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Nashville
Nashville is home to country music and acoustic genius and is rapidly becoming the centre of country songs, which draws millions of fans to the city every year. Dozens of famous names in the music world have been nourished in Nashville since 1925 when the legendary 'Grand Ole Opry' went on the air, broadcasting weekly shows touting the talents of up and coming singers. It all began in the downtown Ryman Auditorium, originally a church, which became the music hall where the likes of Dolly Parton and Roy Acuff first strutted their stuff.
Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
Visitors to Nashville who aren't fans of country music when they arrive, inevitably will be before they leave. That being the case the best place to begin your visit is the not-to-be-missed Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in the Downtown entertainment district. The main permanent exhibit, Sing Me Back Home, is a journey through the history of country Music, drawing on the museum's rich collection of historical costumes, memorabilia, instruments, photographs, manuscripts and other objects. Live performances, interactive exhibits, and lots of great music supplement these artefacts. Among the exhibits are Elvis Presley's gold-leaf covered Cadillac, Emmy Lou Harris' jewelled cowboy boots and Bob Dylan's autographed lyric sheets. Live music is played in the atrium and digital film presentations are offered in the theatre. Visitors can also watch museum archivists and restoration experts at work, and study a vast wall displaying chart-topping gold and platinum country records.
Address: 222 Fifth Avenue South; Telephone: (800) 852 6437; Website: www.countrymusichalloffame.org; Opening time: 9am to 5pm daily. Closed Tuesdays in January and February, and closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day; Admission: $16.95 (adults); $8.95 (youth). Children under 5 are free
Grand Ole Opry
The Grand Ole Opry is famous worldwide for country music and is based in Nashville, with a 4,400-seat auditorium, which is part of the Opryland resort complex north of Nashville's city centre. From here the world's longest running radio show is still broadcast on the Nashville station WSM (650 on the AM dial), featuring new stars, superstars and legends of country and bluegrass music performing live on stage. No visit to Nashville is complete without attending a show at the Grand Ole Opry, which has been going strong on the airwaves since 1925.
Address: 2802 Opryland Drive, Opry Plaza; Telephone: Tickets and information: (615) 871 6779; Website: www.opry.com; Opening time: Shows generally take place on Friday at 7.30pm, Saturday 6.30pm and 9.30pm, and Tuesday at 7pm. (Times can vary according to season); Admission: Ticket prices range from $24-44.50 (adults)
Belle Meade Plantation
Dating back the 1853, the Greek revival mansion house is renowned at the 'queen of Tennessee plantations' and is one of Nashville's only attractions that is not musically based. The authentic Civil War bullet holes that riddle its columns are still visible. Among the outbuildings that survive on the 12-hectare (30-acre) site is one of the oldest houses in Tennessee, a log cabin built in 1790. There is also a carriage house, visitor centre, tearoom and gift shop. The Belle Meade estate was one of America's first and finest thoroughbred breeding farms. Guides dressed in period costume give tours of the antebellum furnished mansion and grounds.
Telephone: (615) 356 0501-21; Website: www.bellemeadeplantation.com; Transport: The estate in Harding Road can be reached by public bus number 3 from Riverfront Park; Opening time: Daily tours are from Monday to Saturday 9am to 5pm and Sunday 11am to 5pm; Admission: $11 (adults); seniors $9.50, $5 (children), under sixes free
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
To the east of the city of Nashville and located on the border between North Carolina and Tennessee is the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, the covers over a million acres of beautiful landscapes. The park is a designated International Biosphere Reserve and a World Heritage Site drawing millions of visitors every year to enjoy the panoramic views, tumbling mountain streams, uninterrupted forest and historic buildings it encompasses. The main route to the park is via Knoxville, Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, all worth a visit in their own right. Inside the park itself there are more than 270 miles (435km) of road through the ancient mountains, which are home to a variety of plant and animal life, many of the species unique and rare. The park offers numerous outdoor recreational pursuits and offers a glimpse into the lives of early southern Appalachian farming families, boasting 77 historic structures like log cabins, barns, churches and gristmills.
Telephone: (865) 436 1200 (Visitor Information Recorded Message); Website: www.nps.gov/grsm; Transport: No public transport accesses the park; Opening time: The park is open year round; Admission: Free
