Rippavilla,Opryland Hotel Maps, and Marty Stuart
A special treat in the tour of the Antebellum home at Rippavilla, near Columbia, was our stop after the farm tours yesterday. Built before the civil war, this great mansion is now owned by the Saturn Company that has a manufacturing plant nearby. It is a farm history and historic site, and played quite a role during the civil war, passing in occupancy between both armies. The absolute beauty and integrity of the restoration is reinforced by the collection of a lot of original furnishings. At this home built originally by a Frenchman, we had a wonderful light lunch and enjoyed a narrated tour of the home and the giftshop.
Following this we headed to Nashville for our visit to the Opryland Hotel. Words are inadequate to describe, so just imagine a hotel larger than any airport terminal you have ever seen, and then fill that with shops, Atriums, Waterfalls, precious blooming plants, and Conservatories, and you’ll have some idea of the scope of this operation. Maps are mandatory and if you don’t carry yours, you will get lost. Imagine that, lost in a hotel! I believe they said they hire 4000 employees there……
After we explored the wonderful facility at Opryland and did a little shopping, we went to the Grand Ole Opry. Here’s where I must admit that I am a lifetime fan of Marty Stuart, and he performed last night. I plan to share some photos and believe that I got some pretty good shots! He still has that fabulous voice, and was a child prodigy on the banjo at age seven when he first performed with Bill Monroe. He’s a multi-decade talent who’s pretty close to my age group, and can write, play and sing with any of ‘em! Jeanne Sealy, Connie Smith, Porter Waggoner, Jim Ed Brown, Dusty Drake, Jeff Bates, Pam Tillis, The McReynolds Bluegrass Group and others rounded out the evening.