Gold and platinum country music records

You may think you know country music but you really don’t realize just how much you don’t now until you step into the vast, interactive rooms of Nashville’s Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.  Sure, you know the iconic Minnie Pearl character from  the Hee Haw TV show but did you know that Sarah Cannon, the woman who played her, was a classically trained actor and musician from a wealthy family?  That’s just one of the tidbits that you’ll discover as you delve into the museum’s video clips, recordings, memorabilia and exhibits chronicling the turns of two centuries of country music history. Read More »

A graveyard at Brookgreen Gardens

Just 18 miles north of Myrtle Beach, Brookgreen Gardens stands as the country’s first public sculpture garden, with 50 acres of lush, landscaped gardens dotted with over 14,00 artworks spanning the early 1800s to the present.  Besides art, nature trails, a zoo and exhibits, Brookgreen Gardens also boasts ancient graveyards that give a peek into the history of the people that lived on the land centuries ago. Read More »

A farmer volunteer guide at the living history farm.

Farming is the foundation of American history but sadly, farms are quickly disappearing from the daily landscape of  the typical American experience. Generations of kids are growing up without a clear understanding of where their food comes from and how it’s produced. The L.W. Paul Living History Farm provides an active example of how small, one-horse family farms operated generations ago. Read More »

The Holocaust Memorial in Boston, MA is an amazing piece of art. Each tower represents a Nazi war camp and there are details everywhere. What’s really striking about the memorial is that it is placed in a very busy section of the city — right off the Freedom Trail, and the walkway through it is often used by local business people that are trying to make their train or happy hour (I recommend the Green Dragon Tavern). That means that people with briefcases are running through tender moments of tears and reflection. Surreal.

It’s an odd and interesting mix. It’s worth seeing.

This post is part of the UpTake Monday Museums, Monuments and Memorials Series.

Photo: joshstaiger via Flickr