle of hope to see the historic area of Wormsloe. It was a pretty area and once inside the park a canopy of oak trees lined a mile long lane. We reached the museum and from there trails took you to different spots, including the home site ruins made of oyster shell, mud and lime, a large savannah, an old colonial site, the graves of the family and a lookout. We opted not to go to the battery site where they were firing off guns. On the way back to the hotel we drove past some old homes admiring the porches with swings and rocking chairs.

Who knows what tomorrow will bring or where we will end up.

Cheers!

Into Georgia.....



surfer coming in  on a wave at St. Augustine Beach






canopy on jekyll island

oak trees draped in moss on island

Tonight I write from Savannah Georgia. What a great day we had on the road after leaving Daytona first thing this morning. Daytona was abuzz with the start of speed week and the upcoming Daytona 500. Today was a race day and security was everywhere and parking lots were popping up everywhere. The speedway grounds were full of semi-trailers and tents and all kinds of selling booths.  You could feel the excitement in the air. I wanted to get race tickets, but Roger said a definite “No”.  With that established we drove along the A1A coast road again, which we love although the speed is slower.  It passes by the little seaside towns and those small ocean stops along the way are always so inviting.  I am really adept now at walking up and down the wooden steps over the dunes.  A quick stop today at St. Augustine Beach gave us a good look at some surfers and the community life there. A lot of retirees playing  bocce, fishing from the pier, walking on the beach with or without their dog, and discussing life and politics outside the bait and tackle shop. Pretty laid back place, but very windy today and cool. Again we were told it was not normal for this time of year. By the time we stopped in Jackson for lunch it had warmed up significantly and off came the jackets. The salad bar at Ruby Tuesdays was to die for. It was so nice to have fresh crisp salad and to add your own fixings. Yummy!

The scenery changed quite a bit as we entered Georgia. The tall pines returned and the palms disappeared. The golden grassy wet lands spread out before us like a wheat field and it was wonderful to see land for miles. We stopped at a roadside welcome center to pick up some pamphlets when I spied one about a little island not far from where we were.  It is part of the Golden isles of Georgia and is a resort island called Jekyll Island. We drove through the Marshes of Glynn and over the bridge to a lovely little place with streets lined with tall pine trees and large oaks draped with moss making canopies to drive under. Gorgeous.  There were hotels and villas to stay at and we were tempted, but it was about an hour out of Savannah and I really wanted to see the real old Savannah, so after an awe inspiring drive through the island we pushed forward towards the city. There was also another island that looked interesting and hopefully we will have time to see it as well before we go.  

Tomorrow looks like another great day for us as we explore a place I always wanted to visit since I was a child reading about old Savannah with porch swings ,rocking chairs and large plantations.  Exciting!!

Cheers for now!