Nashville, McAfee Knob and HOME

The Music Highway is the road (I-40) between Memphis and Nashville. It is so named because of the rich music history in both cities and on the path between them. Memphis is the “Home of the Blues and the Birthplace of Rock and Roll”. Nashville is “Music City USA” for its influence on numerous types of music, especially country. Several cities and towns between the two destinations, such as Jackson, Brownsville, Nutbush (Near Ripley), Waverly were birthplaces or homes of famous singers and songwriters.

As I settle in the Nashville Airbnb condo, an obvious plaque on the wall catches my eye. The plaque is a thank you from Rascal Flatts to Alissa Moreno (the woman who owns this home) for co-writing the Grammy-nominated hit Every Day.

Upon doing some research, I discover (via her website) that her music is well-known and widespread. It is featured in television and film with numerous songs licensed to The Hills, Laguna Beach, How I Met Your Mother, Guiding Light, Will and Grace, and Criminal Minds. She was the vocal coach to Ben Affleck for his SAG Award-winning role in Hollywoodland. Ms. Moreno has been recorded by artists such as Colbie Caillat, Rascal Flatts, Sara Evans, Vince Gill, and Vertical Horizon. She is also a charming and organized Airbnb host.

If you visit Nashville, the Hall of Fame is a must. It is located in downtown, in a new building with modern architecture. Inside, there are many displays about the birth and progression of country music. Most don’t interest me, but the display on “Dylan, Cash, and the Nashville Cats” is fascinating.

I wasn’t aware that Bob Dylan produced (in his opinion) his very best work, Blonde on Blonde, while in Nashville. Soon after, Johnny Cash‘s ABC television series The Johnny Cash Show, was filmed at the Ryman Auditorium (the original home of the Grand Ole Opry). The Nashville Cats weren’t a single group but a smattering of talented local musicians who helped on Bob’s tracks and Johnny’s show. Once Dylan and Cash came to Nashville, the floodgates opened for the rest of the music industry. The Nashville Cats provided much of the musical backbone for the onslaught. The most famous of the Cats was Charlie Daniels, who wrote the hit Devil Went Down to Georgia.

Nashville’s most famous attraction, the Grand Ole Opry, beckons me as integral to the country music experience. I buy a ticket for that night, figuring I would enjoy the performance of whomever was playing. What began as a simple radio broadcast in 1925, is a live entertainment phenomenon today. The radio station 650 AM WSM still broadcasts the show and a live MC tells you when and how hard to clap with hand motions.

Country’s most famous stage has a six-foot circle cut of inlaid wood at its center. It is a piece of the original stage from the original location of the Grand Ole Opry at the Ryman Auditorium. The artists on stage stand in the circle as they perform. It is a lighter color than the rest of the stage and a sacred space for any performer.

Every night is a mash-up of musicians. There are three sets, with each performer playing for 30 minutes. It is a wonderful combination of amazing and varied talent. Tonight, the singers range from Jeannie Seely, a 77-year-old, 50-year veteran of the Opry to a 35-year-old relative newcomer, Eric Paslay.

Once Mr. Paslay takes the stage, I realize I saw Eric milling around by the food venues before the show. He caught my eye because he is super tall and a little unusual looking with his red beard. Once he starts performing, I feel an instant connection. Later, per Mr. Paslay’s Instagram account, I discover that he has Type 1 Diabetes and uses an insulin pump like myself. Mr. Paslay’s performance is superb and, at one point, he transitions one of his hits into Learning to Fly as a tribute to the recently passed Tom Petty. Tears come easily to mark the beauty of the moment. The atmosphere is electric and makes the last official event of the road trip memorable.

The final stop includes a vigorous hike in the woods along the Appalachian Trail (AT) near Roanoke, Virginia. For Abby and me, it has been 10 days since seeing a national park. Too much time has been spent exploring crowded cities. Both of us long for some quiet time hiking in the woods.

McAfee Knob is the most photographed spot on the AT. There is a tiny parking lot off Catawba Drive that fills up quickly. The hike is a rigorous four miles up, with an elevation gain of 1200 feet, and then four miles down. On a clear day, you can see the best view in the Southern Shenandoah Valley.

Due to its popularity, you are never alone on this hike, but the overhang of McAfee Knob and its spectacular vista make up for the lack of solitude. The Knob has an almost 270-degree panorama of the Catawba Valley with North Mountain to the West, Tinker Cliffs to the North and the Roanoke Valley to the East. USA Today Travel recognizes this hike as one of the most spectacular in the United States.

We drag ourselves back to the car, sweaty, shaky and spent. We sit there quietly, gathering ourselves for the last drive. Abby and I are ready to stop moving. In the past month, we wore ourselves out in every way-physically, mentally, and emotionally. We saw everything we were meant to see and experienced everything we could squeeze into the allotted time. We embraced all the good and all the bad of being nomads. In some instances, we pushed ourselves and in others, placidly we accepted what was. But now, finally and fully, we are ready to go home. Home is where we are confident in the love surrounding us, safe in a cocoon of family and friends, at peace in a place where history, overly told stories, and secure, comfortable relationships outshine exciting newness and adventure.

I was certain that I would find that “ideal” home on this trip. I did find places I could live happily- Bozeman, Montana and Fort Collins, Colorado and Jackson, Wyoming, but none of them felt like home. They were missing that important aspect that is family. When Abby and I arrive in West Chester, we drive passed our apartment with only a wave. We go directly to my parent’s house. As we pull into the driveway, my parents burst out of the door, yelling “Oh my goodness, we are so glad you are back! We missed you! Tell us everything.” Abby yelps and bounds in circles to show how she feels. I sink into a hug from my mom and dad.

I thought I would find my new home on this trip, but what I learned is that I already live there.