Fall Break 2011

I'm normally at home just chilling out during my fall break, but I decided to do something different this time. Several months ago, I saw that Rascal Flatts would be performing at the Grand Ole Opry during its 86th Birthday Bash. It just so happened that this was the same time as my fall break! I saved up the money and, this past Wednesday, I headed out on vacation. We made a stop in Asheville (about half way) for a couple days then arrived in Nashville on Friday. We stayed in, where else, but the Opryland Resort and it was amazing! I've been told it was a vacation in itself and boy was it! It's huge and there are so many things to see and do there. I got to eat at the Jack Daniels restaurant in the resort and got a Sweet Tea Porkchop. 'Nuff said!

On Saturday, I first took a tour of the Grand Ole Opry. This was a backstage tour so we got to see everything from where the stars came in, to the Opry member mailboxes, to every single dressing room. Each dressing room had some sort of theme to it. For instance, there was one dedicated to the USA. Another dedicated to the women of country music. There was even one dedicated to the legend Little Jimmy Dickens and is his room, no questions asked. Probably the coolest dressing room I saw was Roy Acuff's room. This room was not only used by the great himself but other artists such as Vince Gill. The tour guide said the Opry honors his memory by keeping an "open door policy" on the room like he did. This meant we could actually go inside the dressing room. That was a pretty unique experience as we couldn't with the other dressing rooms. At the end of the tour, we got to get our picture taken on the Opry stage. The stage where legends have performed and history has been made. It was an experience I'll never forget.

But that's not all! I then went to downtown and walked along Broadway, the main drag in Nashville. I ate at a place called Merchants. The restaurant opened in what was Merchants Hotel where many country music stars have stayed, including Dolly Parton and Hank Williams. I also passed by many iconic places along Broadway, including The Stage, a restaurant/bar where many celebrities and country music stars have visited. After that, I visited the "Mother Church of Country Music" the Ryman. I ended up getting the last backstage tour of the day and it was fascinating as well! For those that don't know, the Ryman was the previous home of the Grand Ole Opry and was built to be used as a church before that (hence the nickname). Our tour guide was great and knew so much about not only the history of the Ryman itself, but the artists that performed there. I got my picture taken on the Ryman stage as well, and even could've recorded a song in the studio there but decided not to.

Now on to the Opry show itself. It was amazing! There were legends such as Jimmy Dickens, Charley Pride, and Jeannie Seely there as well as Ronnie Dunn and Craig Morgan. But the best came last...Rascal Flatts! They are great to see in person! This was my first time seeing them in person, and what better way than to see them? Not only did the Opry celebrate its birthday that night, but the group became the latest members, making the night even more special!

I've never had as much fun on a fall break as on this trip. I can't believe all the great things I got to do and all the history I came in contact with while in Nashville. This will be a trip I never forget!