After the hustle and bustle of yesterday we decided to slow the pace today with a visit to the Belle Meade Plantation. Situated about nine miles from Nashville, Belle Meade is a large mansion built in the early years of the 19th century.
When one thinks of a plantation crops such as cotton or tobacco come to mind but the principal “crop” of this plantation was horses, throughbred horses. At its height the plantation encompassed around 5,400 acres but today the grounds only extend to 30 acres.
The most famous equine residents of the farm were Iroquois, the first horse from the USA to win the Epsom Derby and Bonnie Scotland. Since 2000 every horse that has run in the Kentucky Derby can trace its blood line to Bonnie Scotland and also such famous horses as Sea Biscuit and Secretariat are his descendants.
We were shown around the house by a very enthusiastic guide who really knew his subject and related it in an interesting and amusing manner. At the end of the tour he informed us that this was only his eleventh tour as he had only worked at the plantation for a month. He’ll be really good when he has some more practice. Unfortunately no photos were allowed inside the house which was furnished with original furniture from the 1850s, including the rocking chairs on the verandah.
One of the slaves on the plantation, Robert Green, was employed after emancipation and it was his skill in training the horses that lead to much of their success. In the grounds stands an example of a slave house, although not original to the farm.
The Harding House which was the original home of the family prior to the building of the larger house, later became the home of Robert Green and his family.
Although a distinct improvement on the slave house it would still have been crowded for him, his wife and their five children.
A very enjoyable visit topped off with lunch in the cafe before returning to Nashville.
After the visit in the morning to a tastefully designed 19th century building, in the afternoon we walked to a 20th Century example of American taste, the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Centre. Part of the Opryland development which includes the Grand Ole Opry and the Opry Mills shopping mall, the hotel has 2888 bedrooms and is one of the largest hotels in the World.
Inside the atrium of the hotel is a tropical garden, several waterfalls and a river with its own boat trips. The indoor gardens apparently contain some 50,000 plants representing some 500 different species.
Everywhere you walked you heard the sound of running water which could be a little irritating if you had a room overlooking the gardens. Some of the rooms seemed an awfully long way from the reception area and you would probably need GPS to find your room. Even with all the greenery the atmosphere was quite oppressive and although it was a brilliant place to visit I wouldn’t want to stay here.
The weather today was a little damp with showers on and off during the day, however a large storm is expected tonight with high winds and thunder and lightening. With this in mind we probably wont be travelling too far on our last day tomorrow.