The Opryland Hotel is almost a city within itself and newly renovated with a $285 million dollar face lift after the flooding last May. The hotel has 2,881 guestrooms, a European-inspired spa, 4 swimming pools, renovated meeting rooms, nine acres of indoor gardens and waterways, 12 restaurants, a fantastic breakfast buffet, upscale shopping and electrifying entertainment all day long and this hotel is considered to be the best of world-class elegance in hotel listings. The discounted room rates are really good (ISA has secured rates of $169/night.) This has to be one reason so many members have already secured their room so early.
Another reason I think conference is filling up so quickly is the speakers on board for opening day and the breakout sessions are a fantastic line up along with the diverse subjects given in the seminars and the product knowledge available to us in becoming better educated appraisers. What can I say about Leigh Keno being such a big draw for us? I will say, “Thanks to him for being with us”. There is something for everyone, old timers and brand new members.
Oh my, and the fun things we are going to do: On Sunday, February 20th, there is the Bar-B-Q and Bourbon Tasting event and this will be followed by that great ole Fund Fun Auction. By the way: Who knows where that ORANGE CRUSH suit is? I have been assigned part of the job to find that suit! If anyone can help me I will be very grateful. I understand the person that wins the bid on the suit will receive the magical gift of keeping it for one full year which brings tons of high end paying appraisal jobs all year long. I guess that is why the suit has always brought such high dollar bids at conference.
You can probably tell that the Tennessee ISA members are getting very excited because Assets 2011 will be in our home state but it seems all of ISA is getting excited. This is just ISA on the move upward.
One last note: If you have a free night during conference the Opryland Hotel has a shuttle that runs back and forth to The Riverfront Area, Honky Tonks, B B Kings, Ryman Auditorium, Country Music and Restaurants all within a block of the Riverfront Downtown Area. Could be a fun taste of Nashville country music nightlife for you!
Please check out the new additional tour now available at this time. As of today there are 10 members that have already registered for this 3rd tour. But there are still 30 spots open at this writing. I’ll be on this one, hope you will join me for a fun Southern Antebellum tour and learn about Tennessee Furniture at the State Museum tour and President Andrew Jackson during The Hermitage tour. Read about it below.
BELMONT MANSION
The 1853 home of Adelicia Acklen is a story rich in art, wealth, fashion, architecture, tradition and romance. The Belmont Mansion is an Italianate-style villa, every room filled with the most elaborate furnishings in the domestic antebellum home built in Tennessee . The home has 36 rooms furnished with a large collection of Belter furniture, French furniture along with many rare pieces of 19th century Tennessee hand made furniture. Large marble statues by American sculptors: Randolph Rogers, William Rinehart, Chauncey Ives and Joseph Mozier grace this 10,900 square foot Southern mansion along with original textiles, porcelains, silver, tortoiseshell pieces and other rare 19th century furnishings most pieces authentic to the home.
After her husband died during the Civil War, Adelicia faced financial ruin when the Confederate army threatened to burn 2,800 bales of her cotton to keep it from falling into Union possession. She boldly rushed to Louisiana and secretly negotiated with both sides to save her fortune. She secured Confederate promises not to burn her cotton, while the Union army agreed to help her move the cotton to New Orleans. She ran the Union blockade and sold her cotton to the Rothschilds of London for a reported $960,000 in gold. Three weeks after Robert E. Lee's surrender in 1865, Acklen and her children left for Europe to retrieve the money made from this cotton sale. She was quite a business woman and one that tops legendary Scarlett O'Hare! Belmont is the story of Adelicia Acklen, the wealthiest and considered most beautiful grand lady of Tennessee’s antebellum era.
Lunch at Belmont
Our group will have a full buffet inside the Belmont mansion for our group with Southern style linens and silverware.
Tennessee State Museum
This is one of the largest state museums in the South, exhibiting artifacts from 15,000 years ago through the 20th century. The museum houses many pieces of rare TN furniture which will be the focus of this tour. Curator Mike Bell, state curator of TN Furniture will speak on the history of TN furniture from the simple and straightforward styles to the plantation culture of the high style that developed around 1815 and changes throughout the19th century. We will learn about early techniques of craftsmanship, stylistic elements, varieties of wood and motifs used, all which makes TN furniture unique.
THE HERMITAGE: Home of the 7th U.S. President: Andrew Jackson
The Hermitage is one of the country's most authentic early presidential sites housing over 80% of original 19th century furniture, decorative arts and personal collections of one of the wealthiest of all Presidents. Jackson owned the plantation from 1804 until his death in 1845. After a fire in 1834 Jackson had the mansion remodeled in the Greek revival style. Six original hand painted block wallpapers from Paris still hang on the walls today. Our curator led tour of the mansion will allow us to personally inspect some of the rooms not open to the general public and get a glimpse into the life of this great man.
Look forward to seeing you at conference in Nashville,
Carol Wamble, ISA CAPP
Annual Meeting Co-Chair
No comments:
Post a Comment