Today we compare various tourist attractions in Nashville with those in Baltimore.
Please. It's not even close.
NASHVILLE
Grand Ole Opry Over-hyped country music mecca responsible for steady rise in hearing damage throughout region.
Country Music Hall of Fame
and Museum Ho-hum repository of guitars, rhinestone outfits, cowboys boots, etc., plus usual photos of Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, blah, blah, blah.
Nashville Zoo Bleak 200 acres populated with freezing, desperate-looking animals.
Parthenon Cheesy art museum is a full-scale replica of original Parthenon in Athens, minus anything interesting inside.
Wild Horse Saloon Tourist-trap bar/restaurant opened with - this is absolutely true - country artist Reba McEntire overseeing a ceremonial stampede of wild cattle past doors.
BALTIMORE
Inner Harbor Charming waterfront shops and restaurants, street performers, harbor cruises, paddle boats for the kiddies ... America the way it should be.
National Aquarium Spirited dolphins with amazing eye-snout coordination and 16,000 sea creatures entertain record-breaking crowds.
Baltimore Zoo Lush (well, sort of), well-maintained (kind of) 65 acres of vibrant, energetic creatures.
Oriole Park
at Camden Yards Best ballpark to house a last-place team.
Max's on Broadway Convivial pub with 72 beers on tap, 300 more in bottles. No cattle stampedes ever.