Love Sick Blues

I enjoyed my day off in Nashville.  To be fair to the city, I must start at The Ryman Auditorium, 'the first church of country music.'  I paid $18 and enjoyed the back stage tour and a bunch of funny stories.  When Hank Williams made his Grand Old Oprey debut, the crowd went wild and called him back for six encores. They had to implore the audience to let him go so they could get on with the rest of the show.  The funny thing was that his band only knew the one song they prepared for his opening number:  Lovesick Blues.  So, they played it over and over.

Flush in the middle of downtown Nashville one can find The Hermatage.  We must have been a site straggling in out of the rain with our wet gear and bikes.  Scott and I sent our wet cloths out to be washed.  It seemed like a good idea at the time, but ended up costing us $74.50. This is a 1910 luxury hotel that has been amazingly restored to it's glory.  It has a grand lobby, down filled duvets, serves afternoon tea, and the men's room off the Oak Bar is head of the class.  It was voted America's Best Bathroom and is decorated in an Art Deco style with gleaming lime-green and black glass tiles and fixtures, with terrazzo floors and two shoe shine chairs.  It's cleaned hourly.  It definately makes up for the convenience store back in OK.  See pictures below, of The Hermitage, not the convenience store.  

Our merry little band continues to battle illness.  Denis was the last to be attacked by the bug.  He told me in the lobby this morning that he lost 11 pounds last night, but was beginning to  feel better and was grateful for the day off.  I took another nap this afternoon and feel fine.  I've lost 11 pounds on the XC ride and my resting pulse is back under 50 bpm.

Tomorrow promises to be a very long day: 124 miles and 7,500 feet of climbing.  We're sort of like Hobbits on long days.  We have first and second lunches scheduled at 46 and 91miles.  My goal each day is just to work it under 60 miles.  From there I feel it's just a matter of putting the time.  But, it's critical to be aware of how far it is to the next turn.  No one wants to ride bonus miles.

Below is a shot of The Grand Old Oprey (The Rymand Auditirium).  A view of Rustin and Jen, our guides, showing off our Happy Hour Buffet, with the Hermitage lobby behind them. I also included a photo of me and Scott, sporting his western jacket and bolla tie.  Finally, the famous men's room.

God Bless.