Saturday, October 6, 2018

We were up at 7:30am, hot and sunny in 70s, eventually to get to 90+. Wilma did laundry and Bill got the RAM 1500 truck oil/filter changed and tires rotated. We plan to attend the 7:00pm show at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, TN. 

Grand Ole Opry
Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center
Opry Mills Mall

We then left at noon for Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, TN. We were there from 12:45 and got back to camp at 9:45pm and it was quite a day.  We both walked 15,000 steps that day alone, first the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center, the Opry Mills Mall and then around Grand Ole Opry itself.

The Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center was a marvel with walkways of beautiful plants and atriums and gardens and waterfalls and restaurants, all indoors under glass. Son Dave told us about it since he must have had an ULTA conference there.

Right next door to the Grand Ole Opry is the very large Opry Mills Mall which we walked and walked... then had an early dinner.  From the ticket booth, we got our tickets to the 7:00-9:00pm show, then walked the Grand Ole Opry store.  

We people watched from 5:00-6:00 with another couple we befriended, a US Army veteran MP and wife. They both worked at Ft. Knox, KY, he in Security and she in Administration.  We shared some funny "people stories" as we "people watched."  As my Dad used to say, "It takes all kinds;  AND THEY'RE ALL HERE!"  Wow, all shapes and sizes, mostly ole pharts like me (not Wilma). 

The Opry began to let guests into their seats at 5:45.  Getting to the Grand Ole Opry was on Wilma's lifetime bucket list and wow, did she enjoy the day, me too!  11 different musical artists, including Don Schlitz, the man who wrote many Kenny Rodgers songs, most notably The Gambler. Also, John Berry, who wrote the song for the movie, "Beautifully Broken", sang the movie theme song about the story of the Mwizera family and their 1994 escape from the genocide in Rwanda and eventual emigration to the US. They were in the audience, too!  Finally, an 11 year old boy named Mason Ramsey got his debut at the Opry and sang 2 songs with his cowboy hat and guitar. We surely heard some mighty fine banjo, guitar, mandolin and bass fiddle music.

The Grand Ole Opry itself is an historic Nashville location and American landmark. It's original downtown site was relocated to this location in 1943, then badly flooded in 2010.  Each 2 hour weekend show (7:00 and 9:30) is in four segments, each 30 minutes long with a curtain drop, a separate announcer (two women hosts were 35+ 51 year members of Grand Ole Opry).  Each Friday and Saturday show is a live "on air" radio show performance with an announcer and hosts.  This radio show is  radio's longest-running worldwide program, running since 1925 (650 AM WSM and Sirius XM 15X?).  

As our sold out show of 7:00pm was leaving (4,400 seats), thousands were waiting outside the doors to attend the 9:30pm show.  Quite an operation and especially beautiful in the dark with the lighting and crowds of people. The Opry Mills Mall, the Gaylord Conference Center and the Grand Ole Opry all share the same parking lots so imagine what it was like getting out to Rt 65 and back to camp.

Today was a a wonderful day, a grand experience and one we will both remember for quite awhile.