We woke up to rain and grey skies so today was about travelling around Nashville in the car and keeping dry. It was still around 25 degrees mind you so much better than a grey rainy day back home.

After another lovely breakfast at the Germantown Inn our first stop was to find a Walmarts so we could fill the car up with goodies for the road trip that lay ahead. It was pure coincidence that across the road was a guitar centre 😀

After those brief visits it was back on the freeway to find the Grand Old Opry. Now this is apparently THE home of Country & Western music and everybody recommends a visit. To be honest, i found it a little underwhelming and as with most things like this in America, a little bit Disneyfied. By which i mean, it was within a huge shopping and IMAX complex and I just didn’t get the WOW factor as we approached. It was like a glorified Nottingham Royal Concert centre lol. Would probably be different if you were a big Country music fan but it down nowt for us.

We took a few pictures, visited the shop ( far too many people in cowboy boots) and then moved on and randomly found a fantastic little museum and shop …. Cooters.
Now, if you know about those “good old boys”, you would know that Cooter was the Mechanic in Hazzard County that fixed up Bo and Lukes General Lee and this was a museum dedicated to The Dukes Of Hazzard. It was a walk through my youth and brought back loads of memories. I still love watching The Duke boys take on Boss Hog when i find a random episode on TV.

We then got back in the car and headed off to find my own personal Mecca …. Gruhn’s Guitars, Now this place did get my jaw dropping. Wall to Wall vintage guitars and a fantastic southern welcome.

Obviously, none of the fine guitars for sale would have fitted in my luggage so i left with a Mug and a sticker and a glum face lol. The rest of the day has been spent navigating the neighbourhoods of Nashville, finding random sneaker stores in back street malls, eating fantastic home made muffins and then parking the car back up and chilling with a few beers and nice evening meal out at a Taco place where i had an Avacado and Jalapeño Margarita, which was, errr, different.

Breakfast is almost finished now so it’s time to load up the car and head on to Memphis … slightly excited 😀