Living in Louisville, Nashville is just a 3 hour drive away. I’ve gotten the chance to go quite a few times this year, twice for concerts and twice for more of sightseeing. Nash is such a fun place and you can truly find something to do or eat on every street. If I were to plan a trip right this minute, this is exactly what I’d do.

STAY:

If you are living the budget life like myself, I would recommend any of the Sonder properties on Air BnB. They’re super modern apartments (I stayed in the studio and it was AWESOME) with lots of levels of security. The process to get into the building was lots of steps which I really appreciated. There’s a code at the building entrance and your individual apartment as well as cameras in common areas and a security patrol. These apartments had full kitchens if you wanted to not eat out every meal and plenty of space to get ready for whatever you plan to do. Also, there is a secure parking lot right outside if you drove. It was just $25 for 24 hours, which is a STEAL in Nash. The location I stayed at is in a construction heavy area of town, so it was a 10 minute walk to Broadway in the daylight, but we did Uber home for safety. Because you’re so close to everything, there’s plenty of food, shopping, and touristy options within a mile of the property. It was just the perfect stay for me and my college best friend.

If someone else is paying :), then I recommend the Tempo by Hilton. It’s such a short walk to Bridgestone Arena and Broadway and may be the bougiest place I’ve ever stayed. It was so beautiful and luxe with stunning pools, a huge bar, and Smart Water when we checked in. The room was beautiful and our mirror had a built-in speaker which made getting ready so much fun. It was in a great part of town so walking was easy at all times, and the building itself was really secure too. They also had vintage art everywhere with some of my parents’ favorite musicians which made it even more fun.

DO:

I am a Kentuckian through and through. My dad is from a rural town in Western Kentucky and he rarely listens to music from this century. My dad and I are very close so the Country Music Hall of Fame was just awesome. Seeing the costumes and instruments used by all the wonderful musicians we listen to together was just so cool. Then I got to the newer section with all the artists I listen to, like Luke Combs, Kelsea Ballerini, and Carly Pearce. I’ve been a fan of Kelsea since her first songs, so seeing her guitar in a museum as famous as the Country Music Hall of Fame was like a proud little sister moment (I wish).

Some other things to do – see a concert (seems like there’s always one going in on), go shopping in the Gulch which is a fancy part of town with lots of boutiques and high-end stores, or venture on down Broadway. Broadway not only has fun bars, like Miranda Lambert’s Casa Rosa and Kid Rock’s Big Honky Tonk, but there’s also like 10 Boot Barns to wander around, lots of cowboy hat stores, and live music everywhere you go. Be prepared to spend $15+ on a drink, but it’s just gotta be a part of your visit.

EAT:

Assembly Food Hall – This place has maybe everything you could ever want to eat. It’s a bunch of local, food-truck style restaurants in a big food court with lots of comfy seating. My personal favorites are Chilangos Tacos and Desano Pizzeria. They just are such good quality and don’t make you feel like you overpaid for what you got. At Chilangos, my personal favorite is the nachos. They are perfect to split and just $14. As for Desano, I just got margherita because I am a picky eater when it comes to pizza. It was cooked perfectly and tasted like I was in Italy, not Tennessee. For dessert, I’ve tried Hattie B’s Creamery, a local ice cream place with fun flavors, and Cotton and Snow, a cotton candy/snow cone/alcoholic beverage stand that combines all three of those to make some pretty great treats.

Puckett’s Restaurant – My mom found this spot for breakfast after a late night at a concert, and it just hit the spot. Our plates were huge and packed full of food, the restaurant itself was super unique and cozy, and they had all the comfort food you could want. The are open for all meals and serve drinks too, so you could theoretically park yourself here all day. I went with my mom, who has a gluten allergy, and my sister, who has the exact opposite food taste as me, so sharing was off the table for the most part. We did agree to order the Skillet Cinnamon Roll and share which was our best choice of the meal. My sister got the Biscuits and Gravy (like 3 servings worth), Mom got an omelet (just stuffed, they did not skimp), and I got the Early Riser (a classic breakfast, just for maybe 5 people).

Moral of the story is GO TO NASHVILLE. It’s the perfect spot for a fun weekend, a girls’ trip, or even a family vacay. There’s so much more to do, eat, and drink than I mentioned. Stay tuned for more guides like this one!