For a text-only version of this newsletter, visit http://www.passporter.com/news/112107text.htm.
PassPorter News Brought to you by PassPorter Guidebooks
  November 21, 2007 * Issue 7.47
 
In This Newsletter

From the Authors: Happy Thanksgiving

Travel Feature: Nashville, TN

Disney Feature: Palo

Updates: What's New and Changed

Tips: Weather Watching, Pill Protection, Cast Member Magic

Captain's Corner: The Painting

PassPorter PhotoPick: Dream Lights are now up on Cinderella Castle

Q&A: How do I make the most out of MouseFest?

Our Sponsors: We Recommend...
 
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Updates:
What's New and Changed

Here are a few items of relevant news:

Making two turkeys truly thankful, President George W. Bush officially pardoned them on Tuesday. The turkeys will fly first class to Walt Disney World where they will be featured in the Thanksgiving Day Parade. The turkeys will then live out the rest of their lives in the backyard of Mickey's Country House.

Reggie Williams, former Cincinnati Bengal and current Vice President of Disney Sports Attractions, will step down this week due to health concerns. Williams was in charge of the creation of Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex. 

Walt Disney World Dining has added a new $4 Holiday Surcharge at all buffet dining experiences. The surcharge is in effect through November 24th. It will also be in place December 16, 2007 - January 5, 2008.

Disneyland News: It's a Small World will undergo an extensive rehab in 2008 that will leave the ride closed for most of the year. It's A Small World will close on January 25, 2008 and is expected to be closed for nine months. The canals need to be made deeper to prevent the boats from "bottoming out" as well as general refurbishments.


Our thanks to AllEars.net and MousePlanet.com from which we get some of our news leads.

Hear some news? Be a "PassPorter Reporter" and send it to us!



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Disney Tips:
From Fellow Readers

Our readers deliver a wealth of information! 
Here are the winners in this month's tip contest:

WEATHER WATCHING
"I found Accuweather.com to be a great help in planning our trip to Walt Disney World. Of course, this web site would be helpful in planning a trip to to anywhere. The site gives weather info such as average weather for each month of the year, detailed weather for the past 60 days (especially helpful if you plan a year in advance like me!) and much more! Since a person usually doesn't live near where they vacation, this site is a great way to know how to pack."
-- contributed by Dawn D.

PILL PROTECTION
"My husband has epilepsy and keeps his "emergency medicine" (the one he places under his tongue) in his pocket. Since the medicine dissolves quickly, it can't get wet at all. We bought a contact lens case to put his medicine in. It's keeps the water out and the medicine dry. Works like a dream."
-- contributed by Lisa M.


CAST MEMBER MAGIC
"When it comes to parades and fireworks, ask a cast member where their favorite place to watch those things is. We had spectacular views of the fireworks at Magic Kingdom after asking a cast member where he would stand to watch them!"
-- contributed by Carlin B.
 

Send us your tips! You may see them in this newsletter and win a copy of PassPorter!

Want more Disney tips? For Walt Disney World fans, we've collected 500 of the best tips submitted by readers over the past six years. All have been edited for accuracy and categorized. For details, visit the PassPorter Disney 500 info page or the PassPorter store. For Disney Cruise Line fans, we have an e-book with 250 cruiser tips, as well as a special cruise line comparison section and seven customized packing lists. For information, visit the Disney Cruise Clues info page.

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Captain's Corner:
Treasure Hunting Game


Play our fun and quirky treasure hunting game, hosted by Captain Jack Skatt from our book, "PassPorter's Treasure Hunts at Walt Disney World." 

The Captain makes a study of the delightful details -- sometimes hidden, sometimes in plain sight but often overlooked -- at Walt Disney World and aboard the Disney Cruise Line. Using notes from his journals, he will lead you to this "treasure" at Disney with clues, questions, photos, or riddles. Your challenge is to discover the answer by searching your memory, visiting Disney, or even just looking really hard on the Internet. If you think you've found the answer, e-mail it to jackskatt@passporter.com -- the first person to correctly submit the FULL answer will receive a free PassPorter enamel pin or PassPorter name badge pin.

Here is this week's journal entry:

"I do love a good painting. Like a good book, it can transport you to new lands and experiences. Oh, to be a painter myself! Today I discovered someone's painting, still on the easel, waiting to be completed. The painter was no where to be seen, which I found a bit odd. Perhaps the painter needed a Sauvignon Blanc break. While the painter was gone, I surreptiously snapped a photo of the painting. Now I'm wondering what the subject of the painting might be. Perhaps it is something nearby the easel, which was located ... (rest of text obscured by wine droplets and croissant crumbs)"



Where will you find this painting and what is the subject of the painting? For bonus points, locate the photographic evidence in the PassPorter Photo Archive and post a comment with the photo!

Send your full answer to jackskatt@passporter.com -- the winner will be notified by e-mail and announced in the next newsletter, along with the correct answer!

Congratulations to Jennifer Franks who was the winner of last week's trivia contest! Jennifer was the first person to identify the openings in the birdhouses as Mickey Mouse. Jennifer was also the first person to find the photo in the Photo Archive and post a comment. To view the original clue, see last week's newsletter.

If you enjoy treasure hunts, we've got an entire book with over 100 distinct treasure hunts and over 1500 questions, complete with clues and contributions from Captain Jack Skatt. Get more details on "PassPorter's Treasure Hunts at Walt Disney World" book at http://www.passporterstore.com.
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PassPorter PhotoPick

Each issue we choose a special photo from the PassPorter Photo Archive which highlights something beautiful, interesting, humorous, or timely at Disney or around the world. Here is this issue's PassPorter PhotoPick:


Dream Lights are now up on Cinderella Castle
contributed by nbodyhome

(click the photo or link to see a larger photo with details)


You can nominate photos as a PassPorter PhotoPick by giving ratings in the PassPorter Photo Archive (you'll need to be logged in to do this). If you'd like to contribute your own photos to the Photo Archive and be considered as a PhotoPick, please read our Photo Upload Guidelines for details and benefits.

Meggera 344 photos
chezp 210 photos
Dopey007 173 photos
imadisneygirl 171 photos
bradk 171 photos
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Q & A:
With Jennifer and Dave


Minnie Lor asks: "For those of you going to MouseFest, does everyone go from park opening to park closing? I won't have a car and am staying at Pop. If I go back to room, I'll probably be too wired to relax/rest/sleep and I'd still waste, probably, 2 hours just coming and going. Do you try to just rest/relax/chill out in the parks? There's so much that I want to do and see. Advice?"

Dave and Jennifer answer: "I know I'm not one to talk (since under my special circumstances I do have to go, go, go around the clock), but it's really worth stopping to ask what you want out of any Disney vacation, not just MouseFest, and try to stick to your usual time budget.

My general advice is to try to spend no more time in the parks than you normally would, and substitute MouseFest meets for some of your regular activities, rather than trying to do everything you'd normally do plus MouseFest meets. I know that can lead to some very hard choices, but like at a glorious buffet meal, you do have to know when to stop refilling your plate.

Now, if there's no way that's going to happen... I just got back from a business conference that kept me going from sun-up 'til the wee hours - how can you be in Nashville and not go on the town for great live music after the conference events are done for the day? I sure didn't have the will-power to resist, and few of the rest of th folks I was with had it, either. At least we're all home now, and have the weekend to recover! You may have to work an R-and-R day into your schedule, either after you get home, or while you're at Walt Disney World.

But to directly answer your question - it may be better to take rest breaks in the park than to drag back and forth to the resort. You already know what can happen... you'll start your nap, oversleep, then be overstressed and rushed to get back for the next activity. At least if you start napping in the Hall of Presidents they don't let you oversleep. You might hide out on Tom Sawyer Island, sit on a bench in Pangani Forest Trail to watch the wildlife, explore One Man's Dream in depth, watch a fountain in Epcot while you nibble on a snack... A bit of "relax and refresh" time can go a long way."


Have a question? Post questions at http://www.passporterboards.com -- and if you're lucky, you may find that folks have already asked and answered the same question that's on your mind!
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Future Newsletters:
Want To See Your Name in Print?


PassPorter News is published weekly, and this means we're always in need of articles! We're on the lookout for guest columnists who want to contribute articles to this newsletter. No professional writing experience is necessary, just a desire to share your experience with others! Not only is this a great way to give something back to the PassPorter community, but you get to see your name in "print" and receive a $25 gift certificate for use at www.passporter.com

For details and our article submission guidelines, please e-mail news@passporter.com. Articles about Disney and general travel are welcomed!
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Our Sponsors:
We Recommend...

PassPorter only accepts advertising from services of the highest quality -- we recommend these companies because we use them ourselves. Please support our sponsors and, in turn, support this newsletter! This week's sponsors are (in order of appearance):

Mouse Fan Travel -- Happy Thanksgiving! New Cruise Offer

MouseEarVacations.com -- Disney Cruise Line Special Offers

Quicksilver Tours & Transportation -- Save $5 off airport round-trip transportation in a town car


Thank you, sponsors!

From the Authors: Happy Thanksgiving!

Hi, {{user("firstname")}}!

We wish our fellow Americans a very happy Thanksgiving tomorrow. We have much to be thankful for -- healthy children, a comfortable home, a supportive family, a successful book series, a thriving web site, and great team members. We're particularly thankful for YOU, our wonderful community. You continue to amaze us with your support and acceptance, and your willingness to share your experiences and knowledge with us and your fellow travelers. Thank you for making PassPorter (and us!) a part of your lives.

The new PassPorter's Walt Disney World 2008 copies are all settled in, pre-orders are shipped, and new orders now ship the next business day. Please keep in mind that Thanksgiving and the day after are holidays here in the PassPorter office (as well as at UPS), but all new orders will ship out next Monday! And while we don't have an online equivalent of a "black Friday" (otherwise known as the Day After Thanksgiving), this is a good time to start placing orders for PassPorters as holiday gifts. If you order now, you can choose Media Mail for low shipping rates and not worry about getting it in time for the holidays. Visit the PassPorter Store to start your shopping.

You can read more about PassPorter's Walt Disney World 2008 at http://www.passporter.com/wdw/guidebook.asp, where you'll also find two new features: our "real-time" reviews from readers and our dynamically-generated book updates to which you can contribute. (Yes, we already have some updates listed for the 2008 edition). Order your own copy at http://www.passporterstore.com/store/2008.aspx

PassPorter's Club Update
  • Nearly 1000 vacationers are now enjoying access to all our e-books, e-worksheets, and super-sized photo archive images -- thank you for your continued support!
  • Our next e-book, "PassPorter's Festivals and Celebrations at Walt Disney World by Thomas Cackler," will be available for Club Passholders to download free of extra charges within a week!
  • A screen layout -- Autumn (complete with falling leaves) -- is available for Club Passholders. Two new winter layouts will be available on Sunday, November 25.
  • More details at http://www.passporter.com/club

  • MouseFest News: Wow, we have less than two weeks before we leave for our MouseFest trip! MouseFest registration is now closed, but we're pleased to report that 770 folks registered for MouseFest 2007! Fourteen of our PassPorter Guides (moderators) are attending, as are five PassPorter authors (beyond the two of us!), and more than 250 PassPorter community members and readers!

    In this issue, PassPorter author Dave Marx returns from his latest trip to Tennessee to give us a look at Nashville, and PassPorter Feature Columnist Cheryl Pendry is back to give us her take on the the adults-only restaurant onboard the Disney ships, Palo. Finally, Jack Skatt is back with a brand-new Walt Disney World Treasure Hunt. Enjoy!

    Jennifer and Dave
    PassPorter Publishers and Authors
     

     Did You Know?

    At Mouse Fan Travel® you get our
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    From Our Family to Yours
    Happy Thanksgiving!

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      Travel Feature: 

    Nashville
    by Dave Marx, PassPorter Author and Publisher


    Every so often my business travels take me somewhere other than Orlando or Anaheim - a book convention in New York, Los Angeles, Washington DC, or Chicago; and recently, book sales conferences in Berkeley, California and Nashville, Tennessee. Wherever I go, it seems there are precious few hours left over for enjoying the city, but the idea of just sitting around the hotel when there's so much outside to explore is very hard for this travel lover to take. I may have precious few free hours, but I'll try to make something of them.

    Those sales conferences offer a particularly interesting opportunity. The conferences are mostly made up of presentations by various publishers. There's a good chunk of the day when I'm just waiting around for my turn at bat. Rehearse and refine the spiel, rehearse it again... there such a thing as being too prepared.

    Never one to pass up a chance to explore or to turn the exploration into an article, I've created a little game for myself: I'll avoid any research about the city before I get there. Then, once I'm settled into my hotel, I'll study the inevitable visitor publications waiting in my room and in the rack by the front desk, and create a three-hour walking tour (a three hour tour) for myself. It's not an exhausting tour of all the sights, but a good, moderately-priced taste of one part of the town. It's also a lot like what I do when visiting a cruise ship port-of-call - "What does the port area have to offer visitors if they don't book excursions?"

    Those tourist guides provide, at best, a basic framework for a tour. They almost never convey the real flavor of the city, and rarely describe all the pleasures there are to be found. I always have the feeling I'll miss the "real" city if I stick to their advice. But they are helpful in helping me make my basic decision. After that, it's time to explore.

    My most recent conference was in Nashville, so I'll start there, while the taste of the food and the sound of the music are still fresh in my senses. First off, I went through the visitor magazines in my room, to see what heralded sights seemed to be most noteworthy. Some were clearly a good distance from the others (like Opryland and the Parthenon), so poof, they were off the list. (Would you park-hop at Walt Disney World if you only had three or four hours? I think not.) Visits to museums? Nope. As much as I love museums, they eat up a whole lot of time, and I had very little of that.

    A trip to "The District" in Nashville looked like it would suit my needs well. This is the heart of the city's tourist-oriented music, dining, and entertainment scene -- the southeast end of downtown Nashville. Nearby, if shoe leather and time permitted, I could view the grand civic buildings of this great city and state capital (nope, never got there). I had my driver drop me at the corner of Broadway and 5th Avenue. That's the southwest corner of a rectangle that stretches eastward to the Cumberland River and north to Union St., a tidy, well-preserved neighborhood of 19th-century brick buildings filled with honkytonks, shops, chain eateries, and historic sites, including the Ryman Auditorium, former home to the Grand Ole Opry.

    I then called my hotel's front desk to check transportation options. Would the hotel shuttle bus take me there? (This is a good tip - make a note! Often, hotels have free shuttle buses that, when they're not running back and forth to the airport, are available to ferry guests to nearby destinations.) Sorry, my hotel was too far from downtown, so the shuttle was out. I took a taxi.

    Arriving at Broadway and 5th at around 11:00am, I surveyed the scene. Downtown's modern glass and steel hotels and bank towers were just blocks away, to the north. The large Gaylord Entertainment Center, Country Music Hall of Fame, and Schermerhorn Symphony Center were a couple of blocks to the south, and the Nashville Convention Center was just across the street, between 5th and 6th. This was no out-of-the-way neighborhood.

    Despite the modern buildings nearby, looking immediately east on Broadway I could see nothing but old, low-rise brick buildings until the street ended at the river. Since this was obviously a tourist district, I worried that this would turn out to be a long strip of tourist traps that looked authentic, but didn't deliver on their promise. Bars with names like Legend Corner, Layla's Bluegrass Inn, Tootsie's Orchid Lounge, and Second Fiddle; eateries like Rippy's, Big River Grille, Jack's Bar-B-Que; various western wear and souvenir emporiums, and the Ernest Tubb Record Shop ... Hold on, I knew for a fact that Ernest Tubb's is the real deal, with its own big, honkin' hunk o' hunk o' country music history. Maybe I'd have to look a bit closer.

    I walked east on Broadway, planning to head north when I hit 1st Street, and eventually to work my way up and down the streets of the entire District. I'd hunt down a good looking lunch spot along the way. By 1:00pm I'd wrap-up my walk, decide where to eat, and after lunch, spend some time enjoying one or more sights in greater detail.

    For now, I walked past all the honkytonks between 5th and 4th. To my surprise, there was live music pouring out of nearly every one of them, even at this hour. Each promised no cover, no minimum, but please put a tip in the jar for the band, since the club doesn't pay them. I knew I'd be back later.

    I crossed the street to check out Ernest Tubb's. OK, there were a good bit of tacky souvenirs to be found near the front door, but once past them, the deep, high-ceilinged shop was full of CDs and DVDs representing even the most obscure threads of country music and gospel. I looked for folk, jazz, rock, or classical... nada, but I wasn't exactly surprised. Way up, near the ceiling, a long procession of fading, 12-inch record jackets lined the wall from the front of the store to the back, each of them an album featuring Ernest Tubb performing with just about anybody who was anybody in country music of the day. And at the back of the shop, right where it always stood, is the small stage where his weekly, Midnight Jamboree radio show on WSM originated (right after the Grand Ole Opry). The shows still continue from a concert hall at Opryland http://etrecordshop.com/mj.htm but the original stage stands here as a low-key shrine to a simpler day, just like the nearby Ryman Auditorium.

    Crossing back to the north side of Broadway, I popped into Gruhn Guitars http://www.gruhn.com , on the corner of Broadway and 4th. Housed in two, simple storefronts with towering ceilings, this is a place of pilgrimage for any guitar, banjo, or mandolin picker (or fiddler) that knows how to change a string. The scent when I entered was breathtaking -- all fragrant, spicy wood. Row after row of instruments hang from the walls with little ceremony. There's a smattering of new instruments here, but the vast majority are well-played, cherished veterans of music making (more than a few with an ownership pedigree the envy of a Mayflower descendant). If you're a classical violinist, imagine walking into a shop displaying hundreds of Strads and Guarnaris, and you sort of get the idea. I drooled for a little while, but kept my hands stuck firmly in my pockets. To actually play one of these babies would be to guarantee either an expense I could never explain back home, or a heartache upon separation that would follow me for years.

    From there I continued to stroll east to the end of the road, at Riverfront Park. This is a pleasant spot, affording views across the Cumberland River to LP Field, a very modern stadium. 1st Avenue runs alongside the park, and across the street are tall, 19th century brick buildings built to serve the river commerce. Now, they're studded with the back doors of the bars on 2nd Avenue. In the park you'll find a cluster of log buildings, a re-creation of Fort Nashboro that itself seems to be headed for ruin, with big gaps in the rotted, cedar shake roofs. Still, it's pleasant to pop your head inside for a few minutes to see how the early settlers may have lived, and to read the inscriptions on the statues and historical markers.

    I turned inland again on Church Street, then turned south on 2nd -- three long city blocks of attractive, old brick buildings housing one chain restaurant/bar/night club after another. Hooters, B.B. King's, Wildhorse Saloon, Coyote Ugly, Hard Rock Cafe, Big River Grille... the locations look more authentic than some of their sister-establishments (Big River can also be found at Disney's BoardWalk, Wildhorse used to be at Downtown Disney Pleasure Island, B.B. King's is at Universal City Walk in Los Angeles, and Hooters and Hard Rock are everywhere). There are plenty of "originals" in Nashville, so why bother with these? Case in point, Charlie Daniels' shop http://www.charliedaniels.com/museum-n.htm, which offers lots of souvenirs and logo wear, including hundreds of artificially battered straw cowboy hats. While it's far nicer than most other souvenir shops in town, it's really redeemed by the free, Charlie Daniels Museum at the back of the store, oozing with Charlie's memorabilia and some choice bits of country music history he's collected over the years. A sign by the door announced that Charlie would next stop by at 5:30pm on Monday, November 19th. Also on the street are Miss Marple's, offering a mystery dinner show; sushi and Mexican restaurants; and plenty of places offering classic "bar cuisine" - steaks, burgers, ribs, etc. What I couldn't find is an honest-to-goodness barbecue place! Oh well ... just keep walking, walking ...

    Reaching Broadway again, I looped back north on 3rd, in search of Printers Alley, a block-long remnant of the city's old-time publishing business that runs parallel to 3rd and 4th, between Union and Church. Descriptions suggested this would be a cool destination for live music and authentic atmosphere, but I found only a handful of bars closed until nightfall and one takeaway bbq stand. It may look a lot better at night, though.

    Close at hand, connecting 4th and 5th between Union and Church is the Arcade. If you're searching for a cheap, satisfying lunch, this is definitely the area. Mostly, it serves workers from nearby office buildings, and most of the shops were packed with obviously satisfied diners. There are so many lunch spots that they spill out of the arcade and onto 4th and 5th. Chili, bbq, wraps and salads, gyros... and not a Golden Arches in sight. If you're interested, treat it all like a food court, and pick whatever looks best to you. I thought I was going to head back here for lunch after my tour ended, but that's not how things turned out.

    From the Arcade I headed south again on 5th, headed finally for the Ryman Auditorium. Whoops, the entrance is on 4th! So, back around the block I went, in search of info on the available tours ($12.50 for a self-guided tour, $16.50 if you want to add a half-hour guided tour of backstage). If I had been more tuned into the Grand Ole Opry growing up I definitely would have set aside the time to tour this beautiful, old building. As it was, the evening concerts would have been even more attractive -- the Opry may have moved to bigger, grander quarters, but the line-up here still reads like a who's who.

    While I chose not to book a tour (time was waning), I did ask the woman at the box office for a lunch recommendation. She instantly said "Jack's" and the folks in line behind me responded with a very enthusiastic, "Yes, go to Jack's! We just ate there, and it's great!" Jack's was one of the (apparent) tourist traps around the corner on Broadway. I guess I had to re-think my first impression!

    Jack's Bar-B-Que (http://www.jacksbarbque.com) has a great old neon sign, sitting smack in the middle of Broadway between 4th and 5th, right across the street from Ernest Tubb's. It's flanked on either side by an array of honkytonks, and after my survey of the entire District, the idea of a bit of live music after lunch was irresistible. But first, I had to eat!

    Like just about every other place in the area, Jack's is dark, informal, with brick walls and well-worn decorations. The menu was pretty simple: Tennessee Pork Shoulder (sandwich $3.29!!!), Texas Beef Brisket, Smoked Turkey Breast, Smoked Texas Sausage, St. Louis Style Pork Ribs, and Smoked Chicken, all available as sandwiches ($3.29-$4.29), "jumbo" ($4.09-$8.75), plates ($7.99-$10.49) and a combo plate with any three meats ($11.99). Plates come with a choice of two veggies and "bread" (a really solid, satisfying corn bread the likes of which I've never encountered elsewhere).

    The line to order at the counter was long, and I watched the counterman do his thing. Someone would place an order, and if there wasn't enough at hand, he'd turn around, open the black doors of the smoker, pull out a blackened, foil-wrapped pork shoulder (or chicken, turkey breast, or brisket), and go to work. He thunked a pork shoulder onto the chopping block, where it burst into shreds (pulled pork with no need to pull). For some perverse reason, I started humming Patsy Cline's "I Fall to Pieces." The counterman then shoved his gloved hand deep into the heap of meat, extracted the shoulder bone like a grown-up Little Jack Horner, and chopped the boneless remains with a few whacks of a meat cleaver. Chickens with deep brown skin fell to pieces on contact with his beefy hands (Patsy's voice now echoing loudly in my brain). I originally waffled on the three choices for my combo (choose just one? No way!), but by the time it was my turn the folks in front of me had shown me the way. Like a veteran I rattled off, "Pork, brisket, chicken, baked beans, and cole slaw." Naturally, I should have ordered beer, but I was pretty certain I had a night of drinking ahead of me, so I asked, "Do you have un-sweet iced tea?" Yep, right next to the sweet tea. I was all set.

    It was as heavenly a barbecue moment as I've ever had. Everything was tender, moist and smoky, full of flavor and savor. I really can't tell you which I liked better. The pork was perfection. The brisket? Most barbecued briskets I've had were made from the lean, "plate" section of the cut and so tended to be on the dry side. While there was some of that "lean" around (although clearly quite moist), I was awarded a heap of the fatty side of the brisket - even more moist, tender and flavorful than the pork, and that's saying several mouthfuls! Yeah, the brisket probably took an extra day or two off my lifespan, but oooooh, who cares? The chicken was there, in part, as my attempt to be "good," but if that choice gets me a place in heart-healthy heaven, it's not because it was without sin. Tender (again), moist (again), falling off the bones, rich with smoky goodness. Mmmm, yeah!

    They had five sauces at the counter, and I took a little cup of each. Definitely taste the meat before you sauce, and whatever you do, do not drench it with sauce! That's a crime worthy of a stretch in Leavenworth. If you like sauce enough to cover your meat with it, drink it neat or on the rocks (just kidding). Dip the meat, drizzle just a bit over it, or do what some folks do with salad dressing - dip your fork into the sauce before you spear the meat. My favorite sauce by far was the Tennessee Original, a vinegar-based sauce without the tomatoes, mustard or hot sauce that are found in the other sauces. It added an extra dimension to all three meats without getting in the way. The baked beans were tasty - thick, and dark brown with molasses. The cole slaw was exceptional. I like a creamy slaw as much as the next guy (especially on a turkey with cole slaw and Russian on rye), and I enjoy sweet, Southern-style slaws like the kind served at KFC, but Jack's happens to be my favorite style - vinegar-based, with no mayo. It's the perfect complement to the rich meat - vinegary, with just enough sugar to take off the edge, seasoned with plenty of little, black celery seeds.

    I might have had some dessert if I hadn't lacked self-control and cleaned my lunch plate (the best $11.99 meal I've had in a long time). For $2.50 I could have had a wedge of Chess or fudge pie (I also spied something that may have been banana cream, but it doesn't show up on the printed menu), but I was already over-done. While I can't say that Jack's is the best barbecue to be had in Nashville, if there's better out there, my imagination isn't up to the task.

    Finally, it was time for some music! I staggered out of Jack's and headed back up to the corner of 5th so I could work my way down the line in order. First stop, Legend Corner, the dive closest to the back door of the Ryman Auditorium. Two young guitarists were up on stage, performing an unfamiliar ballad to about ten folks scattered about the bar. The lyrics didn't really matter, though. Like The Lovin' Spoonful sang so long ago, "Nashville cats play clean as country water," and it's still true today. True, too, is that there are well more than thirteen hundred and fifty two worthy guitar pickers in Nashville (the number John Sebastian found in the Nashville musician union's member directory). I stood by the door, listened with pleasure to a couple of numbers, and moved on down the line. A couple of bars were quiet, while musicians were either packing or unpacking their instruments. Then Second Fiddle sucked me inside, with a quartet rocking the room with Sweet Home Alabama. I finished my country music smorgasbord at Layla's Bluegrass Hillbilly and Country Inn. Actually, I was steered inside by an enthusiastic guy in a white shirt and big, white hat (the band's manager? He was definitely too short to be a bouncer), but I was glad for the encouragement. The "Hillbilly Boys" were on stage -acoustic and electric guitars, bass, pedal steel, and drums. First up, a hard-drivin' version of Johnny Cash's Ring of Fire. If the crowd had been larger, they would have torn the house down, brick by exposed brick, and it stuck with me so well that I opened my guitar case as soon as I got home the next day, to play it myself.

    "Yeah, there's thirteen hundred and fifty two guitar cases in Nashville
    And any one that unpacks his guitar could play twice as better than I will"

    I allowed myself a few more tunes with the Hillbilly Boys before a glance at my cell phone (who wears a watch any more?) told me it was time to head back to the hotel and make my presentation. With a smile and nod to the band, I dropped some bills into the plastic pickle jar and headed out into the sunlight.

    I hear that these clubs can get pretty crowded come evening, but whether you enjoy this scene during a slow afternoon or a rowdy night, this strip of honkytonks is anything but a tourist trap. I know I'll be back for more whenever I get the chance.

    And I did get the chance, more or less, later that same night. Once the conference was done and we all had a fine dinner under our belts, some of us headed back into town for more music. This time, we were about a mile outside The District, at The Station Inn (http://www.stationinn.com) - a famous, one-story concrete block building near the rail yards that specializes in acoustic bluegrass and "roots" music. The Steeldrivers were up on stage - acoustic guitar, banjo, mandolin, (sometimes) dobro, fiddle, and bass - clustered around three microphones just the way Bill Monroe did in his heyday; two "low" mics for the guitars, banjo and mandolin, one "high" mic for fiddle and vocals, the band members moving towards and away from the mics depending on who had the solo. We sipped on our longneck Buds, smiled deeply, and left after the last encore.


    About the Author:  Dave Marx is the co-author of many PassPorter guidebooks, as well as co-publisher and co-founder. He lives in Ann Arbor with fellow author and wife Jennifer Marx and preschool-age son Alexander.

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    Disney Feature:
     

    Oceanfront Dining Like No Other: Palo for Dinner
    by Cheryl Pendry, PassPorter Featured Columnist

    Enjoy great food? Love wonderful service? Want to enjoy an amazing adult only dining experience, but you don't have the money to visit Victoria and Albert's at Walt Disney World? Relax -- there is another Disney restaurant that's almost as good and it won't cost you a fortune. In fact, it's exceptionally cheap. All you have to do is climb aboard either the Disney Magic or Wonder and it's waiting there for you.

    Palo is located on both ships on deck 10 aft and it's an exclusive place. You won't get in unless you're over the age of 18 or if you're wearing jeans. Men are expected to wear jackets and ties and dresses for the ladies won't be out of place.

    The second you walk into the restaurant, you immediately leave the rest of the ship - and it seems the world - behind. This is a peaceful place, with just the bustle of the kitchen and low levels of conversations from the tables, scattered throughout the restaurant. Venetian masks are hanging on the wall as you enter, with Murano glass around you, if you look closely enough. The trouble is your eyes will probably be drawn elsewhere, to the beautiful ocean views through the floor to ceiling windows that surround the restaurant.

    This is something you might want to keep in mind when booking your date at Palo. We find that the best nights to enjoy a meal there are actually when the ship is in port, as that's where you can often find the most beautiful backdrop. Don't forget that if you do dine here while at sea and you hit a rough night, you may end up having to miss one of the finest parts of the Disney Cruise Line.

    The real hit here is the food, featuring Northern Italian cuisine, fitting in with the theming of the restaurant. The menu will usually start with a choice of pizzas, which are deliciously light. It's worth keeping an eye out for the chef's special, as they have some superb toppings. In the past, we've enjoyed pizzas with roasted red peppers, shrimps, mozzarella and pesto. Even writing those words make me feel hungry!

    The menu also offers a selection of appetizers, salads and soups, with highlights such as mozzarella and tomato salad, grilled Portobello mushrooms and their signature dish, the calamari. Once you've sampled it, no other calamari will ever taste as good as this - and we've still not even reached the main course yet! Speaking of which, these tend to include a wonderful selection of meat, fish and pasta dishes and we've yet to find anything here that we didn't like. It's worth trying the chef's specials, as this are usually out of this world. They're not listed on the menu, but your server will take you through them once you're seated.

    Then it's on to what many people - myself included! - consider to be the best part of any meal, dessert! Again, Palo has a signature dish, the chocolate souffle and if you have a sweet tooth, then you have to sample this. You'll need to let your server know in advance if you're interested in it, as it takes some time to prepare. On occasions, when we've come to order dessert, I've been told that the finishing touches are being put to my souffle, although all I'd said earlier in the meal was that I might be interested in it if I've got enough room.

    That's certainly something you don't need to worry about. Like any good meal, the portion sizes are perfect, so that you can have an entire meal, including dessert, and just feel comfortably full. And like any good restaurant, the servers are full of advice and suggestions for you. They know exactly what to recommend for your tastes and are very perceptive when it comes to working out what you might want for dessert, as we've found out first hand in the past!

    From talking to the servers, it's clear that their high level of expertise is no accident. These guys have usually worked their way up from other restaurants on board the Disney Magic or Wonder. In all the times we've eaten dinner at Palo, never have had we had any complaint about the quality of service we've received. In fact, we've never really had any complaint about anything! It really does remind us of a much cheaper version of Victoria and Albert's, with perfect food portions for each course, servers who are at the absolute top of their game and a wonderfully romantic adults-only atmosphere in a beautiful setting.

    But best of all is the cost. Whereas at Victoria and Albert's, your bill will run into three figures, here there's just the $10 per person charge for dinner and that's it for your food costs. As with elsewhere on board, the only other charges for your meal will be for alcoholic beverages, bottled water, specialty drinks and smoothies and any tip you wish to add for your server. (Ok, ok, so obviously the cost for your cruise is considerable but we're assuming you're already onboard the ship.)

    So what are you waiting for? If you want to grab dinner while you're on board, then you need to be quick, as Palo is exceptionally popular with cruisers and with good reason. You have two options - you can either book online ahead of time or as soon as you get on board. Booking online opens 105 days in advance if you're lucky enough to be in a category 1 - 3 Suite, 90 days ahead if you're a returning cruiser with Disney and therefore a Castaway Club member and 75 days in advance for everyone else. Don't worry if you can't get anything ahead of time - they always leave some bookings available to be booked the first afternoon aboard. Check your Navigator for details on where to book.

    (Cheryl's series on Palo will continue next week with an article on Palo's Brunch and High Tea.)


    About the Author: Cheryl and husband Mark live in England and love to travel, particularly to America. They were on the first 11 night sailing of the Disney Magic around the Mediterranean and are now looking forward to returning to Walt Disney World in December.

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