ON TOUR: Nashville, Tennessee - Paul Norris reports
Think of the country music capital of the world and what do you think of?
Well country music, and, er, not much else.
The home of Dolly Parton, the Country Music Hall of Fame and the largest guitar in the world shouts about its country heritage, but the city has so much more than twanging six strings and songs of disastrous love.
Arrival at the city is exciting if only because you immediately spy the Bat Building. A huge skyscraper with the summit shaped like Batman”s head. Actually it”s the Bellsouth Tower, but Nashvillians love it and it”s seen from around Downtown and beyond. In fact the downtown area is small and therefore easy to negotiate. It is dominated by shrines to music and sport.
The best attraction in Downtown Nashville, the Country Music Hall of Fame, is well worth a visit. Elvis” gold Cadillac is there, as is Johnny Cash memorabilia and tributes to every major country star. And next to the Hall of Fame is the Gaylord Entertainment Center ” home of the successful Nashville Predators ice hockey team. Yes, they do play hockey in the south!
But over the Cumberland River is the real home of sport in Nashville ” the Adelphia Stadium. The Tennessee Titans NFL football team ply their brutal trade here and it”s a mecca for sports fans on match days. The team is not so good these days, but there is always hope for next season.
Naturally enough, where there are sports stadia you”ll find lots of bars and fast food outlets and Nashville is no different. But to be fair to Nashville, it is out of Downtown and away from its country and sports tourism that you”ll find the best bits.
A short drive to the Vanderbilt University district is a must. The area teems with boutiques, modern bars and chic restaurants and, for a large US city, is easy to walk around and explore. The Belle Meade district is also worth a visit. The upmarket area is home to the city”s great and good and driving around ogling the million-dollar mansions is fun, but it has great attractions like the old plantation site from where it gets it name, Cheekwood Mansion built by the Maxwell House coffee people and manageable malls at Green Hills. Towards the airport is the Opryland complex of restaurants, bars and a huge convention-style hotel. The Grand Ole Opry country theatre is also there, with its live shows for the public. Out of the city notable attractions include President Andrew Jackson”s (1829-37) mansion at The Hermitage. This son of Tennessee is still revered in the state and his home is a wonderful snapshot of life in his era. Further afield is the Jack Daniel”s bourbon distillery at Lynchburg in southern Tennessee and just three hours down I-40 is Memphis, but that does involve more country music!
From this side of the pond Nashville is a tricky place to get to. British Airways pulled its non-stop service some years ago and none of the other European majors fly direct to the city. So it”s a change at one of the east coast hubs, or Chicago or Toronto. American Airlines through the Windy City is a good one, but cheaper deals are available with Air Canada via Toronto and there are always connections on to the Southwest Airlines network which takes in Nashville.
As someone once sang, Nashville is not all ”guitars, Cadillacs and hillbilly music”, it is a testament to the wealthy south, has heritage and attractions in abundance, fine shopping and beautiful countryside.
http://www.nashvillesightseeing.com