Nashville, Day 4

This was our last full day in Nashville, but what a grand day it was. :(

We'd heard that East Nashville was a good place for shopping. So, we headed there. Taking us there, we had the worst Uber driver I've ever encountered. He did not say one word to us. When I asked if he was David, to verify that he was our driver, he just grunted at me. He also pulled out in front of oncoming traffic. He tailgated motorcycles and was literally inches away from them going fast. At stops, he would be inches from the motorcycles. Let's just say that he earned a poor rating and we were so happy to get out of the car. We found out that most stores were closed on Monday, so we didn't get much shopping in. We did see this cute sign though.

We headed back to downtown for lunch and souvenir shopping. We ate at Fresco Southwestern Grille which was in a office building downtown. The owner was friendly and engaging. The food, however, was boring and bland.

Next, we walked to The Nashville Connection on 2nd Avenue where I got a super cute coffee mug for my mom. We then happened upon Leon's Candy. My dad loves candy, so edible souvenirs are the way to his heart and he loves pralines, which are popular in Nashville. Their homemade caramels are mind-blowing.

Cotton Eyed Joe was our next stop, so I could find post cards and a magnetic frame. I was impressed with the selection of souvenirs and the low costs, despite it being on Broadway and 2nd Avenue.

We stopped by Savannah's Candy Kitchen and tried their pralines. They have so many different kids of sweets.

We walked through the gift shop at the Ryman Auditorium, debating taking a tour and what to do that night.

There a lady overhead us and said that the Bluebird Cafe was a must see.

Off we headed to the Bluebird Cafe with less than two hours until the show. We waited in line and made friends with a couple from North Carolina. Towards the end, it was getting pretty hot outside. Good thing we brought snacks and drank lots of fluids. Thankfully, we got a table in the ever-cramped cafe. It was singer-songwriter night. There were 26 performing. We shared a table with two songwriters and one of their guests, and another music fan. The talent was off the charts. I literally laughed and cried for 1.5 hours. We heard artists that made us look and each other any say, "I know they'll be famous one day!" I didn't expect their food to be good since they're mainly known for their music, but I was pleasantly surprised. We shared a chicken tender basket and a smoked pork sandwich. The sandwich was really terrific. I tried an Ace pineapple hard cider and I really enjoyed it.

When the show ended, it was still early, so we hit Broadway for one last time. As our beloved George Jones was closed on Mondays, we ended up at Tootsie's Orchid Lounge.

What a great end to a perfect packed 4 days of soaking in such terrific music! I miss Nashville all the time now!

Nashville, Day 3

We'd decided to ride bikes to 12South. We'd heard of Nashville B-cycle and one location was just a block up from where we stayed. The 2.3 mile ride to 12South seemed doable at the time.

Nashville had been hotter than we expected. While I take at least two cycle classes a week at the gym, I haven't ridden a "real" bike in roughly 15 years. Let's just say, it didn't come right back to me. These bikes were heavy and clunky. I'd forgotten how to use gears and that you can't change them while climbing a hill. I hadn't realized how hilly Nashville is. Let's just say that I wasn't good at staying in the bike lane. It's a wonder I'm still alive. I also couldn't figure out the gears or handle the hills, so there was lots of stopping. Then we got a little lost and accidentally rode in a circle. By the time we made it to the upscale 12South part of town, we were soaked with sweat. At the first opportunity we had, we ditched those wretched bikes.

From there we soaked up the air conditioning in several upscale clothing shops, where we couldn't afford a thing. I was excited to be able to check out Reese Witherspoon's store, Draper James. It was as cute as can be. When I walked in they offered me some sweet tea. It was a nice touch. The store had a cheerful, light feeling to it. Wish I'd have been able to afford their super cute clothes.

I'd heard rave reviews of Las Paletas, so we walked through town to their little store on the edge of 12 South. The employees recommended we try the mango flavor. After the hot bike ride, the popsicle hit the spot. We sat on the front porch and enjoyed our treat.

We then checked out more shops we couldn't afford to buy anything at. Next, we went for lunch at 12 South Taproom and Grill. I ordered tilapia tacos and they were boring and bland.

There, we learned about flugtag.

There was a cute little shop, named Serendipity, we checked out that sold locally made bath products. I got Drift Away Bath Tea by Ma' Bella. I also got a Black Bar by NASH and JONES. It's an "activated charcoal deep cleanse bar." It's supposed to be "for all skill types, face/body to draw out impurities."

My friend had heard good things about Five Daughter's Bakery. That was my first experience trying a cronut. I loved the croissant layers with the sweetness of a donut.

Then because we loved our first visit at Jeni's Ice Cream, we visited it again.

Sweet Cream and Poached Pear Riesling Sorbet. Those flavors were light and sweet. Wish there was a Jeni's in Kansas.

We discovered a very charming little flower truck, Amelia's Flower Truck.

They had some super cute murals too!

We walked around a neighborhood in 12South and saw super cute houses. Since we learned our lesson with bike riding, we Ubered back to downtown.

That night, we checked out Printer's Alley. It's off the beaten path though much of the area is under construction. We enjoyed Bourbon Street Blues and Boogie Bar. What great blues bands!
It was nice to get away from the crowds on Broadway.

We ventured back to Broadway since it was Sunday night and the crowds had subsided. While we would've gone back to our beloved, The George Jones, they weren't featuring bands. While walking down Broadway, I heard the voice of the same lead singer that we head the night before at the George Jones. Literally the odds of that are so small! We popped in and listened to the rest of his set at Tin Roof.

We walked to AJ's Good Time Bar and were drawn in by the great music. Where else can you see a bass made out of a Chevy Astro van gas tank?! There was room to dance which was fun!

Another fun day in Nashville!

Nashville, Day 2

Our second day in Nashville wasn't as packed since we were in town for K-State's football game against Vanderbilt. We started off eating the donuts we purchased at the Nashville Farmers' Market; so good.

Next, we headed to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Since roughly 25,000 K-State fans were in town and the fact that Nashville is always busy, the Hall of Fame was PACKED to say the least. One could literally spend hours there. I LOVED looking at the colorful costumes. The museum appealed to my senses via the video clips, music, interactive aspects, and colors.

Of course, I like to add a few "artistic" photos in the mix. I definitely wish the museum had been less crowded, but it was still cool.

I was hungry afterward. We went to a nearby Jack Daniels, but left due to sitting at the table waiting for a server in a tiny, uncrowded restaurant for too long. We went back to "our" neighborhood and ate at Oscar's Tacos, which was across the street from where we stayed.

My friend got tacos and I got the surf & turf nachos. They were HUGE and delicious! We ate at a table outside and my beautiful nachos stopped many a passerby who stopped and went into Oscar's.

We made the poor decision to walk 1+ miles in the Tennessee heat to the game. We'd planned to just pop into bars and shops along the way, but unfortunately, there were none along the way, other than a strip joint that we weren't interested it. The area we walked in didn't look too safe, reminded me of Detroit. Finally, we can along an upscale looking wine shop. We were so hot and sweaty. We went in and stood in front of the open cooler to cool off. We also put our soon-to-be-purchased beverages on the back of our necks too. The good news is that we survived the walk. The bad news is that the Vanderbilt refs and fans were awful. The game was up and down and in the end we lost, while fighting both Vanderbilt and ourselves. :( Photos from our walk:

We got an Uber back where I heated up and finished my nachos.

Since Broadway the main drag was still so crowded, we went back to our beloved, The George Jones. Another terrific band was playing. We so enjoyed that venue and the top-notch bands they brought in.

While our team didn't come away with the win, we still had another great day in Nashville.

Nashville, Day 1

I had wanted to visit Nashville for quite sometime, but never had the opportunity. My alma mater, Kansas State University scheduled an away football game in Nashville playing Vanderbilt, this fall. I tried to convince my friends and coworkers to go, but that was a bust. They're all married or in relationships, so they weren't up for a girl's trip. So, I thought through who might be a good travel partner and I thought of a former MBA classmate who always seemed fun and liked to travel. Thankfully, she was up for an adventure!

Day 1
I was SO excited for this trip. It was my first real vacation in just over two years! We both arrived at the airport around the same time. From there we took an Uber to our Airbnb apartment. I picked out a place with a terrific location near the area we planned to spend most of our time; Printer's Alley and Broadway. The apartment was perfect and the mini kitchen came in handy. I would definitely stay here again!

Our next stop was to Acme Feed & Seed for a late lunch. In preparation for the trip, Acme's name kept coming up as a good place to eat. I've heard that Nashville is always busy, but with roughly 25,000 fans from K-State in town, Broadway Street was packed to the brim along with all the bars/restaurants around. We waited in line at Acme to place our order and then waited even longer for our food to be delivered. I think it took about 30+ minutes to get our food. I was hungry and ready to try their BBQ sandwich and sweet potato fries. The bread was soggy and the fries were so salty that they were inedible. Finding a table once we got our food was next to impossible. The views from the rooftop of the river were nice, but the roof was packed to say the least. I definitely wouldn't eat there again.

After checking out some nearby shops in hopes of adding to my bracelet collection, I realized everything I liked was far outside of my budget.

From there we headed to the Nashville Farmers' Market that I'd read rave reviews on. It was less than a mile to get there. It was in what looked like a park. There, I bought a basil lemonade with whiskey. So refreshing. We also tried the best mini donuts and bought some for breakfast. After reading terrific reviews on it, we tried Jeni's Ice Cream.

Literally, the best ice cream I've ever had. They had fun, unique flavors. I loved the brown butter almond brittle and peanut butter with chocolate flecks. So good and smooth. It was such a fun, unique experience.

Next door to the Farmer's Market we saw some kind of festival. We walked by to see how much tickets were; maybe we'd go. Um, no! It was actually The Wine + Food Festival. Tickets for the whole weekend were $525; more than the cost of my flight. Apparently, famous chefs were there and up and coming chefs.

From there, we walked back to our neighborhood and ate at the Frothy Monkey. I'd seen that in my pre-trip research. All the restaurants had super heavy menu items; I know it is the south, but... The Frothy Monkey was a quaint, low-key spot. We split a delicious Gail salad and Royale sandwich. Each ingredient served a specific, well-thought out purpose. I already miss this place!

Then, we hit Broadway for music. We spent some time jamming out at Second Fiddle. The quality of music and bands in Nashville is off the charts! Next, we headed just off Broadway to get away from the crowds. We ended up at The George Jones, which is on 2nd Avenue. We loved this place, there was a terrific band and a refreshing breeze coming in from the river. They had a roomy dance floor too!

What a beautiful first day in Nashville!