I drove East on I94 in intermittent rain showers from Bismarck, North Dakota to St. Paul, Minnesota. The rain reminded me of a September trip I had taken to Tennessee. I discovered Tennessee on a second-grade school library visit. Three decades later I flew into Memphis on a Sunday. On Monday, I toured Graceland, the Civil Rights Museum, hurried down Beale Street, walked across the Big River Crossing (or Mississippi River), and stood inside a pyramid.
On Tuesday, I drove to Nashville. I had pre-purchased my Opry ticket for the evening show. Over the next few days, I hiked local parks, visited a botanical garden, a bookstore, the capitol building, and the Country Music Hall of Fame located in Downtown. After the Hall of Fame, I decided to eat before returning to my room rental. Many locals suggested I walk Downtown’s Broadway, also called Honky Tonk Highway, for music and lively atmosphere. Broadway, Beale, and Bourbon Streets are not my scene. But when I looked to my right and saw the bright neon signs I had to see this glowing art. I gazed and strolled.
As I walked the blocks back to my rental car, I heard the music and lyrics of Eddie Rabbit’s ‘Drivin’ My Life Away.’ That song and Rabbit’s ‘I Love a Rainy Night’ were two elementary school favorites of mine. I followed the music then paused and peered into the open windows of a bar. A duo was singing and strumming their guitars. They finished the song and began ‘I Love a Rainy Night.’ It made me feel good to relish the music and my little girl nostalgia as a soft rain fell. I’m gladdened by the serendipitous intersections of an ordinary drive, childhood discoveries, and touring Tennessee.
Links to the Eddie Rabbitt songs ~ Drivin' My Life Away & I Love a Rainy Night
~Places mentioned in the blog~
♫ Memphis
Graceland: Home of Elvis Presley
♫ Nashville