The 100 Best Affordable Vacations (22 page)

And bring an appetite for outrageous offerings: The State Fair of Texas is famous for its long menu of creative fried delicacies, including fried banana splits, deep-fried lattes, and fried butter. There is also a slew of more mundane but no less delicious items. Be sure to sample the Blue Bell ice cream and Fletcher’s corny dog, says
Dallas Morning News
travel editor Mary Ellen Botter.

The fairgrounds are on the DART light-rail line, which lets you avoid the hassle and expense of parking (usually about $10).

For an affordable lodging option, try the pet-friendly
Belmont Hotel Dallas
(901 Fort Worth Ave., 800-951-2997,
www.belmontdallas.com
) with rooftop dining and individually decorated casitas and rooms. During fair season rooms start at $109. The closest campground is about 17 miles away:
Texan RV Ranch
(1961 Lone Star Rd., Mansfield, 866-348-3978,
www.rvparksdallasfortworth.com
) has tent sites starting at $15, RV sites at $32.

HOW TO GET IN TOUCH

State Fair of Texas,
3921 Martin Luther King Blvd. (U.S. 30), Dallas, TX 75210, 214-565-9931,
www.bigtex.com
.

catch the country stars of tomorrow

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

I wish I was in Nashville, guitar on my back

Maybe someday I will ride in the back of a big Cadillac

—
SINGER/SONGWRITER DON WILLIAMS, “WISH I WAS IN NASHVILLE” (1974)

23 |
No music speaks to the American heart quite like country music, and even devotees of Mozart and hard-core Stones fans can appreciate country’s tales of broken hearts, cheating lovers, and revenge…and the joys of everyday life.

Nashville is the heart and soul of country music—history, songwriting, publishing, and, yes, performance. It’s certainly the best place going to get an earful of the hits that have yet to make the airwaves. On any Friday afternoon, you can stroll along Lower Broadway in downtown and catch live performances in a dozen bars by would-be stars singing tunes of money burned and romance spurned. (The songs and performers get better as the hour gets later…especially if you’ve had a few beers.) Tom Adkinson, “an almost lifelong Nashvillian,” says the following places are must-visits:

 
Legends Corner.
A classic, with country album covers on the wall, live music on stage, and cold beer on the table. Ages 21 and over after 6 p.m. No cover charge.
Legends Corner, 428 Broadway, 615-248-6334,
www.legendscorner.com
.

 
Robert’s Western World.
How can you beat a place that sells burgers, beer, and boots in the middle of an afternoon while a would-be country star croons about the hazards of hangovers? Free and open to all ages until 10 p.m.; must be 21 to stay or enter after 10 p.m. No cover charge.
Robert’s Western World, 416B Broadway, 615-244-9552,
www.robertswesternworld.com
.

 
Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge.
This 50-year-old beer joint was popular with country music stars (including Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson, and Patsy Cline) when the Grand Ole Opry was just across an alley in the Ryman Auditorium. Movies filmed here include
Coal Miner’s Daughter
.
Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge, 422 Broadway, 615-726-0463,
www.tootsies.net
.

When your own heart gets a little too achy—and it’s still before 5:30 p.m. any day except Sunday—wander into
Gruhn Guitars
(400 Broadway, 615-256-2033,
www.gruhn.com
), one of the world’s best known shops for vintage guitars. Even if you’re not a country fan you’ll be wowed by the vintage inventory that has passed through here: a Stromberg G-3 once owned by Ranger Doug of Riders in the Sky ($30,000), a Gretsch guitar once owned by Dan Fogelberg ($80,000), and Buddy Holly’s personal Magnatone amp ($87,500).

NASHVILLE MUST-SEE SITES

 
Belle Meade Plantation
. Home to an antebellum mansion that evolved greatly from its original 1820 two-story federal-style appearance, this plantation holds a revered place in Thoroughbred horse-racing history.
Belle Meade Plantation, 5025 Harding Pike, 615-356-0501,
www.bellemeadeplantation.com
, $16.

 
Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
. This Smithsonian-caliber museum explains the multifaceted history of country music through artifacts, photos, film, lectures, and performances. It operates Historic RCA Studio B, nearby on Music Row, where Elvis Presley recorded 162 songs.
Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, 222 5th Ave. S, 615-416-2001,
www.countrymusichalloffame.org
, $19.99.

 
Grand Ole Opry and Museum
. The Opry still broadcasts before a live audience from its high-tech home a few miles from downtown; its museum pays homage to the show and its stars. Performance prices vary but generally start at $39 for adults, $29 ages 4–11.
Grand Ole Opry and Museum, 2804 Opryland Dr., 800-733-6779 or 615-871-6779,
www.opry.com
, tours $15.

 
The Hermitage
. Andrew Jackson lived here before and after his tenure as the seventh U.S. President. A successful farmer, he transformed the small farm he purchased in 1804 into a prosperous 1,000-acre plantation where he raised cotton and racehorses.
The Hermitage, 4580 Rachel’s Ln., 615-889-2941,
www.thehermitage.com
, $17.