Travel

Hey Guys!

In July, I surprised my hubby with a weekend stay at the Opryland Hotel in Nashville for his birthday.

Since we couldn’t check in until 4 pm on Saturday, I had purchased tickets for the General Jackson Showboat.

After getting parked at the Opry Mills shopping mall, we walked over to get in line for the boat.

There are several informational signs along the railing that tell you about the history of the Cumberland River, Nashville, the General Jackson and more.

After a few minutes of waiting, we boarded the General Jackson.

We found a couple of seats towards the front of the boat.

At approximately 12:00 pm, we were called inside the dining room to find our assigned seats….we had to sit at a table with several other people and I was not a fan of that.

The boat ride included a buffet lunch and musical entertainment.

After getting seated in the dining room, you had to wait until your table number was called before going up and making your plate.

The buffet consisted of pulled pork BBQ, chicken, baked beans, potato salad, mixed veggies, macaroni & cheese, salad, rolls and a dessert.

The food was a lot better than I thought it would be.

After lunch, my hubby & I headed back outside to enjoy the views.

The majority of the others stayed inside to listen to the music so it felt like a private boat tour!

The boat headed towards downtown Nashville.

Arriving to the Nashville skyline

We passed under several bridges along the way.

They were filming for the show, 911 Nashville on this bridge when we were there.

Going under the bridge

After passing under the bridge, we spotted the metal sculpture called, the Ghost Ballet.

It symbolizes the industrial history of Nashville.

It sits near the Nissan Stadium ...Nashville’s premier sports and entertainment destination.

A shot of the “batman” building…..which is the AT&T building that was nicknamed the “Batman Building“ for its distinctive twin spires and sloped facade that resemble the superhero’s cowl.

After reaching downtown Nashville, the boat turned around and headed back.

Of course, we snapped a few pictures along the way. 😉

On the way back, a group of jet ski riders followed our boat, keeping us entertained with their incredible stunts and daring maneuvers!

They were doing all kinds of crazy spins and jumps!

We also spotted a boat in the water called, the Pontoon Saloon.

The Pontoon Saloon offers all kinds of different cruises.

Read reviews here

The General Jackson is one of Nashville’s most legendary attractions …it was built to echo the elegant showboats of America’s past.

At nearly 300 feet long with four decks and a towering paddlewheel, the General Jackson is one of the largest showboats in the world and a living tribute to the region’s river history.

After about an 1.5 hr ride, we were back at the boat dock.

Read reviews here

A couple of shots of the boat

After the boat ride, we headed to the Opryland Hotel.

The drive is only 5 mins from the Opry Mills shopping center.

Once we arrived, we asked if we could go ahead and check in even though it was an hour before our check in time….thankfully, our room was ready and they let us check in.

Tip: Even if your room isn’t ready, they will hold your luggage and you can walk around the hotel, have lunch, shop etc until it’s time to check in….lots to keep you busy at this hotel!

After getting checked in, we headed to our room.

I love this place….it’s so beautiful!

We stayed here for our anniversary in Dec. 2023….you can read about that stay, here.

Pictures of our room

Once again, I booked a room that had a balcony overlooking the atrium.

We had views of the Delta atrium from our balcony.

The Delta atrium is a massive, 4.5 acre indoor garden featuring a 1/4 mile long river with flatboat tours, tropical plants, waterfalls, shops, restaurants, and a skywalk.

We could sit on our balcony and watch the Delta riverboat float by…

After getting settled into our room, we headed out to walk around the hotel.

The hotel is massive….it’s a resort and a convention center that sits under nine acres of climate controlled tropical gardens, waterfalls, rivers and walking paths, all under a soaring glass atrium.

There is so much to do here ….from shopping, restaurants (like 10 different ones), a spa, an indoor/outdoor pool, the gardens, arcades, fitness center, fountain shows, and lots of different activities throughout the year…..especially during Christmas!

There are 3 plant filled atriums in the hotel….so, bring your walking shoes!

Tip: You can download the hotel’s app to help guide you around the hotel

We passed the Cinnabon bakery and it took everything I had not to purchase a cinnamon roll….we love cinnamon rolls! 😉

The hotel has stores where you can purchase snacks & drinks, an ice cream shop, a Starbucks, and much more!

We walked over to check out the Old Hickory restaurant where I had made dinner reservations for my hubby’s birthday for later that night.

The restaurant sits under the glass dome atrium and looks like an old plantation home.

Continuing our walk around the hotel

The hotel is filled with tropical plants, stone bridges and koi ponds.

Waterfalls, fountains, and lots of hidden spots just begging for photos. 😉

It’s truly a micro-world of greenery and architecture.

You don’t have to stay here to enjoy this hotel….you can visit anytime of the year and take advantage of the shopping, shows, restaurants and more.

After walking around for a while, we headed back to the room to get ready for our dinner reservatioins.

Tip: Be sure to book your dinner reservations well in advance or you may have to wait a while to be seated.

Once we were ready for dinner, we took a few pictures on the balcony.

Then we headed to the Old Hickory Steakhouse…

After arriving, we were seated right away…

We took a few minutes to look over the menu.

We started with a loaf of the sourdough bread and honey butter.

It was delicious!

We then ordered a salad

Tip: Everything you order is a la carte.

For our main course, we both ordered a steak with mac & cheese & potatoes.

We only ordered one side of the Mac & cheese and one side of the potatoes to share because our waiter had told us the sides were enough to feed 2-3 people and he was right!

My hubby was excited about his steak 😉

After dinner, the birthday boy got to pick a free dessert off of the dessert menu.

So, he decided on the chocolate truffle cake that was served with a side of vanilla gelato.

I think he was more excited about the cake than the steak…lol!

After dinner, we decided to walk off some of those calories!

This area is located in the Cascades atrium

There’s the Delta, Cascades and the Magnolia atriums…each have their own unique water features, plants, fountains etc.

We stopped for a quick photo at this beautiful pavilion.

There are lots of waterfalls and fountains along the plant filled paths.

After walking off about 50 calories, we headed back to our room to relax on the balcony.

Later, we watched the light show from our room.

Tip: Each night in the Delta atrium, they have a free, nightly spectacle of dancing water set to music and lights….there are multiple showtimes.

After sitting on the balcony for what seemed like hours, we finally called it a night!

The next morning, we enjoyed our coffee on the balcony.

Later, we got ready and headed down for breakfast at the Cascades Cafe.

Our stay included a free breakfast so we were definitely going to take advantage of that!

After arriving to the cafe, we were put on a wait list where we waited about 20 mins for a table.

Once we were seated, we ordered our coffee and then headed up to the buffet to make our plates.

We couldn’t believe the variety of food they offered!

You can have pancakes made to order, waffles, omelets and more.

Or you could choose the already fresh made eggs, bacon, sausage, biscuits, potatoes, gravy, grits, fruit, pastries, bagels, toast, oatmeal, and so much more!!