Family Fun Weekend in Nashville

Kelly was hosted for purpose of writing this article. 

I recently had the opportunity to explore Nashville, TN in search of family-friendly fun and adventures; and discovered a wonderful place to take the family. I was able to stay at the Garden Conservatory in the Gaylord Opryland Hotel and it was so relaxing to sit out on my balcony and listen to the waterfalls located not far from my room. While I did get lost a few times in the hotel, I took that time to explore and found an abundance of restaurants, a boat cruise inside the hotel, and wonderful shopping throughout. I also was treated with great Southern hospitality to help me find my way.

The Grand Ole Opry was a fun Friday night that featured 11 artists broken into four 30 minute segments. Each artist sang 2-3 songs and then it was on to the next feature which made for an entertaining night good for the young and old. The show was interrupted for commercials and humor throughout which kept everyone on their toes. While The Grand Ole Opry does steer towards country music it is a mix of bluegrass, old country, and new country which is enjoyable for everyone in your party.

Located nearby, the Opry Mills Mall was great for dining and shopping with a mix of family friendly restaurants (The Aquarium Restaurant and The Rainforest Café) and more adult oriented experiences (Smith Creek Moonshine). The Aquarium Restaurant features a 200,000 gallon tank filled with fish, stingrays, and sharks which you can sit next to while eating. Their menu offers a wide variety of foods including burgers, pasta, and seafood as well as a kid’s menu and activity sheet. The Herb-crusted Atlantic salmon was delicious. The Aquarium also has a mermaid show a few times a month and some behind the scenes tours available.

The Rainforest Café is also a highlight at the Opry Mills Mall and is a fun family restaurant. It is filled with animatronic animals including tigers, monkeys, and an elephant that move and groove to music and every 30 minutes features a thunderstorm (don’t worry you won’t get wet but the lights do flicker on and off). The Rainforest Café features salads, burgers, seafood, and pasta and I can vouch for the shrimp tacos, yum!

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Smith Creek Moonshine is located within the Opry Mills Mall and features a huge variety of moonshine flavors. Step up to the bar for their moonshine tastings so that you can choose your favorite. Don’t worry; they also sell candles, hot sauce, t-shirts, and hats. My favorite Moonshine was the Chocolate Silk flavor! Once you have decided on your favorite Moonshine, head over to Madame Tussauds Nashville for a fun visit with your favorite wax music stars. This museum is unique as it is all music themed and takes you on a musical history filled with stars such as Elvis Presley, Kid Rock, Justin Timberlake, and Carrie Underwood.

When you are ready to go shopping, Opry Mills Mall has 1.25 miles of mall to shop! A few of my favorites included the Lego store, New York & Company Outlet, and Its Sugar. The Lego Store has a wall of bricks that you can mix and match to add to your collection, 2 bins of Legos to play with and explore, and of course a load of sets to choose from. New York and Company Outlet had a huge variety of sweaters, dresses, jeans and more at outlet prices! Its Sugar is filled with sugar of course. This store would make for a special treat for your kids or would make for excellent birthday or Christmas gifts!

A trip to Nashville featuring the Gaylord Opryland hotel, Opry Mills Mall, and the Grand Ole Opry would be a great trip for the upcoming fall break and will make for wonderful memories for the whole family. This trip was so much fun that I plan to bring my family back for the Holidays!

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