Nashville, Tennessee has blown up as a popular vacation destination.
You don’t need to fly, and you can comfortably make a long weekend out of it. It’s 377 miles away, or 5-1/2 hours with no stops. Plan on 6 hours from Champaign-Urbana.
Take your friends, take your kids, or take the spouse—Nashville has something for everyone.
I like to stay “downtown” at the Omni Hotel. Adjacent to this hotel, you can visit the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Nashville has a variety of must-see neighborhoods for tourists to visit.
Acme Feed & Seed This restaurant has different levels. Each level catering to a different vibe and type of food. If the weather is nice, take a trip to the rooftop.
Adventure Science Center (for kids)
Broadway (for adults) This is where all the bars, boot/hat shops and live music can be found. An endless street of drinks and eats.
Music Row Just outside of downtown, you’ll find a strip of music-related companies. These companies find and support the burgeoning and established country stars.
Pedal tours: See downtown Nashville on one of the MANY available companies.
Ryman Auditorium This historic building is the most famous former home of the Opry. It is open for tours by day and concerts by night.
Axe Throwing (for adults)
BoomBozz Craft Pizza & Taphouse (for adults and kids) This restaurant had an outdoor playground attached!
Grand Ole Opry Catch a show or tour the iconic theater.
The Soda Parlor They had free arcade games! Not to mention the richest ice cream delights.
The GulchBiscuit Love There is a consistent line here. Get to it when the doors open at 7 a.m.! Good place for kids. Open daily.
Boutique shopping
Iconic Instagram wings (has a little set for kiddos)
Whiskey Tasting, Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery
Right by The Gulch
12th Avenue South for shopping. You’ll find the iconic Instagram “Believe in Nashville” flag mural here.
MidtownHattie B’s Hot Chicken There will be a line out the door. Make sure you are in a patient mood.
Outside of the major sectors, you’ll find the Mewsic Kitty Café (kids are welcome), Nashville Zoo, riding tours of Nashville and/or celebrity homes and rage rooms. We went on Tommy’s Nashville Tours ($45/person cash). He showed us the homes of Dierks Bentley, Dolly Parton, Taylor Swift and many more. Rage rooms are basically staged rooms. You get to go in and tear them apart with a weapon of your choice. FUN.
Also, there’s outdoor art everywhere. Murals, sculptures—tale a minute to appreciate.
Pack your cowboy hat. Pack your cowboy boots. (If you don’t have them, there are places selling them on every corner.) Have fun. Nashville is the new place to commemorate any occasion.
Emily Harrington is a Chambana townie. She left her 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. job in communications so that she could be a 24/7 mom to two busy boys. Still interested in writing, Emily uses some of naptime to practice her passion and keep her mind right. Emily is a happy wife with a happy life because she fell for a fellow townie. Emily usually finds herself engulfed in balls, blue and belly laughs.