Traveling has always been a passion of mine. These past few years we’ve been able to travel more and more; mainly for business but sometimes we sneak in a few fun trips too!
Before I leave on a new adventure, I scour the internet for advice on where to stay, restaurants to try, best places to shop and see the sites. I love reading up on the city and getting an insiders perspective on the best places to visit while we are in town. I’m constantly saving these travel tips to our Travel pinterest board- so we have them at our fingertips when planning a new vacation.
We are excited to start sharing our own favorites from our trips now with all of you. Tried and true restaurants, where we stayed, and what we did. We always come home from a trip talking about all the amazing things we did to our family and friends, so why not have it all in one easy place to share with our followers?
NASHVILLE: A TRAVEL GUIDE
What better city to start our new Travel Guide series with then the City of Music?
This spring we went to Nashville for the first time. To say we fell in love is an understatement! The flowers were in full bloom, country music playing on every corner {literally}, and friendly faces greeting us no matter where we went… the city did not disappoint.
WHERE TO STAY
Images courtesy of Omni Hotel website
If you plan on spending a lot of time listening to the up and coming artists playing their hearts out day in and day out; stay at a hotel near Broadway. You can walk to and from the hotel for some quick musical entertainment. There is a reason they call Nashville “Nash Vegas”, its the city that never sleeps (well at least Broadway never sleeps). The Omni Hotel was a great option for us, as it’s only a few blocks away from Broadway, but just far enough away to not hear all the hustle and bustle of downtown.
BONUS: It’s connected to the Country Music Hall of Fame, so when you have a little downtime you can tour the legendary museum.
Looking for a little more relaxing get away? Check out the Thompson Hotel in the up and coming Gulch Neighborhood. A boutique hotel, only minutes from Broadway, its the epitome of masculine meets hipster meets modern design. It has an adorable coffee shop connected and an even cuter restaurant to grab lunch or afternoon cocktails.
WHERE TO EAT
First stop after spending a little time on Broadway? Swing on over to Pinewood Social. As you can see, its so much more than a delicious restaurant! {But while you are there, try their burgers, they are seriously good!} Bowling, dipping pool, bocce ball… it really has everything you need to have a fun afternoon!
Images courtesy of Merchants
Merchants is a must visit when you are on Broadway. Make sure to make reservations, they have a packed house most days. {Good news is they are on Open Table, so its simple to make reservations on the fly!} It’s right on Broadway, so plan to eat here when you are going to be spending some time on Music Row. Super convenient, and oh so trendy.
Another great stop, in the Germantown Neighborhood… Butchertown Hall was one of our favorites! The queso was out of this world, and the burgers were not to be missed. The decor was a mix between west coast style and industrial modern.
Images via Kitchen Notes website.
Want a great brunch spot? Kitchen Notes, attached to the Omni hotel, is as delicious as it is beautiful! The brunch buffet was not your average buffet. Seafood, omelet station, waffles, charcuterie station, dessert station, I think we could have stayed there all day trying out all the delicious food they offered!
WHERE TO DRINK COFFEE
Don’t you love the new coffee shop trends lately? You could spend an entire trip to Nashville just touring the adorable cafes! Some of our favorite mornings were checking out these coffee shops in town.
Frothy Monkey was a great spot not only to grab a latte before running around town but they had delicious breakfast! Win win in our book! There are a few locations around town so it should be easy to find one near you.
If you’re in it for a fun atmosphere, Barista Parlor is the place to be. They had fun items on the breakfast menu and lots to look at. Of course the coffee was delicious too.
Killebrew Coffee is located in the Thompson Hotel. Just like the hotel, this coffee shop is all about style. We had great service while we were there, and the coffee was amazing.
WHERE TO HAVE A COCKTAIL
Although there is plenty to do in Nashville if you don’t drink, the bars are pretty incredible around town. So much charm, a ton of fun no matter what time of day, and you can honestly dress in whatever you feel like wearing and you will fit in.
You pretty much feel like you have stepped into the movie, and at any moment Leann Rimes is going to jump on the bar and start singing. It’s a little risque, just as you would expect, but so entertaining! Coyote Ugly is a few blocks off Broadway, but definitely walking distance.
Right on Broadway, Whiskey Bent Saloon was such a fun place. You got to love when you walk into the bar at 3pm, and hear some amazing singers playing cover songs, that you would swear they were the original singer. I can’t get over how talented the performers in Nashville are!
Again, the Thompson Hotel is where its at. The restaurant in the hotel is so pretty, and has an amazing happy hour selction!
WHERE TO LISTEN TO AMAZING MUSIC
Obviously you don’t go to Nashville and not listen to music. The list can be a little (ok very!) overwhelming so we picked our favorites based on quality of music, atmosphere and location.
Hands down our favorite place to listen to music. There are multiple stages so you can pick what type of performer you want to listen to. We came back to Tootsies every single day!
Ever watch the show Nashville? If so you will be familiar with the Bluebird Cafe. This venue is not on Broadway and you need tickets to get in, so plan ahead on this one! But if you are hoping for a celebrity siting this is where you need to be!
This venue has multiple levels. We loved hanging out here during the day, doors open, breeze coming thru and listening to fabulous music. Upstairs seemed to be a little more calm than downstairs. But all stages had incredible talent.
WHERE TO SHOP
12 South Neighborhood
If you only have time to make it to 1 destination for an afternoon of shopping, the 12 South Neighborhood is where to go!
Our all time favorite store, Draper James stands out in all its blue and white goodness. Reese Witherspoon really knocked this boutique out of the park {with the help of the fabulous Mark D. Sikes}. If you want to feel like a true southern lady, pick up an outfit from this store and you will feel transformed, I promise!
Whites Mercantile is the perfect spot to pick up something vintage, a Nashville souvenir you might actually use, along with all sorts of great home decor items.
Favorite selfie moment? Want to see the best business concept ever? You have to track down Amelia’s Flower Truck. Often parked in front of Whites Mercantile or Imogene + Willie, its the perfect spot to grab a cute bouquet of paper wrapped flowers.
An uber masculine collection of men’s wear, this store was as moody as it was unique. Some of the coolest curation of men’s clothes and accessories, its a must visit for the men in our lives!
A DAY EXCURSION
If you have a little more time to explore, head down to Franklin, Tennessee. It’s such a charming town, full of beautiful homes, great shops, and fabulous restaurants. A lot of celebrities live in Franklin so don’t be too star struck if you run into one in the coffee line! White’s Merchantile has a location in Franklin, Gray’s, Lulu’s… so many great spots to try!
If you can manage to fit in all of these great spots while you are in Nashville, it’s bound to be a great trip! We would love to hear your suggestions, or if you are traveling there soon let us know what you think!
We would also love to hear where else you would like to have a Travel Guide for. We have our list of locations but are always open to new destinations too!
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