This blog focuses on the Nashville portion of our Southern US road trip. Great music, food and people can be found in Nashville!

Please see the related blog that has live music video clips: Southern Blues Road Trip

Nashville, Music City, is the capital of Tennessee, the capital of Country music, and home to Vanderbilt University. Before it became “Music City,” Nashville was known as the Athens of the South. In 1897 for Tennessee’s Centennial Exposition, the city built a full-scale replica of Athens’ most famous landmark, the Parthenon.

The drive from Memphis to Nashville is about three hours through mountainous terrain. We only spent one night in Nashville primarily to see live music on Broadway.

The live music area, The District, is on Broadway street and some of the top clubs are: Roberts Western World, The Stage, Honkey Tonk Central, Legends Corner, Tootsies Orchid Lounge, and Bourbon Street Blues & Boogie Bar.  The bars are free, just tip the band.

One of this music city’s longest-running bands, and a Broadway St. legend, Don Kelley has led the Don Kelley Band since 1981. Their version of Ghost Rider is not to be missed.

Music Row is an area southwest of Downtown Nashville that is home to hundreds of businesses related to the Country music industry, most of which are housed in the area’s beautiful old homes. Centered on 16th and 17th Avenues South along with several side streets, Music Row is widely considered the heart of Nashville’s entertainment industry. This quiet collection of streets is a “must see” for country music fans.

Attractions:

  • Broadway Music District
  • Ryman Theatre (Grand Ole Opry)
  • Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
  • Johnny Cash Museum
  • Nashville Parthenon
  • Tennessee State Capitol
  • Belle Meade Plantation
  • Belmont Mansion
  • The Hermitage
  • Cheekwood Botanical Gardens and Museum of Art
  • Fort Nashborough

The Ryman Theatre, aka Grand Ole’ Opry, has a great display of costumes, guitars and memorabilia, and they still have shows. This is located downtown, but there is a new Grand Ole Opry that is in the suburbs, so don’t confuse the two. The Ryman has a tour that starts with holograms telling you about the history of the theatre and the Grand Ole’ Opry. It was very impressive!  Jimmy had goosebumps again. And you can get your photo taken on stage!

Jimmy went to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum while I packed for our next stop – Atlanta. The museum is a must see for music fans. It’s not just for country fans. We definitely have to go back to Nashville and stay longer.

Where to Stay?

We stayed at the Hyatt Place in downtown Nashville. It’s a fine generic hotel with breakfast included and free wifi, but the breakfast was not great. On the plus side, it did have a nice little sitting area in the room and was less expensive than some of the other large hotels in the area. Next time, a B&B or boutique hotel would be my choice.

  • The Hermitage, a 5 star lodging, is Nashville’s most luxurious and historic hotel.
  • Rated as #2 in Nashville, the 4.5 star, Hutton Hotel is another good option. This would be my choice for the next visit.
  • The Omni Hotel
  • Union Station Hotel – boutique hotel situated inside a 19th century train station.
  • Of course renting a cabin just outside of downtown, or an apartment for a longer stay is an option.

Where to Eat?

The only restaurant we ate at was The Southern. We were passing by and it looked like a quality restaurant so we decided to try it. I did a quick google on the reviews and it had good reviews. Steak, seafood, burgers… casual but high end. It did not disappoint. Jimmy had this mega burger – how do you put your mouth around that!

Husk Restaurant

Other recommendations:

Enjoy your visit to Nashville!

For more photos go to Wonderland Photography.

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