Our Family Trip to The Gaylord Opryland Resort in Nashville, Tennessee
One of the biggest perks of becoming a homeschool family is that when the hubby takes a work trip, we can tag along for the fun! So when the hubby informed us that this year’s AAAA (Army Aviation Association of America) Summit would take place at the Gaylord Opryland Resort in Nashville, TN, the kids and I jumped at our chance for a quick family getaway.
We had such an AMAZING TIME with our homeschool version of “Spring Break” that I thought it would be fun to share some of the highlights of our stay at the resort and attending the AAAA summit.
The Resort
In the past, our family has been to the Gaylord Texan Resort in Grapevine, TX a few times when we visited my parents. But this was the first time the kids have seen the one here in Nashville.
We lucked out and arrived very early (a bit after midnight) the day before many of the summit attendees arrived which meant that we were able to explore the resort while it was still pretty quiet. The minute we stepped foot into the hotel, our kids were stunned. It isn’t that often that we spoil them with this kind of “hotel” stay and they looked pretty surprised.
The lobby was gorgeous with its glass sculpture and stained glass rotunda that hovered about it. Once you walk into the lobby you can hear the running water that is falling from the indoor waterfall that sits in the ‘Cascades’ area of the resort. After checking in with the kind staff at the front desk, we were on our way to our room located in the ‘Garden Conservatory.’ Best feature of our room? The balcony. With the temperature staying around 70-75°F within the entire resort common areas, it felt amazing to leave the door to our balcony open as we slept at night. Our kids raved about how the sound of the running water in the conservatory helped lull them to sleep and felt so peaceful.
In the morning, the hubby and I decided to go for a quick walk to explore the area of the resort referred to as the ‘Delta Atrium.’ On the ‘Delta Island’ of the Opryland you can find some eateries, shops, a boat ride that gives you a tour of the winding river that flows throughout the conservatory, and their Opryland fountain. One of the things that I loved most about the resort is that you could walk from section to section, sit under a gazebo or by a waterfall, or just meander for hours. It was such a peaceful place and, honestly, an artist’s dream. Every nook and cranny of the gardens just felt magical with its running waters and lush green plants, trees, and flowers.
And speaking of an artist dream, our balcony sat facing the Garden Conservatory which was the perfect opportunity for me to paint and sketch. I will be sure to share in a future blog post what art supplies I brought along for my trip. 😉
The resort offered so many ways for us to explore and have fun. We chose to bypass the Sound Waves indoor waterpark (it was closed during most of the week because summer hours have not started yet), but the kids really had a blast at their indoor pool (which has a lifeguard on duty) and the two arcades that the hotel provides. Let’s just say a lot of money was spent on game credits for tickets and numerous attempts at the claw machines, but I was just so happy to see the smiles on their faces and excitement in their voices when they finally won something big.
If you are itching to do some shopping and the stores inside the resort are not enough, the Opry Mills Mall is not very far from the resort. Grab some walking shoes and head on over! Our favorite store? PONO which is full of all the cutesy, kawaii, blind box, stationery fun, and asian snacks that you could ever want!
Lastly, don’t forget to walk around the resort when the sun goes down. All of the lights within the gardens and water features light up and it is just magical. While you’re enjoying the scenery, grab a pizza at their pizzeria and some yummy gelato!
AAAA Summit 2026
Since it was the first time that the kids and I were attending the AAAA Summit, I honestly had no idea what to expect.
It was absolutely massive! All the vendors took up two large exhibition halls within the resort. And as an artist who knows nothing about multi-million dollar tech and equipment, it was incredibly intimidating. Especially since there were so many people running around in military uniforms or business suits.
But we did find a fun activity to do! Each vendor and table had some kind of freebie with their logo on it that they were just giving away. And once my hubby showed us that we could walk up and take something off of their table, it was off to the races. To my kids, it felt like trick or treating 😂 They would go on to collect stickers, journals, pens, stress balls, keychains, pins, magnets, model airplanes, fidget spinners, water bottles, phone stands, candy…you name it and they probably got at least one. Personally, I was looking for the notepads, journals, and stickers with the cute graphic designs. Most people were extremely nice and wanted the kids to take one of everything they had on their table. I mean, it was nuts! As introverts, my daughter and I couldn’t wait to get back to our room to dump our bags and sort through our loot.
Another plus was getting to walk the exhibition halls to see the helicopters, vehicles, and drones on display. One vendor even let us test out their VR tech. They had aircraft simulators on display and some vendors would allow the kids to get inside as they described how the technology worked.
Overall, it was a trip that would go down in the Peterman history books. Getting to spend time with one another in a peaceful and one-of-a-kind location while getting a glimpse into “the hubby’s world” was a true joy and one we will never forget.
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