USA Travel Guide

Ah, country music. Between the beer, trains and pick-up trucks, country music has managed to produce some of the world’s great love songs. “Always on my Mind”, “Don’t Take the Girl”, “I Love the Way you Love Me”, “The Dance”, “I Will Always Love You” (that’s right, Dolly did it first). It’s a genre with heart, and what better place to celebrate a country music Valentine’s Day than Nashville, Tennessee?

(Of course, you may celebrate Valentine’s Day however you like in Nashville, too.)

Valentine’s Day Packages in Nashville, Tennessee
Visit the Country Music Hall of Fame, catch an evening show on the General Jackson Showboat and then turn in for a romantic night at our recommended hotel:

Holiday Inn Nashville Opryland Airport
Close proximity to downtown, the Hall of Fame and of course the airport make this a convenient choice of Valentine’s Day hotels in Nashville. Their two packages also make it a smart one.

“Heart to Heart” Nashville Package
An upgraded room and succulent strawberries make this Valentine’s Day special a sweet treat:

• Executive-level King bedroom accommodations
• Bottle of champagne, upon arrival
• Strawberries
• Breakfast coupons for two
• Late check-out

Romantic Escape Package
Strawberries are nice, but aren’t chocolates really what you crave? In that case:

• Overnight deluxe accommodations
• One bottle of sparkling white wine
• Bouquet of flowers
• Box of chocolates

Learn more about these Valentine’s Day specials in Nashville here.

Our Valentine’s Day coverage is just getting started. Stop by our directory for links to all of our stories, and check back often for more Valentine’s Day travel suggestions.

With highs in the 20’s and nearby Dollywood closed for the season, you might think Pigeon Forge, Tennessee is no place to be. On the contrary, there’s still plenty going on in this cozy resort destination at the foot of the Great Smoky Mountains. One of our favorite area attractions is inside and open year-round. Join us at Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies.

Driving through Gatlinburg, you certainly can’t miss the humongous structure, A-framed roofs stretching to the sky and dwarfing everything around them. Inside is no less impressive, with thoroughly modern facilities and tanks housing more than 10,000 sea dwellers from over 350 species (and possibly many more, depending on the special exhibit).

Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies is nothing pretentious, and they don’t trade quality for razzle-dazzle. Despite what you might be thinking with the brand name attached, this is actually a low-key but very high quality aquarium.

Your time is split up into a number of themed exhibits (no surprise there). In the rainforest exhibit, probably the first you’ll see, discover some of Mother Nature’s most vivid creatures like poison dart frogs, cardinal tetras and the fierce red-bellied piranha. The next exhibit, Deep Ocean, houses some of my favorites: giant octopi, West Coast sea nettles (a large jellyfish), and the unbelievable weedy sea dragon with its strange seaweed-like protrusions.

If you’re ready for a ride, head to the most popular exhibit: Shark Lagoon. A slowly strolling glide-path carries you past a 2 million-gallon tank packed with every manner of sea life, but none more stunning than the sand tiger sharks, which drift menacingly amongst the sprawl. You can hop on the moving path as much as like – I think they just put it there because otherwise the kids would never leave.

Speaking of kids, if you’re visiting with little ones, don’t pass up a visit to the Discovery Center. The center is given over to hands-on games, exhibits and educational modules, not to mention a live horseshoe crab touch tank. Just remember, to look at the underside of a horseshoe crab is to look at madness itself.

More hands-on fun can be had at the Stingray Bay. A shallow lagoon allows guests to pet the safer specimens, while a large tank holds the most impressive rays, including the best-named fish of all, the Bowmouth Guitarfish. And finally, in one unusual attraction, you can step behind the scenes to see not the animals, but the nuts and bolts of the facilities themselves. Explore the massive banks of computers and imposing filtration tanks that keep the whole aquarium running. A cool choice for you folks who just have to know how stuff works.

Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies is open year-round. Regular adult tickets cost $19.99, or you can purchase a combo ticket online that also includes admission to a selected number of partnered attractions – Ripley’s Believe it or Not, Ripley’s Haunted Adventure, Ripley’s Moving Theatre, etc. Learn more.

Although the aquarium is located in Gatlinburg, we almost always stay in nearby Pigeon Forge for a central location to just about everything. For hotels in Pigeon Forge, TN, we often stay on the Parkway at Vacation Lodge. It fits the aquarium’s theme of simple, dependable quality over needless flash.

Have a fun time at Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies!

Theme parks throughout the nation are in full holiday swing, squeezing in one last rush of guests before the winter break. You might expect to find the best of the best from Disney, but for two years running, the annual Golden Tickets Awards have awarded “World’s Best Christmas” to always-cheery Dollywood and their Smoky Mountain Christmas.

Disney’s got flash, but even they don’t do it like Dolly. Head to Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee for holiday fun in the tradition of the Great Smoky Mountains. Smoky Mountain Christmas is a rollicking program brimming with live music, festive shows, iconic sights, millions of lights and outrageous attractions.

You’ll need a little fire in your step to see everything at the Smoky Mountain Christmas at Dollywood: 

• Christmas in the Smokies – Dollywood invites you to make their tradition your own. This 50-minute showcase of Christmas tunes is one of the longest running Dollywood events
• Dollywood’s Babes in Toyland – this major production gives the popular tale a Smoky Mountain makeover
• Appalachian Christmas – a joyful, old-timey acoustic set, like Dollywood met Prairie Home Companion
• Carol of the Trees – dazzling light display synchronized to holiday music
• Parade of Lights – Disney, eat your cartoon heart out
• Santa’s Workshop – kids of any age can’t miss this magical toy store where the toy’s are six feet tall and Santa oversees the shop

And of course, these attractions are joined by plenty more holiday delights as well as more than twenty favorite Dollywood rides and shows. View Dollywood attractions.

Smoky Mountain Christmas at Dollywood runs daily through January 2, 2010, closing only on Christmas Day and the Eves. Regular one-day tickets cost $53.65. Learn more.

There are plenty of Pigeon Forge hotels near Dollywood, and we’re going to step outside our usual brands and recommend the Vacation Lodge Motel in Pigeon Forge. In the past, we’ve always been impressed with the cleanliness and upkeep of the Vacation Lodge, and as a motel-style lodging, the prices are always agreeable. Plus, it’s less than a mile from Dollywood. We recommend it.

Have fun at the Smoky Mountain Christmas at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, TN.

I know Thanksgiving is just a day away, but forgive me if we skip a little ahead to talk about one of the biggest Christmas events in the nation. In fact, some of the fun has already begun.

A Country Christmas at the Gaylord Opryland is a rockin’ Christmas-themed celebration of all things Nashville: music, family, food and plenty of good friends. Not just one event, the Gaylord Opryland’s Country Christmas is a month-long extravaganza of hotly-anticipated shows, musicals, rides, play areas and more.

Before you have a chance to take one step into a theatre, expect to be gob-smacked by holiday cheer. The famous, to say nothing of humongous, Gaylord Opryland Resort is decked roof to hall with millions of sparkling lights, joined with no less care by thousands of classic Christmas decorations. Simply walking the grounds is a holiday treat in itself (and don’t worry, you won’t be the only one).

Along with more than a dozen smaller attractions – the beautiful Christmas tree, holiday shopping, Santa Clause, and the play area – A Country Christmas boasts four ticketed events. These always draw the most attention. 

• Radio City Christmas Spectacular feat. The Rockettes – The iconic New York City showcase comes to the Grand Ole Opry House in the heart of Nashville. The sheer spectacle is worth the cost of admission alone. Learn more.
• General Jackson Showboat – The year-round showboat is debuting two Christmas programs this season for midday and evening cruises. Check out fiddle virtuoso Tim Watson’s Tennessee Christmas. Learn more.
• Louise Mandrell’s “Joy to the World” Dinner & Show – Country music star Louise Mandrell puts on a riveting concert while you enjoy a holiday feast. Learn more.
• ICE! –  2 million pounds of ice went into this breathtaking ice sculpture garden. Kids love this one, especially with the Peanuts theme, and so will you. Learn more.

The only humbug in this bunch is that not a one of them is inexpensive. However, you can usually save some scratch by choosing the right hotel and not getting carried away with too many of A Country Christmas’ paid attractions.

We say skip the resort prices and stay cozy near the airport. The Holiday Inn Nashville Airport Hotel always proves a refreshing choice for us. The complimentary airport shuttle and free parking help, too. Learn about this Nashville hotel.

A Country Christmas at the Gaylord Opryland Resort runs now through early January, though hours and schedules of individual attractions will vary. Follow any of the links above to learn more about it and order tickets.

Have fun this holiday season!

Writing about Washington DC ghost tours last week, I made a quick aside about the Nashville Ghost Tours company, who run the DC tours as well. Good folks, and good quality tours. Anyway, I guess it got us thinking back on Nashville, and we remembered that ol’ Music City actually has a number of groovy ghost tours. I thought we’d take advantage of the season (or what’s left of it), and mention one more.

From Branson to Asheville to all the way down in San Antonio, the tenacious Ghost & Haunt Tours Company goes where the ghosts are, and more than a few experts say the ghosts are in Nashville. The tour begins in downtown at the Sheraton. Arrive prompt (read: early), because in our experience they don’t do a lot of waiting around. You’ll notice right away that your guide is one of the strongest assets. Professional and personable, with a real passion for the subject matter. No gimmicky nonsense either.

There’s a lot to cover in only 90 minutes, so you’re soon on your way. One of the biggest stops, of course, is Ryman Auditorium, the former site of the Grand Ole Opry. Stories of the Opry’s allegedly haunting stretch back long before there were ghost tours out front popularizing them. The most famous apparition at the Auditorium is Captain Ryman himself, walking the halls and looking after his beloved building.

Still weirder, some say that the Opry is haunted by the ghost of country music legend Hank Williams. I guess when you’re talking about the paranormal, that’s no more a stretch than any other.

The Tennessee State Capitol in Nashville is another popular ghost tour stop (and even without ghosts, it’s just such good sightseeing). You can get a mess of stories at the Capitol, and I don’t recall which you’ll get on this tour. The nighttime bickering of Strickland and Morgan is a common tale. These two men, the building’s architect and construction overseer, hated each other, yet both were buried at in the Capitol vault at the time of their death. Some say, they’re battle of egos continues to this day.

That’s barely a scratch on what your tour will cover, but we’re not here to give away the secrets. We want you take the tour.

The Ghost & Haunt Tour of Nashville is a low-impact walking tour that lasts 90-minutes. Total ground covered is less than one mile. Tours begin in the lobby of the downtown Sheraton at 9:00 p.m., reservations are required. The daily schedule is almost over (October 31), so call for scheduling after that. Adult tickets are $18. Learn more.

Enjoy a convenient, inexpensive stay at our favorite Nashville airport hotel, the Holiday Inn Nashville – Opryland Airport. Free shuttle and parking will stop you from getting buried under incidental costs.

Have fun! 

Choosing what to blog about can be like walking on a tightrope sometimes: it’s all about balance. I want to plug an upcoming event we’re excited about, and I want to do it early enough so inbound travelers can make their plans, but sometimes the info just isn’t there that early. I’ve got to balance information with sufficient advanced warning.

I feel like I can’t wait any longer on this one. I’ve got to tell you about the First Annual Music City Barbeque Festival in Nashville, Tennessee right now!

In a terrific ‘cue town like Nashville, it’s really a wonder they didn’t get something like this sooner. Memphis in May Barbeque Festival regulars and Nashville natives Frank Platt and Brian Hamilton decided their year could use a little more fierce fire and smoke competition, but that maybe they didn’t want to drive so far to get it. A little leg work later, not to mention sanctioning by the Memphis Barbeque Network and Kansas City Barbeque Society, and the First Annual Music City BBQ Festival was born.

And it’s coming up fast: August 28 and 29, 2009 at Riverfront Park.

The festival promises to be everything you love in a top-quality barbeque cook-off: smoky succulence wafting through the air, outrageous pit masters and more delicious food than you can handle. Details are slim, but it says the competition will feature 70 teams, and you can bet visitors will be able to grab a taste of the goods.

Filling out the show, there will be additional concessions, vendors selling everything from crafts to aluminum siding, family activities and a live music stage highlighting the prodigious talents of the Nashville locals. (Schedule of bands is, sadly, still TBD).

You’ll be hard-pressed to find a more passionate (to say nothing of delicious) food competition than a barbeque cook-off, and what a thrill to experience the inaugural year of what is sure to grow into another major circuit stop.

The First Annual Music City Barbeque Festival will be held at Riverfront Park in Nashville, Tennessee on August 28 and 29, 2009. Festivities kick-off at 4:00 p.m. on the 28^th (Friday) and continue the next morning at 11:00 a.m. Here’s the still incomplete Web site.

For lodging in Nashville, TN, we again recommend the Holiday Inn Nashville Airport Hotel. Obviously, it’s near the airport, so that’s a plus, and their rates are almost always on the low end of the competition.

Have fun!

I am not what you would call a country music fan. My dream concert would be back-to-back performances by Tool, The Mars Volta, AC/DC and Mastodon, but I’m ready to admit that the folks that are country music fans know how to do a few things well, and one of them is throw a festival.

With four days, hundreds of artists, numerous venues and tons of auxiliary events, the 2009 CMA Music Festival in Nashville, Tennessee is quite a shindig. But it’s not the size or even the variety that I like; it’s the access. Earning its original 1972 moniker, “Fan Fair”, the CMA Music Festival avoids the all-business attitude of most music festivals and allows the fans to get up close and personal with their favorite stars, whether it’s at an autograph signing, a meet and greet, or a fan club sponsored event. This is really what is should be all about!

This year the Country Music Association is promising its biggest event yet with an act list of hundreds including some of the very biggest: Taylor Swift, Trace Adkins, Brooks & Dunn, Jack Ingram, Reba McEntire, John Rich, Lee Ann Womack, Wynonna and my personal favorite, Brad Paisley (truly the Eddie Van Halen of country).

You can purchase tickets for individual performances at LP Field, but really what you want is the 4-day pass. It’s not exactly cheap, but you really get your money’s worth:

• Four nights’ access to the VAULT^TM Stage at LP Field
• Daily concerts at Riverfront Park w/ early admittance
• Live music at the Chevy^TM Stage at Sommet Center plaza
• Autograph sessions and meet-and-greets at the Fan Fair® Hall
• Festival launch block party
• After-hours concerts and events
• Free shuttle services
• Program book with gifts

The Web site is one of the most complete and thorough festival sites I’ve seen, so by all means utilize it to plan your trip.

The 2009 CMA Music Festival in Nashville, Tennessee will be held June 11-14, 2009 at several venues around Nashville with the headline stage at LP Field. Four-day passes are going crazy fast, so be sure to jump on one soon lest you be forced to go without.

The Holiday Inn Nashville Hotel / Opryland Airport is always an easy choice for us. Affordable, well-located and we’ve never had a bad stay. We recommend it.

So just yesterday I expressed love for the cozy little North Texas metropolis of Dallas, but thinking it through I realized that there is one major shortcoming, and I’m not talking about beaches or mountains. Dallas doesn’t have any ghosts!

Seriously, Google search “dallas ghost tours” some time and try to find an accredited, publicized full-service ghost tour company operating in the Dallas metropolitan area. We have history here, but much to my grim dismay, we have next to nothing in the way of haunted history. Alas, the closest I get to paranormal activity is lower Greenville after midnight.

It seems us Dallasites have to get our fix on the road, and we have another excellent ghost tour for you fright fans our there: Nashville Ghost Tours.

Ah, Music City. Friendly faces, live entertainment, succulent barbeque, and blood-curdling horror! The Nashville Ghost Tours company takes guests on a sinister 90-minute walk through this famously upbeat town, revealing the dark history behind some of Nashville’s most famous landmarks.

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Sometimes I feel bad doing a story about a one or two-day event, because I know there are only so many people that could possibly benefit. That’s why I’m delighted to bring Awesome April in Music City to your attention. This isn’t some weekend festival or one-night blowout; this is a full month of the best the city has to offer!

(Full disclosure: I can’t resist any attraction that invites guests to, and I quote, “experience the awesomeness!”. I simply don’t possess the willpower to do so.)

Music City is Nashville, Tennessee of course, and Awesome April is a month-long celebration of everything that Nashville is known for: live music, big personality, and the easy-going attitude that earned it the nickname “America’s Friendliest City”.

Just so you don’t get confused, Awesome April can refer to anything happening during the month at any place throughout the city. You’re not looking for “Awesome April”-branded events. Just check out the events calendar and do whatever feels right. Here are some of our favorites: 

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If you’ve already committed yourself to a quick getaway for Valentine’s Day, why not take the opportunity to visit somewhere you might not normally think about? Short trips like this are the ideal time to step a little out of your comfort zone. After all, if it’s not your thing, you’re only there for a day or two. Here are three more choices for this Valentine’s Day:

Holiday Inn Nashville – Airport Hotel

From the upbeat music to the eclectic sights to the famously friendly people, Nashville, Tennessee is just a fun place to be. For a memorable experience that celebrates the holiday, go for a ride on the General Jackson Showboat. On Feb. 13 & 14 the stunning paddlewheel boat is hosting romantic evening cruises with dinner and dancing. The fun continues at the Holiday Inn with this package:

“Heart to Heart” Nashville Vacation Package 

• Executive-Level Room
• Bottle of Champagne
• Strawberries
• Breakfast for Two
• Late Check-Out

They’ve also got a package with flowers and chocolate, if that’s your thing. Learn more about both Nashville Valentine’s Day packages here.

Crowne Plaza Williamsburg Hotel

Colonial Williamsburg is an uncommon delight for vacationing lovebirds at any time of year, but it takes a day like Valentine’s Day to truly bring the romance to life. With so much to see and experience throughout the historic district, you’re sure to have plenty to talk about, and don’t even think about heading home before you’ve enjoyed a peaceful horse-drawn carriage ride, just for the two of you. Make it that much better with this exclusive Valentine’s Day special:

An Enchanted Evening Package 

• Candlelit Dinner for Two
• Champagne and Chocolate-Covered Strawberries
• Special Surprise Gift
• Late Check-Out

Sorry, I don’t know what the surprise is either. I’ve got connections, but apparently they’re not that good. For romantic getaways in VA, consider Colonial Williamsburg and learn more about this package here.

Wyndham Palm Springs Hotel

Another delightful choice in Valentine’s Day getaways would have to be Palm Springs, California. From the reflective serenity of the mountain views to the appealing upscale vibe of the entire community, Palm Springs is a place you can enjoy a quiet, private Valentine’s Day for two, a big to-do, or a little of both.

We like the Wyndham Palm Springs for this one for its effortless luxury, attractive rooms and, of course, this package:

Sweet Escape Package 

• Breakfast for Two
• Chilled Bottle of Domaine Chandon

Learn more about this package here.

Check back in later today for even more Valentine’s Day ideas and packages.