Road Trippin'

"Road trippin' with my two favorite allies
Fully loaded we got snacks and supplies
It's time to leave this town
It's time to steal away
Let's go get lost
Anywhere in the U.S.A."
-Red Hot Chili Peppers

By now, many of you have read about the infamous unplanned road trip detour from Sunday.

I thought I'd save the photos and write-up from the Nashville trip for Julia's Hooked On party today because I am so "Hooked On" Road Trips!

Between the beautiful Gaylord Opryland Hotel/Convention Center and the amazing MOPS convention, there's just too much to fit into one post. I thought I'd share some hotel eye candy with you all today.

Once I got over my packing dilemma, I started to get really excited to get out of the house for a few days and have a break from my kids restful trip. After several Starbucks stops and some much needed potty breaks (some things don't change, even if your kids aren't road trippin' with you!), Kelly, E, and I made it to Nashville safe and sound.

MOPS International held its conference in Nashville's Gaylord Opryland Hotel and Convention center this year. The Gaylord is not to be confused with the famous Opryland Hotel, which is about 13 miles away. While the Gaylord boasts stunning facilities, I still don't think it can hold a candle to the fabulous Opryland Hotel.

But it is lovely, no?

image: gaylordhotels.com

This was our first glimpse as we exited the lobby and found ourselves in the splendor of the atrium.

I had no idea what any of the plant life was called, but these gorgeous purple flowers called my name!

Check out the design of this ceiling!

Almost like a little Southern town in a jungle. The shop and restaurant designs were so well-thought out. Simply lovely.

Kelly, E, and me. E is not vertically challenged (much)...she was scrunching down for the shot and the rest of us followed suite.

Looks like the old plantation home, right?

I would have loved to stay in one of the suites overlooking the atrium! Check out the pattern in the wrought iron.

Brooks, ponds, and waterfalls everywhere we looked.

I got this shot of Kelly in front of those amazing arched windows.

This wreath made me think of all my blogging friends who have been posting their how-to's online.

We stopped our tour long enough for E to remove a fallen tree from the path. Okay, not really.

To quote Rachel Zoe, "I die!" Those purple flowery viney thingies caught my eye.

The sound of water was everywhere!

I had my Scarlett O'Hara moment on the grand staircase. Frankly, my dear...well...never mind.

All lit up at night...I would have loved to order a French Martini, sit under the lights, and watch the little mini-river boat glide by.

Isn't it a lovely glow?

We weren't able to stay at the Gaylord (rooms booked early!), but our own hotel was not too shabby. I'll admit it was kind of nice to have a whole bed all to myself. In his defense, T is not a bed hog...but I like to sleep in the middle.

The perfect surroundings for a wonderful girls' retreat. Tomorrow, I'll share some of what we learned and saw at the conference. Our own first MOPS meeting of the year was this morning, so I'll share some about that too.

{What are you hooked on this week?}

Last, but not least...start looking through your houses!

If you didn't have a chance to stop by the first two times, this is a party for bloggers to link up with any challenges they have in or around their homes (decorating, crafts, organizing, gardening, construction). Your dilemma can be anything from "Help! My son drew on my walls in permanent marker and I don't know how to cover it up" to "What color should I paint my coffee table?" I also love it when people have great solutions to share. This party is all about being real and helping out our bloggy friends. We're going to have a blast. There will be another giveaway!

You can click here and here to see the entries from the last two parties. Hope to see you there!