I took tons of pictures of the inside of the resort, but photos just do not do it justice. It is truly a sight to see.
This was the view from our room. We were able to stay in our favorite atrium (there are 3 total!), the Cascades.
My sweet husband enjoying the balcony as soon as we arrived.
Troy getting out of the way, while I take a shot of the room...
After settling in, we did what we always do first- toured the hotel.
We have walked the Opryland dozens of times, and it never gets old. Around every turn is a water fall, fountain, flower garden, etc.
They had white hydrangeas (my very favorite) everywhere! Troy said he had that arranged ;)
There are numerous restaurants within the resort...
And more sweet stops then I can count...
And there's this..... Troy would find such a thing.....hidden amongt the waterfalls and gardens :)
After touring the hotel, we went downtown for the evening. We ate at our favorite downtown steak place, Demos'. They are famous for their steak and spaghetti together.
I know....it sounds strange, but it is HEAVEN. They have the best steak ever. We crave it for days before and after going!
After dinner, we walked down to the Wildhorse Saloon. We had never been before and wanted to see what it was all about. It was more family oriented then what we expected. They are owned by the Gaylord Opryland, which I think keeps it a little more classy/touristy then your average Broadway honkey tonk :) We can't go to Nashville without listening to live country music... we always enjoy it!
We then walked a little bit of Broadway. It was lit up and the weather was perfect.
We made a stop at our favorite downtown Nashville ice cream spot!
Mike's Ice Cream has a wall of photos of famous musicians that have stopped in for their yummy treats. It's a little hole in the wall, but has the best banana chip ice cream you'll ever have!
What a wonderful evening!
The next day we had a day of shopping planned.
Opry Mills, a huge indoor outlet mall (located right next to the resort) was having their grand re-opening that very day! They have been closed for refurbishment since the flood of 2010.
Our first stop was lunch at the Aquarium Restaurant located inside the Opry Mills.
After lunch, the shopping began. They have added a Vera Bradley OUTLET, which I love. They have retired patterns, as well as new prints. Prices are not drastically different (on average you save about $20), but I loved seeing some of the retired prints.
My other favorite addition is the Disney Outlet!
Unfortunately though, we do not have a Disney tripped planned, so I bought nothing :( Seeing this park map was such a tease!!
We took a break from shopping to see a movie- also located inside the Opry Mills!
We saw "The Hunger Games." I know people will gasp when I say this- but I wasn't a fan. It was just too intense for me. I go to the movies to be entertained.... gripping the seat for 2 hours and 22 mins is NOT entertaining to me. It was just too stressful! Troy thought it was just "okay." He didn't think it was worth all of the hype... he a is a tough movie critic!
We had a great day at the Opry Mills!!
After shopping and a movie, we headed over to the Grand Ole Opry House.
So .....Nashville is home to the Grand Ole Opry, the Ryman Auditorium, the Country Music Hall of Fame, Gaylord Opryland, the Tennessee Titans, and......
wait for it....
THE 2012 SHOW CHOIR NATIONALS!!!!
I had googled events going on in Nashville this week and stumbled upon the competition. It was being held right next to our resort, but I didn't know if general public would be allowed to attend. After talking with the information booth in the lobby of our hotel (which was really meant for contestants) we were given two free tickets to the event! I was so tickled, I hugged the lady!
I was in SEVENTH HEAVEN! I'm talking this was REAL. LIFE. GLEE.
The shots above were from my camera, but we weren't allowed to use a flash, so I found these below from the Show Choir Nationals website (www.showchoirnationals.com).
I enjoyed it so much, that Troy bought me a tshirt before we left.
Shopping, a movie, and the Show Choir Nationals....it doesn't get much better than that!
The next day was a sad one..... it was time to say goodbye to our little get-a-way and head home. A few shots before saying goodbye.
On the way back to Louisville, we stopped at Summer Crest Winery.
On the way back to Louisville, we stopped at Summer Crest Winery.
And then then our road trip was officially over.
The only thing good about returning home was knowing we were going to be having dinner with family. Brian was in town, and we were anxious to see him and his girlfriend, Alex. We arrived back in Louisville in just enough time to meet them at Shogun's for dinner.
Eric and Sarah....
It was the perfect ending to the perfect trip.
Before closing, I wanted to mention the historical event for our state that took place yesterday. We don't follow sports, or really get into March Madness- but thought it was a very exciting day for the Bluegrass! Congrats to both the Cats and Cards!! I thought all of the excitement was so neat......even for this girl, who fills out her bracket based on locations she'd like to visit (San Diego State all the way baby!) HA! ;) I have several close friends that are BIG UK fans, and I know how fun this is for all of the CATS. Hope to see them win the big title on Monday!
One last thing.... is anyone planning on watching the Academy of Country Music Awards tonight? I'm hoping to see a win for The Band Perry (Vocal Group of the Year), Miranda Lambert (Female Vocalist of the Year/Album of the Year) and Scotty McCreery (New Artist of the Year). Sorry Sam! He has gotten better with the whole mic thing though ;).
Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!
Love,
Kristin
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