Nashville day two

This morning we had tickets for a tour back stage at the Opry house.  It was very interesting to see the star dressing rooms and studio A where many TV shows are taped including Hee Haw and the new show titled Nashville.  We then went on stage and had our photo taken on the 6 foot round piece of the Ryman flooring that was brought over for nostalgia and continuation of traditions.  This was not removed from center stage at the Ryman but from the stage entrance so that every performer at the Ryman had walked across this piece of flooring.  We will be back here Saturday night for the Opry and are looking forward to that experience, our seats are up in the balcony.

 props and costumes from the show "Nashville"

 Mail boxes for all members of the Grand Ole Opry

 the 6 foot section of flooring from the Ryman

 again the dynamic duo

After the tour of the Opry house we boarded the General Jackson paddle wheel river boat for a lunch tour on the Cumberland River.  It was a three hour trip that included a very good buffet with a stage show of the Shotgun Red band.  It was a very good performance of a great variety of country music and the individual musicians were excellent.  The crowd that boarded the boat was divided into two buffet sessions and shows and we were in the first group.  When we left the dining hall the second group came in for their lunch buffet and show.  After our lunch we walked around the decks and ended up on the top deck where a couple of guys were playing country music to requests and it was great fun.

 The guitar and base players were the act on this top deck but this man was from the crowd that came up and sang a Merl Haggard song very well.

 Looking forward to the skyline of Nashville just before we turned around and headed back up river.