My girlfriend Cara is just as much of a travel fiend as me. Actually, I take that back. She is more of a travel fiend because she actually follows through with a lot more ideas than I do. So when she wanted to take a late Spring or early Summer adventure I was on board. At first we thought we would take a quick jaunt over to Europe and take on a new city. After a lot of discussion and back and forth, we settled on staying stateside and explore the much anticipated Nashville. So for a long weekend, myself, Cara, and two of her friends jetted off for a long weekend of exploration.
Cara and I arrived late Wednesday night so we settled in and just explored the downtown area. After waking up Friday, we almost immediately were on our way to explore. We spent most of that day walking the perimeter of the city. Our first stop was breakfast at this cute café right around the corner from our flat. The atmosphere was very urban but relaxing and we both enjoyed a healthy but power filled breakfast.
Onward we went to make our way through various landmarks. And when I say that we walked the whole city, I really mean it. The State Capitol, the Parthenon replica, Vanderbilt University, Music Row, and Yazoo Brewery were a few of the highlights.
The other two ladies arrived that evening. We kept it local and bounced around the Honky Tonk’s and bars to give the new arrivals the full experience.
With everyone refreshed and ready to take on the city, we set out early the following day for a Pedal Tavern tour through downtown. Alongside 8 other women, we had a blast riding along the streets with the music blasting and our awesome tour guide entertaining us. We rounded out the tour with some good ole’ fashion Tennessee ribs and Moon Pies. The rest of the afternoon was spent pool side soaking in the hot sun.
Friday night we attended a show at the Grand Ole Opry. It was such a wonderful experience to witness some of Country’s new and old favorites. All four of us thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, the music, and the atmosphere.
Our last day in town was spent exploring Hillsboro Village and Country Music Hall of Fame Museum. The museum was pretty packed given the holiday weekend. I do feel that we missed a lot of the exhibits because of the number of people inside. However, we were able to take in the highlights, enjoy some of the interactive exhibits, and really get the feel for some of Country music’s greatest artists.
To round out our trip, we spent the evening chatting and reminiscing over a delicious meal and cocktails..and of course, dancing.
Now of course, the reason we’re all here…the food. Tennessee itself is known for a few different food types. I previously mentioned the dry rub ribs and Moon Pies. However, I wanted to stick with Nashville’s own creations and Hattie B’s came up every time I did research. The line out the door confirmed that we were in the right place. After about 20 minutes we made our way to the counter and decided to share a few sides and the infamous Hot Chicken. This chicken was so tender and juicy, the coating so crispy and flavorful. Well worth the wait.
Another stop, not so much a known “Tennessee cuisine” but more so a must stop spot in Nashville was Biscuit Love. The freshly fried biscuit doughnuts were one of the most heavenly treats I’ve had the pleasure of tasting. Definitely within the top five. They were sitting in a pool of blueberry compote and topped with lemon mascarpone. MmmmMmmm. The picture explains it all. I also devoured the biscuits and gravy, for obvious reasons.
Another state and bucket list stop checked off the list. I still have a few more getaways in store for the remainder of 2017, and a few others lined up for 2018. Be sure to stay tuned and let me know your favorite “To Go” spots around the country and the world! I’m always looking for adventures! Of course, thanks to my girls for a fabulous weekend away!
