Opryland

Nashville’s Opryland Hotel (official name: Gaylord Opryland Resort) was our vacation destination for three glorious days. Even the 360-degree tour on their website could not have prepared me for dewdrop air, green palm-frond umbrellas over paths winding among rushing waterfalls and dancing fountains, and purple orchids arching out of rock gardens at every turn. Segueing from expansive, echoing marble-floored lobby to lush garden atrium, I gasped in delight at what was to be my temporary tropical respite from biting March winds.

Glass ceilings allowed sunlight to warm our pale, winter-weary faces, but I cannot say the atrium was a serene scene. Waterfalls thundering, hundreds of tourists talking, and children squealing were loud. Constant camera flashes contributed to sensory overload. YET, this environment was also a feast for the senses. Whether reading on our balcony above a waterfall, sipping Sauvignon Blanc in a fountainside café, or spotting papaya bunches in palm trees, we let the moist heat of tropical greens gently massage kinks out of our everyday-grind muscles. This bustling place breathed life back into sagging spirits. 

P.S. If this blog post sounds like an unsolicited commercial for Gaylord Opryland Resort, so be it.