Wednesday

A visit to the Country Music Capital of the World, Nashville TN

Best known as the home of the Grand Ole Opry, Nashville Tenn. is often called the Country Music Capital of the World or Music City though they have worked tirelessly to become a regional center of culture and commerce. Dell and Nissan all have operations near or in Nashville and Young Buck, Haystak, Kings of Leon and Paramore claim Nashville is their hometown.

Must see sites

  • Nashville offers a variety of sights besides the Grand Ole Opry or the Country Music Hall of Fame including one of the oldest log cabins in Tennessee which can be found on Belle Meade Plantation.
  • Bicentennial Mall features a giant map of the state, many monuments, fountains, a farmers market is also located here in season and some of the history contained here dates back to prehistoric times.
  • Cheekwood Botanical Garden and Museum of Art sits on fifty five acres and was built by the founders of Maxwell House Coffee. Features include art exhibits from both Europe and the United States. They also have an admission cap for families which is a great budget saver.

Historical


For those who are fascinated by historical things you will definitely not want to miss the Hermitage home to U.S. President Andrew Jackson. This historic project was one of the first in Tennessee or the Military Museum. This is another budget saver with no admission cost and all displays that are based on all military equipment.


For the young and the young at heart


 For those who love to be young in spirit you may want to visit Nashville Candy. The first producer of commercial cotton candy and the Goo Goo Cluster they were founded in 1912 as the Standard Candy Company. You can also visit the Nashville Zoo at Grassmere with an oversize playground, an aviary with feeding options and a stunning hand carved wooden carousel.


Shop until you drop


 If you love to shop you are going to have a wonderful time in Nashville! The Opry Mills (former location of Opryland Theme Park) is mostly outlet stores but there are so many more stores to visit the Bellevue Mall, 12 South District, East Nashville/Five Points and Grimey's the best store to buy records in town!


Dinner time


 If you have never eaten fried green tomatoes this is the time to do it! Head over to Arnold's (avoid the pies) for a great meal of stewed chicken, fried green tomatoes and greens. If you are looking for something like a sandwich the best spot is Jersey Mike's and of course the usual 50's style ice cream parlor Bobby's Dairy Dip is one spot you will not want to miss. For those looking for something more upscale, you can head to F. Scott's known as one of Nashville's best restaurants featuring jazz along with the meals.


After hours


 For those with an eye to the after hours scene head over to 3 Crow Bar, Red Door Saloon, The 5 Spot or Beyond the Edge each offers a different atmosphere for some star struck' sights check out Bluebird Cafe or Douglas Corner Cafe full of those just waiting to be discovered. If you're looking for something open really late head to Cafe Coco which is open 24 hours (not a bar but does serve beer).

 Nashville seamlessly integrates its country roots with its more business side. It is a great place to visit, live or do business.

 Image credit:  By Thomas R Machnitzki (thomasmachnitzki.com) (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

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