I‘m still decompressing from the whirlwind Blissdom conference, so instead of getting into all of that yet, I’m going to share pics of the Gaylord Opryland hotel in Nashville. I’m sure many of you have visited here before, but in case you haven’t, it’s quite the astonishing place. I first visited the Opryland Hotel back in 2007 when I was in Nashville for a Deeper Still conference, so if you’d like to see even more pics, click on that link.
You almost have to see it to believe it, but hopefully you can get an idea of the magnitude from these pics. They really do treat their customers so well and we felt pampered and pleased at the time we spent there.
It’s all indoors, but the amount of greenery and plant material inside is just amazing. I’m sure they must have a host of gardeners taking care of all of this and everything is SO lush and verdant.
So, just enjoy the tour….
Ponds and fountains are abundant.
And the flowers are so colorful and pretty, you almost think it’s Spring in there.
And you almost forget that you’re inside a microcosm since it feels like your outside, only….you’re NOT. We were shocked when we stepped outside to leave at the end of the conference to discover it really was 32 degrees outside.
They even have waterfalls.
And a beautiful gazebo.
One of our lunches one day was at Ristorante Volare and it was like being in an outdoor cafe in the Mediterranean. Simply heavenly!
These beautiful floral arrangements were on our tables.
And my lunch partners were Sandy, Tracy, Layla, and Melissa. Love these girls! This was my first time meeting Tracy from Beneath My Heart and she is just precious, such a sweet lady. It’s always great to see my sweet friend, Layla again and Melissa and I met up last year at the Eddie Ross shopping trip and again at Blissdom ’09, so we connected again.
Another new real life friend is Kate, from Centsational Girl, a bubbly little thing. So glad she came all the way from California and joined us. We all had a blast together and again, I’ve said this before, but when you meet up with fellow bloggers, it’s like you have known each other FOREVAHHH. Truly!
Me and Sandy, Reluctant Entertainer are good friends since meeting last year at Blissdom and it’s always great to spend some time with her. That’s the Nester over Sandy’s right shoulder. Sandy is a sweetheart. If you haven’t visited all these blogs, hop on over and say hello to them. They are all super!
Lunch was just delish, a wonderful pasta dish.
And dessert was amazingly yummy too. They fed us well at the Opryland.
Me and my 2 roomies had a double room (I got a bed to myself). 🙂 And the 3 of us had a blast too.
The view from our room wasn’t bad either, a pretty courtyard and small pond.
I’ll tell you more about the conference later when I have a chance to think about it all. Just have to sit down and ponder on what all we heard and learned and I’ll try to pass some of it on, just in case you might wonder what all goes on at one of these blogging conferences. Actually, the best part is the connections with new and old friends and getting to meet in real life. Absolutely, the best part.
There’s always a lot of information to digest!
The winner of the beautiful monogrammed spa robe from Miss Lucy’s Monograms is Cheri from Geer Gather. Congrats, Cheri, you will love this robe! Thanks to all of you for signing up for it.
Elizabeth says
Wow! What great fun! I have never been to the Opryland Hotel , it looks so lovely! Maybe one day I will. Your photo’s were wonderful to see!
Take care and enjoy your day,
Elizabeth
living with lindsay says
Rhoda- I just have to say that I couldn’t have enjoyed meeting you any more! You are such a wonderful person, and I’m so thankful that we were able to connect in real life.
Marilyn says
Thanks so much for sharing all the great pictures. I missed a trip there two summers ago because I broke my arm and could NOT travel as the pain was so intense. Your pictures allowed me to “visit” ‘tho I didn’t get to attend the Reading Conference. Perhaps my daughter and I can visit someday!
Paula says
Great photos of the hotel: I agree with the OP about how amazing this place is at Christmas time – it’s truly a wonderland!! I love to visit Nashville – we normally stay in Brentwood (LOVE LOVE LOVE The Puffy Muffin!!!) & spend time in Franklin at the antique shops.
Thanks for sharing with those of us that couldn’t go; maybe next time…
sandy toe says
Looks like a wonderful time you had!
sandy toe
Jess @ Frugal with a Flourish says
I loved meeting you! You were so sweet and kind to a newbie like me! So glad I finally got a chance to hear that southern accent of yours in person! It is exactly how I imagined!
Sandy says
Great recap and photos of the grounds, Rhoda. It was it’s own little city, for sure! I loved our time of hanging out, wish we could have had more! What a great bunch of incredible ladies, uh?
Love you!
Teresa says
Loved the recap and I have always loved this hotel….one of my favorites….
Laryssa @ Heaven In The Home says
It was so good to see you again! What a beautiful post you’ve written. 🙂
The Little Red Shop says
What a treat!
: )
Julie M.
Rachel @ Grasping for Objectivity says
Oh wow!!! We’ve GOT to go up there sometime! I’ve never been, but it’s always looked SO amazing. There’s nothing I love better than a huge and luxurious hotel. MUST GO!