Nashville, Tennessee is one of my favorite cities to visit. It’s less than three hours from our home and has a wide variety of attractions to offer for individuals, couples, and families!
One of my favorite places to visit while in Nashville is the Gaylord Opryland Resort! It’s a beautiful place to visit any time, but it’s even more magical during the Holiday Season! The Christmas Season is my all-time favorite time to visit!
The Opryland Resort
The Gaylord Opryland Resort is an enormous Mariott property in Nashville, Tennessee. It’s a huge hotel and convention center area that offers much more than just your typical hotel!
Amazing Views
First, let’s discuss the views!
The resort holds nine acres of indoor gardens. Many of their hotel rooms face the garden and have balconies to enjoy the view and people-watching!
I think it is completely wild that there is a waterfall inside the building!
Here’s a YouTube clip of one of the water attractions!
If you are looking for good deals for resort rooms, check out the deals on Expedia.
Boat Ride
Next, here’s a great way to see the gardens and sites without having to walk!
The Delta Riverboat Cruise is an amazing way to see the resort views! As of the last time we were there, it cost $18 per person to ride. A little steep in my book, but it really is a good ride for special occasions!
The views are amazing no matter how you see them, but the boat ride is definitely a neat way to do it! We did not do it on our last trip, but we have done it once on a previous trip.
Several Dining Locations
Not only are there amazing views and activities, but there are also a variety of restaurants throughout the property!
Several quick-service dining locations are located throughout the Opryland Resort, such as the ones overlooking this water feature. There are burger and pizza places, as well as dessert opinions such as cinnamon rolls and ice cream!
There are also higher-end dining locations, such as the restaurants pictured below. The views are just as phenomenal as the food!
Water Park
Not only are there nine acres of indoor gardens at the Opryland Resort in Nashville, but there is also a waterpark! There are both indoor and outdoor sections of the water park, though the outdoor parts are not open year-round.
Christmas Activities
Now, my favorite time to visit the Opryland Resort is during the Holiday Season! There are so many things to do during the Christmas Season. Some of the activities are free and others cost, but all make for great family fun!
There are so many fun activities and amazing decorations!
Ice Skating–Outdoor ice skating!
Live Music–Specifically, outdoor live country music! But I would expect nothing less in Nashville!
Ice Sculptures and Ice Slides
Decorating and crafts
Plus, you could visit with real, live reindeer and go sledding!
Opry Mills Mall
Last, but not least, we can’t forget the Opry Mills mall! The mall is just across the parking lot and there are plenty of activities there!
Shopping
Let’s face it. It’s a mall. There are many, many shopping options inside the Opry Mills mall. My three favorites have always been the Disney Store, Bass Pro, and Earthbound. Sadly, the Disney Store is no longer in the mall, but the other two are still there!
Bass Pro is always fun because they open have kid activities and there are always fish to look at in their tanks.
Bonus Tip: FREE pictures with Santa are located inside Bass Pro (as well as free Easter Bunny pictures during the spring).
Free Moonshine Tasting
I’m not a big alcohol drinker, but I sure enjoy free things! We have enjoyed tastings on other trips, but this is the first time we have done this in Nashville. It’s always fun to try new things, especially when those new things are free!
Kid Activities & Even a Movie Theater
The picture below shows some of the many activities for kids! They have large robots and tanks you can drive (as you can see in the picture below). There are also kid-size Tron Lightcycles! Plus, there is a movie theater and IMAX theater, as well as several kids’ rides and play areas.
There aren’t movie theaters in malls where I’m from, so I think it’s super fun!
Restaurants
There are many restaurants inside Opry Mills Mall, but my favorite is Rainforest Cafe!
Plus, this is also where I want to go to celebrate my birthday every year! Here is a picture from our most recent birthday trip!
Hopefully, this gives you a taste of all that the Opryland Resort and Opry Mills mall have to offer! It’s definitely a trip I look forward to once or twice a year. We can make it a day trip or a long weekend!
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