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A few weeks ago, during an even shittier than usual day at work, my best friend and I were texting about how much we both hated our jobs. We decided a girls’ trip was in order to escape the soul-sucking drudgery of work.
But where to go on short notice? My usual choice would be a beach, any beach. But, given the short notice and the distance we live from any beach, plane tickets were going to be too expensive. So, we considered places we could reach in no more than 4-5 hours by car and ultimately decided on Nashville.
My girlfriend had been there a few times but this would be my first visit. I’m not a huge country music fan; mostly I like 80’s and 90’s country music and haven’t heard much of the newer stuff. This didn’t matter, I soon found out, because Music City embraces many genres of music, not just country music.
Where to Stay
We stayed at the Courtyard by Marriot in the Vanderbilt West End area. It was downtown, but not close enough to walk to the bars and clubs on Broadway, aka the “Honkytonk Highway.”
They offered a shuttle though that would take you as far as 5th and Broadway, the beginning of the bars. The hotel itself was fine, pretty much like any hotel in that price range.
We got there around 3:00pm on a Friday, checked in and then hopped on the shuttle to Broadway. The streets were already crowded with people. Most of the bars had open air decks which were teeming with revelers.
There were open top party busses filled with bachelor and bachelorette parties cruising up and down, with music blaring and people dancing.
Nightlife on Broadway
The first place we went was Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritville, for the XM56 Buzz’s happy hour. They broadcast from there every Friday and have giveaways and surprise musical guests. There were about 40 people in line already. After we got in, we headed upstairs and got to hear a new artist, Ross Ellis, sing his new single acapella.
Later, we headed to another club, Whiskey Row, owned by Dierks Bentley and had a great time dancing to the downstairs band, who played 90’s pop music. Several country music artists have clubs in Nashville, including Alan Jackson, the late George Jones, Blake Shelton, Jason Aldean and Kid Rock.
Most of the bars offer free live music, 7 days a week. They even have different bands on each floor of the club. They play different genres of music, too; so there’s a little something for most people.
The most famous club is Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge, a Nashville country music institution located across from the Ryman Auditorium. The owner, Hattie Louise “Tootsie” Bess, was well-known for her generosity toward the artists who performed in her club and often gave them meals and drinks for free.
Over the years, artists like Kris Kristofferson, Faron Young and Willie Nelson performed at Tootsie’s.
Sightseeing
The next day, we decided we should do a tour to learn about the city and experience more than just the clubs. We picked “The Redneck Comedy Bus Tour,” a 2 hour tour on an old school bus, complete with camouflage paint and a tour guide named Skeeter.
The tour was BYOB and a ton of fun. We saw the Ryman Auditorium, Music Row, The Country Music Hall of Fame and the Gulch area. Skeeter kept us entertained with silly jokes and music trivia.
Some of the jokes were a little off-color but still family friendly. The tour was a great value at only $29 per person.
Union Station Hotel
After the bus tour, we headed back to Broadway to the Union Station Hotel. The hotel served as Nashville’s train station until the second half of 20th century.
Originally built in 1900, it is a grand example of Gothic design, complete with turrets, stained glass and gold-leaf accents. As train travel fell out of fashion, the train station sat empty and fell into disrepair.
A group of investors bought the station and turned it into a luxury hotel in the 1980s. Another restoration took place in 2007 and completed the station’s return to its original grandeur.
You can take an official tour of the station on Wednesdays and Fridays, or just relax at the lobby bar and admire the architecture. We chose the bar, of course and enjoyed a very pricey cocktail.
From there, we had lunch at Kid Rock’s Big Ass Honky Tonk and Steakhouse. I think “steakhouse” is reaching a bit, considering the menu was mostly typical bar food and average at best.
The Riverfront
After that, we walked down Broadway and stumbled upon a wine festival, which I’m always up for!
It was called Wine on the River Nashville and stretched out along the riverfront, across from the Tennessee Titans football stadium. There were over 50 wineries and distilleries offering tastings and a stage in the center with live music. The $69 entry fee was pretty steep, especially since food wasn’t included.
After the wine fest, we visited several more clubs on Broadway, including George Jones’ Rooftop Bar. The bar was voted one of Nashville’s best rooftops and was a great spot to hangout, dance and enjoy views of the Cumberland River, the downtown skyline and the action on Broadway below.
The club also features a museum, and even has the lawn mower George was driving when he got cited for driving under the influence.
This was the last club we hit before calling it a night. We had to leave early the next morning so Sunday was mostly a travel day.
Things to Do off Broadway
While we didn’t manage to do anything that didn’t involve drinking, Nashville has so much more to offer visitors than the Honkytonk Highway. Obviously, there are concerts and shows all the time, but there are also landmarks to tour, like the Ryman Auditorium, the Grand Ole Opry and the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Andrew Jackson’s home, The Hermitage, is in Nashville and the Belle Meade Plantation and Winery is right outside of town. You can also visit the Nashville Zoo, see a full scale replica of The Parthenon and watch a live taping of the Pickler and Ben show.
Our weekend in Nashville was just what we needed to make the return to our shitty jobs that Monday a little easier. Music City is worthy of a repeat visit; and maybe next time I’ll visit a few less clubs and a few more historical sites.