Girls’ Trip to Nashville
Our Nashville trip was planned for 2020 for our dear friend Kelli’s birthday. But then COVID got in the way. So what were we to do? Plan an amazing trip for 2022 of course. And amazing it was!
From the fabulous Omni Hotel, to the delicious Nashville food, to the many sights that the city has to offer, and, of course, to the extraordinary music playing in the bars up and down Broadway, this truly was a trip of a lifetime. And spending time with our BFFs made it all the more spectacular. Let us tell you all about it…..
Omni Nashville Hotel
Where to Stay
As you can imagine, there are many hotels in Nashville. We chose the Omni Nashville Hotel. Our friend Kelli highly recommended it as she had stayed there several times. The hotel is lovely: great service, wonderful ambience, nicely appointed rooms and a couple of terrific restaurants: Bob’s Steak & Chop House, Barlines and Kitchen Notes. We will give some restaurant insights later in the post. The hotel is steps from the Broadway music scene, adjoins the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum and is convenient to most Nashville attractions.
Although the Omni is the only hotel we have actually stayed in and can recommend, there are many others near the city center. From the very pricey (The Hermitage, Thompson) to slightly more reasonable (Kimpton Aertson, JW Marriott Nashville, Holston House Nashville) to the more moderate, every level of hotel is available. You simply need to pick!
Pinewood Social
Where to Eat
Lunch the first day was at Pinewood Social. Described as “A trendy hangout featuring New American cuisine, cocktails & bowling in an industrial chic space” Pinewood Social is walking distance from city center and a really lively experience. The space is super cool, there is lots of fun people watching and the food is yummy.
Kitchen Notes
Located in the Omni Nashville, Kitchen Notes is a perfect spot for breakfast. The biscuits are absolutely decadent! And we loved the free samples being offered in the lobby in the afternoon! You will definitely be enticed!!
Barline
Barline is the perfect Nashville honky-tonk to take in some live music or watch your favorite sports teams on one of the many large video screens. You’ll also enjoy a tasty menu of Southern comfort food along with Tennessee libations
Cocktails at Barline
Justin Timberlake’s Twelve/Thirty Club
The Twelve Thirty Club takes up an entire Nashville city block of Upper Broadway. Timberlake sought to incorporate Nashville's artistic energy into this club, which explores the elevated world of food and music with three different venues under one roof.
We were lucky enough to score a table at the Twelve/Thirty Club which was opened by Timberlake and restaurateur Sam Fox in 2021. The first floor is labeled Honky Tonk which features live music from up and coming Nashville artists along with a fun, American inspired, casual menu. On floor two, entitled Honoray Member, there is a sexy, sophisticated cocktail lounge. Finally the newly opened third floor is called Supper Club; this level includes upscale dining and a fabulous rooftop bar. Make reservations in advance. We were only able to get them on the first floor as the Supper Club was fully booked.
Bourbon Steak Nashville
If you are looking for fine dining, look no further than Michael Mina’s Bourbon Steak. Set high atop the JW Marriott, the view of Nashville is stunning and the food fantastic. Rated the best steak house and restaurant by TripAdvisor, the menu is well balanced; the offerings are perfect for carnivores or vegetarians. We made an entire meal from the starter menu and market sides: shrimp cocktail, ahi tuna rolls, hamachi crudo, crispy brussel sprouts and baked potatoes. Of course there is a great selection of beef and a wonderful raw bar. You can begin with one of the creative cocktails or chose from the extensive wine list. And one big plus; rather than the typical bread basket, Bourbon Steak starts you off with the most amazing french fries. From that moment on, we were hooked!
Bourbon Steak Fries
What a delectable way to begin dinner!!
What to Do
When you think of the Nashville experience, possibly the first thing you want to do is check out the bars on Broadway. Kelli has been to Nashville several times and loves the music scene, so she was out guide. The first place we visited was the rooftop at the famous Tootsies Orchid Lounge, a Honky Tonk bar located on Broadway behind the Ryman Auditorium. Tootsie's has three stages that host live local talent each night, covering modern-day country music artists such as Jason Aldean, Taylor Swift and other performers, as well as original work. It’s definitely crowded so if you can hit it before the week end, you may be able to find a seat. But it’s certainly worth a visit.
There are supposedly 32 bars up and down the Broadway strip so needless to say, we didn’t visit everyone of them. But a few of note are listed below.
Blake Shelton’s club gets lots of action, has great music and apparently is a celebrity hangout (although we didn’t see any)
Another club owned by a famous country performer. We particularly loved the rooftop scene.
We loved the music here which moved from country to rock. Perhaps because The Second Fiddle is not associated with a celebrity, we found it to be less crowded and a lot of fun!
Grand Ole Opry Tour
I suppose that everyone who visits Nashville feels compelled to visit the Grand Ole Opry. Since we decided to see a concert at the Ryman Auditorium instead of at the Grand Ole Opry, we thought it would be fun to take the tour. It was definitely worth the drive (it’s not in Nashville City Center) and really gets you in the Nashville spirit! From the myriad of artist dressing rooms, the the plaques which honor all of the Opry inductees, to being on the actual Opry stage, it is a trip worth taking.
Ryman Auditoruim
The Ryman Auditorium is an institution. Begun in 1885 as tent revival led by fiery evangelist Sam Jones, Nashville businessman Thomas G Ryman was so moved that he spent a fortune to build the Union Gospel Tabernacle which eventually became Ryman Auditorium. When the Grand Ole Opry started radio and television broadcasts at the Ryman, famous country performers like Elvis Presley, Hank Williams and Johnny Cash played at this venue and became household names. Eventually the Grand Ole Opry moved to its current location, but the Ryman continues to book amazing performances. We saw American Aquarium, a group that we knew nothing about. But it ended up being a great show and a fantastic experience.
The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
Another attraction that should not be missed is the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Attached to the Omni Hotel, it was an absolute must to learn about the country music industry from inception to current day. There is much to much for me to go into here…you simply must experience it yourself. I am including a photo of Elvis in homage to the current film release as a well as a couple of other pics. But only a visit will do it justice.
Gold Records
Just a small representation of the many gold records that adorn the walls of the museum
Oversized Guitar
What could be more iconic to country music then this gigantic guitar!
Homage to Elvis
The Elvis presentation has many items which are iconic to Elvis including his Cadillac! There are many country artists who have entire sections of the museum dedicated to them.
Where to Shop
Shopping in Franklin
Franklin is a prototypical Tennessee town located about 20 miles south of Nashville. The Main Street has terrific shopping from antiques, to home stores and, of course, apparel and accessory stores. A few of our favorites were: Vinnie Louise (well priced apparel offering an interesting and eclectic assortment), Evereve (a national chain that carries some of our favorite contemporary brands) and Boutique MMM (the most amazing footwear store…we bought sooo many pairs of shoes here!!)
Shopping at 12South
Also located south of Nashville, 12South is an up and coming town with great shopping and dining. Some of our favorite stores were White’s Mercantile (owned by Hank Williams’ granddaughter), Draper James (recently opened by Reese Witherspoon) Moda Boutique (a bit pricey but caring some great upscale lines) and Buck Mason (actually started in California but offers great American classic apparel).
As I am writing this, I realize how much we did in just a few short days! But there is so much more to cover that we will need another trip just to take it all in. Suffice it to say, this was a fantastic girls trip. Our fearless leader Kelli did such an amazing job of planning. We had the best time ever!