"Opryland Hotel, Nashville" a Tennessee Travel Page by Don_Wright

The Opryland Hotel is a blend of Colonial Williamsburg and Southern Plantation architectural style, and is a feast for the eyes. And the huge indoor atrium areas with plants and trees are a feast for the soul. Every where you look and go, is wonderful and amazing. My photographs really don't do it justice, I wish I could show you my video footage taken a few years ago, but maybe you'll get an idea of the magnificence of this place <font color=blue>(Hey VT, this roll was for you: all photos taken Monday 4/16/01, day after Easter Sunday). Are you ready? Let's go! </font>

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Wow, we are in the Delta area, and look at that little villiage down there! Let's go check it out!

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Wow, what a cool little village! Gift shops, ice cream, and stuff.

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What a cool avenue, walking out of that neat little village, now we're on Delta Island. Let's stop and look around!

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While we are waiting for the tour boat to come down the river, le'ts look at that water fountain erupting!

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Turning to our right, this is another beautiful view of this area.

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Before we go, look up at this most amazing rooftop glass skylight structure!

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We'll exit through another beautiful lobby, the "Presidential Lobby". Let's set here for awhile and reflect on our visit here. Hope you liked it as much as I did! Let's come back over the Holidays, as I hear the Country Christmas is spectacular with over 1.7 million lights, and toy soldiers, dolls, singers, dancers, and musicians! I'll see you then!

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We'll enter through the Magnolia lobby, one of the beautiful entrance lobbies. Upstairs is the Magnolia mezzanine. Both areas have relaxing comfortable seating areas, to wait for guests, or to discuss plans, etc.

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We are now entering into one of the three huge areas under glass roofs inside the complex. This one is called the Garden Conservatory. A two-acre garden under glass, here, all one's senses are affected! There are places to sit quietly and think. There are paths to walk. There are places to eat and drink. And the magic is, you feel like you are outdoors, but it is indoors!

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There are reportedly over 10,000 plants exibited in the Garden Conservatory. These plants represent more than 215 species and are from 37 different plant families. This collection incluses six kinds of ficus trees, four types of banana trees, 15 types of palms and a sampling of little orange trees.

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110 feet above the garden's floor, is a one-acre skylight that is one of the largest glass roofs in the world. There is room for towering palms and banana trees, as well as thousands of smaller plants. What a breath of fresh air! Isn't this neat! We can feel like we're outdoors in nature, all year round. I know, I would like to stay here all day too, but I have another awesome area to show you!

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The Cascades, focusing on water, is a two-acre interior space is surrounded by 2 six-story guest wings and crowned with a one acre sized skylight. In this photo, in the lower left you can see part of the Cascade Tarrace revolving lounge, and in the distance, the Cascades Restaurant, which features a waiting bar, colorful paintings and landscapes of plants, grottos, waterfalls and cliffs.

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Dominating one end of the Cascades is a "mountain" almost four stories high. Accenting this setting are three waterfalls that splash into a 12,500 square-foot lake.

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At the lake's center is the Cascade Terrace, a revolving lounge offering a complete view of the Cascades. Notice the Victorian style gazebo with Greek columns, archways and bevelled glass panels. Let's go enjoy a beverage, and sit for awhile!

As beautiful as this place is in the daytime you should see it at night! Nightime in the Cascades, the "Dancing Waters" show. I wish I had photos to show you, I have video footage of this most beautiful event. An intricate custom designed fountain composed of 940 jets and 10 rocker arms that shoot water up to 22 feet in the air, performs a continuous series of water movements from 8am to 11pm daily. But the two spectacular nighly performances feature full laser effects and the live music of a harpist. I agree that the show looks as if someone has taken a handful of rubies, emeralds and diamonds and thrown them into the air. Now, let's go to the next massive area called the Delta!