Road to the Smokies: 1st stop, Nashville, Tennessee!

That Monday morning, we loaded up to start for the Smokies. Our first stop was to be Nashville, Tn. We arrived in the early afternoon and found a r.v. parking area not too far from Opryland Amusement Park and not very far from the Hermitage (Andrews Jackson's Mansion and Estate). After getting everything set up, we went out to eat and look the area over. We went down to the Opry House, where the Grand Ole Opry still performed. We went down "Music Row", checking out a few shops and buying souvenirs and sight seeing. We returned to the park and made use of the swimming pool, bathhouse and showers.


We were parked beside a older couple that was retired and from Gulfport, Mississippi. They had been traveling for a while and told a lot of interesting stories of their happenings. About two years before that, Hurricane Carla had hit Gulfport, Biloxi, and Mobile, Alabama, leaving a lot of destruction in its path. Their daughter was a T.V. reporter and had to stay at the station for days, so they loaded up the grandchildren and headed north to Jackson, Mississippi. Her husband was in the Military and was stationed elsewhere. They were very interesting people.

The next morning, we went to Opryland Amusement Park that was open at that time. The new Opry House was being built, but not yet open. The park had carnival type rides and attractions along with musicians staged all over the park putting on shows by the hour. We ate lunch there and in mid afternoon, returned to the r.v. park. The next morning, we went to the Hermitage, and found it to be very interesting. If you are a History Buff, this is a "Do Not Miss."
But it is like anything else, once you have seen it, no reason to go back. The next morning we loaded up, said our good byes to the nice couple and headed for the Smokies.