Nashville
"O Tannenbaum" with a twang. Honky-tonks sharing space with family values. The most flamboyant ode to the holidays east of the Mississippi.
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WHERE TO STAY As you might expect from a hotel of nearly 3,000 rooms with more than nine acres of enclosed gardens, Gaylord Opryland does Christmas in a big way. Two million lights shine in outdoor displays; inside, you'll find large-scale holiday tributes that range from campy to breathtaking—a 40-foot Christmas tree, a 20-foot poinsettia tree, a daily, medieval-themed lighting-of-the-yule-log ceremony, even a boat ride down the man-made river that runs through the gardens. If you prefer a quieter place to rest your head, check into the 124-room Union Station, a refurbished train depot with a grand stained-glass ceiling in its lobby. CHRISTMAS DINNER Think Christmas Eve—nearly all of Nashville's top restaurants are closed on December 25. The Wild Boar has inventive seasonal dishes that are, natch, meat-oriented: tenderloin of South Texas wild boar, appropriately enough, or pan-roasted breast of Wisconsin pheasant with black-eyed peas, golden chanterelles, and shallot confit. Feel like staying in?Get gourmet takeout from Corner Market, where you can choose between orange-glazed pork loin with apricot-cranberry stuffing and roast beef tenderloin with port wine demiglace; don't skip the eggnog cheesecake for dessert. STOCKING STUFFERS Pangaea sells offbeat gifts like Brady Bunch-esque beaded curtains and a magnetic poetry kit with Southern words and phrases. (What rhymes with "y'all"?) BEST OUTING Fantasy in Ice (Now called "ICE!") may sound like code for the Ice Capades, but you won't want to miss a theater filled with huge ice sculptures (angels, Nativity scenes, a 17-ton polar bear) carved by 40-plus Chinese artisans using almost 1.5 million pounds of the frozen stuff. ROCKIN' AROUND THE CHRISTMAS TREE For hot country and bluegrass, head to Tootsies Orchid Lounge, perhaps the classic honky-tonk; Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson got their start here. And, yes, it's open on Christmas Eve. —Jill Harrington
The List
Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center 2800 Opryland Dr.; 888/777-6779 or 615/889-1000; doubles from $229
Union Station-A Wyndham Historic Hotel 1001 Broadway; 800/996-3426 or 615/726-1001; doubles from $125
Wild Boar 2014 Broadway; 615/329-1313; dinner for two $94
Corner Market 6051 Hwy. 100; 615/352-6772, fax 615/352-3801; takeout dinner for two from $50; fax order by December 20
Pangaea 1721 21st Ave. S.; 615/269-9665
Fantasy in Ice (Now called "ICE!") Gaslight Theater, Opry Plaza; 888/677-9872; admission $14.75
Tootsies Orchid Lounge 422 Broadway; 615/726-0463
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