Opryland Hotel, Nashville

If you live in the area or you are going to be in the area for some time, you should definitely check out the Opryland Hotel. It is particularly nice in the winter, because you can walk around "outside" without a coat. The Hotel is a small city unto itself. The interior has multiple courtyards with a sky high roof of glass scaffolding above. These are not your normal courtyards. Each one is a jungle, with winding paths leading behind waterfalls and over them, around fountains and gazebos, and beside small streams. Wider lanes lead along the river, and through the small New Orleans styled street. You can board a boat on a track, and take a little tour of the area, or Head to the mansion on the hill for dinner. All of this is "inside" the walls of the hotel, under a vast steel and glass roof. There are even fountain shows, and a rotating bar. Along the more traditional interior areas, there is an old world charm. You will come uppon huge lounge rooms with piano and fire place, ball rooms with floor to ceiling murals, and quite corners. There are also several restaurants, bars, and shops inside.

The Opryland is a first class hotel, though the rooms aren't worth the 250 per night they cost, stay somewhere else, but check it out. The restaurants inside are good too, especially the one which looks like a mansion on the hill. I have yet to see a hotel complex as large or interesting anywhere else, of course, I've not yet been to vegas either.

Winter is a great time to visit because it is tropical weather inside the glass to keep all the palm trees alive. It's also a wonderful time to visit, because the hotel puts on an impressive display of lights and decorations, as well as having activities such as the Ice! event (see an earlier blog) and the Rockettes.

This place is an A