Wednesday's Wander to the Wayside: Grand Ole Opry Museum.

My sister-in-law, Alice (of Friday's Favorites), and her husband, Doug, were here for a visit this last week, and I can't even begin to tell you what a joy it was to see them. They are a past and current attachment to our former life in Colorado, and Alice is my husband David's last remaining sibling of the original four (Sandy, the oldest, died of breast cancer, and Corey, the youngest, died of suicide). So not only was it a treat for me to see one of my oldest and dearest friends, but for David and Alice it was a span of time to try to close some of the miles that keep that apart, even if for only a short time.

We did a lot of sitting while they were here because I was puny with a sore throat (and had laryngitis for half their visit) and David had to squeeze in some work, and it rained, but we did do a little running around in our area (I'm sure I'll do another post). They were flying home out from Nashville this past Monday, so we drove them and got a little last minute sight-seeing done. We had limited time, so just stopped by the Grand Ole Opry complex and walked around, though the theatre was closed and cordoned off. We were able to get into the Museum, which was very cool if you like and are familiar with the history of country music. Here are a few touristy photos:

These doors were massive. We could have taken a back stage tour, but it was $15 a person and mainly we didn't have enough time.

Me and David (or is it David and I?) Wish I'd put some makeup on!

Doug and Alice

They have the interior set up with these retro tableaus, which added to the ambiance of the place.

This mural was awesome and so real. Reminded me of Norman Rockwell. If you know your country music stars, you should enlarge this and see how many you can pick out in the audience.

I was surprised that the George Jones display was relatively small and conservative, considering what a high profile personality in country music he was.

This is a replica of Patsy Cline's home, I guess. It took me right back to our den when I was a teenager in the late 50s early 60s.

I loved this photo from when Tex Ritter was running for political office, with these legends all in one sitting. Left to right are Tennessee Ernie Ford (gosh, did I love his show - and 'bless your little pea pickin' heart'!), woman unknown (probably Mrs. Tennessee Ernie), Tex Ritter, woman unknown (probably Mrs. Ritter), Roy Rogers, Minnie Pearl, and Roy Acuff (I think-correct me if I'm wrong). (I guess I should have magnified this so I could see the faces better!)

They had a lot of these old posters, which added to the ambiance (can I use that word twice in one post?) of the place. This one caught my attention because of the date - 1948 - which is when I was born.

The Marty Robbins display was huge. This car, a Panther, was awesome, but we couldn't figure out exactly who made it and when. Wish we could have sat in it! It was a four-seater.

Marty Robbins guitars.

I knew Marty Robbins could be flashy, but I had no idea how much so. There were way too many for me to show here or get photos of, but this was the one that turned out best. Seriously, enlarge this so you can appreciate the embroidery.

How-dee! Minnie Pearl had a nice display, including one about her involvement with breast cancer education and research.

Most of the artists had a tv display with their performances on old tv shows like Hee Haw, Tennessee Ernie Ford Show, Grand Ole Opry, etc. It was like stepping into a time capsule.

I think this was the Roy Acuff display. Again, the displays really took you back in time, if not to what you were listening to, then perhaps your mother, uncle, or grandmother.

Obviously I didn't have my camera set right for Tex Ritter and had to brighten a lot. There was also a photo of him with his family, including one of my favorite comedians, John Ritter.

Of course there were way more displays than I could ever put here, so this was just a sampler. After the museum we had to take Alice and Doug directly to the airport, then David and I had the long two and a half/three hour drive home in the dark, so no photos. But we did have to stop to 'rest' at one of the tourist centers, and found this:

Ya'll come back now, hear?