Nashville Trip: Patsy Cline Museum

On my recent trip to Nashville, our group was on the way to dinner with about 45 minutes to kill. We stumbled upon the Johnny Cash Museum and all were excited to go inside and check it out. I noticed that a slightly smaller sign was promoting the Patsy Cline Museum one floor above. I quickly left the group.

It was a whirlwind for me, as I did not really have the time to absorb all the details as I would have liked. Instead, I adopted a “snap now look at later” mentality. Patsy has been a favorite of mine for years, ever since my early 30s when I discovered her vocal magic. This gal could sing like nobody’s business and put her heart and soul into every number.



On the way to superstardom, she tragically died in a plane crash in 1963 at the age of 30. Despite her life being cut short, superstardom was achieved posthumously, as “Crazy” and “Walkin’ After Midnight” are still favorites of music lovers everywhere.



The museum is small, but packed with a number of rare and extremely personal items related to Patsy, including many of the letters she wrote to fans and friends. Her down to earth quality is evident in all of them.



The soda fountain that Patsy worked at as a teen is represented by an actual booth and sign from the Drug Store in Winchester, Virginia:



You can even get a glimpse of Patsy’s house from the key:



to the den:



to the dining room, re-created with Patsy’s original decor:



Here’s La Cline in the actual room:



How about this lovely serving set?



It would have been a nice touch if they had put 3 cigarettes in the ashtray.



One of the most touching parts of the exhibit were these two costumes created after Patsy’s death. She had given very specific instructions to Nudie’s Rodeo Tailors about what she wanted them to look like just before her fatal crash. Finally, in 2017, Nudie’s carried out her wish; you can just about see her wearing these.



If you’re ever in Nashville, make sure you stop by here; and leave plenty of time!

See more Patsy Cline Museum photos at my main website.

Union Station Hotel

Built in 1900, Nashville's Union Station became a luxury hotel in 1986. I love a good adaptive reuse that preserves historic detail while finding new life for something that might have been torn down instead.



Last year, a $15.5 million renovation was completed that helped bring the property into the modern age while retaining its history.



The lobby is really a stunner:





Vintage tile: check.



Handcrafted stained glass windows: check.



An impressive staircase: check.



An inviting fireplace: check.



This was one of the few things that made me wish I'd had more time to linger in this city.

More Nashville, Tennessee at my main website.

Welcome to Puckett's

Sporting five locations, I was completely unaware of Puckett's Grocery & Restaurant until my recent visit to Nashville. The location I visited was brand spanking new; in fact, it wasn't even officially open yet. Thanks to my very persuasive friend Michelle, we were able to crash their soft opening and enjoy their amazing (yet fairly unhealthy) menu. Starting out as a grocery store back in the fifties, Puckett's focuses on "providing friends new and old with great food and Southern hospitality." I'd say that they succeed.



Even though things were still a bit new and there were a few bugs to iron out, the staff was super friendly and the food was delicious (definitely worth the wait!). I also really dug the decor, which was an eclectic mix of vintage signage and antiques.







We were all a bit creeped out by the little guy poking his finger in the bread.



Check out the cool ceiling!



Now bring on the food! Fried green beans were a great appetizer:



I chose the Piggy Mac and Cheese for dinner. Gouda cheese...barbeque pulled pork...and fortunately it was appropriately sized. Otherwise, my arteries might have clogged on site.



And for dessert...nothing less than the deep fried brownie sundae would do. And yes, that's a huge slice of candied bacon on top.



This is why I run and work out.

More from Puckett's at my main website.

Memories of Opryland and Nashville Giveaways

In the Spring of 1985, I was a junior at Indiana University majoring in Telecommunications (oh good Lord, my hair!) and my good friend Margie Wineman was a Music Education Major. On weekends, she would trek on down to Nashville, Tennessee, to perform in the show "For Me and My Gal" at the American Music Theatre at Opryland. She was a fantastic performer, and had the most beautiful voice. The first two photos here were taken at the Opryland Hotel after one of her performances:



I remember being impressed by the Opryland Hotel, with its indoor trees, gazebo, and waterways.



The rest of the photos shown here today are from "For Me and My Gal," which was a salute to music from the turn-of-the-20th-century and George M. Cohan. The show was held in the American Theatre:



The signage in front:



Margie is visible in the oval cutout, 2nd from the right:



A barbershop quartet to rival the Dapper Dans:



Margie took the microphone to sing a solo to her sweetheart:



Here, she gets serenaded while sitting on the same park bench:



My seat for the show was on the right side of the auditorium; I always got excited when Margie performed stage right...I didn't have to shoot over the heads of the orchestra players for those shots!





For one of the performances, I switched sides to get a shot of her in this can-can outfit. She glanced right at the camera:



What Cohen tribute would be complete without a rip-roaring finale?



My memories of the park itself are somewhat hazy; I spent most of my time there watching Margie's show...over...and over...and over. I do remember it being a very quaint and low-key place, with a beautiful carousel:



For a number of reasons that kept the park from being financially viable, Opryland was closed in December 1997.

See more vintage Daveland Opryland photos on my Opryland web page.

Memphis: Just a few more

On one of my early morning runs/photo shoots (great combo of activities!), I literally stumbled upon the site where Martin Luther King was killed over 40 years ago. With nobody around, it is somewhat chilling. Converted into a Civil Rights Museum, replicas of the two cars that were parked in front of the hotel make you feel as if you’d entered a time warp.







Later in the day, I returned to the site for a few more photos, hoping for better lighting. By this time, the museum was open and you could see Joe-Schmoe tourist walking around the rooms of the motel. Just didn’t seem right. I left shortly thereafter.

A very positive experience that I had in Memphis was being shown the Courthouse by an Officer on Duty. Even though it was closed, the recently restored building was opened up for me and my camera. How cool was that—a private guided tour! Thumbs up to Memphis hospitality!







If you’re looking for a great restaurant while in town, Daveland highly recommends the Majestic Grille, located in a former theater. You can still see remnants of the building’s past. Although it’s a shame to lose a vintage theater, adaptive re-use sure beats the wrecking ball!







See more Memphis photos at my website.