Spring Fling this year was a MUCH NEEDED break! We both decided to go back to school and finish our degrees so this break was a great time to decompress right before finals. It, like most of our trips, was a whirlwind tour starting in Nashville, then on to Jekyll Island, GA and finishing up in Fort Walton Beach for Billy Bowleg’s.

Nashville

We left Springfield early Friday morning to be in Nashville for the Friday Night Opry at the Grand Ole Opry. We had a lunch stop at the original Lambert’s in Sikeston, MO. It was neat to see the original since we have a branch in Ozark, MO. It was rainy off and on, but a good drive. …at least until Nashville traffic. Doesn’t matte what time of day or what day you drive through Nashville, seems like there is ALWAYS horrible traffic. Nonetheless, we finally arrived and got checked in at the Hampton Inn.

We had a few hours before we could get in, so we drove out towards the Opry to find something to eat for dinner and to kill time.

Pre-Opry

For ALL your Dukes of Hazzard memorabilia, Cooter’s is a must. We tailgated at The Nashville Palace and listened to Brian Rhea perform some covers but his best was his original music. https://www.facebook.com/TheNashvillePalace @brianbheacountry

Grand Ole Opry

The Grand Ole Opry is celebrating 95 years this year. , it is the longest running live radio program. It is the longest running live broadcast show in American history. The lineup has a little something for most everyone. From Country Music Hall of Famers to comedians to traditional country music artists to newcomers to country music, the lineup offers a little bit of something for everyone in the family.

The Friday, April 23, 2021 line up included Rider’s in the Sky, Anita Cochran, Jeannie Robertson, Elvie Shane, Jeanie Seely, Dailey & Vincent, Jimmy Fortune and the Oak Ridge Boys. All performed amazingly. Jimmy Fortune, who used to be with the Statler Brothers before they retired, gave the most moving performance. He dedicated his session to former Statler Brother and close friend Harold Reid. Harold was the bass singer for the Statler Brothers. He passed away almost a year ago to the date.

The Oak Ridge Boys’ performance was an inspiring as expected. The blend of harmony gets even better with age. Amazing Grace standing in the Ryman Circle at center-stage then closing out with Elvira. Couldn’t have been a better evening of great music! https://www.opry.com

 

Ryman Auditorium

The Ryman Auditorium is Mother Church of Country Music. Another MUST SEE stop in Nashville, the historic Ryman Auditorium is located downtown just off Broadway and Rep John Lewis Way. Also known as the Mother Church of Country Music, The Ryman is original home of the Grand Ole Opry. It is steeped in a colorful conception. https://ryman.com/history/

Country Music Hall of Fame

RCA Studio B

RCA Studio B is the birthplace of The Nashville Sound. It was built in 1957 by Dan Maddox. It was managed for many years by the great Chet Atkins. It was the recording studio for powerhouse artists such as Eddy Arnold, Jerry Reed, Jim Ed Brown, Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Jim Reeves, the piano master Floyd Cramer and of course The King. That is Elvis Presley for the less cultured folks.

Some of the most influential hits of that era were recorded in Studio B. Here are just a few. Pop a Top (Jim Ed Brown), San Antonio Rose (Floyd Cramer), Silver Threads and Golden Rings (Skeeter Davis), Cathy’s Clown (The Everly Brothers), Coat of Many Colors (Dolly Parton), Here Comes My Baby (Dottie West), Green, Green Grass of Home (Porter Waggoner), Kiss an Angel Good Morning (Charley Pride), Yakety Sax (Boots Randolph), Crying and Only the Lonely (Roy Orbison), Are You Lonesome Tonight (Elvis Presley).

If you are in tune with the cosmos, you can feel the energy of these music legends as you sit in Studio B soaking up the atmosphere. WHAT AN AMAZING PLACE! https://studiob.org/the-studio/

Bavarian Bierhaus

Great Bavarian food with a fabulous atmosphere! Jeff Taylor, the Go To Accordion Player, provided entertainment with his band. https://www.bierhausnashville.com

Savannah, Georgia

Cathedral of St. John the Baptist

Cathedral of St John the Baptist a beautiful landmark in Savannah that you need to go see if you find yourself in the area. It is a magnificent building with a rich history.

The church dates back to the 1700s when French and Haitian immigrants formed the first parish. In November 1873, the cornerstone for the this cathedral was set by the Right Reverend William H Gross. The first ten years of this building’s existence, it was known as Our Lady of Perpetual Help. In 1898, a fire completely destroyed the insides of the church. The only thing left was the outside walls.

Fourteen years later, the rebuilding was completed. In 2020, Pope Francis decreed that Cathedral of St John the Baptist would be a Minor Basilica. https://savannahcathedral.org

Treylor Park Hitch

A quick bite before getting back on the road to Jekyll. https://www.treylorpark.com/treylor-park-savannah-menu/

Jekyll Island, GA

Jekyll Island is an enchanted place!

Sunrise on Jekyll

There is something enchanting about Jekyll Island, Georgia. Sunrises on Jekyll are always brilliant!

Sunset @ the Wharf on Jekyll

The sunsets are just as stunning as the sunrises on Jekyll.

Lunar Pics-Full Moon

Our first couple of night on Jekyll were 96.8% & 99.7%, respectively. There were only a few scattered clouds to the illumination was brilliant. This is my first successful attempt at taking lunar photos.

Georgia Sea Turtle Sanctuary

This is a MUST SEE stop while on Jekyll Island. Our first trip to Jekyll was short notice and very unplanned so we didn’t take time to see the Sea Turtle Sanctuary. But it will be a stop for us EVERY TIME we visit in the future. It is an amazing place. They have a full ER/Trauma Center that not only treats Sea Turtles, but serves as a triage for other injured animals before they are transferred to other veterinarian facilities.

We say a soft shell turtle that had been ran over by an automobile being examined. Just before we left, a barred owl was brought in. This bird had been hit by a vehicle on the island. It was being examined and then taken for x-rays when we left.

Dolphin Tour

We took a dolphin viewing tour with the

Aircraft Above Jekyll

The Wharf at Jekyll Island

The Wharf at Jekyll Island is a central point on the west side of the island. There is a fabulous restaurant, dolphin tours, sunset tours and the most brilliant places to see the sunset on the island. It is located in the historical district near the cottages. We had lunch twice this trip. Both lunches were very tasty.

Horton’s Pond

No trip to Jekyll is complete without at least a couple of stops to Horton’s Pond. This secluded pond is not too far off the main road and is equipped with a nice driveway back to the viewing platform. Always a fun place to see reptiles.

In 1989, Freddie Fields produced an Academy Award-winning Civil War historical drama called Glory. The movie was about the Union Army’s first African-American regiment, the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment. The film starred Matthew Broderick, Denzel Washington and Morgan Freeman. Portions of Glory were filmed on this beach. It has become known as Glory Beach since.

Driftwood Beach

Driftwood Beach

MV Golden Ray

On my first blog post about Jekyll Island, I posted about the MV Golden Ray shipwreck in the St. Simons Sound just off the northeast point of Jekyll Island. The vessel had just unberthed and was en route to the Port of Baltimore when it capsized in the Sound. All 23 crew members were rescued and in good medical condition. These are the pics of the salvage operations during our visit.

Jekyll Island Pier

Jekyll Island Pier is a cool place to check out. Most likely you will run into at least two or three fishermen at any hour of the day. Some a chilling on the pier in their chair just watching their pole waiting for the fish to bite. On busy days, you can see a hand full of fellas hanging out watching poles and telling stories. Normally the pier has more than annoying amounts of birds, all of which are looking for a quick meal to steal from the fishermen by snagging some of their bait. This day, we only saw a couple of common grackles stealing bait.