Question: How do you get to the Grand Ole Opry? Answer: Practice, practice, practice!
Okay, it’s an old joke, slightly paraphrased. But we use it to make the point that, with just a little practice and some practical knowledge, you’ll soon find your way without problem to the Opryland area, the downtown/Music Row area, or anywhere else you want to go in metropolitan Nashville.
If you do happen to lose your bearings, don’t lose your cool. Stop and ask directions—remember, you’re in the land of Southern hospitality! It’s reassuring to note that, in Nashville, it seems almost everyone is originally from somewhere else, which means that, like you, they’ve been lost before and will surely get lost again. Once you understand a few of the ground rules, such as the names and directions of the interstates and primary crosstown routes, you’ll discover that getting around in Nashville is a bit like life itself: You’re bound to make a few wrong turns along the way, but you’ll be wiser for the experience. (Hey, do you think there might be a song in that?)
Of course, if you prefer, you can leave the driving to somebody else. Nashville has a number of transportation alternatives. We’ll tell you about them later in this chapter.