I was on the May 5-9 Nashville Tour. Upon reflection, I would like to share some thoughts on my experience. This was my first tour with Beatrice Bradley, and I was excited about a small group tour with conservative women. The ladies on the tour were lovely, and it was interesting that we were from all parts of the country.
BB stresses that the women in charge are hosts, not tour guides. Our hosts were adept at getting the group to restaurants and scheduled tours, but it was evident they knew nothing about Nashville itself. When given the more than ample free time, they could not provide suggestions on what to do. After wandering up and down Broadway, I returned to the hotel to wait for the next scheduled event. When conversing with the hosts, they spent more time talking about themselves than trying to learn about those in the group.
I enjoyed all the scheduled events except the line dancing class. When we arrived, we were tucked into a class that was already underway. At best, we had 20 minutes of instruction. The golf cart, museums, and Grand Ole Opry tours were interesting and entertaining. Some of the free time should have included a tour of the Ryman Auditorium, as that is an iconic Nashville attraction.
Much of each day was spent eating. Three meals a day are unnecessary, as is unlimited alcohol. High-end restaurants where the entree costs $55+ aren't needed and add to the cost of the trip. I remember walking away from the dining table, seeing appetizers, entrees, and desserts left behind.
In retrospect, the trip's cost is exorbitant. For what could be best described as four nights and three days, it breaks down to $850 per day (airfare not included and a shared room). I have been on international tours, which are small groups of 16 and cost $324 per day, including airfare and single-room accommodations.
I went to look at Google Reviews on Beatrice Bradley and found that of the 17 reviews, 8 are from Beatrice Bradley employees, including the co-founder. All are five-star, of course. This is very unethical." read more