Even though I spent my first 21 years living just 100 miles north of Nashville (pics), this was my first time to visit there as a sightseer.  We began our tour at the Tennessee State Capitol Building.  Unfortunately, the building is closed on the weekend so we were not able to tour the inside.

On the north side of the capitol is the Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park.  This 19 acre park was built to commemorate the 200th year of statehood for the state of Tennessee.  The park features a 200 foot granite map of Tennessee showing major cities and rivers.  Along one side of the park is a 1,400 foot granite wall showing significant events in the history of Tennessee.  At the northern end of the park is a circular plaza surrounding by 50 columns containing 95 bells.  This carillon is a tribute to the musical legacy of the state and plays the Tennessee Waltz along with other tunes.

The area of downtown Nashville referred to as The District includes a historic section of the city along with Printers Alley and the Riverfront.  It is a very lively place with lots of restaurants and bars, many of which feature live music performances.  We were there on a Saturday afternoon and found a number of bars with live music.

Nashville has a replica of the Parthenon, the ancient building in Athens, Greece.  The Grecian version was completed in 432 BC.  The Nashville replica was originally built for their Tennessee’s centennial celebration in 1897.  It was meant to be a temporary structure, however, following the exposition Nashville’s citizens objected to having it taken down.  Subsequently, it was rebuilt with concrete on the same foundation.  It reaches 65 feet high at the apex and has 46 Doric columns around the perimeter.

The Gaylord Opryland Resort in Nashville is the largest hotel in the world not attached to a casino.  It has two huge atriums inside with lots of plants, walkways and water features.  It was worth the trip to see the hotel decorated for Christmas.