When folks think of a weekend getaway, cities like Las Vegas, or Chicago, or even New Orleans come to mind. But very few think of Nashville in Tennessee. When we visited Nashville, little did we expect to see what we did. It is like the Las Vegas of the South - a total party town, with high end restaurants and bars, and honky tonk music blaring out of every establishment, and tourists and party-goers walking the street of Broadway at every hour of the day and night. Also known as Music City, it is a vibrant and historic city located in the heart of Tennessee. Known for its deep roots in country music, Nashville is home to many famous music venues such as the Grand Ole Opry and the Country Music Hall of Fame. In addition to its musical and historical attractions, Nashville offers a diverse food scene, outdoor activities and shopping.
While visiting St. Louis for my daughter's graduation, we decided to do a quick weekend trip to Nashville. Though there are many sights to see in this city, we found that 2 days were enough to cover the major attractions. We had an incredible time exploring Nashville and we're confident you will too. So pack your bags and book your trip to Music City. You won't regret it.
Day 1:
After leaving St. Louis at 6am, we arrived in downtown Nashville by 11am. Most of the daytime and nighttime activities in Nashville take place on Broadway Street, a road bursting with honky tonks that blast live country music all throughout the day.
Many of the honky tonks and bars along Broadway are owned by famous country music artists and are great places to grab some food or a drink during the daytime and listen to local country musicians play their music. These honky tonks turn into crazy crowded clubs in the evenings, playing an assortment of music. Most of them are multi-level establishments, with a live country music band on the ground floor and pop and hip hop music on the upper levels. Many of them also have rooftop dance floors that offer great views of the city during the day or night. Nashville is a hotspot for bachelorette parties and 21st birthday celebrations, as it was common to see large groups of women in matching shirts and cowboy boots enjoying the music and the drinks.
Party-goers in cowboy boots
If you plan on hitting up any of the clubs late at night, our resident partier said that Jason Aldean's, Luke Bryant's, and Florida Georgia Line's clubs are the most fun and play the best music. Also, none of the clubs on Broadway charge a cover!
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After arriving at Broadway, we grabbed lunch at Miranda Lambert's Casa Rosa Cantina. Casa Rosa is a popular spot for drinks and TexMex food during the day, and turns into a club at night like most honky tonks. They are known for their unique pink decor and Instagrammable wall art that attracts most female tourists and partygoers. We thoroughly enjoyed our meal as they had great vegetarian food.
At Miranda Lambert's Casa Rosa Cantina
After lunch, we began our audio walking tour that you could download to your phone for $7. It was around 2 hours long and took us all along Broadway and the surrounding streets, explaining the history behind this country music capital. Our walking tour had us stop at Goo Goo Chocolate Co, the creators of Nashville's signature candy the Goo Goo Cluster. It is a cluster of nougat, caramel, nuts, and milk chocolate that will satisfy any sweet tooth.
A Go0 Goo Cluster
As a part of our walking tour, we walked along the John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge which spans the Cumberland River and is one of the longest pedestrian bridges in the world. We had intended to return here in the evening to see the city night lights but we ended up getting rained out.
View of downtown Nashville from John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge
We spent the rest of the afternoon exploring different honky tonks on Broadway and enjoying the various types of country and bluegrass music.
Busy Broadway Street, the hub of this party town
In the evening we left Broadway and headed towards the Parthenon, located a few miles away in midtown near the Vanderbilt campus. It is a full-scale replica of the original Parthenon in Athens, Greece, and was built in 1897 for the Tennessee Centennial Exposition. We weren't able to go inside the building but it was incredibly beautiful to see from the outside.
The "American" Parthenon
Day 2:
We spent all of the next morning exploring the Country Music Hall of Fame. Located right next to Broadway St, this museum of country music is a must-see in Nashville. The admission tickets and audio guide are definitely worth the price as even our family who doesn't listen to any country music thoroughly enjoyed the museum. The audio guide takes about 2 hours and provides a very informative history of country music in Nashville, beginning with the early country music pioneers of the 1800s spanning all the way to the country pop stars of today.
After the museum, we grabbed lunch at Justin Timberlake's 12/30 Restaurant. He is one of the few non-country artists to own a restaurant on Broadway and his food did not disappoint. The Twelve Thirty Club is a multilevel establishment with a casual honky tonk on the ground floor, an upscale Supper Club on the second floor, and a classy cocktail bar on the rooftop. There is also a members-only lounge on one of the levels. Due to this venue's popularity, we were only able to get lunch reservations at the honky tonk and were thoroughly impressed by the food and the music.
Right next to the Twelve Thirty Club, is Assembly Food Hall, 3 story building with a variety of restaurants and cuisines. The most popular place to grab a bite in Nashville is Hattie B's, located right next to Assembly Food Hall. This restaurant is infamous for their Nashville Hot Chicken and has multiple locations in and around the city of Nashville with the Broadway location being the most popular. While we didn't have time to eat there on this trip, my daughter had eaten there on a previous trip to Nashville and said that it took about 45 minutes in line to order and an additional 15 to receive her food, but she claimed it was well worth it!
Our last stop was at the Grand Ole Opry.
Not being country music fans, we skipped buying tickets for the concert happening that day, as we didnt recognize any of the artists. There is also a behind-the-scenes stage tour offered when there are no shows taking place. We took advantage of some great photo ops in front of this concert venue, checked it off our "to see" list, and started our 4-hour drive back to St.Louis.
In conclusion, Nashville is a city that truly has something for everyone - from music lovers to history buffs to foodies. I hope this guide has inspired you to plan your own trip to Music City and experience all it has to offer.
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