Nashville, tennessee

nashville ...country music and more

DINE & WINE

Enjoy dinner at Capitol Grille at The Hermitage - one of the longest running Southern restaurants in the state – for true Southern simplicity and hospitality. In Germantown, grab something sweet at The Cupcake Collection – try one of their daily special cupcakes but if pie is more your style, try a slice at Sweet Creations Pie Bakery where they specialize in pecan pies, but just about any pie is delicious. Consider a slice of pizza at Slim & Husky’s in their laidback atmosphere. In Bellmont/Hillsboro Village, grab some coffee at Fido, and stop by The Grilled Cheeserie for a look at some of the cuisine that makes Nashville so loved. In Wedgewood Houston, sip some whiskey and spirits at the Corsair Artisan Distillery, browse art at David Lusk Gallery, and, of course, taste what happens when scientists meet distilleries at Nashville Craft Distillery. Enjoy lunch at one of Nashville’s most famous Hot Chicken joints, Hattie B’s on Charlotte. A family run restaurant with a few locations in town, Hattie B’s offers heat levels ranging from the mild “Southern” to the “Shut the Cluck Up” spicy insanity. For a coastal-inspired Southern dinner, eat at Henrietta Red for Carolina low-country hospitality that inspires their raw bar, seafood and wood-burning oven creations.

STAY & PLAY

Begin with a visit to Nashville’s Visitor Center for a little introduction to the area before starting out on a Gray Line Trolley Tour of area neighborhoods. Follow it up with the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in the downtown area for state-of-the-art galleries, archival storage, and just a serious deep dive into everything music related to the city. Stroll through the gardens and galleries of Cheekwood - home to 55 acres of charming botanical gardens featuring a sculpture garden and a museum of art. Tour Belle Meade Plantation – an 1853 Greek Revival mansion that was home to English Derby winner Iroquois and renowned as a thoroughbred stud farm (horses like Seabiscuit, War Admiral and Smarty Jones all trace their lineage here). Tour the Frist Center for the Visual Arts, a 24,000-square-foot visual art exhibition center and educational facility located downtown in Nashville’s art-deco former U.S. Post Office building. The Parthenon is the world’s only full-sized reproduction of the Greek Parthenon and houses Athena, the tallest indoor structure in the Western world, and four fine art galleries, including a rotating gallery featuring the museum’s collection of American art. Enjoy a docent-led Architectural Tour providing an inside look at the Centennial Park’s Centerpiece.

Left: Lobby at The Hermitage Hotel, above: Parthenon, top: Belle Meade Plantation.

more to do

Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage is a 1,120-acre National Historic Landmark featuring sprawling grounds and gardens, and over 30 historic buildings including Hermitage Mansion (considered the most accurately preserved early presidential home in the country). The Johnny Cash Museum gives you a chance to see a side of Cash many people didn’t know much about. Featuring authentic and interactive exhibits, the museum tells the story of Cash’s life, from childhood through his entertainment career. In this same building, tour the Patsy Cline Museum, which pays tribute to country music icon Patsy Cline and her short but full career creating music. Pay homage at the historic Ryman Auditorium, regarded as the “Mother Church of Country Music.” The Ryman is a National Historic Landmark renowned for hosting current and rising stars of all musical genres. And if adventure is more your thing then get a birds-eye view of the Fontanel forest at Adventure Works Ziplining, through a canopy course on steel cables which vary in length from 200 to 900 feet. Or cruise along Nashville’s rivers or lakes on a stand up paddleboard with Paddle Up. Plan your visit: www.visitmusiccity.com