Driving from near Macon, Georgia, up through Atlanta, it was one of our more difficult travel days. We were in heavy rain most of the day, and many wrecks on the interstate caused travel delays that added hours. We were relieved to finally pull in to the Nashville KOA.
We were only in Nashville a few days, but we tried to make the most of it! Our first day here was Easter Sunday, so we enjoyed some family time watching the final round of the Masters and hunting Easter eggs. We did take time in the early afternoon to visit the Opryland Resort, which is just 2 miles down the road from the KOA. (This is the exact reason why we chose this campground - proximity to attractions to be efficient with our time.)
The Opryland Resort is absolutely massive and is well known for its nine-acre lush indoor gardens under several soaring atriums. Boasting thousands of tropical plants, fountains, a river (and boat ride,) plus a variety of restaurants and attractions, this place is like a city in itself. It was a fun outing, and we had a good time spotting the giant Easter eggs hiding around the resort.
The Grand Ole Opry is literally right next door to Opryland, so we walked over to check that out, too. We really wanted to go to a live music night, but unfortunatly because it was a holiday weekend, they were not having any concerts during our stay. It was still really fun to see the Grand Ole Opry for ourselves, and we'll be sure to put it on our list for a future trip!
The next day was our big day to fit Nashville tourist activities in, so we focused in on the Country Music Hall of Fame as our first stop. It had been recommended to us by other travelers, and it just felt wrong to do Nashville without something to do with the history of country music. It was a very well put together museum, and we all enjoyed it. I think Raymond and I definitely enjoyed it more than the kids, just because the kids didn't know who many of the old country stars were. I really enjoyed seeing the progression of country music through the years, and I particularly loved the incredible outfits on display from artists throughout the years.
We also stopped by the Parthenon in Centennial Park. Since we've been studying ancient world history this year, and spent a considerable amount of time discussing Ancient Greece, this was a real treat! The 42 foot statue of Athena inside is the centerpiece of the exhibit, and there are also many other Greek relics on display as well. The Parthenon also serves as an art museum, with several paintings on display on one level.
