With our adventure of Penny breaking down on us, Sheila and I continued on to Nashville via taxi to get our replacement car.  This one is much bigger and I’m calling it Land Yacht until I think of a better name.  The skyline of Nashville was a welcome sight when we finally hit I-40.Our first stop was Tootsies Orchid Lounge on Broadway.  Walking the two blocks from the car gave us a lot to see.  Identical twin men wearing matching boots and hats. Shops selling belt buckles, hats, boots, and jewelry line the roads. We passed The Ryman and saw the tour buses lined up for a show at another venue. You can’t miss Tootsies.  It is a light purple and stands out amidst the other brick buildings.  We walked in and I found myself looking right up at a guitarist performing on the stage to the right.  The bar is narrow and filled with people listening to the band on the stage performing.  

Old pictures and memorabilia cover every inch of the walls.  Hundreds of artists of the past watch a new generation of performers entertaining the crowds.  Small candid snapshots, newspaper clippings, and professional shots make a patchwork of country music.  In between the pictures and on every surface people have left their mark with pens, markers, or pencils. I could spend hours walking around reading the names and seeing the pictures and never see it all.  You can feel the decades of history seeped into the very foundation of the building. 
Back on Broadway Sheila and I took our time getting back to the hotel. As Roadies we wanted to see and feel everything Nashville could offer in the time we had.