Nashville, the home of country music. It is easy to see why this place is so inspiring for musicians who are trying to make it big. There is music in every single bar and even the majority of restaurants have live music every night. It is the perfect place to try and make your big country star dreams come true. I visited for a completely different reason. The Business Scholars is an honors program at the David Eccles School of Business at the University of Utah and I was lucky enough to be able to transfer into the program. One of the huge perks is that you take a trip out of state to do company visits. My choice was between New Orleans or Nashville. While New Orleans was so tempting, I had to go with Nashville. I grew up with country music blaring on the radio and had to visit the city that makes the next biggest country stars.
We stayed in the Vanderbilt neighborhood. I doubt this is where I would have ended up if I were paying for the trip myself. I would have tried to find an AirBnB close to Honky Tonk Row, which is where all of the bars and live music are. But before we get into all that you can do, let's talk about the food. If you like fried spicy chicken, Hattie B's is the place for you. The line was out the door, our group might have been the reason for that, but it was DELICIOUS and messy and just want you want out of country food. The next night we had a group dinner at the Wildhorse Saloon. The food was okay, but that is not the reason to go there. The dance floor is HUGE and after the live music they have a group come out and teach you line-dancing. It's a great place to go and dance. Our last night in Nashville, we treated ourselves to a nice meal at The Row. This was more of a gastro pub feel. The food was great, a little pricy, but you have to have one of those meals! Treat Yo Self. I don't think you can go too wrong with the food, but get something fried and covered in gravy.
Now onto how to spend your time when you aren't eating yummy food. The group I decided to explore with wanted to go to Draper James, which is a store opened by Reese Witherspoon. It turned out to be the perfect location because the Lyft driver told us that Dolly Parton lived in a house on the way there. Of course we had to check it out. Who knows if it's true...but there were signs that it was at least her studio. Draper James is also by a Sprinkles cupcake shop (apparently this location is now closed) and the famous I Believe in Nashville sign. Draper James is so cute and the perfect store to find a Nashville keepsake.
Before we headed off to our first company tour with RCA Records we had one more stop to make. The Nashville angel wing mural is all over Pinterest and Instagram. They were so beautiful I wanted to see the mural in person. After visiting, I now know they are officially named Nashville WhatLiftsYou Wings. There was a line to take a photo in front of them, so it will feel very touristy. But it is iconic to Nashville and the artist is amazing. Then we were off to RCA Records & the Country Music Hall of Fame. I had no idea what to expect at the tour, but as we walked in we were told that Meghan Linsey, who was in Steel Magnolia and the runner-up on Season 8 of the voice, would be talking to us about how she started her career in music and how she writes songs. It was amazing to watch her perform in such an intimate setting. She has such an amazing voice. Her boyfriend, Tyler Cain, was also there to help with the music production and to talk about what goes on behind the scenes. After that we toured the Country Music Hall of Fame and I was in heaven with all of the Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, Elvis Presley, Shania Twain, and any other country star you can think of memorabilia. You can get out pretty quick if you have other things you want to do or you can spend a few hours combing through it all!
The Grand Ole Opry was the next company visit. I wish I would have seen a show here. But walking through the dressing rooms and across the stage was just as fun. On the tour we were told that the show Nashville films there very frequently. After the Grand Ole Opry, we went to the Belle Meade Plantation. I was a little weary about this, but our tour guide was amazing and was very honest about how things were back in that time. The Belle Meade Plantation was all about horse racing and it's interesting to learn about that sport and how they breed their horses. It was raining that day and I was in heaven sitting on the porch in a rocking chair after the tour. I could get used to that.
Before we left for our flight we squeezed in two more things, the Nashville Farmer's Market and the Parthenon. The market was a little bit of a bust, since it was February and raining, there weren't a ton of vendors. But I did buy a few things at one of the vendors that are my favorite momentos from Nashville. It would be a blast in the warmer months. The Parthenon was a little bizarre to me, but you have to check it out... This is a to scale replica of the Parthenon is Greece and also serves as Nashville's Art Museum. Cramming Nashville into 3 days when you are also doing business tours was a little difficult, but we lucked out and got to visit businesses that are a huge part of what makes Nashville amazing.
What You Want to Know:
Where to Stay:
Stay in an AirBnB as close to Honky Tonk Row as possible.
What to Do:
Honky Tonk Row is a blast. Go for a night and barhop. You will find every type of music, we went to a rooftop bar and danced to Taylor Swift, right next door we saw a live band playing Lynyrd Skynyrd, and across the street another live band playing throwback Garth Brooks. Eat hot chicken at Hattie B's. Visit the Country Music Hall of Fame. Line dance at the Wildhorse Saloon. If you're there in the summer, visit the Nashville Farmer's Market.
Where to Find the Best Deal:
If I were to go again, I would stay in an AirBnB and try and book a flight on Expedia. I think you could get away without renting a car. We were able to get to everything taking Lyft's for a reasonable price.
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