Visiting Nashville has been at the top of my bucket list for a long time. I love country music and a dream job would be working in country music journalism. I watched the TV show ‘Nashville’ in high school and that just made me want to visit Nashville even more.
I finally got to visit Nashville with my mom last week. There were a lot of things we wanted to do but knew that we would not be able to do them all in 4 days. That just means we will need to make another trip in the future! My mom and I are both pretty go with the flow people and don’t like every minute of our trip to be planned out. That way we can adjust according while we are there. We had some ideas of things that we wanted to do while we were there but we booked nothing in advanced except for our hotel – oops. There were some things that we didn’t get to do that we had thought about doing since we didn’t book in advance but we were able to do a good majority of what we wanted to do.
Day 1
We woke up early Monday morning to get on our flight. We got to Nashville around 9 and Ubered to our hotel. Once we got to our hotel we were just going to see if they would hold our luggage for us but they end up letting us check into our hotel room. Which was amazing that they let us check in so early. By this time we were starving and wanted to go find food after we got everything to our room. We had been given some recommendations on some good brunch places and decided to go try one of them.
Milk & Honey
aWe decided to try Milk & Honey. Our hotel was one street over from Broadway and we didn’t think it would be a far walk to the restaurant but it was a farther walk than we thought. Once we got there it was about an hour wait. While we were waiting we got a fresh squeezed juice and a croissant from their pastry bar to hold us over. Both of them were really good. The coffees looked good as well even though I didn’t try them. When we finally got a table we ordered one of their biscuits and it was just okay. For as good of recommendations this place had it wasn’t as good as I thought it would be. If you want to go here I recommend just getting a juice or a coffee and one of their pastries vs waiting over an hour for a table.
While we were eating we were trying to book one of the hop on/hop off trolley tours or something similar. A lot of them were already booked for Monday so we weren’t able to book one. Most of them don’t run on Tuesdays and Wednesdays so we weren’t able to book one for the rest of our week either. Since we weren’t able to book one we decided to walk around a little bit in The Gulch which is where Milk & Honey is located.
Kittenish and What Lifts You Mural
We found a store called Kittenish that has photo ops you won’t want to miss. The iconic Nashville What Lifts You mural is also located in The Gulch. There are other cute stores and murals located down there but those two were my favorite.
Country Music Hall of Fame
Since we weren’t able to do a tour of Nashville we decided we would check one of the museums off of our list. Our feet were tired and it was HOT so we decided to Uber over to the museum. We didn’t buy tickets to the museum beforehand and we were able to walk in and get tickets. We were not able to get tickets to RCA studio B guided tour as that was already sold out. If that is something that interests you, I would go early or buy tickets in advanced. This museum is fairly big and packed with history. They have you start on the second floor with history about country music legends, then you head to the first floor with even more history about the legends which then leads into information about more current artists. There is a lot of information to read and you could spend hours in the museum. I think we spent about two hours in there. At the end of the top floor there is a video that you can watch that show different country music artists from commercials they were in, tv shows and award shows. It is really cool to see how it has evolved over the years. At the beginning of the first floor there is history about how Austin, Texas played a role in shaping country music. Being from Texas, I really loved seeing that connection. Overall, if you love country music this is a must see while in Nashville!
Our hotel wasn’t far from the museum so we decided to walk back there to charge our phones and figure out what we wanted to eat for dinner. Pro tip: Bring a portable charger with you to charge your phone throughout the day.
Kid Rocks Bar
Our hotel was only one street away from Broadway so we decided we would find somewhere down there to eat. We had heard the food and Jason Aldean’s bar was good but when we went there it was 3 hour wait. We were starving so we weren’t going to wait 3 hours. I’m not sure if they take reservations but if they do and you want to eat there I would make reservations or go at a not busy time.
We walked to Kid Rocks Bar to get food there. On the first floor of Kid Rocks Bar it is just live music and a bar. On the upper floors is where they serve food and also have live music. We went up to 3rd floor which was pretty packed. There was no one up there letting people know that it was open seating so we had to ask someone but just trying to get a servers attention to ask was difficult. We were able to find seats at the bar so we could order food. Once we ordered our drinks it took forever for our server to take our food order. It was difficult to even get her attention. We ordered a burger and some potato skins. Honestly, the food was not great and the service sucked. The atmosphere was kind of cool as it was inside but they had big windows that opened so you could feel the breeze from outside. We went down to the the first floor on our way out and the music was insanely loud. I don’t like live music that is so loud you can’t even hear your own thoughts or the person next to you. That makes me sound so old. haha. If you want a big party atmosphere you might like this place but if you want good food and good service, I wouldn’t bother.
After dinner we walked around on Broadway for a little bit and then headed back to the hotel.
Day 2
We didn’t want to wait an hour for breakfast again so we just ate breakfast at the hotel. We stayed at the Renaissance on Commerce and the breakfast there was pretty good. It was worth it to be able to save time.
Johnny Cash Museum
My mom loves Johnny Cash so this was a must do on our list. The museum is off of a side street from Broadway so it was an easy walk from our hotel. We didn’t buy tickets beforehand and we were able to walk in and buy tickets. It isn’t a huge museum but it had tons of history and artifacts. It was cool to learn about his life, how he grew up, how he ended up with June Carter and more. There were some different videos of him that you could watch and some interactive listening stations. We were able to do the whole museum in about an hour. If you like Johnny Cash or just like learning more about country music legends, I would suggest checking out the museum.
We didn’t get a chance to do it but the Patsy Cline museum is on the second floor above the Johnny Cash museum. It is on my list to check out that museum next time I am in Nashville.
Casa Rosa – Miranda Lamberts Restaurant and Bar
Casa Rosa opened at the end of May so it had only been open about a month by the time we went. At first we didn’t want to eat there because it is Tex-Mex food and we are from Texas. I am so glad we decided to eat there though! We had the bbq quesadillas and they were delicious. We also had their blueberry margarita and it was yummy. We went during the day and it was only about a 30 minute wait for a table but we sat at the bar instead so we didn’t have to wait. The food was yummy and we had great service. Plus, there are super cute photo ops. From the food, to the service, to the unique vibe, this is one of the better restaurants on Broadway.
Nashville Murals
I really wanted to take pictures at as many of the Nashville murals as I could because ya know insta pics. There are some Nashville mural tours that are offered but since we were just kind of winging as we went we weren’t able to book one. I think we found a good majority of them but if I was booking things in advanced or booking for a bachelorette party/ girls trip I would book a tour. We went back to the Gulch where the wings mural is and the store Kittenish because I wasn’t wearing a cute outfit the first day. There are more murals in the Gulch as well. We took pictures, went in a couple of stores and then we Ubered to 12th South where more of the murals are. We took pictures at as many of the murals as we could find. I found a list on the Internet because some of them are a little bit hidden. If you want a calmer area with less people 12th South is a good place to go. It was a nice change of pace. We walked around, took pictures, went in some stores and ate ice cream at Jenni’s Ice Cream. You definitely need Jenni’s Ice Cream while you are in Nashville and there are multiple locations. We also found a super cute boutique store called Finnleys. They have a cute clothes and a cute photo op inside the store. I randomly found their other location on 8th South the next day which has a cute mural on the side.
The Graduate Hotel & The White Limozeen Restaurant
The Graduate Hotel and The White Limozeen Restaurant are inspired by Dolly Parton. The restaurant is on the rooftop of the hotel. We were told that you had to have reservations here but then we read that they sometimes take walk-ins. I mostly wanted to go to take some pictures so we decided to go and see if we could get a table. We weren’t able to get a table inside where they serve food but we were able to get seats on the patio where they only serve drinks. We had such a fun time just sitting, hanging out, taking pictures and enjoying the weather. It has a really cool vibe and has some super cute photo ops. I can’t comment on the food since we didn’t eat there but I definitely recommend checking it out!
Amerigos Italian Restaurant
Down the street from The Graduate Hotel were several restaurants that we were told were good. We decided to try Amerigos and it was delicious! Definitely a good break from eating bar type food.
Day 3
The Grand Ole Opry
How can you go to Nashville and not visit the The Grand Ole Opry? We did the backstage tour and it was a neat experience getting to see where the stars enter, the dressing rooms, the stage, where they have filmed TV shows and so much more. Our tour guide was awesome and very knowledgeable about The Grand Ole Opry. I didn’t feel rushed at all through the tour and she answered any questions that we had. Our whole tour took about an hour. We bought tickets for our tour in advanced because they can sell out. I do wish that we had bought tickets to see a show there. That is definitely on my list for the next time I am in Nashville.
If you are staying near Broadway and you didn’t rent a car you will have to Uber out to The Grand Ole Opry. It was about a 15 minute Uber ride from where we were staying.
The Hampton Social
After The Grand Ole Opry we made our way back towards Broadway. I knew there were some cute photo ops at The Hampton Social so we stopped by there to take some pictures. They do serve food and drinks at here as well but we didn’t try any of them.
Johnny Cash’s Bar & BBQ
We ended up eating lunch at Johnny Cash’s restaurant. We shared the BBQ plate. The food wasn’t bad but nothing really that I would rave about. Just about everywhere you go on Broadway or near Broadway there is live music and this was no exception. The music was good but it was a bit loud. I am not a fan of when I am eating or just trying to hang out the music is so loud that you can’t have a conversation. That makes me sound old but oh well.
FGL House
After lunch we walked across the street to the Florida Georgia Line restaurant. We sat upstairs at the bar, hung out and listened to live music. The atmosphere was nice and live music wasn’t obnoxiously loud. We were told that the food was good so next time I am in Nashville I will try the food here.
The Bluebird Cafe
From watching the show ‘Nashville’ years ago I always knew I wanted to visit the Bluebird when I finally got to go to Nashville. Unfortunately, it was still closed from being closed from COVID. Even though I didn’t actually get to go in I still wanted to take a picture in front of it so that’s what we did.
Finnleys
On the way to the Bluebird I saw a really cute mural and told my mom I wanted to come back to it on our way back. This was how we found the Finnleys on 8th that I mentioned earlier. After the Bluebird we Ubered back over here so I could take a picture in front of the mural. We also did some shopping. I ended up with a really cute hat and dress. Definitely check out Finnleys if you are in Nashville. They also have an online store that you can shop on too.
The Pedestrian Bridge
We were told this has a pretty view and was a cute place to take pictures. We walked past this several times and didn’t even realize we were walking past it… oops. We waited to go here in the evening when it was cooler. The start of the bridge is just past the FGL House. That way hopefully you don’t walk past it several times like we did without even realizing. it.
The Listening Room
Since the Bluebird was still closed someone suggested that we check out the Listening Room. I am so glad we did! It was probably one of the coolest experiences while we were there. You can hear live music just about anywhere in Nashville but this is a more intimate experience. When we went there were 4 singers/songwriters on stage and they each sang mostly original songs. One of the guys on stage that is a songwriter has worked with some big name country artists and did sing some well known song that he wrote that you’ve most likely heard on the radio before. This is a place where you go to truly listen to the music. During the show they ask that you keep talking to a minimum and that if you do talk it is at a whisper. Tickets were only 5 dollars but they do sell out fast. It is also a minimum of 15 dollars spent per person at your table. We had the fried pickles and the BBQ sundae which were both good. This is something I would definitely do again in Nashville! Make sure you check out the Listening Room or something like it while you are in Nashville. I have been looking to see if there are in places like this where I live because it was such a great experience.
Day 4
The Ryman Auditorium
The Ryman was really close to our hotel so on our last day once we got ready we walked over to The Ryman. We did buy tickets in advance so that it wasn’t sold out when we got there. I love learning about history and there was way more history about The Ryman than I realized. It was interesting to see how The Ryman was started, where the The Grand Ole Opry was hosted from 1943 until the 1970s, to see videos of how much artists love The Ryman, the history and performing there. We did the self-guided tour but when I go back to Nashville I would love to do the guided tour to be able to see the backstage area. The self-guided tour took us about an hour to get through the whole thing. I would also love to come see a show at The Ryman next time I am in Nashville. They say that the sound in The Ryman is top notch because of the way it was built.
The Liberty Common
A friend of mine told me about The Liberty Common right before the end of my trip so we made reservations here for a late brunch on our last day. The food was good and much better than the brunch we had the first day. Definitely a good place to try while in Nashville!
After brunch we headed back to our hotel, packed up and headed for the airport. Our flight wasn’t until that evening but there wasn’t much else for us to do in Nashville that day. We went to the airport, got food and hung out until it was time for our flight.
Overall, we had a great trip! We got to do a good majority of what we wanted to do. There were several food places we wanted to try that we didn’t get to but you can only eat so much food on one trip. Something I didn’t mention that was cool was that our hotel was connected to a dinning hall and shopping area. If you are from the Dallas area it is similar to Legacy West and Legacy Food Hall. We didn’t end up eating anywhere there but it made it very convenient to just walk through our hotel to there and then we were closer to the places we wanted to go. It made for less walking in the heat.
Things on my list to do next time I visit Nashville:
- Some type of tour – ex. hop on/hop off tour, night time tour, mural tour
- Eat at Jason Aldean’s restaurant since the wait was 3 hours when we tried
- Eat at the FGL House
- Try more Nashville food – Places local to Nashville, Nashville Hot chicken, Nashville BBQ
- Go to a show at The Grand Ole Opry
- Go to a show at The Ryman
- Backstage tour of The Ryman
- Go to a show at the Bluebird
- Go to the Listening Room again
- Go to the Patsy Cline museum
- Possibly do the RCA Studio B tour at the Country Music Hall of Fame
- Go to some different parks – it was to hot to do any of those in the summer
- Go to Casa Rosa and The White Limozeen again
I know there is more that I am missing or can’t think of right now. What else do I need to do next time I am in Nashville? Let me know in the comments!
Daily Dose Of Chandler 