Things to do in Nashville
There are so many things to do in Nashville that we would have a hard time narrowing it down. If you go on-line to www.nashvilletn.com you will see lots of tourist attractions. But what we (Joanne and Ashley) want to share with you are the things we find our friends and family like to do when they come to visit us. For the most part we are not crazy about the touristy excursions but if you are into music or civil war history you have come to the right city!!
Nashville:
Click here to see some great photo highlights of Nashville
Opryland Hotel
You can’t come to this area and not go to the Opryland Hotel in Nashville. It takes about 30 min to get there from the Miller home but it is so worth the trip. I suggest you park in the lot at Opry Mills (and that’s another fun place to go) at the end near the Hotel and walk in the back door. That way you save a ton on parking fees! When you get inside you won’t believe its beauty. Plan to spend some time there just looking at it all. There are two absolutely gorgeous and huge atrium areas with restaurants, waterfalls and even a New Orleans style shopping/eating area. You can take a gondola ride down the river…yes, INSIDE…and it isn’t expensive. Kids and adults all enjoy this place and it is accessible by stroller for the small ones. You won’t believe the foliage. This is perfect to get a little bit of the outdoors on a cold and/or rainy day. Inside the hotel lobby is a classic “Gone With The Wind” type staircase and fireplaces and beauty everywhere you look. The elegant south in it’s finest.
**The Opryland Hotel is breathtaking during the holiday season, with over 2 million lights decorating the already beautiful hotel. You can see pictures and video of the lighting ceremony from 2010 by clicking here.
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Downtown Nashville
There are boat rides down the Cumberland River in downtown Nashville. Some are with entertainment and food, some just food and some just to look at the scenery.
If you really want to taste Music City USA take a stroll down 2nd avenue near the river and up Broadway. The honky-tonk bars are where a lot of country music stars got their start. And still do. It can be a little overload with crowds, but it’s still small-town compared to big cities. There are a ton of good restaurants in that area and lots of shops and things to see but it can be pretty crowded with people….especially at night. There are also horse-drawn carriage rides. Big River is a great restaurant, and Demo’s is a very nice and affordable Italian restaurant with a great house wine. The Spaghetti Factory is also a great experience. And Mulligan’s pub is fun for late night adventures and great Irish music.
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There are tours of the stars homes but we have never taken one except for the infamous Nash Trash tour which is a hoot! Funny and a bit bawdy. There are a ton of stars……not just singers but also movie stars…..who live in the area. Many live in Franklin. It is a hotspot for the rich and famous. Nichole Kidmon and Keith Urban, Jennifer O-Neill, Naomi and Wynonna Judd, Faith Hill and Tim McGraw, Amy Grant and Vince Gill, George Jones, Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn….I could go on and on…… There are so many. You can get maps and bus tours at the Nashville Welcome centers.
Centennial Park
Another must-see is The Parthenon in Centennial Park in Nashville. It is an exact replica of the one in Athens, Greece. It is really beautiful and a great place to take pictures. If you go inside it you will find a great art gallery with a statue of Athena that is almost 42 ft. tall. Pretty incredible. The park around this building is quite pretty with a lake and flowers and often has arts and crafts shows going on…..and also plays and music from the pavilion…usually free to the public. There is a pond where people are always out feeding the ducks – this is one of granddaughter Clara’s favorite things to do!
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Across the street and just slightly south of the park is one of Dan and Joanne’s favorite eating establishments…..Ted’s Montana Grille (Ted Turner). It features Bison and Beef and veggie burgers for those who are not carnivores. The food is good, service excellent and the price is very reasonable. Joanne highly recommends the Bison Short Ribs….very meaty and sooooo good! (insert by Ashley…the BEST veggie burger in the world is at BrickTops, which is also on West End!)
Bicentennial Mall
Bicentennial Mall is actually not a mall at all, but a 19 acre park in the heart of downtown Nashville! It’s a great place to go with kids, with plenty of area for Frisbee and kites, and the best play fountains around.
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Nashville Zoo at Grassmere
This is a definite must see – it’s not your average zoo. The Nashville Zoo was originally a wildlife preserve/park called Grassmere, and they kept with that theme when they converted it to a full-fledged zoo. Everything is in very natural habitats (the man who did most of the landscaping also did the gorgeous waterfall you’ll see at the Miller home):
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They really focus on education and endangered species. They have a petting zoo, and “unseen new world” full of reptiles and amphibians, a “Lorakeet Manor” where you get to go in and feed birds nectar, Not only is the zoo excellent, but they have an incredible playground you could spend a whole day at!
Fannie Mae Dees Park (aka “Dragon Park”)
Dragon Park is a great little park close to downtown Nashville that is all playground. It’s actually in the back yard of a school for kids with Cerebral Palsy, etc. so the playground is completely wheelchair-accessible, which is pretty neat! The mosaic dragon is the coolest aspect, though, and kids (and adults) are welcome to climb on it!
Radnor Lake
Radnor Lake is perfect if you’d like to hit the trails for a great walk/hike without straying too far from the city. This is a gorgeous path up in the hills or around the lake. This is in between Franklin and Nashville and is a breath of fresh air (literally) any time of the year.
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Downtown Franklin
If you are into antiques and quaint little shops you won’t want to miss going into downtown Franklin. Franklin is dubbed the #1 small city in Tennessee. It is quaint, clean and so filled with little shops that are so fun to browse. There is an antique mall and tea shops, ice cream parlors, Starbucks, art galleries, restaurants and a couple of beautiful old churches. Check out the Episcopal church at the end of Main Street next to the fire station. It is always open and looks like you have stepped back in time in England-so pretty! Some great restaurants are Puckett’s Grocery for your ultimate southern experience, McCreary’s Pub for the best fish-n-chips, Franklin Mercantile and Dotsons (Dotson’s is a little po-dunk restaurant in a trailer, but for some reason is a celebrity hotspot and everyone raves about the Southern food. I can guarantee you that everyone in there will call you “honey,” regardless of who you are).
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Pinkerton Park
Pinkerton Park actually has a great little playground called Tinkerbell playground. This is right on the way to downtown Franklin and is great fun for the kiddos.
Loveless Cafe
If you’re up for a beautiful drive through the countryside, take the Natchez Trace Parkway to Loveless Cafe. Again, this is a place where celebrities and world travelers come to – a tiny little southern restaurant that is world famous.
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Shopping
Cool Springs is the area to go to if you want an elegant mall, about every kind of restaurant imaginable, a huge 20-screen theatre (55 and over get senior prices!) and much more. Only about 5-6 miles from the Miller home.
If you are into shoes…..I know that sounds weird…….but whenever people come to visit they ALWAYS want to take a trip to Marti and Liz shoes. It is in the Cool Springs area just an exit north of us on I-65. Marti and Liz is NOT your typical shoe store. They carry designer and very upscale shoes that have been used on runways or are leftovers from shoe stores or returned due to ill-fitting or a myriad of other reasons. Rarely do you go there and not buy at least several pair. They carry men’s and women’s and the prices are a fraction of what they cost at regular shoe stores. Honestly!!
Cool Springs is the epicenter for any restaurant you can imagine. At last count there were over 250 restaurants open at lunchtime…that’s not even counting the ones that are only open for dinner!
There are also TONS of places to shop all over this area – the Cool Springs Galleria is a very nice shopping mall.
The Factory in Franklin
If you want to see a quaint area that is also a great place for lunch, go to The Factory at Franklin. It is an old stove factory that has been turned into a playhouse, restaurants, art galleries, quaint shops, a pet rescue facility, a pottery place where you can paint your own items (kids love it) and antique shops. There is a restaurant called Stoveworks inside that serves a great lunch with specials everyday.
Carnton Plantation
If you like history and beauty and southern charm……..Historic Carnton Plantation, an antebellum mansion located in historic Franklin, TN, was built in 1826 by Randal McGavock, a former Nashville mayor. In its early years, this house was a social and political center, and later became a hospital and cemetery location for Confederate soldiers and Generals of the Civil War. With approximately 1,500 graves, the McGavock Confederate Cemetery is the largest private Confederate cemetery in the United States.
Carnton Plantation is open daily and is located on 1345 Carnton Lane in Franklin. Tours include views of the restored mansion, ornamental gardens, and the cemetery. See the official site of The Carnton Plantation for more details on admission fees, group rates, and daily operating hours.
Now we have barely scratched the surface but unless you plan to stay a week or so, we’ve probably already told you more than you can possibly do in a short amount of time. Keep in mind, too that there are dozens of nice parks, walkways, golf courses and playhouses too…..so there is a plethora of things to do in this area.
Please let me know if you need more information! Ashley@48days.com
