Wednesday (November 30th) we had another full day. We started the day at the Country Music Hall of Fame. We enjoyed seeing some of the incredible outfits and costumes worn by classic country music stars over the years and it was really cool learning about singers that our grandparents used to talk about listening to in their childhoods. We purchased the audio tour but we found that just reading the display information and moving at our own pace worked better for us. We were amazed at the variety of artifacts in the museum – from the flashy clothes and boots to trophies and awards and even a gold plated Cadillac that once belonged to Elvis Presley. It was unbelievable that this car had a television in it all the way back in Elvis’ day.
Housed in the same building as the Hall of Fame is Hatch Show Print. This company has been in business since 1879 and has printed concert/show fliers for some of the biggest names in entertainment – including Elvis Presley and Dolly Parton and regular advertisements for the Grand Ole Opry- and are still printing using the same methods and standards that they were working with over 100 years ago. Don’t think you can email them an order or shop online – all orders must be hand delivered to the shop, mailed or faxed. Seeing the presses in action was really something special. We also did the tour – an option that can be done individually or added to your Country Hall of Fame ticket for a small upcharge- which I highly recommend. We were able to learn so much about the history of this business, see some incredible prints from amazing events, and even print a poster of our own to take home as a souvenir. And we bought the cutest Christmas decoration!
Following our time in the Hall of Fame building, we walked a short distance to the Assembly Food Hall for some lunch. We were able to try Prince’s Hot Chicken where we enjoyed a Nashville Hot Chicken sandwich – a true Nashville institution. We also had a lobster roll and Hot Crab Queso from The Dock, a seared bao from Steam Boys, and some donuts from Donut Distillery. This walk also took us by the Country Music Walk of Fame, the Ryman Auditorium (previously the home of the Grand Ole Opry), and Honky Tonk Row.
Our final activity was a show at the iconic Grand Ole Opry. After stopping by the house to put out Harley and take a short nap (we aren’t used to staying out late), we headed out. The Opry House was huge but we were surprised to find it nestled in behind a large shopping mall. That took a little bit of the magic out of it but that was quickly restored once we were inside and listening to the performers. The lineup for the evening was Connie Smith, Logan Mize, John Conlee, Louis York, Mandy Barnett, The War and Treaty, and Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell. We honestly hadn’t heard of most of the acts but we absolutely loved every single one and really enjoyed the entire experience.
We had also scheduled the behind-the-scenes tour following the show so we made our way out of our seats in the balcony and down to the front of the theater at the end of the show. We were led by a really wonderful, entertaining guide through the backstage areas, the dressing rooms, storage areas, the green room, onto the stage, and into the on-site recording studio. Being involved in theater in high school, we had both been backstage a few times but this was such a different experience. The dressing rooms were so luxurious – just standing at the doorway looking in made us feel like stars. Each room has a different theme (some dedicated to former Opry stars like Porter Wagoner, Minnie Pearl, and Little Jimmy Dickens) and the green room was fancy but very comfortable. We learned that the Opry has its own little post office where Opry members each have their own mailbox and can receive their mail. Of course Dolly Parton’s box was fairly full. Our guide also pointed out the box belonging to Trisha Yearwood which was mostly empty because the mail had just been picked up a few days prior by Mr. Trisha Yearwood – aka Garth Brooks! While we were standing in the post office, we also got to see a dress worn by Loretta Lynn which, due to the alarming number of rhinestones and sequins, weighed over 60lbs by itself. It’s hard to imagine tiny little Loretta being able to move under all of that! And, while we were all still in shock from the beautiful surroundings, Loretta’s dress, and the beautiful portrait of Saint Dolly watching over us – Emmylou Harris walked right on by on her way out for the night. She greeted us with a smile and a wave!
While we both grew up on country music, we had gotten away from it in the past decade or so but this definitely brought back some great memories and we had an awesome time. This experience was absolutely the best way to say “Farewell, for now!” to the Music City.
