The Hermitage Tour
Yvette Mendoza
Seeking another historic home on day four, the LEAP Ambassadors ventured to Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage. This visit gave us a vivid perspective of the 1800’s lifestyle through his marvelous home and informative museum alongside it. In addition to having a tour of the Hermitage we walked through his personal idyllic garden and the cemetery where Andrew Jackson and his family currently rest.
Former president Andrew Jackson was known as “the People’s President,” because he was the first “frontier” President, and he broadened the voting process, resulting in many changes in society.
Walking through the Museum we saw his accomplishments as an attorney, soldier, and president of the United States. Viewing artifacts, Jackson effectively led the battle of the Creek War in 1801 as Colonel of Tennessee and the battle of New Orleans in 1812. After courageously serving in these wars fighting the British and the Indians, Jackson was elected president, and he is now known as the founder of the Democratic party.
As for Jackson’s day-to-day life he lived with his wife Rachel Jackson and adopted children in a Greek-styled home where he allowed any guest comfort in his home with food and a place to stay.
Jackson was known to receive many visitors, including Sam Houston and former presidents, at his 1,120 acres of land at the Hermitage. Having guests stay made it a hectic household from managing the farm, servants, and attending to important guests.
Each LEAP Ambassador had their own favorite part of the Hermitage Jessica being the massive newspapers in Jackson’s library. Morgan enjoyed the kitchen outside since it was like Sam Houston’s kitchen in Huntsville, Texas. Whereas mine was farther away from the home being the garden. As we all entered the garden I fell in love with the bumblebees flying around the brightly colored flowers that all led up to the tombstones.
The garden and grave site rounded off a nice sentimental testament to our 7th president.
Lunch
Yvette Mendoza
Diving into our first meal in Nashville at the Flat Iron southern fare restaurant ended up being a perfect choice. With the menu full of variety we started off with American classics by ordering whipped goat cheese filled with grilled cucumbers, onion, and tomatoes served with fresh warm pita. For our meals Morgan and Jessica got burgers, one being a tuna-patty burger and the other a grilled chicken burger. As for me, I got a waffle grilled cheese with a complimentary tomato bisque dipper. Each meal was delectable, and everyone had a delicious side of french fries. Our first taste of Nashville made us eager to try more.
Parthenon Tour
Morgan Robertson
After seeing General Jackson’s home, we ventured into a City formerly known as “the Athens of the United States”–Nashville, where the great Parthenon in Athens, Greece is replicated. Initially, the project was supposed to be a temporary attraction like everything else commissioned for Tennessee’s 1897 Centennial Explosion. However, people were so impressed with its beauty and the cross-cultural connection, the Parthenon was preserved, becoming the focal point in what is now Centennial Park.
While the Nashville Parthenon is a well depicted replica of the authentic one in Athens, there are some major differences. The first difference being the materials in which the structure was constructed. The Parthenon in Greece is made of white marble, which would have been easily accessible at the time. However, in Nashville, Tennessee, there are no quarries of white marble. Using what was at hand, Architect William Crawford Smith designed the structure with wood, brick and stone, giving the Parthenon a yellowish-brown color.
Another interesting feature that I was not expecting was the art museum on the lower floor of the Parthenon. In one of the rooms was an exhibit for artist Lynn Goldsmith whose interesting photography art is printed on metal, with each photo containing up to fifty exposures.
The second space was James M. Cowan’s personal collection of American art, including pieces from Durham, Moran, and Bierstadt, serving as a nice contrast to the first collection.
Keeping with the Greek style and culture, a 42-foot-tall statue of the Goddess Athena resides in the central room of the Parthenon. Standing tall as the Goddess of Wisdom, Athena holds the god Nike in her right hand with a shield and a snake to her left. When entering the central room of the Parthenon, the goddess is visible between the massive Doric columns, with her gold dress and accessories appearing as though they are glowing.
Surprisingly, we found the Parthenon to be a popular picture spot for tourists and natives. There were two Quinceañera parties, a baseball team, and even a wedding set up for pictures. We of course joined the trend and posed for several pictures inside and outside of the Parthenon before heading back to await for what would come next.
Opening Night at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
Jessica Cuevas
It is the opening night of the Southern Legislative Conference in Nashville, Tennessee. The LEAP Ambassadors were curious to know what to expect at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum as they walked to join the line for the trolley across the street. We congregated with the other attendees and waited for our turn to board the trolley. We met two friendly lobbyists from New York, Jonathan and Monisha, and a policy analyst from Ohio who each talked to us about what they do, how they got to their positions, and future advice for young professionals. Our conversations carried on into the short trolley ride on our way to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. It was refreshing to meet people so passionate about their work, and who are living what we are actively learning.
Once we arrived we were given the option to go up to the sixth floor for food or start off at the museum on the third floor. We listened to our stomachs, which drove us to the sixth floor to be greeted by live music and lots of people.
The LEAP Ambassadors were able to meet and converse with a Tennessee Senator before making our way to the colorful assortment of a Charcuterie board with different cheese, bread, cold meats, and vegetables.
There was a beautiful view of downtown Nashville…
…and a live band playing covers of artists such as Willie Nelson, The Beatles, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.
On the balcony, where families were playing Jenga, Corn Hole, and enjoying the nice weather, the view of the Nashville skyline was amazing.
After dinner, we toured the museum, where there were artifacts such as their costumes and suits….
…cars, guitars, fiddles, drafts of written songs, even a whole wall dedicated to the golden records of many of the singers .
Many of these artifacts were associated with famous acts such as Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, Dolly Parton (whose statue we saw the night before), and Willie Nelson.
Our night ended with a trolley ride back to the hotel taking in the view of the city after dark. The trolley ride should have been a 4-minute drive back to the hotel, the half mile drive seemed to take twice that time if not longer due to traffic and nightlife. The glowing city was buzzing and alive, as we were full and amazed by the opening night of the conference.
Center for Law, Engagement, and Politics 