Barbara Mandrell's Fontanel Mansion Fascinates

Fontanel Mansion, the former home of Barbara Mandrell, could be the most inviting tourist attraction in Nashville. Designed in the late 1980s by Mandrell's husband, Ken Dudney, the enormous log cabin is an fascinating feat of architecture. Meanwhile, the interior is decorated with loads of unique photos and a generous amount of original furnishings. If you want to pull up a chair in the formal dining room as you listen to the tour guide, that's totally fine. Or maybe grab Buck Owens' signature red, white and blue guitar from the wall and play it? No problem. You get the feeling that they'd even let you eat crackers in her bed anytime.

Tours depart from the Farm House restaurant, which serves moist, delicious cornbread with its country-inspired entrees. I don't feel guilty about eating two pieces, because after the house tour, a couple of us walked the wide, rugged two-mile hiking trail that surrounds the property. I'll have to keep an eye on the concert calendar, too, because their outdoor venue opens on Saturday (July 17) with a flood relief event featuring top Nashville songwriters. The property is now co-owned by Dale Morris and Marc Oswald, two of Nashville's most prominent managers, representing artists like Alabama, Kenny Chesney and Gretchen Wilson.

Fontanel is located about 20 minutes from downtown Nashville. Tours last 90 minutes and cost $19. Six of my friends and I went out there on Saturday and every one of us thought it was worth the money. Between our stops in the cozy soda shop and the glitzy master bathroom, we happened to meet Jaime Dudney, the couple's middle child who grew up at Fontanel. And with her big hugs and stories, she made all of us feel at home.