Christmas/ Holidays in Nashville

The most magical time of the year to visit Nashville, Tennessee is in November and December. Gaylord Opryland has made it a priority to make the holiday months extremely special. This author has attended many events both in 2005 and 2006. I have not been disappointed, but rather delighted.

By the week before Thanksgiving, Gaylord Resort and Hotel is awash in twinkling Christmas lights and the magical feeling pulls you into the holiday season from the moment the curtain arises on the "Christmas Spectacular with the Rockettes" to "Dinner with Pam Tillis" to "Ice."

"Ice" is a feast for the eyes. You walk into a building full of interactive ice sculptures carved from 1.5 million pounds of colored ice. There are buildings with slides, a full size horse drawn carriage and many other rooms of holiday sculptures. The show ends with a floor to ceiling clear ice sculpture of the Nativity. It is a breathtaking sight that transports you back in time to that first Christmas and reiterates the reason for celebration of our Savior's birth.

"Dinner with Pam Tillis" is a traditional dinner party with Pam singing holiday songs to entertain you. It is a delightful way to spend your time before seeing "Country Christmas."

"A Country Christmas" presents the Rockettes in a Christmas Spectacular. The Rockettes have a line of 20 beautiful dancers who don't miss a beat of precision. Dancing with a 10 person dancing and 12 person singing troupe, they put on a show with traditional Christmas songs and funny Santa stories. Children are mesmerized as well as the adults. You are entertained from the minute the curtain opens until it comes down. This extravaganza ends with the story of the Nativity and Jesus Christ complete with 3 camels and 4 sheep. There are the Wise men with the presentation of their gifts to the baby Jesus to the music of Silent Night. What a beautiful reminder of the reason we celebrate Christmas and what a heart rending beginning to our holiday season.

When you are not seeing these shows there is much else to do all within a mile of Gaylord Resort and Convention Center. You can spend your time shopping at the Opry Mills Outlet Mall where deals abound and shops have everything anyone could possibly want for Christmas at bargain prices. While there, stop and eat at one of two interactive restaurants. There is the "Aquarium" which has a huge salt water fish tank which can be seen from all tables. There is also the "Rainforest" where jungles animals come to life every few minutes. There are also several floor to ceiling salt water fish tanks.

Twice a day, the General Jackson showboat paddlewheeler leaves its dock on the Cumberland River for a lunch or dinner cruise with holiday meals and entertainment.

If you are in the mood for a movie, there is a 20 cinema theatre in Opry Mills Mall. After dark, walk back to the Gaylord Resort Hotel and see the lighted Christmas figures along the walkway and the gaily decorated lobby of the hotel.

The least crowded weekend to see everything and all the shows is the weekend before Thanksgiving. But don't let the crowds stop you. All tickets can be purchased online or by telephone at (615)872-0600 or on www.gaylordopryland.com.

If you are traveling from outside the Nashville area and want a place to stay, there are 3 really nice Campgrounds which this author has stayed at and several motels on Music Valley Drive just a few minutes away or the Gaylord Resort Hotel to fit whatever your budget may be.

All of the campgrounds and the motels have shuttles to all the attractions.

If you are looking for somewhere really special to put you into the Holiday spirit and bring out the child in you, come to Nashville, Tennessee.