Things to do in Nashville?

hellohkb

I'm going to Nashville with FH for the first time in December for a week. I've been all over Yelp looking for stuff to do. I know a lot of you travel, so can anyone recommend some must-see's? We are renting a car so we can definitely go off the beaten path. Also, what are some great restaurants? I have a bunch of health food places bookmarked for lunch but don't mind something different for dinner.

Does anyone know what the weather there is like in the winter? I checked weather sites but I prefer hearing it from a "real" person. Any tips would be appreciated.

photokitty

Monells!!!!

http://monellstn.com

novella1186

Winter varies. Sometimes it can be super cold, sometimes it can be in the 40s. I'd check closer to when you go, but plan on it being pretty cold. 

Make sure you go to the Opreyland Hotel. It's kind of out towards the airport. It's fucking STUNNING. You can stroll around in there for hours; it has 9 acres of indoor gardens with trees, ponds, waterfalls, bridges, little winding paths, there's a river that goes through the hotel that you can take a boat ride on, there are tons of different restaurants and bars in there, there's a little village inside the hotel with shopping, ice cream parlors, etc. I've been going to Nashville for years and I always have to stop by the Opreyland no matter what. 

lacqueredlover

I got engaged in Nashville!  LOVE it!  

Definitely head over to East Nashville.  Really cool area with little shops and bars (amazing ice cream places).  The Fat Bottom Brewery is a great spot to try some local beer while watching music outside.  Yummy food too.

Favorite breakfast spot was Puckett's Grocery.  Ridiculous biscuits.  For music, the dueling piano bar Big Bang was a ton of fun and The Basement which is part of Grimes music store is awesome for authentic Nashville bands.  Make sure you try the "hot chicken" there too, it's their specialty.  We loved the Johnny Cash museum (fairly small, got through it in about an hour.)  Centennial park is really cool and has a full size replica of the Parthenon.  Vanderbilt is a gorgeous campus to just wander around.

jimandpam87

novella1186 said:

Winter varies. Sometimes it can be super cold, sometimes it can be in the 40s. I'd check closer to when you go, but plan on it being pretty cold. 

Make sure you go to the Opreyland Hotel. It's kind of out towards the airport. It's fucking STUNNING. You can stroll around in there for hours; it has 9 acres of indoor gardens with trees, ponds, waterfalls, bridges, little winding paths, there's a river that goes through the hotel that you can take a boat ride on, there are tons of different restaurants and bars in there, there's a little village inside the hotel with shopping, ice cream parlors, etc. I've been going to Nashville for years and I always have to stop by the Opreyland no matter what. 

I second this, especially in December!  Prettiest Christmas display you'll ever see.  It's so beautiful and will take up a good chunk of your day/evening.  I got engaged here on one of the horse drawn carriage rides.  Very romantic

 If you want to do some shopping, Opry Mills outlet mall is fun and right next door.  It'll be relatively crowded in December if you're there on a weekend, though.

Also, coming from someone who's lived in Nashville for 15-ish years, you never really know what the weather will be.  It shouldn't be SUPER cold in December.  Probably 50's.  But Nashville is one of those places where it'll be 45 one day and 75 the next. 

pegasuskat

We can really vary with the weather, but its usually mild (50's for highs) with random cold days. 

The country music hall of fame is good, also the American Pickers store is pretty interesting even if you don't watch the show, they have a room where people hang out and play music.  I agree with checking out Centennial park and the Opryland Hotel will have their Christmas decor up then, which is gorgeous.  If you like shows the Rockettes will be in town then.

 

SmileDamnit

Oh, Nashville, how I love thee!

I second the East Nashville recommendations. Great bars & restaurants. Germantown is also great (again, great food & drink), as is the Gulch area. 

I despise Opryland resort with a passion, but it is a tourist "must see" and it'll be pretty in December. Broadway & all the honkey tonks are another must see tourist stop.

Weather permitting, try to get to Love Circle...great view of the city from up there. Centennial Park is also cool (with the Parthenon replica). The Pedestrian Bridge also gives good views of the city.

If you like music, check out the Ryman, Country Music Hall of Fame, the Bluebird or the Listening Room (again, any of the honky tonks). 

If you like wine, there's a neat little winery called Winery at Belle Meade Plantation. 

mschristie123

Pancakes!!!!
http://www.thepancakepantry.com/

I also love the Broadway strip of little country bars. I know that's a pretty traditional Nashville thing to do, but I always love it. If you like country music, it's a must-do. My faves are Tootsies and The Stage.

plainjane0415

Food: 

Loveless Cafe (a little ways outside of town, but worth it. BISCUITS)

Tavern--Awesome Brunch/Lunch Spot

Cabana--Awesome Dinner spot, very swanky

Whiskey Kitchen--Great Lunch/Dinner spot

Shopping is good around The Gulch and the Green Hills area.  Also, and PP mentioned Opry Mills is awesome! 

I recommend visiting Centennial Mall Park, it's beautiful, as well as Cheekwood Gardens.  The city of Franklin has a lot of historic buildings and such and is a quaint litle town.  Have fun!!

 

 

plainjane0415

Almost forgot!  The Pharmacy and Rosepepper in East Nashville are awesome places to eat at as well... Sorry I'm not much on the touristy spots as I am the food places!

hellohkb

Ahh, thanks everyone!! I am going to Yelp all these places tonight. I'm so excited!

pegasuskat

If you get out of town any, go south about an hour and go to Lynchburg.  The tour of Jack Daniels is really interesting, and then tour the square full of shops and eat lunch at the Barrel House BBQ.  Then on your way back to Nashville stop for the afternoon in Bell Buckle, more quaint shops and have supper at the Bell Buckle Cafe.

KatWAG

Another vote for Monells. So so so good.

larrygaga

Way too damn hot!!!! They have some good stuff, but I can never enjoy it because it's too hot.

hellohkb

Thanks, all! We're actually not country music fans, so we're probably not going to visit any country museums or whatnot. We do like rockabilly, so we may go to the Johnny Cash museum if there's time.

@smichek Funny you say it, Loveless Cafe was already in my bookmarks! 

lacqueredlover

hellohkb said:

Thanks, all! We're actually not country music fans, so we're probably not going to visit any country museums or whatnot. We do like rockabilly, so we may go to the Johnny Cash museum if there's time.

@smichek Funny you say it, Loveless Cafe was already in my bookmarks! 

We aren't country music fans either.  The Johnny Cash museum takes about an hour and is worth it, he's a legend.  For music, definitely check out the dueling pianos and Grimes.  Honestly most music in Nashville that I saw wasn't country, it's really a hub for everything now.  A good friend of mine is a singer/songwriter who lives in Nashville and plays all the time and he is the one who told us to go to the Basement.

wandajune6

Thanks for the post- and have a wonderful trip! I spend about 5 days/month in Nashville but never get to look around- it's usually client visits and hotel time. Now I'm tempted to make more of an effort to look around more!