I am frequently getting emails from readers and friends about my favorite city, Nashville, Tennessee {and yes, I am partial}. It seems like my beloved Music City is quite a fun little destination for weekend adventures and short holidays. With that, I thought I would devote a post to anything and everything Nashville to help you plan your getaway–things not to miss, great eats for amazing food, must see attractions and such, and of course the most important thing, the shopping. We may not be New York or LA, but we’re moving on up in the retail ladder I tell you. Here is a brief synopsis of some of my favorites:
{Local Attractions}
- Arrington Vineyards— perfect place for wine tastings, evening picnics, and live music
- Frist Center for the Visual Arts–museum featuring all types of fascinating exhibits
- Country Music Hall of Fame–devoted to all things country and the evolution of the genre of music
- Grand Ole Opry–sit back and sing away for weekly concerts featuring some of country’s best and brightest stars
- Opryland Hotel and Convention Center–hotel, inside attraction with boatrides, restaurants, shopping, and gardens…a great place for a fun date!
- Cheekwood— botanical gardens, lush landscapes, the famous Pineapple Room Restaurant, and seasonal attractions
- Bicentennial Mall/Farmer’s Market— outdoor mall celebrating Tennessee’s history; fountains for the kids to play in, and a fabulous local farmer’s market open daily
{The Favorite Food Locales}
- Margot–best restaurant in Nashville; great atmosphere, ever-changing menu, perfect for a romantic date night, infamous chef, you won’t be disappointed
- Boundry–bar/restaurant in Midtown; great ambiance, incredible food, and fun for a group get together
- Loveless Cafe–the epitomy of Nashville fare; famous biscuits and country cooking
- Germantown Cafe–in the heart of quaint little Germantown, a perfect setting to get together for simple, but gourmet meal; brunch and dinner are tasty treats!
- Tin Angel–my place to brunch! a local favorite, so be sure to get there early
- Virago–hands down, best sushi; just relocated and even trendier than before; you walk in and think you’ve ventured to NYC; fun night to dress up! they make my favorite cocktail as well–the Lychee Martini
- Mafiaoza’s–if you’re craving pizza, this is the place to go; don’t forget to get the fried ravioli sticks as an appetizer, too
- Taco Mamacita–tex-mex; gourmet tacos and great for girl’s night or an evening drink on the patio
- Other recent favorites include Silo, Kayne Prime, Lockeland Table, Urban Grub, and Holland House
{Honky Tonks and Must See Nightly Activities}
- The Bluebird Cafe–local hangout for aspiring songwriters and such; never know who you may run into in this local dive
- Broadway…Tootsie’s, Paradise Park, Legend’s, Big Bang–if you’re looking for authentic Music City fun–and total tourist bars–look no further, these are the best; located right on Broadway for the epitomy of everything Nashville has to offer
- Midtown…Loser’s, Red Door, Winner’s, Corner Pub, Broadway Brewhouse–need cocktails with laid back fun? these are all places we love to go and mingle!! never a dull moment đ
- Hill Center…Whole Foods, Anthropologie, H Audrey, Posh, Francesca’s, Monkee’s, Vineyard Vines, Paper Source, West Elm, Lulu Lemon, Hemline
- Green Hills Mall…Nordstrom, Dillards, Z Gallerie, Macy’s, Tory Burch, Michael Kors, BCBG, Kate Spade, JCrew, David Yurman, Gap, Sephora, Restoration Hardware, Tiffany & Co
- 21st Avenue/Hillsboro Village: Posh, Social Graces, Pangaea, Cosmetic Market
- Blush Boutique
- Muse
that you will want to experience while you are here, even if you plan to spend
the rest of your life in the city. There are both fun and interesting things
and then the boring, but necessary things that you must do shortly after you
have settled in to your new home. Welcome to Music City and all that it has to
offer!
Life
legendary Grand Ole Opry but there are hundreds if not thousands of other
things that you can do here as well. From museums to great shopping to foods of
all types and flavors, you won’t have to miss anything at all because there is
always something going on, somewhere in this bustling city. Here are some
exciting examples:
- The Country Music Hall of Fame
- ¡
Nashville Distilleries - ¡
Sports teams including the Nashville Predators - ¡
The Tennessee State Museum
found at www.nashville.com.
Neighborhood
goods and lists of the best shops and professionals in the area. These days the
welcome wagon is an actual business which will give you booklets with coupons,
phone numbers and even maps. You can also see much of this information through
your smart phone via the Welcome Wagon app.
recommendations and more at www.welcomewagon.com/tennessee.
You can also find the app on iTunes and the Google Play store.
if you are a parent. If your move was a fairly local one, your old doctor might
have some names and referrals to give you. If not, you will be stuck starting
from scratch. While there are certainly a number of places to get
recommendations and referrals you might feel more comfortable getting health
care names, numbers and professional standing right from the horse’s mouth by
going to: http://tn.gov/health/. That
government site will give you all of the information you need about all things
health related.
Professional
still nice to have a local agent if you need to ask a quick question or you
prefer to pay your bills online. If you have a national insurance your coverage
for your auto will probably carry over but there are some things to keep in
mind. For example, if you are moving to Tennessee from another state there
might be different requirements that you must meet. It is also best to speak to
a local agent to be sure that you have all of the coverage that you need. You
can find Nashville insurance agents by visiting https://usinsuranceagents.com/agents/nashville-tn/.
Post Office
to the correct and current address. If you did not fill out forms at your old
post office you can pick up a packet at a local Nashville post office. The
packet will contain all of the forms that you need plus coupons that come in
handy when moving into a new home. There are 18 locations in Nashville. You can
find them all listed at: http://www.uspspostoffices.com/tn/city/nashville.
insurance information to reflect your new home address. You will want to do
this as soon as possible. All of the information about where to go and what you
will need to bring with you to get this taken care of can be found at: http://tennesseedriverslicense.org/.
The site also gives you tips and other information that you will find very
helpful.
That's funny that you write this post because I was just thinking how I've never been there and would like to take a weekend vacay there! Thanks for the info!!
I've been waiting for this! I'll be there the 21st-24th đ Maybe I'll run into you! Have a great day!
I am totally bookmarking this! LOVEEEE IT! I am going to Nashville in February and this post is SOOOOO HELPFUL! Thank you! đ
This post makes me want to come to Nashville! It sounds like so much fun!! -Alyssa
I love hearing about different towns. I definitely need to make a trip to Nashville. It's one place I have never been that I know I would just love. P.S.Don't miss my giveaway from Nescafe.
I love Nashville and we go about once a year, but we seem to do the same things every year. I want to plan a trip and use all your great suggestions!!!
Thanks for the advice! Kenny and I are planning on visiting Nashville this summer, can't wait!!
I love Nashville!! đ
Seriously, was this post written for me? I literally hop on a plane for Nashville tomorrow morning and it's my first time! This couldn't be any more perfect!!! đ
I know as soon as I land we're heading to Loveless Cafe to eat. I actually gave up three years of vegetarianism for this trip. I can't take my first trip to the south and not get BBQ, right?! Do you have a suggestion for a restaurant with a view? I like to go to a high rise and dine with a city of the view whenever I'm in a new city.
Thanks so much!!
Nashville is on my to do 30 before 30 list. and I must MEET YOU!!! đ
We have family in Dickson and just love getting to visit Nashville!
I was thinking about going to Nashville for my anniversary! Thanks for the info!!
I have a conference next week in Nashville and the fiance is coming down to stay a few days with me. Since we live only about 2 hours away we frequently visit Nashville, but were looking for new things to do! Thanks so much for posting this!
I'm a new follower & live in Franklin! I've been here 3 years but still haven't truly explored Nashville…I'm bookmarking this! Are you going to BlissDom in February at Opryland? Congratulations on your baby girl!
I recommend Buca de Beppo in Cool Springs for a nice-shirt-and-jeans kind of casual Italian restaurant!
I've been a follower for a couple years and my family and I are taking a weekend trip this Thursday for Thanksgiving. What would you recommend for trip there with kids, ages 10 and 8. Thanks!! Love your blog!
Hoping you have fun touring Nashville… big hits for kiddos are Cheekwood, Gaylord Opryland, Downtown Franklin shopping, Adventure Science Center, and the indoor go kart course downtown!!!