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When I noticed on the Visit Tennessee web site that they had been providing free flights to numerous locations throughout the state, I instantly jumped on the deal. I imply who can flip down a free $200 flight voucher? All I needed to do was be one of many first 10,000 folks to guide a resort keep of two nights or extra and the journey needed to embrace a Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday evening. I assume they launched the deal to encourage tourism post-pandemic, so I fortunately booked a visit to Music City.
It seems that there’s all the time a celebration in Nashville it doesn’t matter what day of the week it’s. I spent 2 days in Nashville on a Tuesday/Wednesday and every single day the bars on Honky Tonk Highway had been taking part in stay music from 11am. Even should you’re not into nation music (I wouldn’t think about myself a rustic music fan, I’m extra of a techno gal) the vibe is so enjoyable and it’s nice to listen to stay performances it doesn’t matter what style it’s.
If you’re in search of the type of journey the place you eat plenty of yummy meals, go to rooftops and like dancing and ingesting, then Nashville is unquestionably the place for you. The metropolis is small and simply explored on foot, so you may positively cowl nearly every little thing there’s to do in Nashville in 2 days should you stand up early.
If you want some pointers for what to do, right here’s my instructed itinerary for two days in Nashville:
Perfect Nashville Itinerary: 2 Days
Day 1: Country Music Hall of Fame, Johnny Cash Museum and Honky Tonk Highway
Breakfast at Another Broken Egg
Start your day with breakfast at Another Broken Egg, which is within the downtown space. This widespread breakfast spot opens at 7am, so it’s good should you get up early like we did. The restaurant has a diner-style vibe and serves some nice eggs benedict dishes, together with hash brown benedict, crab cake benedict and smoked salmon benedict. They additionally serve typical breakfast objects like buttermilk pancakes and French toast.
Country Music Hall of Fame
Next, make your solution to the Country Music Hall of Fame, which is devoted to the preservation of the historical past of nation music. This monumental museum holds the most important assortment of nation music artefacts on this planet – over 2.5 million of them! Inside the museum you may discover a variety of everlasting and altering reveals.
Johnny Cash Museum
Afterwards, it’s time to go to the Johnny Cash Museum. Although I’m not an enormous nation music fan, I do love Johnny Cash, so I actually loved this museum. It’s a lot smaller and extra intimate than the Country Music Hall of Fame and is particularly devoted to his life story, which is extremely fascinating. Johnny Cash is likely one of the few musicians on this planet to have bought over 100 million information and he recorded over 1500 songs throughout his profession.
You can see plenty of outfits that he and his spouse June Carter wore whereas performing, in addition to guitars and different memorabilia. Certain components of the museum function movies of Johnny Cash singing a few of his greatest songs. My explicit favourite was the video of Johnny singing the tune, Hurt, which he recorded shortly earlier than his dying. Tickets to the museum price $22.95+tax and may be bought on-line or on the door.
We achieved all the above by 11am, and by this time, the music had began on Honky Tonk Highway. Yes, the social gathering actually begins that early in Nashville! We dropped by the Johnny Cash Bar subsequent door for a drink, the place there was a very good stay band taking part in nation music.
12South Neighborhood
After you’ve spent a while downtown, it’s time to hop in an Uber to the 12South avenue space of Nashville. It appears far on the map however in actuality the Uber price $10. That’s the beauty of Nashville – Ubers are fairly cheap contemplating the space you journey.
This very cute neighborhood has a way more relaxed, small city vibe in comparison with the busy streets of downtown Nashville. Here you’ll discover a number of murals the place you may have your picture taken, together with the “I Believe in Nashville” mural and the blue and white striped wall exterior Draper James, which is a clothes retailer owned by actress Reese Witherspoon. Dolly Parton additionally has a property on this space, which our Uber driver identified alongside the best way.
The primary avenue has just a few nice cafes and eating places, in addition to boutiques and a small farmer’s market. I’d advocate grabbing espresso and one thing to eat at Frothy Monkey, which is a well-liked all day cafe.
Drinks at Lou/Na Rooftop
After exploring 12South it’s time to hop again in an Uber and hit up a rooftop. Lou/Na, which is situated on the twenty fifth ground of the Grand Hyatt, presents a few of the greatest views of the town and serves some actually artistic cocktails. Just bear in mind it doesn’t open until 4pm Sun-Thurs and 3pm on Fridays and Saturdays.
Dinner in Downtown Nashville
For dinner, there are many nice selections in Nashville. Nearby you’ll discover Adele’s, which is a farm to desk restaurant with a heated out of doors patio. Dishes are artistic and have loads of recent components – suppose burrata salad with strawberry and pea French dressing, or salmon with blood orange, rice, leeks and watercress.
Another nice possibility is Hampton Social, which has a vivid and ethereal “Hamptons” theme.
If you need some good images, the restaurant has a flower wall and fountain within the entrance, together with a Rosé All Day wall. It’s extremely photogenic and the meals is nice too. I ordered the tuna tartare and the shrimp tacos, each of which had been nice.
Honky Tonk Highway
In the night you positively have to take a look at the intense lights of Honky Tonk freeway, which is form of like Beale Street in Memphis or sixth Street in Austin, solely far more crowded and vigorous. Music blasts from each single bar and it’s nearly tough to decide on which one to go to.
There’s completely no cowl cost, so that you mainly get to see stay music for the value of a drink. If you don’t plan on going to catch a present on the Grand Ole Opry, then you may nonetheless discover loads of nation music and stay bands right here.
I like that plenty of the performers stand up and stand on the bar – it’s tremendous enjoyable to look at! There are so many bars, so spend your evening simply bar hopping from place to position.
Day 2: Pinewood Social, Grand Ole Opry, Gaylord Opryland
Breakfast at Pinewood Social
Once you’ve had evening’s sleep at your resort, it’s time to kick off the second day of your 2 days in Nashville! Don’t miss the possibility to have breakfast/brunch Pinewood Social, which is a big, industrial fashion restaurant that includes a bowling alley, a espresso store and loads of house if you wish to work in your pc. I ordered the brûléed grapefruit and avocado toast, which had been each scrumptious!
Grande Ole Opry
After breakfast, take an Uber to go to the Grand Ole Opry. This well-known nation music venue is residence to the longest-running radio broadcast in US historical past. You can take a tour inside, or just cease by and have your picture taken in entrance of the enormous guitar that stands in entrance of the constructing.
Gaylord Opryland Resort
From the Grand Ole Opry you may stroll to the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center, which is a sprawling luxurious resort that options 9 acres of indoor gardens. The gardens function tropical vegetation, bushes, bridges, waterfalls and guitars suspended from the ceiling. It’s very spectacular and price a go to. In addition to the gardens, the resort boasts a spa, golf course, occasion venues and eating places.
Rooftops and Dinner in Downtown Nashville
In the afternoon you may go to but extra rooftops. Jason Aldean’s Kitchen + Rooftop on Honky Tonk Highway is a good place to take in the solar and luxuriate in a beer or two whereas listening to stay music.
Another nice rooftop is Zeppelin Nashville, an extremely stylish rooftop with a light-weight, vivid (and really pink) inside. I can think about it might positively be widespread with Instagrammers! This stylish rooftop bar has an out of doors terrace and is nice for cocktails and light-weight bites.
For dinner I visited Ellington’s, which is situated on the 4th ground of the Fairlane Hotel. While I discovered the appetizer parts to be on the small facet, the smoked rooster primary course is to die for! Really juicy and scrumptious. The restaurant has a cultured indoor eating space and a wraparound terrace if you wish to dine exterior.
Other Things to Do in Nashville if You Have More Time
If you may have greater than 2 days in Nashville then there are a number of extra issues you are able to do. You can:
Try sizzling rooster at Hattie B’s – Hattie B’s is a well-known Nashville restaurant chain serving sizzling rooster, which is mainly spicy fried rooster that’s been marinated and lined in a cayenne pepper sauce. It’s a neighborhood speciality and positively one thing it is best to attempt a minimum of as soon as.
Visit the Parthenon – Located in Centennial Park, the Parthenon is a full-scale duplicate of the Parthenon in Athens, which was constructed for the 1897 Centennial Exposition. It appears a bit random that there’s a Parthenon in Tennessee of all locations, however there it offers you a really feel of what the Greek Parthenon seemed like all these years in the past. Inside there’s even a gold-coated duplicate of the 42-foot statue of Athena, similar to there was in historic Greece. Inside you may browse artwork reveals, whereas exterior you may stroll round Nashville’s largest city park.
Watch a present on the Grand Ole Opry – If you don’t thoughts spending the cash on tickets then one of many high issues to do in Nashville is watch a present on the Grand Ole Opry! This nation music live performance has been operating since 1925 and is broadcast on radio and tv. While I didn’t watch a present, I’m advised that it’s actually enjoyable to look at, even for individuals who wouldn’t think about themselves nation music followers.
Tips for Visiting Nashville
You don’t really want to lease a automotive – Uber is comparatively cheap in Nashville in comparison with New York. An Uber from the airport to my resort was about $20. Most Ubers we took round city had been about $10.
Take an Uber from the airport – The rideshare pickup space is straightforward to seek out at Nashville airport, simply comply with the indicators. The experience from the airport to downtown Nashville is simply round quarter-hour and prices round $20-$30 relying on site visitors.
Stay downtown – If you select a resort downtown you may simply stroll to most locations and discover every little thing on foot. There are motels additional out however then you definitely’d most likely be Ubering/driving extra.
Where to Stay on Your 2 Days in Nashville
21c Museum Hotel – This is the place I stayed throughout my journey. 21c Museum Hotel is a resort and artwork museum all rolled into one, so it’s one thing slightly bit totally different. I liked the truth that it was so centrally situated inside strolling distance of Honky Tonk Highway, plus the rooms had been very spacious. The resort additionally has its personal restaurant referred to as Gray and Dudley, which serves impressed consolation meals from native producers.
Holston House Nashville – Housed in a 1929 artwork deco-style constructing, Holston home can be situated downtown and options an out of doors swimming pool, which is helpful if you wish to cool off through the sizzling summer time months.
Dream Nashville – If you want hip motels, then you definitely’ll like Dream Nashville, which offes artwork deco-inspired rooms with excessive ceilings and smooth finishes. The resort is housed in two historic landmark buildings in Printer’s Alley space. Best of all it boasts its personal experiential nightclub referred to as Dirty Little Secret, which includes a host of shock acts all through the night.
When to Visit Nashville
The greatest time to go to Nashville is from spring to autumn, so mainly April by October. During these months the climate is heat sufficient to sit down exterior and benefit from the rooftops. Winter is off-season, though you may rating a greater deal on motels and flights. Weekends are very busy in Nashville because of the variety of bachelor/bachelorette events that descend on the town, so if you’d like cheaper motels and fewer crowds, you may need to go to on per week day.
A Final Word…
So there you may have it! An entire itinerary for two days in Nashville. I actually liked Nashville due to the stay music. Even if it’s not my typical kind of music, any stay music is nice! Nashville makes for an awesome weekend getaway as a result of the airport is so near the town and it’s pretty small, so you may see just about every little thing in 2 days. Music City doesn’t have the identical variety of sights as someplace like New York however there’s sufficient to maintain you occupied for a weekend. Best of all it’s only a enjoyable and vigorous place to eat, drink and dance.
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