Nashville

A country music lover's paradise

There is a reason Nashville has created a brand of Las Vegas of the Southeast. It’s the perfect weekend get away to let loose and have fun- especially for country music fans. It’s not just about going out and listening to live music, but that certainly is a lot of it. As someone that is not into country music, I found the cultural history and live music interesting, but I’d put other weekend party places above Nashville (and even choose Memphis as my preference of music towns in Tennessee).

Duration: 2 days

Budget: $600 including lodging, admissions and food and beverage

Getting Around

Nashville doesn’t have tourist-friendly mass transit and the main sites are spread out, so you will want to have a car or use rideshare while there to be able to get around.

Staying

If wanting to be a walk or very short ride from the main strip of bars, there is certainly an advantage to staying downtown (similar if attending a sports event or other event). But Nashville was surprisingly spread out. For example, the Grand Ole Opry is about 45 minutes on the interstate away from downtown. Since I was passing through on a road trip, am not passionate about country music, and tried to maximize the sights to see, I saved some money and got a interstate chain hotel near the airport to make flying out easier.

Doing

The main thing in Nashville is experiencing live music. You will want to prioritize the bars and honky tonks along Broadway from about Fifth Street to Second or Third Streets. However, there is live music all over downtown and Music Row too. It really is a place to not worry about specific recommendations other than to walk up and down the strip and listen to the music being played or scene developing, then stop in and have a beverage or bite to listen a bit longer. About a block away is the Ryman Auditorium, which is a beautifully historic venue. It has a rich history as the original site of the Grand Ole Opry and home to a lot of music history.

The place I would recommend is the Bluebird Café (pictured), which is about 15 minutes outside of downtown by car (4104 Hillsboro Pike). Located in an aging strip mall with a dry cleaner, it doesn’t stand out. However, it is legendary for both emerging artists and famous singers from a range of music styles. I enjoyed an open mic session and some of the artists blew me away. Be prepared to get reservations before hand, but travelling alone I was able to wait in line and get one of the few walk in spots in a very crowded, small space.

The big music venue in Nashville is the famous Grand Ole Opry. It is located a bit away from the main city, and the 1970’s community college campus feel across from a shopping mall is disappointing for such a famous cultural site. But even if you are not a country music fan, you can’t help getting swept up in the nostalgia. Try and plan your trip around seeing a show for an evening. If you don’t want to do that, at least do a daytime tour. As long as you have gone that far and are a fan of 1980’s television, check out the Dukes of Hazard museum and store (owned by the man that played the mechanic in the show) that is just down the road.

If you haven’t been to Greece and want a little taste of what the ancient ruins look like, there is a full-sized replica of the Parthenon just on the edge of downtown that is in a large park and worth checking out to get your morning off to a good start.

If you are going to Nashville and love country music, you will certainly want to visit the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Johnny Cash Museum. Unfortunately, I didn’t have enough time budgeted in. They will definitely be stops on my future visit as I’m yet to attend a museum dedicated to a cultural icon or hall of fame that wasn’t interesting. I’d suggest finding the time to go on a morning before the music activity picks up.

Eating

There is every reason to align any food needs with live music. This might be the place to stress less on what you are eating and more on where you are eating. Walk around Music Row and stop when you hear a band you like. Time your visit to the Bluebird Café and have dinner during the show. The food is fairly basic pub type food, but it will allow you to settle in and enjoy the experience.

Photography Tips

To get pictures of Music Row, you can take advantage of Broadway’s slope and at the intersection of about Fifth Street you can get a better angle on the bars and venues.

Day Planning

Day 1: Start the morning at the Country Music Hall of Fame, then have lunch on Broadway to get a sense of the live music scene and familiar with the area in the afternoon (see the famous Ryman Auditorium about a block off Broadway). Have dinner and listen to aspiring artists live at the Bluebird Café. Return to Music Row or back to Broadway for nightlife and entertainment.

Day 2: First check out a full size replica of the Parthenon just outside of downtown, then spend some time in the morning at the Johnny Cash museum. In the afternoon, head toward the Grand Ole Opry but first stop at the Dukes of Hazard museum. After catching a show at the Grand Ole Opry, head back to Music Row in downtown for more live music and fun.

* mix the schedule up accordingly if spending Friday night to Sunday afternoon