Our first destination on leaving Asheville was Affordable RV Repairs, Old Brickyard Rd. Fletcher NC. Considering how difficult it had been to find anyone to even look at Gregory's failings we didn't have to wait terribly long before a mechanic was on the job. The diagnoses were:
- The older of our two house batteries had failed, and when you connect two batteries the pair acts as if they were both the same strength as the weaker one. All it needed was a new battery, but, alas, they did not have one to hand.
- The problem with the headlights was blamed on the switch, but to get a new switch we would have to go to a Ford dealer.
The personnel at Affordable RV Repairs were very friendly, and we were not charged for the investigation, which was a pleasant surprise. On the downside, nothing had actually been fixed.
We headed once again for the Great Smokey Mountains National Park. The road was quite busy and the traffic slowed to a crawl, and then a stop. Was it road works? Or an accident? We inched along and eventually spied pedestrians up ahead. Many of them had cameras. Wildlife? One of the sightseers walked past us and confirmed that there was a herd of elk beside the road. Actually, he said “Herd of ay-ulk,” but we managed to decode his accent. We did see a few of them, but chose not to add to the traffic congestion by stopping on the highway. It was only after we left them behind that we realised we had not photographed the ay-ulk. Sorry.
More autumn/fall colours in Great Smokey Mountains NP.
And yet more.
The National Park straddles the border between North Carolina and Tennessee. As the traveller departs from the mountains on the Tennessee side the road takes you through Pigeon Forge. As if the name were not entertaining enough, it is the site of Dollywood, a theme park partly owned by country singer, Dolly Parton. Ms Parton's famous image cements the connection.
We drove a little further to Maryville, where there is a Walmart.
What to do about our sickly battery and non-performing headlights was a worry. In the morning we spotted an establishment just down the hill from the Walmart parking lot, called Auto Excellence. There was a Ford logo on the wall, although it didn't look like an authorised dealership. There was nothing to lose by asking, so we walked into the office and explained our problems. “We can't start on it straight away. Can you wait for a couple of hours?” We certainly could, when other outfits had quoted weeks.
The mechanic had worked for Ford for 23 years. He knew about our vehicle. The battery diagnosis was confirmed and they had a battery on hand. He doubted that the headlights would be fixed with a new switch. After rummaging behind the dashboard he produced a device. “Here's your problem. This has been overheating. See?” Apparently the connection sockets were discoloured or something. Bill tried to look as though he understood. The important thing was that a new device was conjured up from somewhere and fitted. A very reasonable bill was presented and paid. We flicked the headlights between dip and full beam and they stayed on. What a relief!
There wasn't much left of the day, but we carried on to Sparta and another Walmart.
A sun dog is an atmospheric optical phenomenon that consists of a bright spot to one or both sides of the Sun within a 22° halo. The dog is the brightness to the left with a bit of rainbow colouring. There was a partner dog on the other side of the Sun, but it was difficult to see.
It's not often you can take a picture looking directly at the Sun. An artistic skyscape, don't you agree?
That night the battery ran down again. Oh no. In the morning we tried turning up at an RV specialist without an appointment. They were booked solid for weeks “winterizing” vehicles. Google located a truck repair business not far away, so we telephoned. Yes, they could fit us in. We had to park amongst trucks and buses all morning, but it was fixed in 15 minutes. One of the cables to the new battery must have been loose because it had become detached. Reconnect – tighten – done! There was a minimum charge, which meant they earned about $500 per hour, but this time the repair was permanent. We have had no trouble with the batteries since then.
The Tennessee Walmarts seemed to have a policy of permitting us to stay for up to 24 hours, so we stayed at one near Nashville them moved on to a closer location in the morning. “May we park here overnight?” “Yes, you are welcome to stay for 24 hours.” Great. And we would like to advertise that the staff we spoke to in both Nashville locations were particularly happy and friendly people.
We used Uber to get in and out of the city centre. Our morning driver was very helpful with suggestions of things to see and do, and reassured us that the central area was safe. We found a sightseeing pass that included entry to 4 of Nashville's attractions.
A hop-on hop-off bus tour counted as one “attraction”, but first we went to the Ryman Auditorium. The building started life as a church, but has become Nashville's premier venue for country music. Apparently the acoustics are particularly good. There were preparations going on for a performance that evening, but it was sold out. The history of the building and some of the individuals associated with it was fascinating. It is still closely associated with the Grand Ole Opry, a weekly country music radio show, that was broadcast from “The Ryman” from 1943 to 1974. Since 1999 it has returned to the Ryman for all of its November, December, and January shows.
We rode the bus around its entire loop without getting off. There are a LOT of places in Nashville associated with musicians, recording and the music industry generally.
The Parthenon in Centennial Park, in Nashville, Tennessee, is a full-scale replica of the original Parthenon in Athens. It was designed by Confederate veteran William Crawford Smith and built in 1897 as part of the Tennessee Centennial Exposition.
The AT&T Building; tallest in Tennessee.
The Uber driver had particularly recommended the Country Music Hall of Fame. We echo his endorsement. It is a wonderfully presented history of country music. Nearly all of it was new to Bill, who is quite knowledgeable about jazz, but has little interest in other music genres. He is not exactly a convert to country music, but he enjoyed this visit very much.
For the last use of our pass we visited the Johnny Cash Museum and learned even more about “The Man in Black”.
We optimistically returned to The Ryman at 5:30 when performers' tickets and any cancellations are offered for sale. The queue was already a long one so we didn't join it.
The Internet contains many claims that Nashville offers free live music 24/7 throughout the year. This is being a teeny bit economical with the truth. There are many bars on Broadway where the visitor does not pay separately for the music, but the bands are not paid by the bar so they brazenly solicit “tips” and the bars charge well over the odds for beer.
There are quite a few of these “pedal taverns” in Nashville. But whoever heard of a tavern that does not sell alcohol? You have to pay for the hire of the vehicle, pedal it yourself and bring your own booze. Nonetheless these young ladies were evidently enjoying the experience.
The pump is part of the “tavern” but it is not connected to anything unless you bring your own keg.
With many other visitors we thronged Broadway looking for some live music. In the city that is the heart of country music most of the bands were playing rock. Listen up, Nashville. This is not good enough.
Eventually we found a bar that promised country music, but it was between sets and the new band was setting up. An employee at the door suggested an affordable eating house across the way. We would have to queue, but the line generally moved quite quickly.
Well fed, we re-crossed Broadway and entered the bar. It was busy, but we were lucky enough to get a table for two. We paid $6.50 for a small draft beer in a plastic cup and contributed some paper money when the band passed round the hat, and so we did get to listen to live country music in Nashville.
The Uber driver who took us back to our vehicle was initially very grumpy. When he accepted the request he immediately sent a message “I am here”, but all we could see was a long line of headlights. How do you identify an Uber car in the dark when you cannot even see its colour until it has arrived? We did not understand all of his complaint. Perhaps he used features of the Uber system we don't know about. Happily he thawed out during the journey.
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