A year ago, my fellow senior classmates began to plan out their spring break vacations. Cancun? Punta Cana? The Bahamas??? If you know me, you know I am a beach chick, so these options should have appealed to me. However, I wanted something a little more low-key and with a smaller group of people. I had this inkling to go somewhere random, fun, different, and (of course) warmer than my home in the Northeast. After plenty of research, my two pals and I decided to go Nashville, Tennessee. I don’t like country music. Heck, I’m not even the biggest fan of BBQ. But for some reason, I jived with it, and let me tell you, NASHVILLE IS AMAZING. If you are interested in Nashville or just genuinely curious as to what is going on in the music city, then you are in the right place. Lo and behold, here is what I did in Nashville.
*Disclaimer: My friends and I are all the age 21 and over.
Day 1
Our flight got in around 7 p.m., so we had a low-key night. After checking into our Airbnb (I recommend using Airbnb in Nashville because hotels there are pricy) we hopped in an Uber to the downtown area. We had dinner at Puckett’s (recommend) with amazing live music and a great atmosphere. We then went on down to Printer’s Alley, which is a small street with twinkling lights and bars. The girls and I decided to go to Skulls Rainbow Room to watch a burlesque show, hear live music, and have an old fashioned (we were the youngest people there lol.)
Day 2
This day we chose to do all the touristy things!! We woke up early and headed to the Grand Ole Opry. We did the backstage tour (around $28) which was very cool, especially for country music fans. The venue itself is gorgeous, as are the grounds- definitely a Nashville must-see.
We then headed over to the Parthenon, another Nashville staple. This is a true-to-size replica of the actual Parthenon in Greece. Entry is very inexpensive (around $5 with a student ID). Inside is a museum and a giant statue of the Greek Goddess, Athena.
Feeling a little hungry, we headed to the Gulch area of Nashville. This area is slightly southwest of the main downtown area. It is close to Vanderbilt and lots of modern, twenty-somethings and ~artsy attractions. For lunch, we went to Tavern, which was AWESOME. The inside was so cute, the food was excellent, and their happy hour was BOGO free on drinks (pure joy).
As per advice of our waitress, we walked around the area, bar hopping and eventually landing in a bar called Kung Fu which had the coolest outdoor area I had ever seen (I’m talking Jenga, ping pong tables, and bocce ball). We also got to watch the Vanderbilt basketball game inside with some other students who were super nice.
At night, we went to a bar called The Valentine. We bought tickets to a concert on my phone just a few hours prior to the opening of the show for $5, and for a DJ I actually know and like. Score. I loved the venue so much that we stayed 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. The music and dancing was on the third floor, and there was another bar and VIP lounge on the fourth floor. I was also introduced to my (new) favorite beer that night: Stiegl Radler. We met awesome people, and even some fellow spring breakers from Florida and Minnesota!
Day 3
Friday was St. Patty’s day which was super fun to celebrate on spring break (Scranton Parade day will always be #1 doe). It was foggy and rainy which *literally* put a damper on our day but we still made the best of it. We caught up on our sleep and had a late lunch at the Peg Leg Porker. The name is comedic, but the food is not. 10/10 BBQ my friends; my pulled pork was soooo tender. It’s super casual and inexpensive as well. We made our way over to Broadway (the main strip with all the bars). We spent the majority of our evening at Honky Tonk Central, which was a blast. This bar had three levels and live music on each friggen floor. I will say, Nashville knows how to do live music.
Day 4
The girls and I woke up early for some brunch at Biscuit Love. It was, to say the least, unreal. I ordered these things called bonuts, which are fried biscuit dough. Basically, it’s a new and improved donut. Our meals and mimosas were also delish. This place houses a famous “Nasvhille” sign.
Being the basic b*tches that we are, we went on to scope out murals in the area and stumbled upon a beautiful #whatliftsyou mural by artist Kelsey Montague. After snapping some pics, we went to a few small bars; a tavern for IPA’s and a Spanish restaurant for margaritas. After, we explored the Vanderbilt University area.
This was our last night here, so we bravely decided to tackle the rest of the Broadway bars we hadn’t yet been. We started at Acme, which was my fave. Again, this bar had many levels; the first floor having live music, and the third floor having a DJ. The atmosphere was fun and lively. We ventured over to the famous Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge and listened to more live performers. We ended our night with a quick stop in Coyote Ugly (as per request of my friend) and a quick bite to eat before bed.
Day 5
Our final day L. Before heading to the airport, we enjoyed our last Nashville meal at a restaurant called The Row, delicious. We then took one final stroll down Broadway.
I hope that this article, memoir, diary (whatever you want to call it) has sparked a fire in your soul that draws you to Nashville. Whether or not you love country and BBQ, Nashville has shown me that there is much more to this small city. If you love FUN, then this is a place for you to add to your bucket list. Music City will always have a place in my heart. <3