The Musical Nashville – Adventures for Singles with Singles Travel International was magical. If you are a music fan, then Nashville is the place for you! Music, every kind of music, was around every corner including our hotel, the Gaylord Opryland hotel and resort. People are traveling ya’ll! And I think they ALL travelled to Nashville for Memorial Day weekend.

When I think of the Nashville, I think of country music, but Nashville truly is the hotspot for any kind of music. We heard country, old and new, we heard a lot of rock, we heard pop and we heard 70’s music. It was all great! From the lone singer at the happy hour bar, to a 17^th place, Team Blake contestant on The Voice at Ole Red. It was loud, it was crazy, and it was fun!

Let me talk a little about the hotel, the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center. We could have spent days exploring this hotel and still not have seen it all. Staying at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel, gave members a stunning, one-of-a-kind resort experience. We explored the indoor garden atriums and took an indoor boat ride along the Delta River, which had cascading waterfalls everywhere. Members had the opportunity for shopping and bar hopping. There was a Waterpark, Arcade, and a Spa. So much to do, so little time. We still had Nashville adventures ahead of us.

Our first big Adventure was on General Jackson’s Showboat for a dinner cruise. One of the largest showboats ever built, the grand General Jackson reminiscent of the opulence of the American Victorian era. The cruise gave the members a chance to experience Nashville as seen from the beautiful Cumberland River. It was happening on Friday night. While “rollin’ down the river,” we enjoyed stunning views, a delicious meal and toe-tapping entertainment in a two-story Victorian Theater. The Dueling fiddlers were magnificent. We were thoroughly entertained, and the time flew by quickly.

The next day we loaded on the coach, with our singer/songwriter guide Jenny and our singer/songwriter driver Diana. What a treat! Not only did Jenny know the city really well and told us great stories, she sang us some of her own songs. First stop was the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. We stood up close to history, got a glimpse behind the scenes at the music and artists that have entertained us through-out the years. We followed country music’s story from its pre-commercial years through today.

Jenny took us to some places that we may not have seen, and a few of us even ate at her favorite restaurant/honky-tonk bar Roberts Western World. We listened to music while we ate Roberts specialty, the Recession Special – fried bologna sandwich, chips and a PBR for just $6.  After lunch we were able to check out the Ryman Theater, which is the old Opry house. Some even had their picture taken on stage. It was very surreal hearing about who played there. There is a story of back in the early days when they used to sell out the shows. Guests of the show would fill every church pew, stand backstage, on the stage and behind the stage. Since there was no dressing room, the talent had to find some peace and quiet away from the fans. There was a back alley behind the opera house, that lead into a bar called Tootsies. “Toostie” brought in the musicians, some of them with not a nickel between them. She fed them and gave them warmth so they didn’t have to stand outside in the cold during the winter months. Tootsie became a legend. The bar is still there and is one of the most popular and famous bars on Broadway Street. We ended the city tour with our very own member Loren R playing the guitar and singing a little ditty. It was truly a musical day!

No trip to Nashville is complete without a visit to the Grand Ole Opry. The Grand Ole Opry isn’t a place, it’s a radio broadcast show. The place is the new Opry House. We happen to hit it just perfectly on a Saturday night. We saw the show to a sold-out audience. Before the show we had the opportunity to have a relaxing, EXCLUSIVE one-of-a-kind VIP Event in the Circle Room. We had a catered barbecue, drinks, good music, and lots of laughs. Right before the show started, we were led to our third and fourth row seats. Talk about a VIP experience! It was a two hour show, with the first hour being three very entertaining groups. The last hour we were entertained by three fairly well-known singers. We rocked to music by Country Music Award entertainers Lauren Alaina and Chris Young.  And then lastly, Luke Combs sang of few of his hits It was very surreal being there as I’ve heard about this for years but had never seen it in person. Check out some testimonials from a few members about their experience on Facebook.

Our last day of this wonderful musical Nashville weekend was “on your own” leisure day. Most of the members ended up going to the hop on hop off bus in town, while others took advantage of the morning to sleep in. We all reconnected again at 6 o’clock at Ole Red, which is a restaurant/Honky Tonk, affiliated with Blake Shelton. We sat upstairs where we created a makeshift dance floor. Lauren Papa rocked while we rolled. Our very own Peg A is a professional dance instructor and has been dancing since she was three. She got the whole upstairs line dancing. It was so joyful! But it was also very loud! We loved every minute of it. Back at the hotel, I sat with a few members as they had a nightcap before calling it a night.

It was a fast and furious Memorial Day weekend trip in Nashville. If you missed it, check out the Facebook posts of the fun and laughs. Hope to see you on one of our many Singles Travel International trips – check them out at www.singlestravelintl.com.