Christmas at Opryland Resort

For years I have heard Dad talk about the Opryland Hotel. Years ago he attended a convention there and it became a favorite hotel. That said, he would seldom stay at the hotel itself. Ever mindful of cost, he would often stay at a hotel across the street. That hotel was still part of the Gaylord properties and had a free shuttle to and from the convention center.

This year, thanks to a CyberMonday sale, we managed to sneak in a quick getaway during the Christmas season. This time everyone was staying at the hotel. Family of Dad & Catherine and Tammy & Greg, along with local Nashville friends who were celebrating an early anniversary, Bill & Bitsy, all got rooms.

Dad was right about the hotel. It's massive. One of the waitresses said that the hotel had over 2800 rooms. The atriums with their fountains and cascading waterfalls were amazing. There's even small boat rides that bring Disney's It's a Small World to mind. There's plenty of shops and restaurants too. If that's not enough, you're next to outlet shopping. The General Jackson showboat leaves from the complex as well.

During Christmas, they have all kinds of shows and activities and lights and more lights. As noted in a previous blog, some of us went to the Ice! A Christmas Story exhibit. All of us went on the midday lunch cruise on the General Jackson. I think we all wished we had another day or so. There was just too much to do with only two nights there and a long drive back to Virginia.

In the lobby

Inside the Cascades Atrium

Inside the Gardens Atrium

Dancing fountains

Cascades Atrium

Delta Atrium

Gardens Atrium

Family!

Friends!

Outdoor Nativity

Ice! A Christmas Story

Mid-December we took advantage of a CyberMonday sale to visit Opryland Hotel. We had heard Dad talk about the hotel for years and how much he enjoyed it. He even took us through the lobby on the way back from somewhere else. The hotel did not disappoint, but that's a blog for another day.

There was so much to see and do at the resort itself, let alone out and about the Nashville area. One of those seasonal activities was Ice! It's an indoor ice sculpture exhibit featuring a winter or Christmas theme. The themes vary from location to location. For example, the Ice! Gaylord National Harbor hotel featured Dr. Seuss this year. The Ice! theme at Opryland this year was A Christmas Story, much to Harold's delight. I'm surprised he didn't shoot his eye out.

The scenes are hand-carved from over two million pounds of ice. You can search for videos on the process. I was afraid if I shared a link that the link would change. The exhibit is kept at 9°F. They provide a big blue parka for you to wear, but you might want to bring gloves and hats.

At the end, Ice! had a separate nativity scene in clear ice. As parts of the Bible were read, the scene would light up that section of the ice. We didn't get a good picture of it, but the angel wings were amazing.

Seeing an Ice! exhibit is well worth it, with or without the discounts typically offered.

Ready to begin the adventure in our blue parkas

Higbees!

Stuck...stuck...

A major award

Lifebouy!

You'll shoot your eye out

Santa pushed

Wait! I want a "official Red Ryder carbine action, 200-shot, range model air rifle with a compass in the stock and this thing that tells time."

The department store slide

Told you 

Duck!

Nativity Scene

How We Found the Gravesites of Johnny & June Cash

Still on east coast time, I walked into the hotel lobby early, before breakfast hours, looking for coffee. Immediately, a lone, older lady sitting at the counter struck up a conversation. We chatted a few minutes, and she mentioned that she had been on the road with Johnny and June Cash. I was kind of wondering if everyone in Nashville was a name dropper, and I wasn't really sure I believed her. A few more minutes of polite conversation, and I headed back to the room with my coffee.

I mentioned the conversation to Harold, not knowing that he too had encountered her on his trip to the lobby for coffee. He mentioned that she was right in one thing. Johnny and June Cash were indeed buried in the cemetery about half a block up the street.

A bit later, we headed to the lobby for breakfast. She was still there. She was chatting with the staff. Apparently, she spends a lot of time in that lobby.  She invited us to sit with her at the counter. A little hesitant, we decided to join her. She told us her name, Peggy, and volunteered that she lived a few blocks away, that Nashville had changed a lot, and that she hardly ever went downtown anymore.

Eventually, she went to her car and brought back one of the books she had written. We glanced through it, noting that the inside jacket cover described her as someone who never met a stranger. We certainly agreed with that assessment.

After breakfast, with a little time to kill, we walked over to the Hendersonville Memory Gardens Cemetery. We never would have known had we not met Peggy in the lobby.

Nashville Impressions

We were in Nashville to complete the sale and transfer of Harold's kite book collection. With an afternoon free, we connected with our friends, Bill & Bitsy. Bitsy sang at our wedding, and we have vivid memories of Bill offering $10.00 to each of the other ladies to not catch the bouquet. He had plans!

We took off for the Country Music Hall of Fame, right downtown. I had to chuckle when Bitsy would make a beeline for any fiddle in the displays. Not only can Bitsy sing, she plays violin and has played with the Nashville Praise Symphony. The exhibits were interesting, and I was intrigued by the various stage performance outfits. Bill and Harold tolerated us and the myriads of people. I'm not sure if the place is always that crowded, but it was rather crowded that day.

Stuck, stuck...

I think noisy would be my overall impression of Nashville. There was a Predators game going on, resulting in $30 event parking and yellow and black jerseys everywhere. There were several rooftop bars filled with people. Vanderbilt and Tennessee State University both had homecoming games. Party buses, blasting music and filled with bachelorette parties, were everywhere. Scooters were dodging in and out of traffic and on and off the sidewalks. There were just a lot of loud, noisy people. Nashville is a trending city. As Bitsy said, I think I would have liked it better as a "ain't" city.

Looking at the visitor guides, we did see several places we'd like to visit another time. The zoo for one, and the Lane Museum for another. Bitsy also highly recommended the Christmas season at Opryland. So, we'll be back another time and hopefully, it won't be quite so busy.

On the pedestrian bridge