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Archives:
March 2004
Nashville, Tennessee
[03.26] The Country Music Hall of Fame debuts its much-anticipated
new exhibit on Nashville's rich history of R&B music. Night
Train to Nashville: Music City Rhythm & Blues, 1945-1970
opens Mar. 27.
[03.25] Searching for wireless internet in Nashville? Here's a
bare bones list of the free Wi-Fi hotspots
in town I've discovered thus far.
[03.22] The Vanderbilt
women's team secured a Sweet Sixteen berth for themselves in
the NCAA's Women Basketball Championship by defeating Chattanooga
60-44.
[03.21] Sweet Sixteen it is for Vanderbilt's
men basketball's team. Congratulations to Matt Freiji for leading
the Commodores to an exciting come-from-behind 75-73 NCAA tournament
victory over NC State.
[03.15] Luck of the Irish came through Sunday as rain threatened,
but held off until after the big St.
Patrick's Day parade on Church Street.
[03.13] Nashville in Dec. 1864 was
the scene of one of the most significant battles in the Civil War.
The historic record of the occupation and that winter battle have
been threatened with extinction due in part to the unusual nature
of the "battlefield"--the city itself (where urban growth
has accelerated the loss of important landmarks). A dedicated group
of volunteers is working to preserve the Civil War chapter in Nashville's
history through the Battle of Nashville
Preservation Society. Their web site is a splendid compendium
of links, maps, photos, and opportunities for volunteer involvement.
The BONPS' Virtual Tour of the Battle
of Nashville also offers a free downloadable driving tour and
map. NEW: BlueShoe Nashville's has
added its own guide to Civil War History
(battlefields and museums) in Nashville and Middle Tennessee.
[03.12] We've updated our Directory of Nashville
Links, culling out the deadwood and adding new links to a range
of cool sites--from historic Nashville postcards to the Friends
of Radnor Lake.
[03.11] British travelers are discussing the South and Nashville
in particular in this online
forum from The Guardian newspaper. Astonishingly, our summer
weather puts them off, but it seems the city itself charms them
(see the cordial reference to BlueShoe Nashville.)
[03.09]Honor the Irish: memorize a love poem by W.
B. Yeats in anticipation of St.
Patrick's Day next week.
[03.08] Jump to the past: from BlueShoe Nashville's original 1998
site, here's an homage to the Stuckeys' restaurants that graced
the southern highways of our childhood. It's an on-line version
of the Pegs game. During the Great Depression,
a Georgia man named W.S.
Stuckey, Sr. began selling pecans door-to-door. His empire took
off when he had a brainstorm to sell the nuts from a roadside stand
to take advantage of the winter tourist season. His first retail
store was built in 1937 in Eastman, Georgia and from there he expanded
to more Georgia stores and then Florida. Eventually, Stuckeys stretched
from coast to coast. No Stuckeys, alas, remain in Nashville, but
Tennessee
towns like Pelham, Jellico, Newport, and Sevierville still boast
the roadside icon. Can't make it to Jellico? Well, you can buy pecan
treats online at the cool, retro-looking
Stuckeys web site. There's even a Stuck
on Stuckeys fan site with photos and charming relics of the
pecan power of yesteryear. And don't forget BlueShoe's own tribute:
play PEGS.
[03.04] Where do Nashvillians work? The list of the largest
employers might surprise you. We're a high-brow culture, it
seems, with the top six spots held by education, government, and
the healthcare industry. For comparison, we've included top employers
for the state of Tennessee as a whole and for other mid-state counties
as well. Shopping boosts the economy, for example, in Williamson
County where the largest employer is none other than the chic mall
called Cool Springs Galleria. Do I feel a Parisian impulse coming
on?
[03.02] Happy Birthday, Doc
Watson! Born on March 2, 1923 near Deep Gap, N.C., Watson's
influence on country and bluegrass music is legendary.
[03.01] The CMA Fan Fair 2004,
scheduled this year for June 10-13, has been called the "Crown
Jewel" of country music festivals. With 45 hours of live concerts
and some of the most beloved stars (like Vince Gill and Wynonna)
appearing, it holds a spot in the Nashville calendar unmatched in
popularity perhaps by any other annual event. BlueShoe Nashville
will be updating our Fan Fair Guide frequently
with traveling tips and things you shouldn't miss during your June
visit to Music City.
[02.28] Much closer than June is Spring and that
means, among all the other wonderful things like the return of outdoor
dining and backless dresses, wildflowers. Middle Tennessee, with
its quick access to the Cumberland Plateau and the Great
Smoky Mountains National Park, along with its own rare limestone
glade plants found no where else in the world, is one of the best
places in the country for wildflower excursions. We're just put
up the first schedule of 2004 Wildflowers
Hikes and Events and we'll be updating it frequently with new
information and photos in BlueShoe's
Wildflower Blog. Don't think you have to go far from downtown
Nashville to revel in the botanical glories. Our own city parks
are wonderful places to take naturalist-guided hikes to see why
this area is so well regarded by outdoor enthusiasts and scientists.
Wander a bit around town with BlueShoe's online
tour and see what's happening
in Nashville. February is spring-cleaning month for us, which means
we're shucking old information and reordering and adding new features
on vacation packages. The first to come online will be the inimitable
Johnny Walker and his company's offerings of vacation packages for
Fan Fair 2004.
 Featured
photo: The Bellsouth "Batman Building,"
one of the landmarks in downtown Nashville, overlooks the old brick
storefronts of Lower Broad--a row of cowboy apparel stores and honky-tonks
such as Tootsie's Orchid Lounge.
We've just added a page dedicated to Nashville's
local live theatre productions, including those by Darkhorse
Theatre and the TN Repertory.
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