Honeymoon Travel Tips: Nashville

Today's post comes to us from my new sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Tami and Steve!  Tami and Steve spent their first anniversary in Nashville and thought it was an incredibly fun place to travel.  If you're looking for an upbeat, friendly atmosphere that isn't too far from home, and if you love country music even a little bit, Nashville could be the right place for you.  Read on for more!

During our one year anniversary we took a little trip to the heartland of America and experienced everything Nashville had to offer.  Weeks of planning, googling, and interviewing friends who had been to the city prepared us for the perfect long weekend in early August.  We found the below items the most important points for a fun trip that experiences everything the Country Capital of the World has to offer!

Above everything else understand you are going to the Country Music Capital of the World.  While Nashville is the birthplace of most musicians careers, ranging from rock to rap, country music is the backbone of the city so be ready to jam out with the top country songs of the year!

When searching for a place to stay, make sure to stay in downtown Nashville.  Anywhere within 5 blocks of Broadway and 2^nd street will place you right in the heart of the action.  We stayed at the Courtyard by Marriott in downtown Nashville which was perfect.  One block of Broadway and two blocks off 2^nd so all of the nightlife was within walking distance.

Everywhere you turn there is live music rockin’.  The street corners and establishments line up and down Broadway and 2^nd streets with young musicians playing their dreams for anyone who will listen.  Any night of the week you’ll hear covers of Brooks & Dunn, Toby Keith, Travis Tritt, or Kenny Chesney to name a few.  The hot spots for the best up and coming performers are Tootsie’s, the Wild Horse Saloon, Legends, The Stage and the Cadillac Ranch.  Also, note if you are walking by one of these spots and hear a cover that is curiously close to the real thing, pop in and check it out – many of today’s stars often stop back to their Nashville stomping grounds to treat the crowds with a free little concert.

Being in the heartland of America means southern style cookin’.  A great lunch spot is Jack’s Bar-B-Que on Broadway.  Keep an eye on Jack’s as you walk up and down the street during the day because the line can stretch out the door.  We would not recommend waiting too long but the food is certainly worth at least a 30 minute wait.  The best dinner spot that we hit was BB King’s House of Blues.  The Country Fried Chicken and White Cheddar mac-n-cheese was outstanding and the live music provided an upbeat and energetic atmosphere!

2 must-see places in the Country Capital of the World include the Grand Ole Opry and the Country Music Hall of Fame.  As soon as you book your visit to Nashville, check out the Grand Ole Opry’s lineup for the nights you’ll be in town.  The Grand Ole Opry has been the “You Made it Sight” for all the new comers to the county music world.  Check out this link for the history and upcoming schedule http://www.opry.com/ You’ll have to take a taxi to Opryland since it is about 10 minutes outside of the city, but the history in the theatre is a must.  The hall of fame is walking distance from any downtown hotel.  You can walk in and purchase a tour whenever you arrive – don’t worry about booking this in advance.

Two fillers that we enjoyed during the days include a drive out to Brooks & Dunn’s winery (Arrington Vineyards) and hitting the cowboy shops on Broadway.  The winery was about 25 minutes outside of the city in the hills of Arrington, Tennessee.  The views are beautiful and the wine is good (not great, but good.)  Pack a lunch and enjoy a bottle of whatever you prefer while taking in the countryside.  The shops on Broadway give you a sense of being a true country girl or guy as the salesmen dress you in boots and hats along with any other accessory available.  The experience is fun and the charm of the city makes you feel like a regular, however, much of this wardrobe is priced high and looses its flavor once you are home.

Lastly, our trip was just the two of us and a perfect experience for our first anniversary.  We went for four nights and enjoyed every bit of it.  In the future though, we recommend 3 nights as the perfect tenure and also a party of at least 4 friends to make the experience even more fun.  Most of the time is spent drinking, eating and enjoying live music so the more eyes in your group the more likely to catch everything the city has to offer!