Hey y’all! Welcome to my little corner of the internet! Can’t wait to share Disney food and tips, fun baking recipes, travel advice and more with you.
Since it has been just over a year since my first trip to Nashville (and I miss it dearly) I thought I’d dive right in and share and reminisce about all the things my friends and I did.
Day 1
Our first day was mostly a travel day and my friends and I arrived in Nashville in the early afternoon. An old family friend has a house they use for AirBNB that they let us use for our trip so we first went there to drop off our bags and freshen up. Our next stop, the Grand Ole Opry.
It being my first time in Nashville, the Grand Ole Opry was a definite must-do for this trip. Luckily, the show dates/times worked out with our schedule and we already knew and liked a few of the artists that were going to perform. We got to there early so we had dinner at a restaurant near the Opry and then went to the gift shop to get some souvenirs. Then it was time for the show!
The show was amazing! The Opry shows are not like normal concerts. They have roughly eight or so artists perform, ranging from up-and-coming to well-known, and instead of playing a full set, the artists play about three songs each. That way you can see each artists’ music style without the show being hours and hours long. The show was fantastic and definitely worth the price of the tickets. Ticket prices normally range from $45-$100 depending on where you sit. Our tickets were about $50-$60, and we sat in the mezzanine, which was still a great view. Some of the artists that we saw were Sister Hazel, Maggie Rose, Scotty McCreery, and Ashley McBryde. Scotty McCreery might have been my favorite because I already knew his songs, but all the artists were amazing. For anyone traveling to Nashville (once things go back to normal after COVID-19), I highly recommend attending a show at the Grand Ole Opry.
Grand Ole Opry: 2804 Opryland Dr, Nashville, TN 37214
Day 2
Our second day, we decided to be tourists and take a bus tour through Downtown Nashville. Even though we were staying for about 6 days, there are so many places and things to do, so we wouldn’t have time to stop and see everything. The bus tour was perfect for seeing all the tourist hot spots Nashville has to offer, and we could go back to the things that peaked our interest.
The second thing we did on Day 2 was go to The Bluebird Cafe.
The Bluebird Cafe is one of the world’s preeminent listening rooms that has gained worldwide recognition as a songwriter’s performance space where the ‘heroes behind the hits” perform their own songs; songs that have been recorded by chart-topping artists in all genres of music. The venue presents two shows a night, seven nights a week, with our In The Round shows typically scheduled Tuesday-Saturday, our established Open Mic on Mondays at 6 PM and our audition-only Sunday Writers Nights on Sundays at 8 PM.
Bluebird Cafe website
Getting tickets to Bluebird Cafe shows are very difficult and they sell out very fast so we were not able to get tickets ahead of time. However, they leave enough seats in their capacity to let in people who wait in line outside before the show. We wanted to make sure we got in so we got in line a few hours before the show and just hung out. It was worth it, and since we were the second group in line, it was almost a guarantee that we would get in for the first show.
They serve both food and drinks so we got wine and one of my friends ordered an appetizer. Soon after, the show started. In each show, 4 to 5 artists take turns performing acoustic songs that they either wrote or co-wrote for famous artists. Some artists play their own songs as well. These artists are so talented, and this show ended up being one of my favorite moments from the whole trip! My favorite artist was probably Mira Goto (@miragotomusic). Her songs were awesome and my friends and I were able to talk with her a little after the show. I definitely recommend attending a show at The Bluebird Cafe to anyone traveling to Nashville. I believe they have virtual shows right now so check out The Bluebird Cafe website for more info (linked above).
The Bluebird Cafe: 4104 Hillsboro Pike, Nashville, TN 37215
Day 3
When we planned our trip, my friends and I decided we wanted to take a day to see a bunch of murals around the city. But before we did that, we decided to be kinda “basic” and get our hair braided/curled at Drybar. Once we were all done-up, we started our “mural photoshoot” adventure. There are so many murals around Nashville so since we were ubering instead of driving we decided to focus on the ones in the Gulch & 12 South areas. My friend also wanted to visit Kristin Cavallari’s store, Uncommon James (located in the Gulch area), and Reese Witherspoon’s store, Draper James (located in the 12 South neighborhood), so that was another reason we focused on the murals in those areas.
Here is a link to another blog where they show several more murals around Nashville & a map showing where each are located: https://www.camelsandchocolate.com/nashville-murals/
After recouping a little from walking around all day, we decided to head to Broadway in Downtown Nashville and bar hop. While we did a little bit of bar hopping there the night before, tonight we wanted to “go big or go home” (within reason, of course). There are several bars along Broadway and they all have bands/artists performing inside on different levels so just walking on the street, you can hear all this great music. It was amazing! I’ve never been anywhere like it before. And because all the bars are right next to each other, it’s so easy to wander in and out of different places all night.
Just a few things I wanted to note & recommend about bar hopping on Broadway: some of the older, more famous bars, like Tootsies, are pretty narrow inside and can be pretty crowded on all levels, but some of the newer places, like Jason Aldean’s Kitchen + Rooftop Bar, Luke Bryan’s 32 Bridges Bar, and FGL House are larger and sometimes not as packed in. However, big or small, my friends and I loved walking around Broadway and hopping in and out of all the different bars.
Of all the places we went to around Broadway, my favorite was the Wildhorse Saloon. The difference between most of the bars on Broadway and Wildhorse was that it had a large dance floor in front of the stage for line dancing, two-stepping, and just regular dancing. My friends and I love line dancing so, of course, this was the perfect place for us and we ended up spending a good part of our nights there.
Wildhorse Saloon: 120 2nd Ave N, Nashville, TN 37201
*Note: Wildhorse Saloon is actually re-opening their doors on October 1, 2020! If you are planning to visit, check out their website for more info on their guidelines and updated cleaning/safety standards.
Day 4
On Day 4, we decided to check out the Nashville Farmer’s Market and some places in the nearby area. The Farmer’s Market has a bunch of quick service restaurants around the edges of the building with seating, artwork, and handmade art vendors mixed in around the center. Next to the building is a covered outdoor area that has more fresh food and produce as well as some more art and knick-knacks. While similar to a typical farmer’s markets I’ve been to, I always love looking around at all the food and handmade products, and I am glad we decided to check it out.
Nashville Farmer’s Market: 900 Rosa L Parks Blvd, Nashville, TN 37208
During our Uber to the Farmer’s Market, we told our driver that we were just visiting, and she suggested that we might want to check out Monell’s in Germantown for lunch. It’s a pretty quick walk from the Farmer’s Market so we decided to try it out.
At Monell’s, you’ll feast on plates of Southern classics and comfort foods, piled high on serving plates and shared family-style with your neighbors. Our menu changes each day. Enjoy Skillet Fried Chicken, Green Beans, Cheese Grits, Cornbread, Biscuits and Gravy, Pork Chops, and Pot Roast. Come on in, grab a seat at large tables and start passing the bowls to your left. Our set price includes meats, vegetables and salads of the day, plus drink and dessert.
Monell’s website
I’ve never been to a restaurant like this where you sit communal style with strangers for a full meal. It was a really cool experience and it was nice to get a home-cooked type meal while on vacation. It was also really nice to see everyone at the table talking and laughing with each other like we’d known each other for years. Monell’s is currently temporarily closed because of COVID but you can check out their website & social media for updates.
Monell’s: 1235 6th Ave N, Nashville, TN 37208
After Monell’s, we wandered around to other shops and murals in Germantown before heading back down to Broadway to walk around and bar hop for the rest of the afternoon/evening.
Day 5
My friends and I love country music so I don’t think we could tire of it, but at the recommendation of a family friend, we decided to do something that was not country music related for Day 5. My family friend, who lives in Nashville, told us that every Sunday, an 80s cover band called the Nashville Spazmatics perform from 4pm to 7pm at the Dawghouse Saloon. We thought it would be fun so we met her at the bar a little before the show.
If anyone is an 80s music fan, like me, then you would love this show. The Nashville Spazmatics are one of those bands that just wants to have fun while interacting with the audience during their set. It was definitely one of my favorite small live shows I’ve ever been to. Right now because of COVID, the Spazmatics are obviously not doing live shows but they are still doing live stream shows almost every Sunday. I would definitely recommend checking them out! Here is their instagram (@nashvillespaz) with more info.
Dawghouse Saloon address: 1522 Demonbreun St, Nashville, TN 37203
Day 6
When we posted our photos from the Bluebird, another cafe called 3rd & Lindsley DM-ed us saying we should check out their shows too. This was our last full day in Nashville and we only had a few things planned so we decided we would check it out. 3rd & Lindsley is bigger than the Bluebird Cafe but it still has an intimate vibe and the artists were very talented and entertaining. My favorite artists were probably Clay Mills (@claymills2) and Marty Dodson (@martydsongs). They have both written/co-written several songs by well known country artists such as Darius Rucker and Kenny Chesney. 3rd & Lindsley is also closed right now because of COVID but they have live stream shows available through their website here.
3rd & Lindsley: 818 3rd Ave S, Nashville, TN 37210
After the show, we walked to Broadway one more time to go souvenir and cowboy boot shopping. Along with the many bars on Broadway, there are several shops full of knick-knacks, Nashville-branded clothing, and discounted boots. My friend and I each bought a pair of boots as well as some souvenirs for family & friends.
Once we filled our shopping quota, there was one more Nashville staple that I wanted to do: Nashville BBQ. Jack’s Bar-B-Que on Broadway is one of the most popular restaurants in Nashville to get good BBQ so I knew we had to go there. It was a great comfort meal for our last day, so Jack’s is another place I would recommend if you like BBQ.
Jack’s Bar-B-Que: 416 Broadway, Nashville, TN 37203
Since we had an early flight the next morning, we took it easy on our last night. Our AirBnB was close to a cool neighborhood called Five Points, so we wandered around there, checking out the different bars and restaurants in the area. Everything is pretty walkable or a short drive/uber away so it is definitely a nice area to check out the local spots.
Unfortunately, early last March, a tornado blew through the Five Points neighborhood and I know at least a few bars/restaurants that we saw have been destroyed or badly damaged. COVID hit pretty soon afterwards so I hope they are able to rebuild because it was a great place to visit.
Overall, this trip was one of my favorite vacations I’ve taken with friends. We packed several things in our six days in Nashville, and there are still so many more things we can do. I guess we will just have to go back (you know, eventually).
-West Coast Chels