16th July 2018
Ahhhh Nashville Tennessee, home of Country music. Am looking forward to my visit here, not least because I’m having a break from riding… as much as I love it, this past week since Albuquerque has been quite exhausting, especially yesterday.
So, what’s the plan Pogs? Well, I have been online and purchased a hop on, hop off trolley tour. I often do book these as I find them to be the most cost effective. I can please myself when I get in and off and in my experience the tour guides are often very good.
But first I have to get from my motel into the city… I’m quite a long way out so decide to get an Uber into town. It is very efficient and I am dropped off near to the first stop on the trolley tour in Lower Broadway. Well I certainly found the centre of the tourist trail…
placeholder://
Lots of neon, shopping, (especially cowboy boots and hats), honky tonk bars, eateries and souvenir shops.
The honky tonks have live bands in them and they all sound very good… I don’t drink so am not keen to go in, but I do find a nice coffee shop and have one before going on the tour. I also spot this….
Oops, might have to check that out!!
I am very good… pick up my poker chip of course.
Then, on my way back to the trolley stop I pass a hat shop, now I love hats so I decide to pop in and have a look. I fall in love with this, so treat myself.
The problem is the guy in the shop doesn’t recommend squashing it in my luggage. They don’t ship to the UK, but he says there’s a FedEx office round the corner. I go there and a very helpful women helps me out with a box etc. But the cost to ship it home is $200… no way!! I sent loads of stuff home last time I was here in 2016, including heavy camera equipment and it didn’t cost that much. We try to find a way around it, but the cheapest she can come up with is $120, still too much… She is very surprised herself and apologetic, it’s not her fault of course. Ok so I am going to have to be very careful packing it.
It’s now 2pm, about time I got on this tour bus… I thought it was going to be the same as the trolleys in San Fran, like this ticket booth
but it’s a modern version… bit disappointed.
And another company has these…
Very gay…
I climb aboard our bus and the driver is Jimbo… he is a very jolly chap and quite entertaining. I discover that I have a good enough signal to do some live video on Facebook….
After that the signal fails and I’m not able to do any more live streaming. The tour continues and Jimbo is a very good guide. 
I really enjoyed it and wish I had done it earlier in the day as I would have liked to return to a few stops, but sadly have run out if time, the trolley tours finish at 6pm.
One place was the old automotive works… now reconfigured as upmarket eateries etc. But still has some exhibits from when it was a car factory…
And of course many, many music industry sites… such as:
And, these may look like ordinary homes, but actually every one is a recording studio!
Also, this apparently is the Batman building..
This is the original Chattanooga Choo Choo. It has been completely restored and is going back into service in a few months as a tourist attraction… of course…. kerching!
Towards the end of the tour, Jimbo showed us some circles in the pavement… I couldn’t get a photo. They are time capsules and one of them has the beloved Goo Goo as part of its contents… what’s a bloody Goo Goo??
Well, after all that touristing I’m in need of a Starbucks… I check on google maps and there’s one a few streets away. And then I pass this…
Well, I have to go in of course.
I’ll try it later.
After Starbucks I order an Uber to take me back to the motel.
I really enjoyed my day and contemplate staying another night, but decide against it in the end.
The Goo Goo is very nice… pecan, caramel, marshmallow and chocolate. There’s 3 in the box so the other two can go home… unless I get peckish of course 😉
Comments