It's always a good sign when you visit a new place and think, "I want to move here." Sure, it might be easy to say this off-hand when you're having a great time, but it's also a lot different to really mean it. For me, Nashville is one of those places, and I truly can't wait until I can move back someday.
I've been to Music City before, just passing through on my way to visit family in Tennessee, but I finally had an excuse to plan a trip and experience my new favorite city. Like many girls in their twenties, I was headed to Nashville for a bachelorette party. Thousands of people flock to this city every year to celebrate their "last hurrah" before tying the knot, and I am so glad that my friend was no different. Even when I visited with my family while I was still in high school, we saw hoards of girls riding on the pedal taverns and having the time of their lives. This time, it was my turn to be one of those girls.
We had a fairly large group of seven girls, and we stayed in the cutest Airbnb about ten minutes from downtown. The interior was adorable, looking like it was right out of Fixer Upper on HGTV. It was obvious that the entire neighborhood was in the process of being renovated to meet the increasing demands of the thousands of people moving to Nashville every year. I was immediately in love, trying to think of ways I could possibly afford to buy this cute house.
The first night we got there, we were all in need of some drinks and of course some famous Nashville hot chicken. There are TONS of different places to get this staple food, and I got my fair share of recommendations, but we ultimately decided to go to Party Fowl. They had various flavors of frozen drinks, as well as an extensive menu of other cocktails.
I ordered the classic Nashville Hot Chicken platter, which was an entire fried half chicken with french fries and Texas toast. I chose the more mild sauce because I was worried about not being able to enjoy it if it were too hot, and even the mild had quite the kick! Some of the girls couldn't even finish their meals because of the spice. We all enjoyed ourselves, though, and head back to the Airbnb feeling full (and a little tipsy.)
I would have loved a longer trip to be able to try all of the famous Hot Chicken places for comparison, but I'll just have to save them for next time.
Our Saturday was our day for all of the wild bachelorette party activities, beginning with what else but the Nashville Pedal Tavern. Our guide was amazing, keeping us engaged and enjoying ourselves. We shared the tram with a bunch of other people and by the end we all grew pretty close. It was such a fun time and a great way to get to see the downtown area while still drinking and having fun. It was BYOB so we brought enough cans of Deep Bay vodka soda and gin & tonic to serve an army, and we didn't return home with any (which may be a little concerning for our livers).
It was an extremely touristy activity, but I wouldn't have wanted it any other way. The Pedal Tavern made some stops along the trip for bathroom breaks (that turned into getting shots at a bar) to keep the fun going. I'm not quite sure how any of us were alive afterwards, but I ended up going home for a nap before meeting everyone else out at the bars downtown later that night.
Broadway in Nashville is unlike any other place I've ever been. There are dozens of bars, clubs, stores and restaurants within feet of each other, making it almost too easy to crawl from one to the next. Most of them had live music, some of them had mechanical bulls, and all of them were a great time. I can't even name all of them because they were all so cool. I would absolutely recommend heading to Nashville for a bachelorette party if you're looking for a lot of fun. You can't go wrong.
Our group was somehow able to get up and get out of bed the next morning, and we had reservations for brunch at a hip place called Sinema. The restaurant is in an old theater and they have the decor to match. Every wall is covered in portraits of famous stars from decades ago, and the entrance hall is 20 feet tall with a staircase winding up one side. It was stunning.
The food was amazing too. Most of us chose the option for their unlimited brunch, which allows you to wander around the huge space to feast at the numerous buffets, including chicken and waffles, biscuits, a waffle dessert bar, eggs, bacon, home fries, and a salad bar. The unlimited brunch option also includes a few menu items like Fruity Pebbles french toast, banana-Nutella crepes, and Chilaquiles. I obviously had to try a little of everything, and I can confirm that it's all delicious.
There's also an option for unlimited mimosas and bloody Mary's, but in my state at that time I couldn't fathom more than one beverage, so I opted for one bloody Mary and decked it out at the bloody Mary bar with toppings and spices galore. It was absolutely one of the best brunches I've ever had, and I'm sending everyone I know to go try it immediately if they ever find themselves in Nashville.
After brunch, we explored the Gulch neighborhood to get our pictures in front of the infamous #WhatLiftsYou mural and get some much-needed Starbucks. The line for the mural was only a few minutes long, but beware, because if you go during a peak time you might be waiting for a while.
Everyone in our group went home that night, but I stuck around an extra day to stay with my cousins, and then head back downtown the next day before my flight to explore some more.
I stopped in one of the many Frothy Monkey locations to get some coffee and do some homework, and loved the rustic decor. They had a cute second level with big windows to look out onto the street below where I could do people-watching. I had a huge latte with some really pretty latte art on top, and once I was finished I went on my way.
I walked through the historic Printer's Alley and then through the Arcade, both cute little areas with restaurants and shops, and perfect to walk through on a rainy Monday.
Heading to Broadway again, I stopped for lunch in Jack's on Broadway and had some super tasty barbecue. I'm a sucker for some good barbecue brisket, and Jack's did not disappoint. I also love that in Southern cities, the people are so nice and accommodating and they really made my experience even better.
Right beside/connected to Bridgestone Arena is a cute souvenir shop with Nashville-themed goodies that are all adorable and not the tacky kind you see in the standard gift shops. I got some presents for the ones back home watching Millie for me, and got myself a laptop sticker and a pretty postcard.
Down by the water is a neat pedestrian bridge that was kind of a hike to get up to, but had great view of Nissan Stadium and all of the high rises of downtown. It was a perfect spot to reflect on the beautiful and fun city I had just fallen in love with.
Someday I will be back, whether to visit family again, hit up the bars, or get an apartment of my own. Until then, I'll have to look back on my pictures and reminisce :)
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