The Parthenon? In Nashville, Tennessee? Yes, it's as random to me as you might feel. And no, we did not teleport to ancient Greece. The re-creation of this ancient architectural masterpiece is also the centerpiece of another attraction: Centennial Park. Let me just sidebar the huge monument in the park to talk about the swing chairs surrounding it. These could be an attraction in themselves and I would like one of my own. Any builders — contact me! They swing as you pump the foot stool part of it. I just love them. And, by indication of April's face on the pictures in this post — she also loves them too.

Back to the monument — obviously pretty epic. But not as random as I thought. It was built for Tennessee's 1897 Centennial Exposition, which featured other unique highlights from around the world. It was a lot of peoples only opportunity to see showcases of other cultures and world marvels because that time didn't allow for mass transit easily. Things weren't just a plane ride away. I couldn't even imagine the whole scene back then — although the museum inside the Parthenon shows various pictures of it helping me to do so — of seeing this huge thing and all the other pieces from around the world that would seem so bizarre and different. 

The coolest and actually the most surprising part to me is not the outside, but what it houses on the inside — a 42-foot statue of the goddess Athena.

The statue is the primary reason I pay the $6 admission for anyone visiting. You just don't expect it. Even describing a 42-foot statue doesn't do it justice. 

If you miss the museum's opening hours, definitely stop by at any time of the day to check out this monument. It really is impressive. And the swings. Those are not to be missed. 

Read more for pictures and a little throwback excerpt and (embarassing) video from three years ago...

The Hermitage — Andrew Jackson's home he built over time and lived in occasionally from 1804 to 1845 — is a nice place to visit and walk through some history. You're not allowed to photograph the inside of the house and can only go through it on a tour, but it's very similar to the Carnton Plantation in Franklin in terms of years it was active and use. Of course this one didn't have blood stains on the floor from a battle as far as I'm aware. 

The area outside the house is also beautiful. You can see the garden with Andrew Jackson and his wife, Rachel's, tomb. I loved that Jackson didn't want anything excessive written on his tombstone, but for Rachel he made sure to write this beautiful eulogy. 

Read more for photos and a throwback to three years ago when I went with Brittney and Whit...