Didn’t get to go on that vacation you were dreaming about this summer? Yeah, neither did I. I blame the price of gas (and not my minor shopping habit) for robbing me of that much-needed trip to the beach that I had been hoping for since flip flops hit stores last spring. Instead, I decided to make the most of Nashville. It’s not nicknamed NashVegas for nothing, making it the perfect destination for an exciting stay-cation. I decided to invite my … do I dare say the “BF” word? Yeah, I decided to ask him on my stay-cation. We put our summer romance to the test and road tripped down Briley Parkway for an evening escape to Nashville’s Opryland area.

I’ve always enjoyed amusement park games more than the rides, so Dave and Buster’s was the perfect place to play without long lines, kiddies or carnies. We purchased a game card and challenged each other to friendly (or in my case cut-throat) competition on the Million Dollar Midway. We had a blast winning tickets and taking turns beating each other at Skee-ball and air hockey. Sadly, I took second in our motorcycle race, but in my defense, it was my first time on a Harley. D&B has an elaborate dining menu, but we saved our appetites for later. As we sipped on frosty mugs of cold draft beer, we spotted a photo booth. Maybe it was liquid courage, but we decided to take our relationship to the next level and pay several tokens to have our faces morphed into one ... of a future child!

After a painless delivery, our 5-year-old son popped out of the machine wearing a yellow turtleneck and a face if only his mother would love. After another beer, we named our son Tad, on the assumption that “Tad”s wear turtlenecks. Unfortunately we are currently undergoing a bitter custody dispute over Tad’s photo. Both parties are denying paternity and maternity. Not ready for parenting, we quickly finished our beers and headed out in search of our next adventure.

The Opryland Hotel is perfect for spending an evening in luxury, even without shelling out $300 for a room key. Inside we found exotic plants and trees, waterfalls and an indoor river complete with tour boats; I felt closer to the tropics than to Nashville. For the next few hours, I felt like we were at an all-inclusive resort with beautiful scenery, entertaining shows, fine dining and exclusive bars and clubs.

With plenty of fine dining establishments, visitors can travel abroad at Ristorante Volare and enjoy Italian cuisine beneath the twinkle of a Tuscan sky, or visit the Old South at the Old Hickory Steakhouse set inside an antebellum mansion overlooking the gorgeous river. Taking a thriftier approach to date night, my guy and I dined on tasty bar food from Rusty’s Sports Bar while we watched baseball and the Olympic trials amidst life-size cutouts of sporting legends. The food was great (especially the french fries), and the speedy service gave us the extra time we wanted to explore the rest of the hotel.

Next, we browsed the shops and strolled the path by the river, taking in the beautiful garden décor. Spread out into four “cities,” the time it took to tour each part of the hotel gave opportunity for handholding and conversation. We passed the new Vegas-inspired night club Fuse, a place so upscale that Kid Rock and Kanye West reportedly attended the grand opening. Though I was intrigued, I decided an evening there would probably warrant an entire column!

With a more relaxing setting in mind, we settled into a spot at the revolving bar in the Cascades Terrace Lounge. Surrounded by the sounds of flowing water, we sipped mojitos and martinis as we slowly spun past the beautiful waterfall and half pretended we were staying there. It was by far my favorite part of the stay-cation and gave me a tropical trip for at least a few hours of the summer.

I was sad to see my stay-cation come to an end but took comfort in knowing that, unlike Jamaica, I could return to paradise anytime I wanted. As we walked back to the parking lot, we shared a passionate kiss underneath the lights of Opry Mills. With the sound of earth-moving bass from a cruising El Camino in the background, we promised to keep the summer spark alive despite the long distance between our respective neighborhoods in Hillsboro Village and Germantown. With the summer end in sight, I couldn’t resist telling him how I felt. I looked into his eyes and leaned over and whispered in his ear: “I’m blaming you for the reason why Tad is so ugly.”