I have long been a fan of country music, and a few favorites include Reba, Toby, Kenny, Carrie, and Tim and Faith. While I have been to many concerts over the years, none of them compared to the time that I spent in the Grand Ole Opry.

We began with a tour of this magnificent building, starting in the foyer and continuing through the halls towards the studio where the hit television show, Nashville, and many others have been filmed.

One of our next stops was passing the door that the artists use when they arrive and leave this legendary building. Everyone who has been inducted into the Opry has their own mailbox, and we saw them all. Although, we didn't see anyone picking up their mail!

There are eighteen dressing rooms that the artists use, and each one has its own theme. Legendary performers are honored in a few of them and we were able to enter one and completely look around. Next up was the "green room", where artists hang out waiting for their turn on the infamous stage.

We learned a unique little tidbit in that space, and that is that there is no alcohol allowed backstage at the Opry. They say that it is because the show is performed live on the radio, and everything runs smoothly when everyone is sober...

We heard many legendary tales during our time at the Opry, too many to share here, so you will need to visit for yourself. My favorite part though, was stepping up into the circle on the stage and looking out into the audience. Now, I am not a singer, but I still felt quite the thrill standing there.

Later that evening, we were able to attend one of the live shows and heard performers, old and new, sing their favorite songs. Drew Baldridge was there that night, who ironically enough we had tickets to see a couple of weeks later back home. We also saw Darius Rucker and Keith Urban, and they performed a duet together!

I loved every minute at the Opry and hope to return one day soon!