Our second stop was Nashville, TN! We stayed at the JW Marriott in downtown- it couldn’t have been more of a perfect location. We were able to walk everywhere in downtown.
We got into town in the early evening and went straight to the Grand Ole Opry. This was one of two things we actually scheduled in advance. Since it was Thanksgiving week I didn’t want to risk missing our opportunity to take this tour. We did the backstage tour and it was well worth it! We got to see everything from the back entrance where the performers come in, to the dressing rooms, to taking photos on stage. Going in I didn’t know much of the history behind the Opry; it was really fun getting to learn about the heart of country music.
After checking into our hotel we walked to a restaurant in the Gulch called Whiskey Kitchen. Needless to say their whiskey menu was OTT in the best way possible! Brice ordered a flight and I stuck with a local cider called Gypsy Queen of the Swords (whiskey is too much for this girl!). The food was delish! Our waiter was so wonderful and gave us tons of recommendations on where to go.
We ended up walking to The District, which is Nashville’s version of 6th St in Austin. However, The District differs because every single bar we passed or went into had a live band. It may have been because it was a Wednesday during a pandemic, but the bars weren’t very crowded and we easily got a table. Masks were required in the streets as well as in the bars while we were there. Once we were seated at a table we could remove our masks. If you plan to go in the near future definitely check up on mask rules. We sat and listened to a band that took requests and drank more local beers!
The next day was Thanksgiving and despite it being a major holiday a lot of places were still open! We walked all over downtown exploring. There is a beautiful river in downtown with a bridge for pedestrians only. You can get some great views of the city from there. We stopped at a place called The Diner that is six stories tall offering both casual and upscale dining. We went to the top floor and sat at a bar drinking mimosas and looking out at the city. We made reservations for Thanksgiving dinner at our hotel restaurant, Stompin’ Grounds, and it was the perfect meal! For $50 a person they offered a three course meal with a complimentary apple cider mimosas. The food and service were both amazing! If you don’t stay at the JW Marriott I still recommend stopping by this place for some delicious food.
Our last day in Nashville we decided to wake up early and walk down to The Gulch for breakfast at a place called Biscuit Love. I read that there is always a line and to get there early. We arrived around 8:30am and by 9am the line was wrapped around the block. I wanted to try everything on the menu, but I landed on a sweet option called the Lilly- a biscuit baked in french toast batter and topped with toffee apples and house made butter. Brice went with a savory dish, the S.E.C.- biscuit topped with sausage, gravy, scrambled egg, and cheese. I’m huge on breakfast/brunch and this place will fill that craving if you visit!
We checked out of our hotel and decided to drive around and see a little bit more of Nashville. We came across Belmont University and Vanderbilt. They were basically a block apart. Both campuses were so beautiful and made me nostalgic for my college years. It was beautiful weather and we wanted to go for a walk so we looked at a map and decided on Centennial Park. Little did we know there is a replica of the Parthenon smack dab in the middle of this park, attracting many tourists. There is also a pond and trail to walk around, so we took our time ad enjoyed the beautiful day with all the fall colors!
Our final stop before heading to North Carolina was a MUST HAVE! We went to Hattie B’s for some classic Nashville hot chicken. You’d think we were still stuffed from breakfast, but this food was so decadent we both finished off our entire plate! Brice got the classic hot chicken and I opted for the mild chicken sandwich. Once we were done stuffing our faces we hopped in the car and headed to our next, and final stop, Asheville, NC!
