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Before leaving Music City, we decide to get a glimpse of the Old South. No better means to that end than a tour of the storied BelleMeadePlantation. Termed “Queen of the Tennessee Plantations,” it is conveniently located within Nashville city limits. Belle Meade has been meticulously preserved, right down to the Civil War bullet holes in the sandstone columns of the 1853 Greek Revival mansion that is the estate’s focal point. Occupying 5,400 acres, in its mid-to-late 19th century heyday, Belle Meade was described as a “skilled labourer plantation.” It housed a sawmill, gristmill, blacksmithery and quarry, but was primarily known for its thoroughbred racehorses.

Legendary horses including Secretariat and Seabiscuit had bloodlines traced back to Belle Meade, often to famed stud Bonnie Scotland. The first American horse to win The English Derby, Iroquois, was also moved here to stud, in 1886, with lucrative results. He attracted fees of $2,500 a shot, delivering the goods 10 times a year (a cool half-mill a year in today’s terms).

Belle Meade owner General Billy Jackson was renowned for lavish parties at which he’d attempt to sell colts to his guests. He once spent $10,000 on seafood for just one party. Sadly, the parties ended when the stock market crash of the 1890s was followed by Tennessee’s prohibition of gambling on horseracing. (Talk about wrong place, wrong time.) The estate fell on hard times but was purchased in 1953 by the state of Tennessee, which has run it as a non-profit museum ever since. One addition, launched two years ago, is TheWineryatBelleMeadePlantation; despite its incredibly young age, it is Nashville’s first winery. In stark contrast to the dry non-humour of the JackDaniel‘sDistillery, visitors are allowed to sample the goods here. Nothing to make Robert Parker salivate, mind you, but the dry Vidal is quite quaffable.

Perhaps the greatest observation I made at Belle Meade was the simple acknowledgement that the state of Tennessee deserves recognition for its immaculate preservation of this massive in-the-city historic site. In general, this trip has shown that Nashville has done a far better job of preserving its landmark buildings than most Canadian cities have done.

It’s now time for our press posse to disperse to destinations as far afield as Seattle, Berkeley, Pasadena, Milwaukee, New York City and Toronto. The social dynamics of media trips are always interesting. Freelance writers tend to be an independent and sometimes solitary breed, so grouping 12 of them together for an intense five days does offer the potential for disaster. It takes only one high-maintenance or demanding scribe to mar a trip; thankfully there was no such ego was among us. Kudos too to our very cordial and efficient hosts, from Geiger & Associates and the Nashville Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Yours truly especially enjoyed the stories of press comrades Roberta and Jaan, two music critics who played a key role in the early days of legendary ’70s American rock magazine Creem (the breeding ground for Dave Marsh and the great Lester Bangs). This budding rock journo used to devour any issues that made it down to New Zealand back then. The dynamic duo remain very active and talented writers today.

All those on the junket left with a new appreciation of Nashville. In the long period since my previous visit, the city has come far. Major new buildings like the football stadium, Schermerhorn Symphony Centre, and an under-construction new convention centre are helping revitalize the downtown core, while older neighbourhoods like 12th South, Germantown and East Nashville are also finding fresh life. There are far more quality restaurants and watering holes now, and Nashville’s reputation as a genuine Music City for more than just commercial country is growing. Any city and scene cool enough to attract Jack White merits close attention.

So, happy trails Nashville. I shall return

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Image courtesy of Daniel Hartwig.