Nashville

[Earl E Retyre]

We will be in Nashville for a couple days in August - any recommendations (things to do, hotel, restaurant)?

[fisherman]

Stay at or at least tour the Opryland Hotel. You could also take a cruise on the General Jackson. Lots of very good resturants to choose from.

Avoid the downtown area early mornings at between 3:30 and 5:30 PM. The traffic get really bad!

[haha]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Earl E Retyre We will be in Nashville for a couple days in August - any recommendations (things to do, hotel, restaurant)?

Stay in your hotel and enjoy the AC?

Ha

[Htown Harry]

I'm not a big country music fan, but I do appreciate history. If I found myself in your spot I'd be checking the Grand Ole Opry and Ryman Auditorium schedules:

Calendar of Shows - Opry.com

The Ryman - Events

[easysurfer]

My recommendation is to make sure you bring along a GPS. I find the traffic patterns there as horrible with cluster of interstates of small streets. Other then that, it's really fun there.

[alvarezg]

A few other things to do:
Make your way to Centennial Park, where you will find a full-size and pretty exact replica of the Greek Parthenon as it might have looked when new, complete with a colossal statue of Athena inside. Really top notch. It's been on History Channel.

Lane Motor Museum is one man's collection of several hundred small post-war European cars, one-offs, and some interesting military vehicles. It's very well presented and close looks are allowed. Check the website.

Bluebird Cafe is legendary, where the up and coming talent performs. Not much twangy country there, just food and a sample of the best.

Try dinner at Monell's, in the Germantown area- family style serving at large tables shared with strangers. Good food.

Stand in line to get into Pancake Pantry on 21st Ave. near Vanderbilt for breakfast and you might see some famous country singers who frequent the place (they don't stand in line much). I wouldn't recognize any myself.

[Moemg]

Definitely go to The Grand Old Opry . The last time we were there Willie Nelson stopped by and sang a few songs . Also check out the Rock & Roll hall of fame .

[HFWR]

Some possibilities include: Ryman Auditorium, Ernest Tubb's Record Shop, Gruhn's Guitars, RCA Studio B, Country Music Hall Of Fame, Opryland Hotel, The Hermitage, Corvette Museum (Bowling Green, KY)...

[skyvue]

Make sure you walk thru and see the Opryland Hotel even if you don't stay there. It is enormous and they have their own little river/stream running through the hotel.

Pancake Pantry for breakfast is probably the busiest spot in town. You will need to wait but as likely to see a country star there as anywhere. The area around this place is the Vandy campus and there are some neat restaurants and bars.

About 30 miles south of Nashville is Franklin, TN. It is a nice little historic town with some older shops and civil war stuff.

[Automatika]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moemg Definitely go to The Grand Old Opry . The last time we were there Willie Nelson stopped by and sang a few songs . Also check out the Rock & Roll hall of fame .

That's the Musicians Hall of Fame.... R&R is in Cleveland, OH... It was torn down to make room for the new convention center. Country Hall of Fame is still here though. All the best places have been mentioned above, though there are lots of little music venues everywhere (Broadway, 2nd Ave, S. 4th, Vanderbilt area...)

[Sarah in SC]

I'd walk through the Opryland (is it fully restored after the flooding?) as we enjoyed it on our visit there.

I would rather have my eyeballs pulled out through my nether regions than sit through the Opryland show again, though, as it was an endlessly dull show full of bus tour old folks. Agony just thinking about it.

We liked wandering around looking for live music venues as there are tons of talented folks that come to Nashville to make it big and so the local clubs have top-notch talent at their fingertips.

[REWahoo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sarah in SC ...full of bus tour old folks. Agony just thinking about it.

Not nice to bash the very people you'll be someday...

[Moemg]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sarah in SC I would rather have my eyeballs pulled out through my nether regions than sit through the Opryland show again, though, as it was an endlessly dull show full of bus tour old folks. Agony just thinking about it. .

I have to agree that the first Grand Old Opry show I went to was pretty bad but the second one when Willie showed up was great . It also featured Vince Gill .

[Sarah in SC]

OMG, you went BACK? I still have indentations in my palm where I was pinching it with my fingers to try desperately to stay awake for the whole 3 HOURS! I could have only hoped to be there when there was some kind of star host, but no such luck. Alcohol would have helped immensely, but no such luck. Willie Nelson could have salvaged the experience, but only if he'd come sit in my lap!

We went to the Bluebird Cafe and also to a cool hemp shop when we were there, no idea if it still is open. We also skipped the Country Music Hall of Fame, an unpopular decision with DH's sister, who had big plans for us to spend the day there. We went pub crawling instead, with far more favorable outcomes.

[FIREd]

If you go during the week-end, downtown Nashville is dead. Everything is closed, tons of homeless people everywhere and, in some areas, the smell is nauseating.

If you like historical stuff, the Hermitage is nice.

[Moemg]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sarah in SC OMG, you went BACK? Willie Nelson could have salvaged the experience, but only if he'd come sit in my lap! .

I am a huge Willie fan so seeing him in a small venue made my day .