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During your Nashville vacation, don't miss these great establishments and attractions:
Belle Meade Plantation
Belle Meade was built in 1853 after this plantation had become famous as a stud farm that produced some of the best racehorses in the South. Today, the Greek Revival mansion is the centerpiece of the affluent Belle Meade region of Nashville and is surrounded by 30 acres of manicured lawns and shade trees. A long driveway leads uphill to the mansion, which is fronted by six columns and a wide veranda. Inside, the restored building has been furnished with 19th-century antiques that hint at the elegance and wealth that the Southern gentility enjoyed in the late 1800s.Tours led by costumed guides follow a theme that changes every 3 months (i.e. holidays, aspects of plantation life, etc.). These themed tours provide fascinating glimpses into the lives of the people who once lived at Belle Meade. Also on the grounds are a large carriage house and stable that were built in 1890 and that now house a large collection of antique carriages. During your visit, you can also have a look inside a log cabin, a smokehouse, and a creamery that are here on the grounds. Belle Meade's parklike grounds make it a popular site for festivals throughout the year.In addition, Martha's at the Plantation (tel. 615/353-2828), a simple yet stylish restaurant above the gift shop, is drawing raves for chef Martha Stamp's American/Southern dishes such as chicken salad, crawfish, quiches, and caramel cakes. A best-selling cookbook author, Stamp has also been featured in Southern Living and Victorian magazines, as well as on the TV show Martha Stewart Living. Sunday brunch is among the locals' favorites at Martha's at the Plantation, open daily 11am to 2pm. Allow a full morning or afternoon to soak up everything here.
The Frist Center for the Visual Arts
Opened in April 2001, the Frist Center for the Visual Arts brings world-class art exhibits to the historic downtown post office building. The nonprofit center does not maintain a permanent collection but rather presents exhibitions from around the globe. Upstairs, the ArtQuest Gallery encourages visitors to explore a range of art experiences through more than 30 interactive multimedia stations. Creative kids and likeminded adults could spend hours here.In addition to the high quality of its exhibitions, the Frist is free to visitors 18 and under, making it an excellent value as well. Coming exhibitions in 2004: Jacob Lawrence: The Migration Series from the Phillips Collection, featuring the 20th-century American artist's works tracing the movement of blacks from the rural South to the industrial North between the first and second world wars. Running concurrently will be an exhibition of European masterworks from the same collection, by artists including Cézanne, Monet, Degas, Picasso, and Gauguin. Looking farther ahead, the Frist's next blockbuster exhibition is slated for June to early October 2006. Quest for Immortality: Treasures of Ancient Egypt is being billed as the largest group of antiquities ever on loan from Egypt for North America.Constructed during the Depression, Nashville's main post office is home to the Frist Center for the Arts. Classical and Art Deco architectural styles are prominent within the marble and gray-pink granite building, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. Intricate grillwork celebrates icons of American progress: an airplane, a locomotive, a ship, and an automobile. Among other achievements represented in the icons: scientific research (a microscope, test tube, and flask), harvesting (a sheaf of wheat and sickle), industry (cogwheels), publishing (a book press), sowing (a hand plow), metalwork (a hammer and anvil), the pursuit of knowledge (the lamp of learning resting on books), and nautical endeavors (a dolphin and propeller).
The Hermitage
Though you may not know it, you probably see an image of one of Nashville's most famous citizens dozens of times every week. Whose face pops up so frequently? It's Andrew Jackson, whose visage graces the $20 bill, and who is the man who built the Hermitage, a stately Southern plantation home. Jackson moved to Tennessee in 1788 and became a prosecuting attorney. He served as the state's first congressman and later as a senator and judge. However, it was during the War of 1812 that he gained his greatest public acclaim as the general who led American troops in the Battle of New Orleans. His role in that battle helped Jackson win the presidency in 1828 and again in 1832.Though the Hermitage now displays a classic Greek Revival facade, this is its third incarnation. Originally built in the Federal style in 1821, it was expanded and remodeled in 1831, and acquired its current appearance in 1836. Recordings that describe each room and section of the grounds accompany tours through the mansion and around it. In addition to the main house, you'll also visit the kitchen, the smokehouse, the garden, Jackson's tomb, an original log cabin, the spring house (a cool storage house built over a spring), and, nearby, the Old Hermitage Church and Tulip Grove mansion. You can tour the museum and grounds in a few hours.
Quality Inn Nashville
Located just 3 miles from the airport and centrally located to shopping, restaurants and downtown. We offer comfortable accomodations at an affordable price. Listen to great music at the Grand Ole Opry and do bargain shopping at Opry Mills, just 5 miles away. While you are here, enjoy our complimentary deluxe continental breakfast served daily. Pet accommodation: 10.00 per stay, ...
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