You probably are sick of hearing/reading about Nashville's CMA Festival on this space. I don't blame you; I've written many posts on the event. But ... this year is different.
Nashville has grown leaps and bounds over the last decade. It recently went upscale, and has gotten rather expensive. Our friend Joyce who is a die-hard country fan gave up going to the Fan Fair/CMA Festival for this and other reasons.
Nashville skyline on a beautiful sunny day
Is your favorite country singer on this mural?
Our day in Nashville started out with a frustrating parking situation. All the parking lots in downtown Nashville have resorted to QR-based parking. We reluctantly scanned in the code and registered, complete with our email address and credit card info. We waited and waited, and waited. After 15 minutes, we left and tried another lot. This time, no problem. We paid $30 for 4 hours; just last year, we paid $25 for the entire day! No sooner than we left the parking lot we got a call from our bank. Did we make a certain transaction? We did not. They suspected fraud, and promptly canceled our card. The scammer got our information and now they tried to use the card. We can't stop progress, but is this new parking system a good thing? While the city and/or company sit back and make the money, we the people have to deal with the inconveniences.
There was no time to dwell on the disappointment. We had free concerts waiting. As we walked towards the main drag, music wafted in the air, and quickly took our anxiety away.
Only in the South do we see signs like that (click to see the fine print)
CMA Festival attire
This time, we skipped the riverfront stage completely. We ambled up the pedestrian bridge and got a glimpse of the stage from there. The Cumberland River was buzzing with boats and paddlers.
Riverfront stage (left) on the Cumberland River
Honky Tonk on Broadway
Since we discovered Assembly Food Hall (opened in 2021), we haven't been to our old favorite place - The Wildhorse Saloon on 2nd Avenue. Come to find out, it closed in January! No wonder there was no line dancing lessons this year. The food hall features hip restaurants, trendy and traditional eateries, with spaces for live entertainment. With only four hours to kill this particular Saturday, we had no time to line up for a meal, even if it's the ever popular Hattie B's.
famous local fried chicken joint
Saffron beckoned; the samosas (potato curry puffs) were excellent, the rice bowl with lamb and korma curry was ok. The curry was too sweet and creamy for us.
I speak the Hakka dialect, but never heard of Hakka noodles
QR-based parking has been installed in most cities in Florida too, including the beach parking lots. Imagine the elderly trying to navigate the system just to get some sun or exercise on the beach. What were the cities thinking? Are you a fan?
We still love Music City but we're also in no hurry to return - anytime soon.
Every June, country music fans descend upon Nashville for the CMA (Country Music Awards) Festival.
Ever since a friend introduced us to this exciting music festival fifteen years ago, we have been going almost every year, but the last time was in 2019. How lucky we were that this year is the CMA Festival's 50th anniversary! The 4-day event was totally packed. We went on a Saturday, and the weather was perfectly hot, as it is every June. There were many fun activities, including line dancing lessons. We enjoyed people watching and listening to the free concerts at five stages set up throughout the downtown area.
Riverfront stage set up on the Cumberland River
Hard Rock Cafe Stage
AT&T (aka Batman) Building in the distance
Line Dancing lesson
Nashville is popular for Bachelor/bacherlorette parties!
We love Nashville, even though we are more of a jazz and blues fan. The vibe is wonderfully fun, with live music wafting from almost every cafe, bar or lounge. A lot more restaurants and food court or food hall have opened in the last year, much to our delight. Most eateries and restaurants were busy. One of the restaurants recommended to us at the visitor center was Sixty Vines. The open space concept with an energetic vibe made the wait more bearable. It has an extensive selection of wine on tap. How about that! We enjoyed a fabulous dinner there.
There is no doubt Nashville is the perfect summer getaway!
As people were cleaning up and rebuilding their lives in the aftermath of the terrifying tornadoes that crippled several towns around southeastern Tennessee (Chattanooga and surrounding areas) on Apr 27th, another natural disaster was unfolding in western Tennessee - Memphis, one of our favorite destinations! Our area had no power and cable for 8 days (thank God for generators!), so we were in the dark, literally.
Apparently, melting snow and heavy rains in March and April had the Mississippi River rising to a level not seen since 1937. On May 10th, the Mississippi River crested in Memphis at 47.8 feet, inundating much of the low lying areas.
The Mississippi River winds through 10 states
Luckily, iconic sites such as Graceland and Beale Street in the Memphis downtown were not affected by the flood. The Mud Island River Park, which is situated next to the mighty Mississippi River, was completely submerged.
One look at the Mississippi River and you will understand why most cruisers try to avoid it. Not only is the swift current daunting, the traffic is heavy with commercial barges. Their captains' Southern speak is equally daunting. And baffling.
The mighty Mississippi River at Memphis on a normal August day
A marina at Mud Island
Click on the map to see a bigger picture of the Mississippi River System
Mai Thai is on the Tennessee River, miles upstream from the Mississippi River, so we are safe from the flood. When we cruised up the inland waterway in 2006, we had come in from Gulf of Mexico at Mobile, Alabama, then navigated via the Tennessee-Tombigbee (Tenn-Tom) Waterway. That year, Mai Thai was docked at Midway Marina on the Tenn-Tom Waterway. The marina is a mere 2 hours from Memphis, so we used to visit the city often. We loved the music scene (jazz and blues) and enjoyed the marvelous Memphis style BBQ ribs (dry-rubbed, and Blues City Cafe and Rendezvous are favorites).
Other than Beale Street, our other favorite place is the the 52-acres Mud Island River Park, which, ironically, is dedicated to life on the Mississippi River. The park has an amphitheater, a museum and a River Walk, which is a 5-block long replica of the lower Mississippi River. The park is an excellent place to spend a hot summer day with the family.
Monorails take visitors to Mud Island River Park
The Mississippi River, as seen from the park
The Upper Mississippi River, originating in Minnesota
River Walk - the 5 block replica of the Lower Mississippi River
that winds through farmlands and cities,
and empties into the Gulf of Mexico at New Orleans, Louisiana
Our favorite places to visit in Memphis are Graceland, Mud Island River Park and Beale Street for live music, as you can see in this video.
As the water recedes, clean up has begun. As a matter of fact, Mud Island River Park reopened yesterday. If you are in the Memphis area, do stop by to learn more about the Mississippi River. You can read more about the great flood of 2011 here at ABC News
Nashville wowed me on my first visit. Music clubs dot the streets of downtown Nashville, and the live entertainment is incredible, no matter your music preferences. The city rocks when it hosts the annual CMA Music Festival in June. Four days of concerts and events for country music fans to mingle with their idols and rising stars.
Legends Corner, next to the Ryman Auditorium, Nashville
Stop for a drink at Legend's Corner to find out how some country stars got started. Wildhorse Saloon is another interesting place to check out; it's a dining and entertainment establishment, complete with a stage and a huge dance floor. I almost always eat here every time I visit Nashville, and have never been disappointed with the food. There's usually a band playing, and sometimes a line dancing class that you can participate in. Check their website to make sure they're not closed for private parties or concerts. Other clubs include Tootsies Orchid Lounge, Honky Tonk Central, Bourbon Street Blues, and many more.
Bourbon Street Blues at Printer's Alley
HonkyTonk
The Parthenon
Another must-see place is the Gaylord Opryland Resort Hotel & Convention Center, about 15 minutes away. 50,000 (no kidding!) tropical plants in the beautifully landscaped indoor gardens will take your breath away. You can catch a show at the Grand Ole Opry or shop at the Opry Mills outlet, all within walking distances from each other.
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.JPG "The Bonnaroo and CMA Festival in TN")
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.JPG "Christmas lights at Gaylord Opryland Hotel, Nashville, Tennessee")
