There are U.S. cities that invoke happiness and pure fun. Nashville is definitely one of those cities. The city is rich with artistic history and is bubbling over with new creatives paving their own paths in the music city. With so much to see and do, you might not have the time to see and do it all. I had the wonderful opportunity to spend 48 hours in Nashville. If you’re looking for where to stay, what to do, and where to eat in Nashville, keep reading!
Where to stay in Nashville
A part of what makes Nashville a fun place to visit, is how walkable downtown is. If you can afford to, I highly recommend getting a hotel in downtown Nashville so that you can enjoy the sights and sounds and immerse yourself in the vastness of the buildings while still feeling centered. We stayed at the chic SpringHill Suites by Marriott which is uniquely attached to the Residence Inn by Marriott. The hotel features a pool, gym, continental breakfast, and a rooftop bar. Believe me when I say, the rooftop bar is a must visit in the evenings.
What to see in Nashville
Nashville is a great city to have a good time without a lot of fuss. You can cram a ton of activities into your day or take it easy and coast along. Either way, you will find yourself thoroughly entertained.
Without a doubt, you have to visit Broadway Street while in Nashville. This buzzing street is the heart of downtown Nashville. It is the home to over a dozen bars, most featuring live music, restaurants, and gift shops. We stopped in Big Time Boots to see their array of cowboy hats, boots, belts, and more. They had at least 3 floors of items that would be perfect gifts or trip keepsakes.
If you have the time, money, and a love for sports, there are several sports arenas in the downtown area that host the local teams. The Tennessee Titans play across the Cumberland Arena at the Nissan Stadium. The Nashville Predators play at the Bridgestone Arena if hockey is more your speed. Both arenas are located in the same entertainment hub.
Nashville is known for being a music city. If you’re looking to learn some country music history, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Music is a great option. It’s affordable and great for families. Country isn’t the only music genre with a museum in Nashville. The Nashville Museum of African American Music is located next door to the Assembly Food Hall. It has an informative presentation along with interactive activities that allow visitors to feel apart of the creative music process.
If you enjoy being carefree in your city explorations, there are plenty of historic sites, like The Parthenon at Centennial Park and the Ryman Auditorium to see. Don’t forget to find a colorful mural or two so you have social media worthy pictures to remember your trip with.
Tip: If you want to see all the tourist spots, but don’t want to deal with the hassle of driving. I recommend using one of the many tours available. We hopped on the Old Town Trolley for a laid-back and informative tour of Nashville. It was super convenient because it allowed us to hop off and back on at different stops along the way. From trolley’s to party buses, they have a variety of options for your mood and budget.
Where to eat in Nashville
I believe that where you eat while visiting a new place deeply impacts how you feel about the trip as a whole. Prior to visiting Nashville, I made sure to look for restaurants that came highly recommended and were fairly active on social media. I also wanted to make sure that I showed black-owned restaurants some love. With these key points in mind, we chose some perfect places to get food in Nashville.
In case you don’t know, let me fill you in on what Nashville, TN is known for in the culinary world. Hot chicken has exploded all over the United States. However, this spicy and flavorful fried chicken was created in the one and only Nashville! As legend has it, Prince’s Hot Chicken is the recipe that put this culinary powerhouse on the map. The family still uses this decades old recipe and they aren’t sharing the secret ingredients with anyone. The Prince family has several locations around Nashville. We stopped at the one located in the convenient Assembly Food Hall in downtown Nashville. I devoured the “mild” hot chicken wings with fries. I am so glad that I chose the mild, because it was just the right amount of heat without being unbearable.
The Assembly Food Hall hosts over 20 restaurants with a great variety of cuisine options. Most food halls across the county are a great place to taste local foods and also rub elbows with local folks. After finishing our spicy meal, we needed to cool off. We stopped by Cotton & Snow to pick up something sweet and icy on the tongue. I under-estimated the amount of cotton candy that was included on top the signature Cotton & Snow shaved ice treat. I tried my best, but I couldn’t finish it.
Pizza may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Nashville. However, I’ve heard through other foodies that Slim + Husky’s is not a pizza place to skip. If you get a chance to go, you should definitely indulge. With a slogan like “Pizza rules everything around me”, you know they mean business. The restaurant is located relatively close to downtown Nashville. The restaurant ambiance is full of colorful artwork with an emphasis on hip-hop music. There are kiosks that are super easy to navigate and allow you to customize your order. I ordered a pizza with chicken, banana peppers, and spinach. It was ooey, gooey, and made just for me. I love the atmosphere, but I loved the food even more. They have several locations throughout Tennessee, Georgia, and California.
Although Nashville is known for being a party city, we didn’t do very much partying in the traditional sense. However, we did pop into a laid-back eatery/bar called Bungalow 10 Dining. The island themed eatery/bar is located within a mile of Vanderbilt University and not too far from the Belmont Mansion. We were looking for nice cocktails paired with elevated bar food. This place did not disappoint. I ordered the fried salmon bites. Never having breaded and fried salmon prior to this, I didn’t know what to expect. Honestly, I thought for sure it would be undercooked and soggy. I was pleasantly surprised to find the opposite results as soon as I bit in. The batter was a golden brown and was very light to the touch. The dish had the right ratio of breading to salmon. It was so good, and hit the spot without leaving my stomach feeling heavy. I washed it down with one of the signature Valentines Day cocktails they had on the menu. Before we finished our meal, we (along with the other ladies at the bar) were given free Valentines Day shots (even though the holiday was over).
You can jam a lot into 48 hours in Nashville, TN. The variety of activities and places to eat are great. Whatever doubts you may have about visiting should be put to rest. However, don’t take my word for it, visit Nashville!
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