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I've never been to the Opry. I've been a country music fan as long as I can remember - I'm also a rock fan and about every kind of music fan I can think of :) - so I have always wanted to visit the Grand Ole Opry. I got the chance Friday night.

The show was great. I don't think there is a bad seat in the whole auditorium, but our seats were right down front only a few rows from the stage. It is a beautiful place, and a terrific stage.

I got to see some of my favorites from when I was a kid: Bill Anderson, George Hamilton IV (a fellow North Carolinian), Jean Shepard – along with some current favorites: The Carter Twins, Kathy Mattea, and Mark Chesnutt. Everyone put on wonderful performances – the old hands haven't changed a bit and were as good as ever.

A Grand Ole Opry icon – Little Jimmy Dickens – hosted part of the show. He had the the audience in stitches with his jokes - and shouting and clapping when he sang. At eighty-eight years old he is still a master entertainer.

The Little General Cloggers were also there for the 27th consecutive year. There were also many other old and new faces – too many to mention here. It was an all around awesome experience to be part of something with such rich history, and such a huge impact on American Music.

Saturday morning we got the chance to walk around Nashville. It is a gorgeous city with a perfect blending of old and new. The 100+ year old buildings preserved and honored along side modern masterpieces of architecture. The street scene was vibrate with street musicians, vendors, horse drawn carriages, and tons of people just soaking it all in.

My only regret? I went too soon. This week starts the build up to the Country Music Association Music Festival. The streets of Nashville will be filled with music and some of the biggest names in country music for a festival like no other – and I'm already back in North Carolina.

Maybe next year.

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