nashville.

We began our one-day tour of the big city by crossing the Shelby Street Pedestrian Bridge that gave us a beautiful view of downtown Nashville on one side + the Tennessee Titans football stadium on the other side. The city grew bigger + bigger the closer we got to it, and I felt so small standing on its streets. We did a lot of adventuring, and I had the best tour guide there was. Ellybeth has lived in Nashville for three years now, and she knew the city like the back of her hand. I was so impressed + so thankful to be exploring this new place for the first time with her!

We, then, spent a couple of hours inside the Country Music Hall of Fame, and I learned so much about country artists I'd never heard of + was reminded of all the reasons I fell in love with the country singers that I used to still karaoke to today.

After seeing downtown, my professional tour guide took me to see Nashville's Parthenon, which is modeled after the original Parthenon in Athens, Greece. It was huge + so very beautiful, and I requested to be driven around it twice just so I could make sure I took in all its beauty.

Our final sight-seeing location of the day was the Gaylord Opryland Hotel, and it was, indeed, a grand finale. We walked around inside for over an hour, and we didn't even see half of it because of how big it is. Ellen picked her two favorite atriums to show me, and we wandered through them slowly so as not to miss anything, of course. I'm pretty sure my mouth didn't close the whole time we were inside, because I was so amazed at how gorgeous it was. It didn't feel like I was in a hotel at all, but rather like I was exploring a majestic town overflowing with the most charming scenery.

Doesn't that make you want to go visit Nashville? I already can't wait to be back. We're thinking next Christmas, right Aunt Ellybeth? :)