Nashville

[Nas!]

I'm going there for a week at the end of October.  What do I need to do while I'm there? Restaurants? Breweries? Tourist-y type things? 

i really want to take a tour of RCA studio B, just because it is hallowed ground, but it seems like you've got to buy a special package at the Country Music HOF to get a tour of the place, and I'm not sure I want to do that. 

All suggestions welcome. I rarely travel anywhere outside my little corner of the world, so I need some help. 

[DireWolfSpirit]

Ive been to Nashville and its a fun town to take in live music, alhough its been too many yrs ago to recommend a specific venue. 

What I can recommend is consider taking one or two days of that week and making the 4 hr trip East, through the scenic Smokies and do a tour of the Biltmore in Ashville. The Biltmore makes the White House look like a shed imo. With the scenery of the Smokies and a chance to spend a day touring one of Americas most stunning castles (originally built by a Vanderbilt) you will be glad you took this detour imo.

[Dr. Pepper]

While driving through the Smokies is beautiful and the Blue Ridge Mountains are simply gorgeous, it's going to be more like 5 hours one way to get to Asheville. I wouldn't go to Asheville for an overnight just to pay $60 to tour a castle (and OP mentioned not wanting to pay for these pricey tour packages anyway).  If you're into breweries and music and eating, that's what you'd do in Asheville for a day, aside from take in all of the breath-taking scenery on the Blue Ridge Parkway.  

So yeah, if you have a chance to visit Asheville, you probably won't regret it...unless all you do is visit Biltmore.  

Sorry, can't really recommend touristy things in Nashville.  If you like the outdoors, there are some good hikes and walks in and around Nashville.  Radnor Lake is an easy one just right outside the city.  You'll be in leaf changing season so probably any drive outside of Nashville will be quite pretty.  

[Mark Antony]

Preds games are always a good time if you have any interest in hockey.

[Zorral]

Go to Memphis instead.

 

[Whitestripe]

I've been to Nashville once as an adult (and at least once as a child) and I have to say that I was underwhelmed. I did go to a pretty good party at and had an amazing tour of the Grand Ole Opry (It was an industry party.  I work in a theater and we like to show off our spaces). I saw Mavis Staples and the Blind Boys of Alabama at the War Memorial Auditorium (Mavis was amazing, the Boys were just ok and I had beer spilled all over me, which is funny because they are a gospel group) and spent an afternoon at the Frist Center for Visual Arts. My friend took me to a nice place to eat near Vanderbilt, but I don't remember the name. I was unimpressed with the foods and shopping in general, though. 

If you get to pick, go to Memphis for a city  or go to Asheville for the cool factor. Asheville wasn't nearly as cool as it is now when I lived within spitting distance. I feel cheated. We always went to Charlotte to find out fun. 

[Nas!]

Jesus. So "don't go to Nashville" isn't what I was expecting. 

[Nas!]

17 hours ago, Mark Antony said:

Preds games are always a good time if you have any interest in hockey.

Unfortunately, the only home Preds game is an hour after our plane lands. I just don't think we're likely to make it.  But we're Canadians, to answer your query. 

[Ferrum Aeternum]

18 hours ago, Zorral said:

Go to Memphis instead.

 

12 hours ago, Whitestripe said:

If you get to pick, go to Memphis for a city  

I'm intrigued that tourists find Memphis more appealing than Nashville. Memphis is all right but I don't quite get the lovefest; I guess food and music? In my experience there's just as much to do and see in and around Nashville and a 6-hour round trip to Memphis wouldn't be worth it.

[Weeping Sore]

They have good artisan popsicles in Nashville. So there's that.

Plus a good Indian buffet. But I'm a vegetarian. I suppose you're supposed to get the Hot Chicken in Nashville but I haven't tried it.

[Whitestripe]

1 hour ago, Ferrum Aeternum said:

 

I'm intrigued that tourists find Memphis more appealing than Nashville. Memphis is all right but I don't quite get the lovefest; I guess food and music? In my experience there's just as much to do and see in and around Nashville and a 6-hour round trip to Memphis wouldn't be worth it.

Memphis has that cool-ass bridge, after all. My sister and I used to see if we could hold our breath all the way across it when we were kids. I think my mom encouraged us, because if we were holding our breath we couldn't squabble in the back seat.

[S John]

Also.... Memphis can be pretty dangerous if you get off the beaten path.  Good BBQ, though.

As for Nashville, I have been there a few times but pretty much all I did was bar hop.  The most recent time I was there was probably 3 years ago.  My cousin got married there and I was the best man.  The wedding venue and hotel were right in the main area of downtown so after the bar at the wedding venue closed down I bar hopped along the main strip (which IIRC is called 'Broadway') with my dad and a couple cousins and uncles.  All of us were completely loaded, so it was a pretty fun time.  There's live music everywhere and I don't remember paying any covers.  The music is heavily country, though, so be ready for that - but there are also tons of rooftop bar type places where you can have a more mellow time.  I like country pretty well, especially when its live and I am drunk so I was fine.  There's also a nearby area called Printers Alley that's packed with bars, but a bit different from the Broadway are and worth checking out.  

If you want to go out and drink and be merry, you could definitely do worse than Nashville.  I don't really know the city beyond that.

The main strip of Nashville reminds me a lot of the main bar district of Austin, TX, where I live now.  I mention that because as a person in my early 30s who has lived here a few years, I NEVER go to the main bar area of Austin anymore and my guess is that Nashville is like that too.  I'll bet the locals have a neighborhood or two of nightlife that tourists (and people 10 yrs younger than me) don't infest as much.  You may want to research what that is.

[Ferrum Aeternum]

47 minutes ago, S John said:

Also.... Memphis can be pretty dangerous if you get off the beaten path.  Good BBQ, though.

Eh, it's not so bad if you stick to exploring during the daytime. We're down to only 2-3 shootings a week while the sun's out nowadays.

Yes, the BBQ is wonderful. And food is enough to gravitate some people to a particular city or area, so if that's your thing then Memphis is heaven.

I may be alone in this but I've always considered Memphis's music scene to be a tad overrated. Some decent indie rock and alt-country to be found if you turn over the right stones to find it, but most of the blues places (of which there are many) are mediocre IMO.

The main strip of Nashville reminds me a lot of the main bar district of Austin, TX, where I live now.  I mention that because as a person in my early 30s who has lived here a few years, I NEVER go to the main bar area of Austin anymore and my guess is that Nashville is like that too.  I'll bet the locals have a neighborhood or two of nightlife that tourists (and people 10 yrs younger than me) don't infest as much.  You may want to research what that is.

Memphis is like this too. Beale used to be fun, but has lately turned into an overstuffed tourist trap. Midtown/Overton Square is where the cool kids hang out.

[S John]

45 minutes ago, Ferrum Aeternum said:

Eh, it's not so bad if you stick to exploring during the daytime. We're down to only 2-3 shootings a week while the sun's out nowadays.

Yes, the BBQ is wonderful. And food is enough to gravitate some people to a particular city or area, so if that's your thing then Memphis is heaven.

I may be alone in this but I've always considered Memphis's music scene to be a tad overrated. Some decent indie rock and alt-country to be found if you turn over the right stones to find it, but most of the blues places (of which there are many) are mediocre IMO.

 

 

Well a lot of cities are like that (for example, back when I lived there DC was definitely a place where you could fairly easily wander yourself into a not cool area, but not sure if it is still like that) so I didn't mean it as a specific slight to Memphis.  Just that by comparison Nashville felt a bit more like you could wander around wherever and nobody was gonna bother you.   Again I kinda got an Austin-like vibe from Nashville and there really isn't any part of the Austin area that I would be even the least bit nervous to go to.

[Ferrum Aeternum]

1 minute ago, S John said:

Well a lot of cities are like that (for example, back when I lived there DC was definitely a place where you could fairly easily wander yourself into a not cool area, but not sure if it is still like that) so I didn't mean it as a specific slight to Memphis.  Just that by comparison Nashville felt a bit more like you could wander around wherever and nobody was gonna bother you.   Again I kinda got an Austin-like vibe from Nashville and there really isn't any part of the Austin area that I would be even the least bit nervous to go to.

Nah, you make a good point. There are wide swathes of Memphis that it makes no sense to visit any time unless you know exactly where you're going and how to get there. Nashville certainly "feels" safer on the whole. And while downtown Memphis is mostly OK (especially around Beale), Nashville is a downtown you can actually wander around in without much worry.

 

[Zorral]

History.  Music. Views.

Breathtaking sight of the Mighty Mississippi.

It's where the Mississippi Delta plantation culture begins -- and where the blues, then, begin.  It's why both Memphis was taken so early in the War of Southern Aggression by the Union, and the Union fought so hard to take it.

Memphis is the beating heart of the 1950's - 60's Civil Rights movement, where, after all Martin Luther King was assassinated.  Where that happened is now an astounding Civil Rights history complex that is deeply informative and moving.

Read the sections on Memphis in both the before the war and the after war parts of Twain's Life on the Mississippi.

Beal Street is a place you can hang out for more than a single day.  Not to mention Sun Studios and the R&B Stax Museum. Elvis's Graceland.  O, there's far more to do in Memphis than Nashville.  In fact Nashville itself is pretty dull -- it's what's outside Nashville, including the Hermitage, Polk's early life home, etc.  that's interesting.  The food's better in Memphis by far than in Nashville.

I love Hank and the Outlaws and all that country music -- but what Nashville sound has become, no.

I have a lot of friends in Nashville and Austin -- very long-time friends.  No longer can stand Austin, and most of my friends would leave if they could figure out where to go -- they've got long-time really good jobs and nice houses.  At their ages it's hard to pick up and find anything like what they've created in Austin and Nashville. Among these friends are a lot of musicians, including the music supervisors for the television Nashville series.  They don't like Nashville either. The music of the television show is a lot better than what the Nashville machine puts out these days.l

Memphis remains chock full of soul.  Nashville never had it.

 

[S John]

13 minutes ago, Zorral said:

 No longer can stand Austin, and most of my friends would leave if they could figure out where to go -- they've got long-time really good jobs and nice houses.  At their ages it's hard to pick up and find anything like what they've created in Austin and Nashville. Among these friends are a lot of musicians, including the music supervisors for the television Nashville series.  They don't like Nashville either. The music of the television show is a lot better than what the Nashville machine puts out these days.l

 

Girlfriend and I are ready to leave Austin, just seeing what is out there at the moment and kind of waiting until after the first of the year.  I wouldn't go to Nashville because of the similarities between the two.  And I pretty much want to retire from larger cities in general.

But anyway, dude is visiting Nashville and is possibly excited about it (or was) 'cause he says he doesn't travel much, so "Nashville sucks, drive 3hrs to Memphis" probably isn't all that helpful to him regardless of how great Memphis is.  

[ljkeane]

This is definitely the most negative travel advice thread I've seen for a while.

I've not been to Nashville Nas but I'm sure it's not that bad.

[Lily Valley]

Nas, I used to drive up there from Huntsville back when I was in Grad school to see music shows.  Don't listen to these naysayers.  We had a blast every single time.  I can't tell you where we were exactly, but both times it was on a strip with a ton of music venues and we had a ball.  Also, the women were very casually dressed and my pal and I always dressed to the nines.  It was so glaringly out of place that everyone thought we were SOMEONE.  This made for some great adventures.  The people were friendly, the music was good and the weather was fine.  Please tell us about your trip!  I'll bet you have a great time.

[MisterOJ]

It's about 45 minutes from my driveway to downtown Nashville. It's a pretty good place to visit. Especially bar hopping on Broadway. There is just so much live music going on. And folks are right - for a big city, the downtown is very nice and just feels safe.

There's also the normal touristy stuff. If you're going to be there over the weekend, check out the Grand Ol' Opry. Tickets are a little pricey, but it's worth it to see once. Also, if you're not already staying in the Gaylord Hotel, go walk around it a bit. That thing is impressive. You can also tour the Ryman, which is cool and super historic. 

If you're into cool geography and caves, Mammoth Cave National Park is a short (1.5 hours) drive north on I-65. It's the largest cave system in the world and has some great tours. You'll want to book them early though, because they sell out. On the way, you'll pass the Corvette plant where all the Corvettes are manufactured and there's the National Corvette Museum right there by the factory, which is cool if you're a car person.