The Opryland Resort at Christmas
Holiday Happenings
Start with a visit to Gaylord Opryland and a holiday celebration, Southern
style. The first time I went
to Nashville around the holidays, this was my first stop. My mouth dropped
open with childlike excitement at the two million outdoor lights. It was like
they were shining a huge “welcome.” And, that’s just on
the outside. On the inside, the world-famous Radio
City Rockettes are kicking
up their heels once again in The Radio City Christmas
Spectacular at the home
of the Grand Ole Opry. The razzle-dazzle includes scenes like the powerful
parade of the wooden soldiers. You can also catch one of today’s hottest
country stars, Pam Tillis at the Pam Tillis Christmas
Dinner Party from Thanksgiving till Christmas day. You’ll feast on a traditional
holiday dinner while the Grammy Award
winner sings her favorite holiday tunes and number one hits.
How about a real winter landscape, despite being south of the Mason Dixon?
Bring your jacket! ICE! is a display of frozen sculptures carved from 1.5
million pounds of ice. Visitors can do everything from gliding down a 10-foot
slide, to walking through a train — all made of ice. Treat yourself
by staying at the Opryland Resort! The entire complex covers 47 acres and
holds nearly 3,000 rooms; it’s one of the largest hotels this side of
the North Pole. It’s worth visiting the hotel just to see the atrium
garnished with giant decorations. The first time I stepped inside, I felt
like I was immediately transported to a tropical forest. Plan lots of time.
You’ll want to take a leisurely stroll through these nine acres, which
boast more than ten-thousand species of plants. Or you can view the botanical
garden by boat. Flatboats transport travelers through a representation of
a town along the Mississippi River delta. Visit one of the many specialty
shops, or sit back, enjoy a drink and watch the festive fountain show from
the revolving Cascades Terrace Lounge.
The Country Music Hall of Fame
To celebrate the days of Christmas
past, head to one of Nashville’s
grandest estates and enter a holiday time warp. The
Cheekwood Botanical Garden and Museum of Art offers
activities for the whole family. Take part in a gingerbread workshop, enjoy
a holiday tea and listen to the sounds of Nashville storytelling. This mansion,
formerly owned by family members of the inventors of Maxwell House Coffee,
offers a jolt of good cheer. Antique instruments and vintage carolers virtually
come to life. A gorgeous tree decorated with ornaments by Nashville musicians
fills the rotunda. Outside the house, 55 acres of gardens threaded with tranquil
ponds and streams look like a painted picture against the backdrop of breathtaking
views of the rolling hills of Tennessee.
Celebrate the season “Victorian Style” at the Belle Meade
Plantation about seven miles from downtown Nashville.
Horse lovers will relish the chance to see this former thoroughbred farm brought
into equestrian fame by Confederate cavalry officer General W. H. Jackson.
Belle Meade was home to Iroquois, the first American Bred horse to win the
English Derby. The 30-acre site houses a Greek Revival Mansion and eight other
historic buildings, including a turn-of-the-century carriage house that features
one of the South’s largest collections
of antique carriages. From mid-November until the first of January, the mansion
is adorned in festive décor. Groups of 15 or more can hearken back
to old English times and enjoy a special Holiday Wassail Tour — where
after the tour, the group gathers to enjoy wassail — a drink filled
with holiday spices made especially to warm up the season. It’s perfect
for a toast to future health and prosperity.
The botanical gardens by boat at Opryland
Year-round Attractions:
Nashville Music, Art & History
No matter what time of year you visit Nashville, you’ll know why its
nickname is Music City, U.S.A. Music and musicians abound in this southern
city. Synonymous with country music, Nashville is ever diversifying its sound
and is known the world over for playing a starring role in America’s
musical history. Travelgirls looking to trace the roots of country music might
want to begin by heading downtown to the Country
Music Hall of Fame and Museum.
This museum is to country music what the Smithsonian is to history. It pays
musical tribute both inside and out. When viewed from the air, it looks like
a giant bass clef, while the front windows resemble piano keys. Visitors can
take a self-guided tour through two of the museum floors. Exhibits tell the
story of country music from its start up days as folk music in the British
Isles. Among the 800,000 artifacts: Guitars played by stars like Gene Autrey
and Garth Brooks, a cowgirl dress owned by Patsy Cline, Elvis Presley’s
1960 Cadillac Fleetwood 75 limousine, and Trisha Yearwood’s employment
application. Yearwood applied to work at the museum five years before her first
single, She’s in Love with the Boy, hit No.1. And, speaking of No. 1
records, there are walls filled with every country-related album ever to hit
gold or platinum in the 20th century. Several of the records are interactive,
allowing visitors to play one of the album’s hit songs.
Fans of the TV series Hee Haw can visit its famous “kornfield” set,
complete with costumes worn by the series’ famed characters. The museum
also hosts temporary exhibits. Right now visitors will find layouts from the
lives of Hank Snow, Ray Price and Ray Charles. But the most awe-inspiring sight
is the final stop on the tour: The Hall of Fame Rotunda where plaques pay homage
to country music’s most celebrated men and women. Now that you’ve
seen the instruments of your favorite country music stars, you can see where
they were played in Nashville’s oldest surviving recording studio: Studio
B. Located near the Country Music Hall of Fame, daily tours of the studio depart
from the museum. This
studio recorded hits like Roy Orbison’s Only the Lonely and Elvis Presley’s
It’s Now or Never and Rock Around the Clock. Rock around this studio — restored
to its vintage look — and you can almost hear some of the most famous
voices ever to come out of Nashville. You’ll even catch a glimpse of
Elvis — when he was still a blond!
The Country Music Hall of Fame
No visit down musical memory
lane would be complete without a stop at the historic Ryman Auditorium. Originally built as a church
before the turn of the 20th century, the Ryman became one of the premier performance
centers, hosting greats from Sergei Rachmaninov to Will Rogers to R.E.M. The
Grand Ole Opry’s
stint at the Ryman from 1943-1974 earned it the title “Mother Church
of Country Music.” During November and December, the Grand Ole
Opry (the
country’s longest-running continuous radio show) returns here to broadcast
from its former home while the Rockettes occupy the Opry’s current home
at Gaylord Opryland.
Nashville is not just a mecca for wanna-be singers; it’s also a magnet
for songwriters. The best can be found singing their lyrics at the famous Bluebird
Café. This music club started out as a restaurant in the early 1980s
until it began “Sunday writers’ nights,” giving new writers
a chance to perform before a guest writer. Before he hit the big time, Garth
Brooks was one of the performers at the Bluebird’s open mic. These days,
the Bluebird offers live music every night of the week. Its small size creates
a feel that’s cozy and intimate. Patrons practically sit next to the
performers! Performers often sit in the round, singing songs they’ve
written for famous names like Reba McEntire and Tim McGraw. Reservations for
weekday shows other than Sunday and Monday evenings can be made up to a week
in advance and on Mondays prior to a weekend show. The no-smoking, no-talking
during performances rule at the Bluebird makes it a pleasant room to listen
to the hottest sounds of today and tomorrow.
If country isn’t king in your book, but classical music turns you on,
you’ll want to check out the city’s brand new concert hall, the
Schermerhorn Symphony Center. The Center just
opened in September and was built to house the Nashville Symphony. Named after
Kenneth Schermerhorn, the Symphony’s
late music director, it is a 197,000 square-foot acoustical wonder inspired
by neo-classical architecture. The main concert hall seats more than 1,800
people including some behind the orchestra — offering patrons a rare
front seat look at the conductor’s most passionate moments. Pops and
special events concerts will be heard and seen cabaret-style as movable seats
make way for a flat hardwood floor adorned with tables and chairs. Art lovers
will want to make a stop at the Frist Center for the Visual Arts.
The building is Nashville’s former main post office, now on the National Register
of Historic Places. The combination of Art Deco and Classicism architecture
provides a perfect sanctuary to house rolling exhibitions. On display now:
Bedazzled: 5000 Years of Jewelry from the Walters Art Museum, and Bob Trotman:
Model Citizens, seven carved and painted wood sculptures.
An art in its own rite, the Hatch
Show Print is one of America’s
oldest working letterpress poster print shops. Who needs digital when you can
use letterpress? From Vaudeville to minstrel shows to B.B. King and Willie
Nelson, the colorful posters made here have become a favorite form of advertising.
Each print is individually handcrafted by inking hand-carved wooden blocks,
metal photo plates and type, and then pressing to paper to create an image.
There are no formal tours, but the shop gets more than 20,000 visitors each
year. Located in the heart of downtown, it’s a Nashville landmark.
One of the most famous sites in Nashville belonged to
that of the nation’s seventh President, Andrew Jackson. At The Hermitage,
travelers can enjoy stories about the Jackson family told by guides in period
costume. Several family heirlooms remain, along with original slave cabins
and several other buildings from the 19th century. Tourists can visit the President’s
tomb, as well as the family cemetery.
For all its glory, Nashville remains a rather humble city. The hundreds of
thousands of musicians who know dream and disappointment have formed quite
a community here — one that welcomes newcomers and is ever anxious to
share its talent. Spend time appreciating the history of the area, especially
the historical journey of music. Then, experience the diversity of what’s
happening today by listening to live music. There are likely as many or more
opportunities to hear live music any night of the week in Nashville than in
any other U.S. city. As you take in the ambience that is the essence of Nashville,
you too will become part of the history of music making, as songwriters, both
famous and unknown, share their hearts and souls. |
