The Wandering Adventurers

May 8

Today was Gaylord Opryland day, a perfect way to end our stay in Nashville. We took the Back Stage Tour at the Grand Ole Opry in the morning and then went over to the Gaylord Resort for lunch. Before the show, we had time for a little shopping at Opry Mills. Luck was with us once again for the Back Stage Tour. The tour just before ours was the usual 35 people and our group was only seven. Because we were such a tiny group, we got to see things and go places that the bigger tours aren’t able to do. Our singer/song writer tour guide was darling and kept referring to our tour as the VIP Tour. She was so excited to have a small group and we reaped the benefits. She started us off with the stars entry way and the check-in desk with mailboxes of the Opry members. To be a member you must be voted in. Many that perform here are not members. Membership is a very sought after honor in the country music world. It is a very emotional time for the stars when they are asked to become a member and most are accepting the honor with tears in their eyes. Keith Urban is the latest to be inducted. We got to go inside the various dressing rooms. I sat on the couch that Alan Jackson would be sitting in a few hours later. We sat in the green room where the stars gather before and during the show. We were lucky to actually go on stage while they were setting up for the evening performance and stand in the treasured oak circle where the stars have stood since 1943 when the Opry was at the Ryman. They actually moved the circle to the new building in 1974. Standing on the stage and looking out to the seats where we would be sitting in a few hours was pretty darn impressive. It was a fabulous tour. We couldn’t wait to see the show. Thank goodness we had thought ahead to get tickets, the show is sold out!

Here we are at the entrance to the Grand Ole Opry Theater.

Norm Waiting fot Our Tour

Standing at the Entrance Where the Stars Arrive

Desk Where The Stars Check In
Mailboxs in the Back

This is the room where the stars gather before and during the show.
Our guide is pointing out how high the water came up in the 2010 flood

I'm in one of the many dressing rooms and sitting on the same
couch that Alan jackson will be sitting on tinight.

Chris is ON stage and standing on the famous oak circle that all the stars stand on.

The Gaylord Opryland Resort is the largest hotel in the US that isn’t a casino with something like 3,500 rooms. The hotel opens into a huge garden conservatory with over 4 acres under a glass roof. We followed paths on three levels through the lush gardens with over 10,000 plants and waterfalls. There was not a weed or a dead leaf anywhere. They were taking people for boat rides circling the gardens. We had lunch in this beautiful setting. We came back for the 6:00 water fountain show that is done to music. This amazing place is a destination in itself.

Beautiful Gardens at the Gaylord Opry Resort

Water Fountain Show Set to Music

Of course the Grand Ole Opry Show was the highlight. I must confess I have never listened to the radio show or seen any of their shows on TV but I have heard about it forever and wanted to see the show live. I had heard of Minnie Pearl and Little Jimmy Dickens. When we made our reservations we had the choice of three different nights. The Friday and Saturday shows had more of the regular old timers in the line up but Tuesday night, tonight, had Alan Jackson along with Little Big Town, and Thompson Square, the duet that won the CMA award as best new duet group. The first half of the 3 hour show was filled with lesser known but great entertainers. I really liked Chris Young and Jimmy Wayne. Ninety-one year old Little Jimmy Dickens was on stage cracking jokes and singing his little heart out. His jokes are a little on the crass side but he had the audience laughing. Ex: I went to see the doctor the other day to have him check my hearing. Doc, what’s with my right ear? I’m not hearing too well. Why Jimmy, you’ve got a suppository in there. Thanks Doc, now I know what happened to my hearing aid! Since they are recording live for radio, the announcer was doing commercials every half hour. They were also televising parts of this show to be shown on TV. Alan Jackson sang song after song! What a smile he has. Our seats were right up front. A couple of times I went down to the stage to get a closer photo! This show has been on the radio since 1925 and is the longest running radio show in the world. It truly made country music famous. While we have been in Nashville we have heard a lot about the devastating flood in September, 2010. Gaylords and the Grand Ole Opry theater were under four feet of water. The Grand Ole Opry didn’t miss a beat. They immediately moved to a temporary location and the show went on without a hitch. What a great day this was!