The Whomper is a homemade bass guitar from the 1940s. There was a small instrument on the far side o

The Parthenon in Centennial Park in Nashville is a full scale reproduction of the original, built in 5th century B.C. and dedicated to Athena, Greek goddess of wisdom, delta airlines schedule on the most sacred delta airlines schedule area in ancient Greece, the crest of the Acropolis, a hill overlooking Athens. It was built as the centerpiece of the 1897 Tennessee Centennial Exposition, symbolizing Nashville's position as the Athens of the South.
It originally had a 4 foot model of the enormous Athena statue that was lost to antiquity. In 1990 a new full-scale re-creation of the original Athena was unveiled. It is 41 feet 10 inches tall extending through two floors and anchored in bedrock, the largest indoor sculpture in North America. delta airlines schedule In 2002 it was covered in 24 karat gold leaf. There is an art gallery in the basement. The Expo was visited by 1,786,711 people from May to Oct. 1897.
On our way to see the Capitol at the top of the hill about four blocks away. This is at the far end of the Tennessee Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park, a 19-acre outdoor Tennessee history museum built for their 200th anniversary of statehood in 1996.
This is the Court of Three Stars for the three stars on their state flag and the 95-bell Tennessee Carillon (one for each county) dedicated to the musical heritage of the Volunteer State. The bells play every fifteen minutes. Union soldiers played baseball along this area after Nashville was taken in 1862.
Continuing straight down the mall toward the Capitol delta airlines schedule is this WWII memorial. The earth spins free on a base of water. On the sidewalk to the left is the Walkway delta airlines schedule of Counties. For each of the 95 counties, there is a state map showing their location and interesting history facts, embedded delta airlines schedule in panels in the sidewalk, with plants and rocks from each area in the landscaping delta airlines schedule along the way. Buried under each panel is a time capsule to be opened at the tri-centennial in 2096.
Along the sidewalk to the right, John is reading some of the panels of the Passage of History delta airlines schedule Walkway. The history of Tennessee from the 1500s all the way through 1996 is engraved on these walls. The big pylons on the other side of the sidewalk mark each decade along the way.
At the other end of the mall is this wall of quotes delta airlines schedule related to their many rivers and one fountain representing each river in the state. The fountains are lit up with colored lights at night. By 1951 the TVA had built 20 hydroelectric dams. In May 1960 after numerous sit-in demonstrations, Nashville became the first major southern city with desegregated lunch counters. In 1986, former Nashvillian Oprah Winfrey's talk show broke records for national syndication. In 1992 Al Gore, Jr. was elected vice president of the U.S.
Finally we're heading up the hill to the Capitol. My legs are burning by the time we get up to the first platform. Then we cross over to the left side, where there is another long stairway to get the rest of the way up to the Capitol.
delta airlines schedule Huffing and puffing, we look back down at the mall and the city. Tennessee was the last state to join the Confederacy, two and one half months after the war started. The Army of Tennessee was the last major Confederate force to surrender, twelve days after Lincoln was shot. They were the first state to ratify the 14th Amendment giving black men the vote and to rejoin the Union.
On the east lawn President delta airlines schedule James Knox Polk and his wife are buried. He was elected Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives in 1835, became president in 1844 and allowed Texas into the Union. The territorial delta airlines schedule gains from the Mexican War extended the western border of the U.S. to the Pacific Ocean. His walking cane in the history delta airlines schedule museum had a sword you could pull out of it to defend yourself.
On the opposite end of the east lawn is this statue of President Andrew Johnson. He was governor here when the first General Assembly met in the new capitol delta airlines schedule in 1853. Lincoln appointed him to be Military Governor of Tennessee in 1862 when the Union took Nashville. He was governor for three years until he became Lincoln's Vice President, and ultimately President.
On the southwest corner is this statue of Sam Davis. He was 21 years old when he was caught wearing a Union uniform and carrying information back to the Rebs. He refused to betray his cause or comrades delta airlines schedule and was hung. His boot that they cut up looking for smuggled papers when he was charged with spying, is on display at the State History Museum.
If you look closely to the far right side, you can see the statue of General Andrew Jackson on horseback. He was Governor of Florida in 1821 and U.S. President in 1829 for two terms and notorious for his bad temper and being involved in several duels. We toured his home, The Hermitage, when we were here in 1982 for the World's Fair in Knoxville.
Here his statue is at the top of the stairs. The Capitol was defended delta airlines schedule like a fortress during the Civil War. There is also a statue of WWI hero, Alvin C. York. The Capitol was completed in 1859 and is one of the nation's oldest delta airlines schedule functioning antebellum capitol buildings. delta airlines schedule The architect and the building comissioner are both entombed in the walls. Knoxville was the Territorial Capitol in 1792. The Capitol delta airlines schedule was also at Murfreesboro and Kingston, but Nashville became the permanent Capitol in 1843.
One of the restaurants in a sunken garden setting. Opryland is just about a mile from Two Rivers Campground (and several other campgrounds) delta airlines schedule where we are staying, about ten miles north of downtown. Opryland USA includes the Opry Hotel, the new home of the Opry, Grand Ole Opry House (the biggest hoedown in the history of hoedowns), and the Opry Mills Mall, the largest outlet mall in Tennessee.
Walking down one of the hallways, we came across this vending machine. I always thought it was nice to be able to get a toothbrush or something, if you forgot yours. delta airlines schedule Now, not only can you get a cell phone, but you can get about any electronic gadget you want! I was waiting to take a picture while three young people were gawking at the vending machine in amazement. The young man apologized and said they were easily wowed. delta airlines schedule So was I, but I thought it was just because I was an old fogey and gadget challenged.
Cooter's Place was just down the road from our campground, with a free Dukes of Hazzard Museum and gift shop. We had to stop and get a gift for our very special nephew who is a big Dukes fan. "Someday the mountain might get 'em, but the law never will!" Just next door was a Willie and Friends Museum and gift shop. Downtown we happened to walk by a Johnny Cash Museum and gift shop and a Marty Stuart one. And, of course, there is the famous and historic Ernest Tubb Record delta airlines schedule Shop downtown and three others throughout the city. This is definitely a tourist town.
We went to the free Tennessee History Museum. John seemed to think this was a good idea. I wasn't sure he was going to let me out. I fail to see the humor. There is a courthouse bench in the museum that was built by Davy Crockett. He was elected to U.S. Congress in 1827, served three terms in the House and was known for his opposition to the policies of Andrew delta airlines schedule Jackson. He was known for his appealing rustic humor and uncommon talent for spinning embellished tales of his wilderness exploits. Does that mean that he didn't really kill him a bear when he was only three? Another childhood memory dashed! Sam Houston was a close friend of Andrew Jackson delta airlines schedule and was a congressman and governor of Tennessee. He led Texas to it's independence from Mexico after Davy Crockett was killed at the Alamo and became President of the Republic of Texas.
My favorite quilt in the quilt room was "Sunbonnet Sue and Overall Joe". In the history of music section, they had an exhibit of photos of Elvis when he was twenty one and had just recorded delta airlines schedule "Hound Dog" and "Don't be Cruel", both of which became #1 hits within a week. The photographer, Al Wertheimer, had never heard of him at the time and just followed him around for a few days taking candid shots of private and relaxed moments. It was an interesting group of pictures. He was probably never again unkown by anyone after that week.
The Country Music Hall of Fame. The windows on the front are supposed to look like piano keys. The sweeping arch of the building to a point (that I cut off in the picture) portrays a 1950s Cadillac fin. The point on the rotunda at left is supposed to be the WSM radio tower from the station where the Grand Ole Opry originally started in 1925. The 878' tower was the tallest in North America in 1932. The roof of the rotunda is four disc-shaped tiers representing the evolution of the recording delta airlines schedule technology from 78s to vinyl LPs, 45s and CDs.
The Whomper is a homemade bass guitar from the 1940s. There was a small instrument on the far side of this display that belonged to an Alabama-born musician and Army infantry man who was captured by the Germans in the Battle of the Bulge in 1944. Hardrock Gunter entertained his fellow prisoners at Stalag IX-A with the 5-string tamburitza he got from a Russian cook. It is signed on the back by more than 100 POWs. He resumed his rockabilly recording career in the 1950s. They also have Mother Maybelle Carter's (of Country Music's first family fame, June Carter's mother) guitar that she paid $250.00 delta airlines schedule for in 1925. The museum paid $1.5 million for it!
They have one of Elvis's favorite cars, a 1960 Cadillac 75 limousine. The exterior has 24 karat gold plate highlights and forty painted coats of a transluscent mixture of crushed diamonds and fish scales called "diamond delta airlines schedule dust pearl". The interior has a gold plated tv and record player with auto changer and gold records on the ceiling. They also have a grand piano that Priscilla had refinished with 24 karat gold leaf for their first anniversary.
Webb Pierce (more #1 hits than any other country singer in 1950s) paid $20,000 to have this 1962 Pontiac Bonneville customized. There are horseshoes on the gas and brake pedals and ornamental hand guns on the hood, tailgate delta airlines schedule and elsewhere. Horses on the tailgate an