I love the South.
It seems no one in my family was as taken with it as me. I returned for the first time in 18 years. The chicken fried steak and grits were still pleasantly satisfying, the music still connecting and the people still speaking 'Love', 'Hon', 'Don't you worry', and 'Y'all come back' like.
I don't remember exploring Nashville as a child. This trip Brandon and I went to both 'The Grand Ole Opry'at the Opry House and 'Opry Classics'at the original Ryman Auditorium. Which was a blast. Each had a different feel. The Opry House more commercial and bigger with a more grand feel. The Ryman down home. The last part of the Ryman performance was my favorite, done by Neal McCoy (who I hadn't heard of. But then I've never followed any kind of music so this shouldn't be a surprise). He was such a performer, though, as well as a musician, I didn't want to leave. So down to earth he really connected with the audience. Kind of guy you just wanted to invite over for dinner. Note of interest: he is Filipino/Irish/American. Maybe not the typical background of a country music singer.
Before the Opry Brandon and I walked around downtown; seeing the capitol building as well as the large statue of Pres. Jackson on a horse and the grave site of Pres. Polk and his wife. In doing a little quick research on Polk, who I knew nothing about, I read he has been called the 'Most influencial unknown president'.
Somehow I had no idea that Nashville had a full scale replica of the Parthenon (not in ruins). Built originally for the elaborate 1897 Tennessee Centennial Exposition, I think it was the only building made then that remains. Fantastic little museum on the grounds if you are ever make it down that way. All things built for the occasion were not meant to last past 6 mn but apparently on demolition day, no one had the heart to knock this one down. As many parts were made of a cheap plaster, they did deteriorate quickly and had to be rebuilt. The concrete replacement renovations were completed in the 1920's.
This statue of the goddess Athena (made to specifications as believed to exist in the Greek Parthenon) was stunning as well as huge. I think the statue was added in the past 15 years. The little statue she's holding in her hand is like 6 feet tall, to give you some perspective.
Close up of the elaborately painted shield that protects the snake (representing the people of Athens) Athena is watching over
I think these are mold of original greek statues that artist used to recreate finished models. Behind is a close up of what is in the eaves below. (can't remember what it is called)
Just beautiful. And a great preview for Brandon before he takes Milla to Greece next June!
At the Opry!
Friday, when Brandon was at his classes, I went birdwatching at Shelby Bottoms. So serene and lovely. I spent hours. At one point I felt isolated and moved enough that I sang 'Joseph Smith's First Prayer' just to my little self. It was nice to take a little time to just be. As well as add a few birds to my life list.
Southern girl on her way to Alabama
Brandon was a little slow on the draw for this pic. Just drivin' along when I hear him call out. 'Oh my gosh! Piggly Wiggly's really DO exist!"
Had to slam on the breaks in an expert maneuver to stop for this shot.
Of course our first stop had to be the Space and Rocket Center.
Super Cool. And fun to even go without kids.
And, yes, we rode the centrifuge thing and the rocket shoot up in the air ride, the mars landing simulator (that I started getting a little queasy in) and climbed into the apollo cockpit (they may not call it that..). Beautiful day in the 70's and had no big crowds to deal with.
After staying the night in the Hilton Home 2 Suites (modern hotel with an awesome, natural food breakfast buffet... highly recommend...and under $100), we headed down to the old house.
Note the garage and (below) my old basketball hoop.
We walked my old paper route and Brandon indulged me as I told of all the memories that came flooding back. The neighborhood was beautifully well kept. The shopping center outside (where my Checkers stood), not so much. Almost completely deserted and kind of scary.
We drove to the church through the neighborhoods, which I found sans Googlemaps, (quite pleased with my self) and then headed up to Whitesburg and Grissom. Thing Brandon was most amazed by were how seriously they took their churches. We were there on Sunday and passed several cathedrally large Baptist churches that each had police cars patrolling and directing traffic.
We had a little extra time before we needed to be back in Nashville for our flight and so stopped at the Botanical Gardens and Butterfly house. Kind of off season but it was still really fun. Saw my first albino kangaroo that a lady was awkwardly carrying around at a 'nature show' and then walked around their expansive childrens gardens.
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| I remember bugs in Alabama being big, but.... |
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| Making a wish with my frog prince looking on hopefully (under my arm if you can't see him) |
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| Brandon ecstatic that he made it out of the sunflower maze I had artfully crafted for him. |
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| Hangin'with Phineas'haybot. |
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| Dr. Who? |
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| Harder to get out of than it looks |
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| So this is what it's like to be little. ;) I'd forgotten. Cool All in all, a fun get-a-way and trip down memory lane. |
Okay, first off, far too many pictures. You are causing this comment box to be waay too full. :)
ReplyDeleteI vaguely remember Nashville having a Parthenon, but if you had asked me I probably wouldn't have said they had one. Brandon will have to tell us next summer which is more impressive. Haha.
You are absolutely gorgeous in that pic at the opry! But really, you always are.
I didn't even notice the garage at first because of the huge TREE by the driveway! And the absence of the other 3 trees that used to be in the front...
So, Dr. Who's tellie was in the botanical gardens? Weird.
Love the huge adirondacks! Now I want one for my yard. Not sure Jared would go for it though. :)
Thanks for sharing! What fun memories.
Well, I knew about the Parthenon in Nashville from 'Percy Jackson and the Lightening Thief.' The janitors there are also a hydra in disguise.
ReplyDeleteI always remember Piggly Wiggly as your favorite store!
Aah, memories!
Cherry is going to be jealous. The only states she hasn’t hit are all in the south, and we’ve bandied about plans to do a big southern tour at some point to check them off and show her my old stomping grounds. Now that you mention it, I think the last time I was in Huntsville was a road trip with Emily back in 1997. So it’s been something like 16 years for me too. Incredible. I’ve been back to Atlanta and other parts of the south, but not Alabama. I think we’re due.
ReplyDeleteI too have very little memory of Nashville. I think the only time that I’ve really been up there is once with dad when we skipped out on a ward Father-Son campout and went up to visit Andrew Jackson’s home, The Hermitage, instead. Dad hadn’t said anything about his real plans, though I grew suspicious once it seemed like we’d been driving a bit too long. Once we hit the state line I said, “We’re not camping tonight, are we?” I’m glad dad’s interest in history beat out his interest in the outdoors as it made for a memorable trip. (I’m also glad that cell phones weren’t around so that no one could wonder where we were or check up on us).
If you missed the greatness that is James K. Polk in your US History classes (and even if you didn’t), you definitely need to go listen to the They Might Be Giants song that serves as tribute and summary of his presidency: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StTiCU_fqCg He’s definitely notable among presidents for “getting in, doing what he said he was going to do and getting out”.
As for Huntsville, I’m curious to see how it has changed. I know I’ve looked up the house on Google streetview before, but forgot they had enclosed the carport. Also, do you remember that the tree by the driveway was tiny when we lived there? What a difference 18 years makes! Like Alyssa, I also noticed that the big smelly-yet-beautiful-in-the-Spring Bradford Pears appear to be gone. The front lawn also looks way deeper than I remember. We really had a pretty decent-sized lot there. Wasn’t it a ¼ acre?
So fun to see the pictures and hear your stories. Thanks for sharing. ;-)
Thanks for the memory tour. And yes, Spencer, we had 1/4 acre, as most "normal" lots used to be. Made for some good grass-cutting time.
ReplyDeleteI've enjoyed everyone's memories of Huntsville and the South. If I wasn't as taken with the South as you were Carrie, I was a close second. The warmth of their people is second to none. I loved going up to the state park on Monte Sano - it was a little bit of heaven there. I loved going to the library as a family for school assignments. I loved doing the service project we did as a family at the cemetery on the Arsenal. I loved the azaleas, and dogwoods, and magnolias, but not the Bradford Pears as you point out.
ReplyDeleteThen there was choosing a Christmas tree at the tree farms south of the river. One time there was just me and one of you. We pulled into the farm; while the car was still rolling (I may be making this up) they handed us a saw and we kept driving. We stopped, found a tree in about two minutes, cut it down, hauled it back to the office, paid for it, secured it and we were on our way back home.
You are right about James K. Polk, Spencer. Wouldn't it be a blessing to have more presidents like him? And our yard was a little larger that typical yards, and our house, I refer to it as the mansion house - hey we had columns!
Nice town, I miss it.