Urban Waters

A river excursion - what a great idea! A new river to me - the Cumberland. A river I know nothing about.

So I am expecting some wildlife, bird watching, sitting out on the decks enjoying nature...

I am not expecting a sit-down meal in a huge inside dining room.

The shore slipped by outside the windows as we chatted and joked and ate.

When the very loud, kinda hokey country music show tuned up their electric guitars, I left for the quieter decks.

And discovered the skyline of Nashville off the bow.

The "wild life" we cruised by was the Hard Rock Cafe sort.

The river was narrow,

crossed and criss-crossed by all sorts of bridges.

 

I was fascinated by the structures we steamed under,

and by the hypnotic motion and sound of the bright red paddlewheel.

An unexpected pleasure - but not the only unexpected waterway on this trip.

Later in the day we visited the Opryland Hotel.

"Who wants a tour of the hotel?" asked our host.  

I thought "Tour a hotel? How interesting can that be?"  

Ha!  Shows how little I knew.

 There was another river

 and more bridges,

and a two story waterfall--

all INDOORS in giant glassed-in conservatories.

Another incredible and totally unexpected pleasure!