Second Big Surprise - Nashville!

A view of one section of downtown Nashville from the Pedestrian Truss Bridge that spans the Cumberland River over 3,000 feet.

A full size replica of the Parthenon dominates the
large Centennial Park. Bult in 1897 it's now an 
art museum.

A section of Broadway, home to endless numbers
of music venues and restaurants.

That's the view of the State Capitol
Building, one of the few without a
dome (from our tour bus)

 

Roswell was the first and then Nashville. We were expecting a city like Memphis - lots of great music but kind of rundown. Instead it was rather like what it claims "The Athens of the South", and a gleaming modern high rise city, clearly growing and prospering. We only had one day so decided to take the On and Off Bus around the city. We mostly stayed on as it takes over 2 hours. Mid way we fell for the sales pitch from the driver and ate lunch at the Farmer's Market. It reminded us of Quincy Market both in architecture and the variety of vendors. We chose a Korean stand and had Bibimbap bowls, excellent.

We then took a walk downtown and across the Pedestrian Bridge that spans the river. Built in 1909 it was closed to vehicular traffic in 1998 and refurbished for bicycles and pedestrians.  Then it was time for the Country Music Hall of Fame. It's a very modern museum with multi media presentations illustrating the history of country music through the years. But it also illustrated one other major difference between Memphis and Nashville - the latter is very white! Not only in the Museum but seen around the city. And country music claims a lot of musicians that we wouldn't think of as country - Bob Dylan, most folk musicians (again, the white ones) and a lot of rock & roll groups. OK, there is always cross overs in inspiration and derivation.

There were long streets full of recording studios and companies! We saw two big universities right downtown - Vanderbilt and Belmont had beautiful campuses. Museums were everywhere - lots featuring artists like Dolly Parton and Johnny Cash but there were several Art Museums, the National Museum of African American Music (separate but equal?), and the Tennessee State Museum. 

We saw a number of old industrial complexes 
turned into boutique shops, bars etc. 

Modern and Classical sculpture graced many
parks and street corners.

This fountain is in front of their Symphony Hall.

Written material, artifacts, costumes and film
illustrated each time period.

The building was very modern - like many new
museums, you started at the top and walked down
gradually.

But the Country Music Hall of Fame was very entertaining with lots of videos of performers. We particularly liked the early music of the Appalachians and derivations from the European traditions.  But soon it was time to meet our shuttle back to the KOA Nashville. For only $10 each we were picked up at our resort and brought back - saving a lot of money and trouble parking in the city. The KOA was very nice and our second night we enjoyed the live entertainment at the poolside. The couple (sorry forgot their names) are on U Tube and have several albums out. They were very good! Our first night we ate out at a local steak restaurant - nice after our long 10 hour drive from our emergency stop visit to the Creek Golf and RV Resort in Cave Springs, Arkansas. 

The KOA's pool - nice but either filled with kids
or on this evening, threatened thunderstorms.

Our entertainers at the Nashville KOA

But we were off again the next day for one night at another KOA in Baileyton, TN - not much to say  like most KOAs, clean and attractive. It was half way between Nashville and our next two night stop at Walnut Hills Campground in Staunton, VA.  But that's my next post!

This was the only photo I took at the Creek Golf & RV Resort where we stayed for 2 nights while Junior was getting repaired. A gorgeous sunset after pouring rain and wind.

A Peace Corps Reunion

On our way from Jesse Owens Museum to Chatanooga, we stopped at the beautiful Lake Nickajack overview at the Jasper Rest Area. The dogwoods are in bloom all over and they are a delight.

 It's actually our third Peace Corps reunion. We saw Bob DeFeyter in Arizona (Liberia 66 - 68) and Sandra Francour in Chula Vista (Philippines 65- 67). Juanita and I were in the same training group for the Philippines at St. John's College in Annapolis, MD, and then served from 1966-68. I was in northern Luzon at Tarlac, Tarlac, and Juanita at Taal in southern Luzon. We saw each other frequently during our two years and crossed paths several times during our trip home through Asia. I visited her down in Louisville during my time working on Peace Corps Staff and she moved up to Boston when I did. We were roommates for several years. 

Ted served in the Peace Corps as well (Nepal 67 - 69) and on his way home visited us in Boston. The rest is history as they married and after serving again in the Peace Corps in Afganistan and Nepal, they eventually settled on Signal Mountain, Tenn. Juanita is an artist, and Ted a retired history teacher. Juanita has been through a difficult year of serious health problems but has recovered amazingly. It was such a lovely time being with them. They had us for a walk and dinner at their beautiful home on our first night and joined us at our campsite at Raccoon Mountain the next evening for dinner. We had just enough sun and barely passable temperature to sit outside around an altogether slightly too smokey fire pit and laugh away. Dinner was inside, a little crowded but comfy in our dinette. Raccoon Mountain Caverns and RV Resort is a very large and attractive campground. We skipped the popular cavern tour as Heather is slightly claustrophobic and tight squeezing through areas were mentioned in the brochure. In fact, on our one full day there we managed to complete a big list of to-do's that we had acquired. 

Juanita and Ted snuggle up in our dinette at Raccoon Mountain, Chatanooga

The next morning, after talking to a helpful person in the Tourist Bureau in Chatanooga, we parked in the very large parking lot on the river and walked along the beautifully landscaped shore past the architecturally fascinating enormous Aquarium, up to the Hunter Museum of Art. The collection there is amazing as are the 3 very different time period buildings that form the Museum. That was a lovely morning. Next, we headed east again to begin a journey up the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina. And it will be covered in my next post!

The landscaping and architecture along the river in Chatanooga is really outstanding. Here's the "ramp" up from the river to the Hudson Art Museum.

Looking at the back of Juanita and Ted's home on Signal Mountain. We sat out on the deck there
for drinks.

A stream runs through their backyard and wild
flowers grow along it, plus of course spring
bulbs.

Their road runs along the bluff of Signal 
Mountain looking down at Chatanooga and 
across to Lookout Mountain.

It's just one lovely view after another!

It was also a perfect day.

I really would have liked to include more photos - they all were so lovely.

Some of the azaleas were still in bloom! 

The view along the river with socially distanced
chairs.

The Hunter Museum of Art is fantastic. That is
Scott and I in a video painting which records your
presence if you stay still for a few minutes.

The modern art collection was beautiful as is the
building itself

A "lounge" area overlooking the river.

I love Janet Fish!

Heather, Juanita and Ted on our walk near their home.