Traveling in our 5th Wheel: Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

Friday, October 28, 2011

Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

This morning we got up to wind and cold rain. We had breakfast and then headed into Nashville to go to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. What a great museum, especially if you are a country music fan. We were told to plan at least 3 hours to go through the museum and they were right. It is a journey through country music. You start on the 3rd floor where the journey begins with folk roots to the 1960s. I'm not familiar with a lot of the early singers but Ray seems to know them all. There was a fun film showing country music's impact on television history. On the 2nd floor there is an exhibit on the Williams Family legacy. Lots of photos, stories and films of Hank William's accomplishments and great heartaches including the career of his son Hank Williams Jr. A very interesting exhibit. Then they continue with entertainers through the 70s, 80s, 90's up to today's hitmakers. Each floor has a Gold Record Wall. Then you take the road to the Country Music Hall of Fame Rotunda. This special room was designed to recognize the Hall of Fame members in a style befitting this high honor. The members plaques are placed randomly around the room. The room is round to be sure that every Hall of Fame member has a place of equal importance. The first members were inducted in 1961. On the 1st floor is the Museum store and a full service restaurant.
After over three hours in the museum we came outside to a cold wind but the rain had stopped. We walked up to the Ryman Auditorium, but it was already closed. So we walked up Broadway past all the restaurants, bars, and cafes. Live country music was coming out of each one. We walked back to the parking lot and headed back to the RV Park. We were hungry after all that walking so we stopped at the Caney Fork Restaurant. Ray had his Mississippi catfish and I had the best baby back ribs I've had in a long time. We were no longer hungry.