I lived in rural eastern Tennessee in graduate school, and I had ZERO time for fun and exploration. While I lived over an hour from Knoxville, I was more like 4 hours from Nashville on the west side of the state. And I was sure glad to be living that far from Nashville, because I would have never gotten any studying done. Nashville is one big party!
I've been to Nashville a few different times, for a few different types of trips. I took my parents there after graduation, which involved driving around looking for country music celebrities (for real), trying to get a seat in the well-known Blue Bird Cafe where many country singers are known to perform, visiting the Grand Ole Opry to watch the great Martina McBride, and frequenting country line dancing bars.
Ryan and I went to Nashville in 2021 for a surprise birthday trip (though I let it slip because I was so excited to surprise Ryan). Brad Paisley was putting on a free concert on the 4th of July, right on the main party street, Broadway! It was the perfect opportunity for Ryan to experience this city for the first time.
We stayed far enough away from Broadway that we got some quiet for sleeping, but we were able to walk the couple 1-2 miles into town and get some steps in before eating and drinking our way down Broadway.
We paraded down Broadway, popping in and out of bars listening to the bands. Many bars with have entertainment cycling every few hours from 10am and on throughout the day. We took a break for lunch at a Mexican spot in Assembly Food Hall.
Stands of snacks and drinks were set up throughout Broadway to celebrate the holiday weekend and get ready for the main event in the evening.
We definitely spent an embarrassing amount of time at Jason Aldean's bar, because the music and atmosphere was so great. This place is at least 3 hours, including a rooftop, and the parade of people making their way to the rooftop is insane! While we aren't the type of people to voluntarily wait in a long time, we are more of the people to plop down at a great bar and people watch. And Nashville does not disappoint! Themed country outfits, cow print, cowboy boots & hats, bachelor and bachelorette parties, 4th of July gear - very entertaining. Of course, we had to get closer to the music and indulge on some Nashville hot chicken before we moved on.
Who doesn't love a great country concert, especially in the summer? I like to imagine the country singers who live in Nashville swing by a venue after they've finished dinner with their family, and I'm sure that's exactly what Brad Paisley. We grabbed some tall beers at a stand along Broadway and danced through the incredible show, where he played all the crowd pleasers, finished off with fireworks over the river.
While we aren't exactly morning people, which means we don't often get out for brunch, wow Nashville is quite the brunch spot. We stumbled upon a place on a corner with a great looking menu (I honestly don't remember the name), which was simply one of numerous delicious brunch restaurants. Don't sleep on Nashville brunch!
We had to stop at Honky Tonk Central of course, which had the most amazing line up of bands that we couldn't find a reason to leave. "Just one more drink. Just one more song. Just one more band". Aaaaaand, now it's getting dark.
We were able to meet up with some family from out of state who happened to be visiting Nashville the same weekend. You can't go wrong with BBQ! Don't wait until too late in the evening, because they can run out of food!
Peg Leg Porker was another BBQ spot we hit up on the way out the town on our last day. Great spot, with a great story behind it. https://peglegporker.com/
You can't go wrong with a trip to Nashville! It get's pretty hot and humid in the summer months, so be prepared to enjoy the music, food, or line dancing in the air conditioning. Otherwise spring or fall would be a great time to see Nashville AND explore the scenery and hiking through Tennessee.
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