November 28 – Nashville, Part 2

This is part 2 for Nashville – a positive spin.

There were many good things about a week in Nashville in the middle of November. For one thing, there was the weather.  There was no snow on the ground. There was no rain and there wasn’t any ice. The grass was still green and there were leaves on the trees. Apparently, Tennessee was going through a bit of a cold snap, but having just newly arrived from the freezing cold and snow of Alberta, the temperature to us seemed fairly moderate. We enjoyed the sunshine and spent a fair bit of time outside.

One site that I would recommend to others who might want to travel to Nashville is the Hermitage Andrew Jackson Museum. This stop included a guided tour of the mansion, the former home of General Andrew Jackson, and access to the grounds. I must admit that I couldn’t see into the glassed rooms of the mansion but the commentary was informative and we thoroughly enjoyed walking around what had once been a huge plantation. Jackson was a more interesting character than I remember ever reading about in history books. He was a soldier, politician, and as president, a leading figure in the beginning democracy of the United States. Those were the good points. On the other side of the coin, as a young man, he eloped with a married woman and ran his plantation with the assistance of around 350 enslaved people. I found the tour very educational.

Another spot that I would recommend is the Gaylord Hotel and Convention Centre. At first, I couldn’t imagine spending more than twenty minutes in a hotel lobby, yet Lyle and I wandered around for close to two hours. Once past the actual lobby reception area, the building opens up into a massive horticultural centre under a domed ceiling. The variety of tropical plants is truly incredible. Because we had arrived at the beginning of the festive season the area was being transformed with an abundance of Christmas lights and of course, poinsettias were everywhere. There were waterfalls and a short canal cruise. In an adjoining building there was a huge water park. In November, the outside slides were closed off but the inside area was all systems go. The Gaylord was truly remarkable and worth a visit in any season of the year.

So, there you have it. Although I doubt that we would make Nashville a destination point for future trips, I could certainly see spending time in the surrounding area.

There is one picture with this post. It is of a tree made up entirely of poinsettia plants. The larger plants were placed around the base with the size of the plants becoming smaller towards the top. I am standing in front of the tree to give some perspective as to its height. I would estimate that the tree was at least four times taller than I was.

 

Sue in front of poinsettia Christmas tree