My Trip to the Opry Mills Outlet

Posted by L. Marie Dubuque Jul 30, 2008

Driving home from Panama City Beach, Florida, after too much sun and too much salt, we stopped at the Grand Old Opry...not for country music. My husband and I can't tell a banjo from back hoe, but we know a good deal when we see one. And deals were a plenty at the Opry Mills outlet mall.

It is adjacent to the Gaylord Opryland hotel. The hotel is lavish and is home to more than four acres of tropical gardens enclosed in a giant atrium. This is a must-see, even if you don't stay there overnight.

Before hitting the stores, my husband, son and I ate at the Aquarium Restaurant. You can view eel, grouper, sharks and sting ray, among other spectacular salt water marine life. A little pricey, but worth a visit.

Now, stomachs and wallets full, we were ready for some heavy duty bargain hunting. Time is of the essence when you are the only female in the company of a teenage boy and a patient, yet not-overly-enthusiastic-about-shopping husband.

I gave them 15 minutes to wander around the food court while I hit the Ann Taylor Factory Store running. In those fifteen minutes I picked up my entire late-summer-early-fall wardrobe. I came away with a black and white sweater set for 25% off, a couple of racer-back tops for $8.50 and a to-die-for pair of black and white shoes for less than $30.

Now on to the Nine West store where I got the big savings. A pair of tan suede clogs and black ballet flats, each only $17!

I was out of there in less than an hour, and my son got a slurpee and my husband visited the Bass Pro shop...so everyone was happy, especially me!