Casey Jones and the Parthenon

Today was an interesting day in Nashville and beyond.  The first thing I did this morning was make my way to a giant replica of the Parthenon as it is the same size as the one in Greece.  It was built for the 1897 Exposition.  People standing next to the columns look incredibly small.  It is quite impressive.  Downstairs they have an art collection, which in my snobbish way I found inadequate.  Upstairs they had a replica of the statue of Athena as she looked in Greece.  She is almost 42 feet tall.  The statue is really quite ugly but there you have it, not all Greek statues were beautiful.

My next stop was The Grand Ole Opry.  I went on a behind the scenes tour as I didn't want to stay until night to see a show.  The tour was interesting even though I didn't know many of the performers named.  The dressing rooms were decorated to the hilt and named for members of the Opry.  It is a great honor to be asked to become a member of the Opry family.  You also have to be asked to perform, you can't volunteer.

As I was driving to Memphis, my next destination, I happened to notice a sign for the Casey Jones Railroad Museum.  Well my curiosity was piqued.  Off I went to learn more about Casey Jones.  He was a real man and quite a hero.  He came from Cacey TN and that's how he got his nickname.  He was noted for always being on time.  Well on this particular day he had taken over from someone else who was way behind and he was almost caught up.  Up ahead he saw that a freight train hadn't made it onto the side track as it was supposed to, he slowed that train from 75 to 35 when it crashed into the other train.  He was killed but the passenger cars stayed upright and a few people had a few bruises.  The exhibits at the museum include the house he and his wife lived in and raised their three children.  It was a fascinating experience.

My final place was the Grotto of the Crystal Shrine.  This is in the middle of a cemetery.  The grotto is man-made and filled with crystal niches.  Each one is some scene of Christ or his disciples, I think.  One has a beautiful tree with some one hiding in it.  Another is Jesus and the others carved out of beautiful dark wood with black crystal as a roof in the niche.  It was a lot of fun.

Now it's time to write postcards to two special people, so more about Memphis tomorrow.