Nashville & Asheville: Two Southern Gems

The Ryman Auditorium

Al and I recently returned from a trip to my hometown of Nashville, including a side trip to Asheville to see The Biltmore Estate.

Nashville is NOT the same sleepy town I grew up in, but you probably already knew that. What you might find surprising is that, living there for the first 18 years of my life, I didn’t know even one person—not a friend, relative, neighbor or classmate—who liked country music. Boy, has that changed (in addition to almost everything else)!

Though now overshadowed by modern skyscrapers, nothing in Nashville eclipses the iconic stature of the 19th-century Ryman Auditorium, affectionately known as the "Mother Church of Country Music."

Live music spills into the streets from every doorway along Lower Broadway. Simply walk down this avenue of Music City and you couldn’t miss hearing it if you tried.

Enjoyment of music is free of charge on Broadway unless you go inside and have a seat. In that sense, it reminded me of Venice's St. Mark’s Square with its free evening concerts—a similar concept . . .

Musicians provide free concerts in St. Mark's Square, Venice

.

. . but different. 😉

There are other fun things to do downtown, like the pedal taverns, for example.

And scooters were everywhere.

In her pink-sequined jacket, the scooter lady was definitely dressed to impress, as were a number of tourists on Broadway. It’s possible that the people-watching downtown is as engaging as the music boot-stomping its way out of the honky-tonks.

Speaking of music, the Country Music Hall of Fame is amazing. Our two-hour visit was not long enough, even for those who wouldn’t call themselves country music lovers. It was still worthwhile to see the stage costumes, instruments (sometimes bejeweled), and flashy cars, including Elvis’s gold-plated Cadillac. Fun fact: Not only is it adorned with gold inside and out, but its 40 coats of paint were infused with crushed diamonds.

There’s more to Nashville than country music. Its other nickname is Athens of the South because of its wealth of universities and full-scale replica of the Parthenon.

To visit this one, you don’t have to climb up uneven marble steps in triple-digit heat!

There are a number of historical sites of interest in the area. A notable one is Andrew Jackson’s home, The Hermitage. It’s reported to be the fourth-most-visited U.S. presidential residence after the White House, Mount Vernon, and Monticello.

Photo by Jim Bowen (Wikipedia)

Interestingly, the driveway of the estate is in the shape of a guitar. Who could have known the guitar’s significance in the future Music City?

Having been to The Hermitage multiple times before, for this trip we focused on a much more modest estate, the Carter House and Museum. It was a very rainy day, but we enjoyed our tour with my nephew, his girlfriend, and her grandfather, Bobby, a recently-retired tour guide for the museum.

Civil War "souvenirs." Can you imagine getting this many bullet holes in your home?

Tucked into the quiet town of Franklin, just outside Nashville, the Carter House offers a haunting window into one of the Civil War’s fiercest—and bloodiest—battles. In November 1864, this modest farmhouse became the epicenter of the Battle of Franklin. Before the fighting began, it served as a Federal command post. By nightfall, it had been transformed into a field hospital, filled with the wounded and dying Confederate soldiers (including one of the Carter sons). It’s one of the most well-preserved Civil War sites in the country, offering a visceral, moving experience for history lovers and casual visitors alike.

Moving from history to highways, while in Nashville, we took a side trip—a quick little 600-mile roundtrip jaunt—to Asheville, North Carolina. Along with a good friend from the area, we visited Biltmore House, the largest private residence in the United States. It’s still owned by the Vanderbilt family and sits on 8,000 acres, but perhaps it’s easier to wrap our heads around that if we say that the estate covers 12½ square miles.

A magnificent showcase of Gilded Age grandeur

The Biltmore is reminiscent of the magnificent estates of the European nobility, though the dining room, especially, reminded me of another American castle built by William Randolph Hearst in California.

The banquet hall measures 72’ x 42’ with a 70-foot-high, barrel-vaulted ceiling. Its Tyrolean chimney is believed to have been purchased by George Vanderbilt in Europe, possibly in Switzerland. I can hardly imagine trying to ship such a thing!

The gardens were extensive and beautifully landscaped by Frederick Law Olmsted, who also designed Central Park. It's incredible to think that the Biltmore's grounds are roughly 1,000 times the size of New York's world-famous park.

There’s so much more that could be said--more sights and sounds that could be shared. This only scratches the surface, especially for Nashville. I didn’t even mention free seating to listen to the Titans score!

When you're not jetting off to Europe or beyond, consider exploring what’s closer to home. Nashville and Asheville make a perfect pair—full of music, art, history, and soul.