I could say that studying God’s word has me like….
Or renovating a home and in the middle of living between two homes AND sleeping on the floor AND eating dinners out AND not having my convenient washer and dryer at my beckon call AND…has me like….
Both of these examples would have me feeling two totally different emotions.
Well, let me tell you that my 25th wedding anniversary weekend with my man and two dear friends (who were also celebrating their 25th year) in Nashville, Tennessee had me like….WOW!!!
I can’t believe that a southern-country music lovin’-fried chicken eatin’-sweet tea drinkin’ girl like me has never been to Nashville, but it’s true. Now I can check that fabulous city off my bucket list (or maybe I should go back to for *wink*).
I just want to share with you our list of places/events that we enjoyed. Hopefully, I will encourage you to take a trip yourself to Music City U.S.A..
Visiting the Country Music Hall of Fame is like walking through the Smithsonian of country music. The memorabilia, stories, photographs, interactive exhibits, etc. were at times overwhelming, yet I found myself having numerous moments, when listening to or seeing a deep-rooted country musician’s name or photo, reminiscing about the “good ole days”. Memories of where I was at a certain time in my life was priceless. Even if you don’t have an ounce of country music history in our psyche, the Hall of Fame is a must on your to-do list while in Nashville.
Hatch Show Print, this little gem is located in the same building as the Hall of Fame. Hatch print design has been around since the late 1800’s. Yep! I did browse the store, click a photo of me holding a “Will you marry me?” (again) sign to text to my man (who was still browsing the Hall of Fame), and purchased a sign to display in my home, but, looking back, I wish I would have taken the time to visit it’s rich history. Check this little gem out when you exit the Hall of Fame.
Bars/Lounges’/Honky Tonks/Eateries/whatever you choose to call the plethora of venues in and around downtown that showcased gifted musicians, are beaming with talent. A establishments that we visited were: Legends Corner, Rippy’s, Tootsies, Layla’s ( we had to go into this one…that’s one of our dog’s name), The Second Fiddle, Tequila Cowboy, and Honky Tonk Central. We were there in the late morning early afternoon hours. The streets and venues were crowded with visitors (already!) trying to catch the next up-and-coming music star. ALL these folks could SING!
Now, where I thoroughly enjoyed the entertainment was at The Listening Room and 3rd and Lindsley. These are two venues where you can sit, enjoy a meal, and appreciate the God-given ability of these individuals without the hustle and bustle of the “bar scene”. Oh. My. Goodness!! Can these people sing!! These are songwriters who have found their niche in the business; anywhere from writing for and touring with well-known musicians, creating songs for movies, to cutting their own albums. The in-cre-di-ble musicians we have the privilege of hearing for two nights were: Briana Tyson , Patrick Thomas, Cameron Bedell, Cameron Bedell, Gabe Dixon, and David Ryan Harris. These are just a handful of artist amongst a sea of talent in this town.
Are you ready for some “treats of eats”? We hit the “must do” list which was recommended by friends, and other friends must have felt the same way. The wait may have been lengthy at times, but worth it. Checkout:
- The Pancake Pantry which was established back in 1961, and is still family owned and operated today. The blueberry and original buttermilk pancakes were on my list, then plate, then tummy. Delicious!
- Biscuit Love started out as a food truck back in 2012. Now, it is nestled in The Gulch area (where we stayed) in Nashville, and a line of eager to eats folks wrap themselves around the corner to enjoy homemade biscuits prepared in a variety of ways. I partook in the biscuit and sausage gravy plate. Mmmmmm.
- The trip wouldn’t have been complete without a stop at Hattie B’s. Between the four of us, we sampled (ok, chowed down on) these four heat levels of fried chicken: “southern” (that would me be…no kick to it, just simply delish), “mild”, “hot”, and “shut the cluck up!” (that would be Dave…sweating on the first bite).
- Barista Parlor. This eclectic place was established in 2011. The setting is in a former garage (I think). I’m no coffee connoisseur, but they specialize in roasting/brewing/and whatever else you do to coffee. The menu is more of a bakery style, yet I enjoyed a sausage and jelly biscuit. My cohorts waited for their coffee, while it was being perfected by the coffee barista.
- Sunday Brunch at Adele’s. This was our final stop before departing for home, and boy oh boy and am I thrilled that we did stop at Adele’s. The locale of Adele’s was walking distance from our apartment. (Most places were, this was just the closest.) We strolled the street with our suitcases and the hostess was gracious enough to secure them behind her station while we delighted in the scrumptious brunch buffet.
You may be wondering if we departed Nashville without seeing the main attraction, and my reply would be “No way!” The Ryman Auditorium. HELLOOOO!! I am not going to spoil your experience to The Ryman. You MUST go! The history of the former Grand Ole Opry blew me away. The story of how Captain Ryman became a God-fearing man after being presented the gospel by pastor Jones, to the making of the tabernacle (yes, it was a church before becoming the Opry), from the dedicated story of Lula C. Naff (my new favorite “Rock Star”)…I was IMPRESSED. We took the backstage private tour. It was well worth it. You have to make sure you view the film of the making of The Ryman. “The Church of Country Music” was revived and is still being an incredible soundstage for entertainers of all genre.
The Grand Ole Opry House. Need I say more? We were there the same weekend that the Opry was celebrating its 91st birthday. The Opry’s 91st Birthday Bash had me at “Hey, y’all!” With food trucks, more entertainment outdoors, to seeing a star whom I used to pretend to be when I was a youngin’ by performing on my family’s fireplace hearth while playing her album on our record player. Crsytal Gayle still has those piercing blue eyes and llllooonnngggg hair.
The final bit of entertainment news to inform you about was The 37th Annual Nashville Octoberfest. Our timing was perfect! A Birthday Bash AND Octoberfest. Nashville was the place to be last weekend. Oh, okay, most every weekend! Germantown was booming with people of all ages and pets. We saw the quickest parade (about 5 minutes) I’ve ever seen in my life. The vendors of craft and foods were lining the streets.
I must inform you that Nashville’s “southern hospitality” was top notch. Every place we visited was staffed with pleasant and accommodating employees. So much that the new convention center that Nashville had built was built by tourism dollars, no taxes from the Nashvillians.
I hope that you are encouraged to visit Nashville. If you need a place to stay, there are plenty of hotels and motels, but we used the link https://www.airbnb.com/. This allowed us to rent a two bedroom/two bath apartment with our friends in a comfortable and homey setting.
God bless, and have a fabulous day. – Stephanie
