Gone a Little Bit Country

We left Friday for the Music City...Nashville, Tennessee. While thinking of a quick trip idea for Spring Break, this place came to mind. Judd and Cole would be right at home at the Opry listening to country music, and Mary Conlee and I would go along for the ride. Besides, she and I would enjoy all of the shopping! As soon as we left Parkway School, we drove up the Trace towards Nashville. With only one stop, we made it in a little less than 4 hours. We loved staying at the Opryland Hotel. With all the restaurants, shops, and sections of the hotel, you could stay there and never leave. We enjoyed walking in the gardens, riding through the delta, and the watching the waterfalls cascade down the rocks. The first night, we ate at Rusty's Sports Bar and Grill. We sat in an authentic boxing ring. Cole was wishing he brought his sparring gear! Afterwards, we took a walking tour of the hotel.

On Saturday morning, we ate breakfast in the hotel before going for our morning swim. The indoor pool was fun, but the best part was the big outdoor jacuzzi. The weather was cold and rainy, but it felt great in the jacuzzi. Imagine hot tubbing in winter! We took a bus to the Opry Mills Mall where we ate lunch at the Rainforest Cafe'. That was a really fun experience and we felt as though we were really in the rainforest...complete with all the animals, thunder and lightning. The kids tried something new...calamari (squid)! And even Cole LOVED it. We found a country and western clothing store and bought Cole some rattlesnake cowboy boots, a hat, and a shirt. Mary Conlee came equipped with pink cowgirl boots, so we just bought her a pink hat to match. We went back to the hotel for an afternoon swim before showering up for the big night.

Everyone put on their best western duds and headed out for the Grand Ole Opry. We saw some big names such as Marty Stewart, Riders in the Sky, Ricky Skaggs, and Tracy Lawrence. Let's not forget Crystal Gayle with hair that came to her ankles. The kids were in amazement and wondered if I could grow my hair that long. With extensions...maybe! The live show was a lot of fun- even for the rock and roll-loving girls. In college, I went through my country music lovin' stage. So I was excited that many of the performers were back from that era! We can't wait to go back! Maybe we can see a little Taylor Swift or Carrie Underwood next time.

On Sunday, we took a boat ride on the Delta River Cruise. This is inside the Opryland Hotel. We enjoyed the waterfalls and beautiful scenery along the way. After we said goodbye to our hotel, we went back to Opry Mills for some last minute shopping and lunch. The kids were determined to wear their hats and boots again. Will they ever take them off? We ate in the Aquarium restaurant, which was just as much fun as eating in the Rainforest. The kids asked if we could get calamari again! Judd watched in amazement of our picky one, Cole, and wondered how he did it so well. MC and I even managed to eat one of the tentacles! We went to Stingray Reef, which is right next to the Aquarium. It is a petting zoo for stingrays. We bought lots of shrimp and had fun feeding them, as well as petting them and being splashed with lots of water! We rolled out of Nashville and headed back for Tupelo. It was great to get back home. We all really missed our Brody! But I can promise you one thing...we'll back soon, ya hear!

We love the Opryland Hotel!


I should have brought my gear
 

Sleeping in a hotel is the best part!


Trimming Cole's cowboy hat


Cowgirl up!


I'm a real cowboy


Dressed in our best western gear
 

At the Grand Ole Opry
 

Mom...where's your hat?


Dad was right at home with country music!
 

The Grand Ole Opry stage
 

MC's favorite--John Conlee with his rose colored glasses. Same great name!
 

Marty Stuart was Cole's favorite. Could it be the long hair?
 

On stage...almost!
 

The years have not been kind--Crystal Gayle
 

Ricky Skaggs
 

Riders in the Sky singing "Woody's Roundup" from Toy Story
 

Tracy Lawrence
 

Walking in our hotel
 

Riding the Delta River Cruise
 

The cascades were our favorite!
 

Cruising down the river
 

Lunch at the Aquarium
 

The kids' new favorite food- squid!
 

Petting the stingrays
 

This isn't so bad!
 

Dad's turn at feeding


The kids love the stingrays!