Throwback Thursday - Travel Edition: A Round-up of Nashville, TN

I am a pretty detailed planner when it comes to almost every part of traveling. I pore over travel guides, blogs, and websites for the best hotels, restaurants, and cultural spots. I make extremely precise itineraries based on considerations of time, location, and ease of travel. I plan out my travel wardrobe based on a color palette and make sure that all my accessories match effortlessly. And then we take the trip that I spent so much time planning, we have a fantastic time, and I never talk about it again.

Seriously, I am the WORST at sharing about my travels. I almost never share pictures (even though I have actual gift cards to Shutterfly burning a hole in my wallet right now) and if people ask about a trip, I generally say, “Yeah, it was super fun!” and leave it at that.

For someone who spends so much time reading, thinking, and dreaming about traveling, you’d think I would be better at sharing more about it! Thus, this blog series, which is a retelling of some of my favorite adventures, both stateside and international. In the spirit of Throwback Thursday, I’ll be throwing it back each week to share some pictures, reviews, and brief itineraries from some of my favorite trips.

First up in the series: Nashville, Tennessee!

My husband Bryan and I have taken two separate trips to Nashville in the past few years. Our first trip there was actually our first time ever traveling together out-of-state! (There was a lot riding on it.) We loved Music City, and although we only had a few days there, we found plenty of time to hit up quite a few bars, restaurants, historical sights, and of course, music-related activities.

Our second time to Nashville, we traveled with a group of friends to watch the best team in the NFL, the Green Bay Packers. Packers road games are becoming another of our family traditions, but that’s a story for another time!

I’ll be compiling our highlights from both trips here. There are a TON of things to do in Nashville, so I’ll just share a few of our favorites.

Our Top Hits:

Tour the Ryman Auditorium!

Obviously the Opry belongs on this list as well, but both times we went the Opry wasn’t open. The Ryman is the Grand Ole Opry’s home during the winter months, and having spent time touring it inside and out, I think it is just as important to see as the Opry. The Ryman is actually where the Opry started originally and where a whole lot of other important things happened, including (one of my favorite country-music facts) where Johnny Cash met June Carter for the first time.

Plenty of big names play at the Ryman, so if you have a chance to actually see a show while you are in town, I highly recommend it, as the auditorium has some of the best acoustics around. At the very least, a tour here is necessary and very cool. It feels very “old country”, which is not always the feeling you get at the Country Music Hall of Fame across the street.

Head out to the Hermitage.

This is where my nerd starts to show. Both Bryan and I are fans of U.S. history, specifically the presidents, so I knew we had to head out to the final home of the 7th U.S. President, Andrew Jackson. The Hermitage was Jackson’s home after his presidency, and today it is an old plantation and museum that has been restored and houses hundreds of Jackson’s original belongings. There’s a video to watch before you walk the grounds that gives a brief history of Jackson, his ideals and contributions, and his life inside and outside of the presidency. Besides the beautiful home, you can walk through the gardens, past the plantation cabins, and to the actual tombs of Jackson and his wife, Rachel.

Even if you aren’t a history buff, the restored mansion is an excellent representation of what life would’ve looked like in Jackson’s time, and the gardens and grounds are beautiful.

Lonnie’s W
estern Room Karaoke Bar

There are a lot of karaoke bars in Nashville, but none of them are like Lonnie’s. We spent a good chunk of time here on both of our trips, listening to some really talented singers and some not-so-talented ones too. Bryan got up and rocked the mic a time or two, and was even serenaded on our second trip with friends. Lonnie’s is off the main drag of Broadway, so it’s way less packed than the others, which means two things: it’s easier to get drinks, and it’s easier to get onstage. The bartenders were hilarious and friendly both times we were there. I love this place and can’t recommend it enough.

4. Rotier’s Burgers

Ask me about the best burger I’ve ever eaten and I will instantly start gushing about THE Burger on French Bread at Rotier’s. Don’t go in here expecting anything fancy. Rotier’s is a total dive bar. Not far from Vanderbilt campus, Rotier’s has the feel of a typical diner, and you certainly wouldn’t feel underdressed in your sweats straight from class.

The atmosphere is not to be judged however, because the quality of the burger is insane. The first time we ate at Rotier’s, I had “a bite” of Bryan’s burger just to try it, and then proceeded to eat the rest of his burger and the entire second burger that I ordered. It’s honestly that good. Don’t even try to order anything else, and go in expecting to eat two.

Centennial Park

Also right down the block from Vanderbilt campus is Centennial Park, the site of a full-scale replica Parthenon used for the Centennial exposition in 1897. Although a relatively small park, there is a nice walking trail around Lake Watauga, a man-made pond, where you can watch ducks, and a museum inside the Parthenon that shows exhibits from the Centennial exposition and gives some background information on the event. In 2016, a statue by Alan LeQuire was added that serves as a monument for women’s suffrage.

Honorable Mentions:

–Country Music Hall of Fame: Obviously, if you’re a country music fan, you have to go here. It’s cool and it’s interesting, but it does attract huge crowds and I don’t think it requires more than one visit.

–Hatch Show Print: Inside of the Country Music Hall of Fame, you’ll find Hatch Show Print, the people behind all of those beautiful music posters you see all over. Hatch Show is a historic letterpress shop that has been in business since 1879 and still uses much the same techniques they did when they started! A trip to Hatch Show includes your chance to make a Hatch-style keepsake print using their letterpress, which was a unique experience that was the cherry on top of a great and informative tour.

–Belle Meade Plantation: We had a seriously fantastic brunch here, and we somehow managed to sneak onto a wine-tasting tour for free, but we didn’t spend much time touring the grounds or the house, so I can’t vouch for the worth-while-ness of the full attraction.

-Boot Country: Want a full-fledged pair of boots from Music City? Boot Country is what you are looking for! Buy 1 pair, get 2 free. (And they ship them directly to you, because obviously you have no room in your luggage for three pairs of cowboy boots.)

–Hattie B’s Hot Chicken: On our second trip, this was just across the street from our hotel and there were lines day and night. It is incredibly delicious, and yes, it will burn your mouth.

Those are just a few of my favorite Music City activities. Nashville is a great time, and I recommend a visit there to pretty much everyone!

Have you been to Nashville? What do you think of my Round-Up? What places did I miss that you would consider must-sees?