Visiting Nashville had been at the top of my bucket list for several years!
And since 2103 is my year of new endeavors… I thought, why not make it happen?
Dan and I booked the trip for April with a couple of our friends. I could not believe how quickly the trip came! We flew out on a Friday evening and spent the next three days in COUNTRY MUSIC CITY!
Here are some highlights from our travels:
Friday Night: We were pretty hungry by the time we got settled into our hotel room on Friday evening. So we ventured downtown for some grub! We all decided that pasta sounded good and found The Old Spaghetti Factory downtown to be of interest.
I had never been to The Old Spaghetti Factory and did not realize it was a chain at the time. The location in Nashville was very pretty all lit up at night. The restaurant was complete with stained glass windows, carved wood walls and trim,large walkways, and many unique chandeliers throughout the venue. The atmosphere was a great start to our night.
Funny-man ordering some drinks in the lounge.
Dim lighting for pictures but beautiful in person.
At dinner I had their baked chicken with spaghetti. It was good but I have to say the highlight for me was the house salad with a creamy pesto dressing. I have to figure out how to recreate it… delizioso my friends! It is also safe to say that the complimentary ice cream…. yes, I said COMPLIMENTARY ICE CREAM… was one of my favorite things about the restaurant!
I think that should be mandatory at all restaurants, don’t you?!?
After dinner, it was off to the local bars for some live music… my second favorite thing next to ice cream!
We spent most of our evening at Legends. It was so awesome seeing all of the history in Nashville. It is written on the walls… literally.
I loved looking at all of the old record covers on the wall.
The main act that night was the Sam Hayes Band.
They played a good mix of music during the show and we all really enjoyed it! Some serious talent in Nashville. I was blown away!
Day 1: Saturday
After being awake nearly 24 hours, we were a little slow-going on Saturday morning. That is what vacation is for right!?!
We both look so tired in this photo. We must have been running on pure adrenaline because I don’t remember being tired! We started the morning at Tootsie’s. Have I mentioned yet that I LOVE NASHVILLE! Where else can you walk from bar to bar at 10 a.m. and listen to live music!?!
Good Mornin’ Tootsie’s!
Dancin’ and singin’ on the bar and it is only 10 a.m.!
The crew @ Tootsie’s Saturday morning.
We walked up and down the streets of downtown to check out all of the neat shops.
Ernest Tubb’s Record Shop was my favorite because of its history.
The walls were lined with old photos of events and famous musicians that performed in that very room.
Boot Scoot and Boogie…(modified…it’s still early people!)
Behind me in this photo you can see the old stage. I enjoyed looking at the old clothing worn by some of the musicians.
Love costume history!
We had so much fun looking through these old shops!
No matter where we traveled in Nashville we were followed by the music! Check out these musicians. They were using only spoons and buckets to form their sound. I found it so intriguing.
Music lives in Nashville!
We were all so thankful for a real vacation, we found some time to relax near the river as well! It was such a beautiful day and many gathered to soak up the sun. I loved the views!
That afternoon, we traveled down to Mike’s Ice Cream and Coffee Bar for a little treat. They had a slide show going of all the famous people who had visited the shop. I was busy watching that instead of choosing my flavor… such a daunting task!
They had many different flavors and I really wanted them all! I finally settled on raspberry cheesecake… awesome!
Hey you! Stop eyeing my ice-cream! 😉
I would love to own a shop like this! So fun!
Another favorite in Nashville!
Saturday night we ate dinner at Rock Bottom Brewery. Dan and I have a duty in life to visit as many breweries as possible! We love the atmosphere more than anything!
I enjoyed the White Ale brew before dinner. It was one of their lighter craft beers and it had great flavor! And what goes better with an ice-cold beer than PIZZA!?! I ordered their Roasted Vegetable Pizza. The crust was very buttery goodness at its best!
Dan ordered the waiter’s recommendation – Bacon Chicken Mac & Cheese. It was rich and delicious! Of course I made him share!
We finished out our Saturday night at Honky Tonk. This bar has three levels and each floor offers a different live band! We had such a great time!
What a great day in Nashville!
Stay tuned for the rest of our adventures recap!
-RH
Looks like a great time! I love travel, and have many fond memories of being in that part of the world… I enjoyed this post! 🙂
Thanks Naomi! I don’t travel for pleasure very often but I fully enjoy it when I get the chance! 🙂
Looks like you had a great time!! Glad you went!! Thanks for sharing the pics!
On Tue, Apr 23, 2013 at 9:13 PM, Rustic Honey
I’m so glad we went too! I’m definitely going to want to visit again! 😉 Maybe for a basketball game…
Haha any place that give complimentary ice cream is A-OK in my book 🙂 Looks like a fantastic trip, awesome pictures!!
Thank you Charlotte! It was a great time!
I just found your blog, and I love it! Okay, if you loved Nashville, then you MUST add Austin, TX to your bucket list (if you haven’t been). We were there last month, and the barbeque, art, and live music are amazing. Notice I always put food first. We saw a great band called Whitey Morgan and the 78’s at an old dive bar call The Continental, and they blew me away. I’m not the biggest fan of country music, but they were “old” country–think Waylon or Willie–and they rocked. Oh, and Austin has lots of great beer. Cheers and Happy Travels!
Thank you! I have always wanted to visit Austin! I’ve heard so many good things about it! That band sounds awesome and I know Dan would love it too! And just for the record, food is also my first priority! 😉 haha!