Rockettes and reindeer. Dancing bears and wooden soldiers. These are the
ingredients of a memorable holiday getaway. And you don't have to head north to
enjoy a Radio City Christmas Spectacular. The high kickers have sashayed down
South to Nashville's famous Grand Ole Opry House for a seasonal celebration--and
it's quite a show.
You'll have a toe-tapping big time with the Rockettes when you spend the
holidays at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center. When I say big, I'm
talking super-size, jumbo, you-can't-imagine-how-big big.
Wandering a Winter Wonderland
"Are we in the Delta?" one lost lady
asks her male companion, who looks as if he could use a cup of Christmas cheer.
"I don't know," he says, staring at a color-coded hotel map. "Have we passed the
poinsettia tree already?" They keep searching as they wander through a mammoth
indoor fantasyland. Millions of dazzling lights, 35,000 poinsettias, and a
141-foot-tall tree welcome visitors to "A Country Christmas," one of the largest
holiday extravaganzas in the South.
Nine acres of indoor gardens beckon under glass roofs. A good way to get
your bearings is to take a boat ride. You can float ¼ mile through the Delta
(the newest section of the complex) and learn more about the world's largest
hotel and convention center under one roof.
"All the Presidents since Nixon have stayed here," says the boat captain, as
he indoctrinates guests on where to dine and shop. He points out where people
throw money in the fountain and make wishes. "They probably wish they knew where
their hotel room is," he says, smiling. And with 2,881 guestrooms, a good-luck
coin might be money well thrown.
