Off to Nashville!

Written 26 March, 2010

Off to Nashville!

This morning I jumped in my little red Miata and headed north on I-75. My destination: Nashville.

Nashville happens to be one of my old home towns. I was a resident of Tennessee for many years, and most of that time was spent in or near the city. I like it considerably better than I do Atlanta, which is entirely too large for my taste. Nashville itself is bigger than I remember, but it's still dear to my heart.

But the purpose of my road trip wasn't to revisit my history. Rather, I would be meeting Sweetie, who flew from her home in the Northeast to explore a place of great importance-- the Opryland Hotel.

The Opryland Hotel (now called the Gaylord Opryland Hotel because it belongs to the much-reviled Gaylord Entertainment Corporation, is one of the largest non-casino hotels in the world. With 3000 rooms and three huge conservatories of five or more acres each, it's an impressive place to visit. I've always liked it. Now, thanks to Sweetie, I understand why.

You see, Sweetie is convinced the Opryland hotel is one of a very few nexus points where Second Life and Earth come together. It's a portal of sorts, where the two worlds intertwine.

Las Vegas, of course, is also a nexus. And probably Graceland is.

Sweetie left her Fortress of Solitude in New York today to travel to Nashville to investigate the hotel. At 7 am I got a call. Would I please drive immediately to Nashville? And would I please bring my camera?

"My camera?" I asked sleepily. "Why didn't you pack yours?"

"No room," she said. "You know the exploding lipsticks get priority!"

Indeed they do, so I packed my camera and hit the road.

On the drive north, I was fairly certain this was another of Sweetie's crackpot conspiracy theories-- but after half a day in the hotel, I'm convinced she's onto something.

Tomorrow I'll be busily taking photos to prove Sweetie's point. When I return home, I'll begin to post them here.