Day 10 - Homeward Bound

April 2013

Nashville –  It's been a long time since I was awakened by the sound of Ave Maria from church chimes.

As HHonors members we had a complimentary breakfast buffet which was delicious with biscuits, scrambled eggs, sausages, bacon and fresh fruit (yeah strawberries and grapefruit). It’s too bad the service was so bad considering they only had to clear the tables and serve coffee and juice. It would have made more sense to have the juice on the buffet as well.

We called to have our car delivered to us, it was nippy out but the sun was shining. We put on another layer from our supply in the car and DH even pulled out his scarf.

We drove to Printers Alley for a few photos.

Then up Capitol Hill. Parking was difficult and when we did the state ranger asked us where we parked and said we would likely get ticketed and towed so we got back into the car.

And decided to head down to the Ryman Auditorium instead.  Then we took a walk along Broadway and down to the waterfront.

Corner of Fifth Avenue North and Union Street - Chet Atkins

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Roy Acuff and Minnie Pearl statue at the Ryman Auditorium. Her trademark price tag is on her hat at the back.

Ryman Auditorium was originally built as the Union Gospel Tabernacle in 1892 by Thomas Ryman, who owned a fleet of riverboats and several bars in Nashville. Ryman reportedly was tired of hearing about well-known evangelist Samuel Porter Jones preaching against gambling and drinking - two of the very things that made money for Ryman on his riverboats and in his bars. Ryman and several friends attended a revival meeting held by Reverend Jones with the intention of heckling the preacher. However, Ryman ended up getting saved and built the Union Gospel Tabernacle so Reverend Jones, or any other preacher, would have a proper church building any time he came to town. After Ryman's death in 1904, Reverend Jones proposed the tabernacle be renamed Ryman Auditorium.

ON the road again towards Columbus OH for the evening.

First we drive through Kentucky which is such a great state to visit. We've been there efore and there are many different towns to visit with so much history.

We checked into the Hampton Inn in Mason OH near King's Island which was scheduled to open mid April. It was way to cold at the moment for a water park! King's Island is in Mason OH just outside Cincinnati. 
King's Island is touted as the largest amusement park in the mid-west.

The clerk suggested we eat at the Houston Inn in Lebanon. What a quaint place, totally stuck in a 1980's country. Check out their photo gallery here.
However, the prime rib was delicious and the entire meal was very inexpensive.