Old Dogs and Honky Tonks

For the first few days of October, I took a break from my usual backwoods ramblings to join my parents for their annual Old Dogs Reunion. The Old Dogs are a group of long-time colleagues and their spouses from Cabot, the company my dad worked for before retiring. Now they get together once a year in different places around the country. For 2018, their destination was Nashville.

Earlier this summer, when my parents first asked me if I'd like to go, they barely finished asking the question before I said yes. A few of the folks going I've known for decades. Most of the rest I'd never met, however since I've heard stories about them my entire life, their names and personalities were familiar to me. For one woman in particular, while I don't believe I'd previously met her, her son stands out in the collective memory of my siblings and I because he was the only boy babysitter we ever had. We all thought he was pretty cool.

Anyway, glad to be invited, I really looked forward to the trip.

After an evening of welcome cocktails and conversation, the Old Dogs began their first morning in Nashville with a bus tour. Our guide showed us all the sites, dropped lots of names, and gave advice on what to visit later. I enjoyed going along for the ride and taking a break from deciding where to next.

We got off the bus for a tour of the famous Ryman Auditorium.
Our Ryman guide grew up in Magnet Cove, AR, a town just down the road from my mom's hometown.
She also asked an especially cheerful woman in our group to adopt her.

The tall and gaudy Athena statue in the replica Parthenon.
Exactly the type of sculpture one would expect in the "Buckle of the Bible Belt".

That night, everyone piled into cars and we headed to the Grand Ole Opry! The headliner was Rascal Flats, but I liked many of the lesser-known acts better.

There was Dailey and Vincent, a large and lively bluegrass band. The kind where all the members stand around with incredibly chill expressions while playing their instruments insanely fast. Another standout was Stephanie Urbano Jones who performed songs like "Jolene" and "Rose Garden" while accompanied by a mariachi band. Seriously, click the links. She's worth a listen.

My personal favorite was a duo called Striking Matches. In all honesty, I doubt I would've liked them as much if I'd only been listening to a recording, but they were a blast to watch. Both excellent guitar players, they seemed to have had a great time on stage. They did not play this cover of Kanye's "Gold Digger" but the video captures their skill and sense of fun.

The next day, Wednesday, I had mostly to myself. I spent the morning taking a closer look at several places our tour guide had pointed out from the bus and just seeing where my feet would take me.

Getting a little inspiration from Wilma Rudolph at Bicentennial Park.

"We're not walking. We're standing."

Our tour guide advised against Printers' Alley for reasons of shadiness.
I rather like the shade...

A replica of a replica of the fort built by the original settlers.
(All 6 friends are in this one. Good luck!)

View from a pedestrian bridge over the Cumberland River.
I watched the kayaker (center) workout for at least half an hour.

That night after the farewell dinner (a lively feast filled with stories, toasts, and plans for the next time), I finally went to visit some of the bars on Broadway. After brief stays at Tootsie's Orchid Lounge and a few other places, I ended up spending most of the night at Nudie's Honky Tonk. The band wasn't particularly note-worthy. However, they covered a lot of songs I hadn't heard in ages but know all the words to. While I would have preferred to have found a singer/songwriter playing original music, I had a blast belting out 90's hits while being trod upon by drunk Canadians. The only thing missing was my dear friend Olga. She would have loved the set list.

It was nice to to explore an urban setting for a change. However, I couldn't leave the wilderness too far behind. On my last day in the Land Between the Lakes, I'd managed to numerous chiggers, seed ticks, and who knows what else. I spent my entire time in Nashville with legs that looked like something out of a medieval precautionary tale. Fortunately equipped with plenty of hydrocortisone cream and Gold Bond Powder, I got along just fine.

Lastly, I cannot emphasize enough how nice it was to spend a few days with the Old Dogs. Everyone was friendly and genuinely welcoming. My only regret is that I didn't get to talk with everyone more. I can see why they choose to stay in touch and see each other every year.