The Oak Ridge Boys Christmas Dinner Show at Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center - Nashville, TENNESSEE

 When you're in Nashville during the Christmas season, one top spot to watch some shows will be at Gaylord Opryland Resort. It hosts shows of famous performers; - singers & musicians alike.

Gaylord Opryland has 2,888 rooms and 9 acres of indoor gardens & upscale indoor/outdoor water attractions. It is considered a luxury family resort.

Exploring the place, we discovered it is really huge, and got lost many times...LOL!

The show was held in the Presidential Ballroom, and it was easy locating it. 

Inside the hotel was impressive, space-wise and with a touch of class! The holiday decors made it more festive and nicer.

We started exploring the indoor gardens full of decorative symbols and lights for the holidays. We love the guitars and the musical iconic symbols associated with it.

The conservatory skywalk was amazingly beautiful!

There are lots of restaurants and bars in the area, and food was great! Proven and tested!...(by me, 😉).

Dining, shopping or just enjoying their waterpark attractions would be a haven of a vacation! 

The Oak Ridge Boys dinner show was great! It was a show with a delicious holiday meal, followed by their performance of Christmas classics, new favorites and timeless hits that helped them rise up and shaped their career when they were still starting. The show was held December 2020.

The Oak Ridge Boys is a famous country music Hall of Fame & Grammy Award-winning band.

Explore Creation Museum

 One of the most interesting and informative tourist attraction to visit while you're in Kentucky is the Creation Museum, - more or less like the sister museum of Ark Encounter in Williamstown.

Creation Museum & Ark Encounter offers combo package tickets to visit both places, but they are 40-45 minutes drive away from each other. Creation Museum is located in Greater Cincinnati, off  I-275 in Petersburg, Kentucky.

Creation Museum contains world-class exhibits and brand new cutting-edge exhibits with state-of-the art special effects theater. It's a state-of-the-art museum that allows you to venture and learn about the science and the Bible.

Experience their stunning exhibits and botanical gardens, zoos with live animals, zip lines and planetarium shows.

This is also a place to help you enhance your learning that will help you discover God's creation in a more fun, exciting and memorable way. Just like its sister museum, - Ark Encounter, it purposely teaches about the facts and proofs of the Bible's creation story. Remember to visit this museum with an open mind (including Ark Encounter) because it is purely based on Bible beliefs and faith.

On the other hand, it also shows high-tech exhibits of creation science such as dinosaurs, fossils, planetarium, gardens and more.

So, it is more like an opportunity to learn both faith, history and science and how they intersect.

Tickets can be bought online or onsite. Prices are on their website, together with the times of visits.

Dining is also available at the site.

Experiencing Ark Encounter - The Spectacular Life-Sized Noah's Ark!

This life-sized replica of Noah's ark is considered to be the largest timber-frame structure in the world, towering at 51 ft. high, and 510 ft. long, 85 ft. wide. The measurements they used in this ark replica were the specifications mentioned in the Bible by God through Noah. (Genesis 6:14 -22; 7: 1-10).

It's breath-taking just seeing the size of the ark on the outside with its impressive craftmanship.

The Ark Encounter is not just a museum itself but a unique theme park attraction which opened in Williamstown, Kentucky in 2016. The ark served as the centerpiece of the park. There is a small coffee shop and pastries in deck 2, but there are lots of restaurants and food area outside the ark, a zoo which includes live animals, a zip line, family playground and other exhibits; - basically it's designed as a theme park!

The VR experience is also worth trying, with a fee and it's highly popular. This is one way to enhance your experience by going back in time and witness Noah's days. This is in a separate building called Truth Traveler.

The Answers Center is also another place to learn with a 2,500 seat capacity auditorium where you can enjoy presentations from speakers, music and videos, - all in an air-conditioned comfort seating.

There are lots to do and see here. If you don't want to miss anything one day is not enough!

A Visit to Fort San Cristobal - San Juan, PUERTO RICO

 Fort San Cristóbal, referred to as the “Gibraltar of the Caribbean,” is situated on the eastern side of Old San Juan. Work on the fort commenced in 1634 and took more than a hundred years to finish. It stands as one of the largest Spanish forts ever constructed and the mightiest in the Americas. Built to strengthen Spain's defense of Old San Juan's harbor, the fort safeguarded the island from land assaults. It features walls that rise 150 feet above the ocean, spans a vast 27 acres of terrain, and contains five distinct independent units that connect through tunnels. Each unit is taller and sturdier than the preceding one, employing a “defense-in-depth” strategy.

Down one of the tunnels, there exists the dungeon which houses a death cell. In the 17th century, this small room lacked electricity and air conditioning, only possessing a narrow window slit for light and ventilation. This cell was designated for inmates who were anticipating their execution. Soldiers employed iron handcuffs and anklets to bind prisoners to the walls. On the walls, one can observe drawings of five ships created by an artillery captain. The ships exhibit incredible detail, right down to the flags signifying which ones belong to the adversary.

There are 28 sentry boxes that remain on the city walls of the fort of Old San Juan. They are commonly called "garitas" by the locals which are built from high vantage points. [Ps].

One sentry box only accommodate one man with low doorways and ceilings. This is purposely built as watch towers on landward and seaward approaches, as well as the base of the walls below.

The fort has stayed almost the same as it was in the late 18th century when building was completed. The fort was in operation until 1961 when the United States armed forces ceased utilizing it as a military installation. It subsequently came under the authority of the National Park Service and is now a park and museum. In 1983, it was designated as a World Heritage Site. You have the option to explore the site on your own or register for a ranger-led tour. 

Our Visit to Seru Largu - Bonaire

 Seru Largu is among the most romantic and popular viewpoints on the island of Bonaire. It is a raised hill point (the fourth highest in Bonaire) that offers a mesmerizing view of both the lovely town of Kralendijk and the islet of Klein Bonaire. Seru Largu translates to “Large Hill” in Papiamentu and is referred to locally as “The Mountain. ”

Many individuals ascend this hill to hike, arrange a romantic date, capture photos, or simply to seize the chance to appreciate a broader view of the island of Bonaire. At the summit of the Seru Largu hill sits a Christian monument known as the Millennium Monument. Its name originates from the fact that it was erected on the hill in the year 2000, at the beginning of the millennium, by the Council of Churches on Bonaire.

The monument is a structure painted in yellow and white, featuring a large white cross on its summit. Owing to its high and central location, it is easily seen from various areas of the island. Inscribed on the monument are the words "Kristu Ayera Awe Semper" in Papiamentu, which translates to Christ, today, yesterday, and forever. If you desire to reach this location, you can hire a car and travel up the Seru Largu hill for excellent photo opportunities at the monument or of the broader landscape of the island.

The Curacao Liqueur Distillery - (Chobolobo Estate)

 Also known as the home of the genuine Curacao Liqueur, the Landhuis Chobolobo is an iconic estate, 19th-century country mansion and one of the most famous tourist attractions in Curacao.

It offers tours for various liquor tasting and boasts the production of Blue Curacao liqueur: Here is where you can learn about the history, heritage and production process of the Curacao liqueur. 

The free tastes included in the tour ranges from green, orange red, clear and famous Blue Curacao, all of which is distilled in the same way since 1896.

Eagle Beach & Fofoti Trees - Aruba

 Eagle Beach is the widest beach in Aruba with soft white sand. It is also considered to be one of the best beaches in the world. It is the best place to go when you want some peace and quiet, - just away from the hustle and bustle of the outside world. It also offers an amazing view of the Caribbean that has been popularly known to be used as backdrop for wedding photos.

NOTE: Public nudity is illegal in Aruba!...so don't go nude when you're at Eagle Beach! 😁

The beach also boasts for the famous, iconic Fofoti trees. 

Fofoti trees at Eagle beach provides an awesome landscape on the beach front. They are also found in Linear Park & Baby beach and in the Malmok area, - also in creeks like Rooi Prikichi, Rooi Canashito and Rooi Ser Cristal.

These trees are part of the mangrove and are protected by law. It's also interesting to note that Fofoti grows on firm land inland, yet near salt water. It has a brown and round button-like shape fruit which got its English name as "Buttonwood".

Its trunk is a very hard wood and was used in boat constructions, as well as used for medicinal purposes, like tea made out of its trunk used to treat eye sores and skin irritations.

Take note that this treatment used are like homeopathic remedies which hasn't been scientifically verified yet.

The California LightHouse - Aruba

 One of Aruba's scenic attraction and landmarks is the California Light House located at Hudishibana close to Arashi beach. It is considered to be the tallest structure in Aruba. It was named after the British steamship California, which was wrecked on September 23, 1891.

This lighthouse is considered to be one of the most photogenic spots in Aruba, and also known for impressive views of the Caribbean sea.

It is open to the public by allowing visitors to climb to its highest lookout point and take in panoramic views.

It was built between 1914-1916 with stone on an octagonal base. It is a double-lens lighthouse, standing at 98 feet tall.

At the top is also a restaurant which is a must do when visiting Aruba. (Sadly, climbing the lighthouse and trying the restaurant was not part of our package tour, so I couldn't tell much further what the experience is like.)

Bushiribana Gold Mill Ruins, ARUBA

 Along the rugged, desert-like, northeastern coast of Noor, Aruba lies an abandoned 19th-century gold mill. It once was a bustling gold mining industry constructed by Aruba Island Gold Mining Company based in London in 1872. All processed golds were driven to a nearby harbor for export.

 

Due to high operation costs, the mill operated only for a decade before production was stopped in 1883. It was reopened in 1889 by another British company, but also lasted another decade before it was permanently closed in 1889.

More than a century later, only the natural stone walls of the gold mill remains. Visitors can freely walk throughout the ruins where on the mill's southern wall will be the sweeping views of the Caribbean. It's also a stopping-off point for tourists on their way to view the Aruba Natural Bridge which collapsed on September 2005.

The largest remaining bridge is located next to the original site of the large Natural Bridge.