The Perfect Itinerary for Music & Food Lovers

Are you looking for Tennessee vacation ideas? Or perhaps after a few days exploring the great outdoors in and around Chattanooga, you’re looking for something a bit different to do on your holiday in the Volunteer State. No sweat, we’re here to bring you the ideal itinerary for a perfect music and food day out in downtown Nashville to fill your soul.

Breakfast

If you’re the type of person that needs a cup of coffee in the morning, then downtown Nashville offers plenty of options to get you going. If you fancy a European-inspired coffee joint then Café Intermezzo is the place for you with its French press and selection of pastries and crêpes on offer. Many coffee enthusiasts enjoy Crema just off Lower Broadway too. You can also head to Pinewood Social where you can drink some of the best coffee in town in a fun setting. This venue has plenty of activities to offer such as bowling, which may prove to be a winner if you’re with the family.

Musical Jaunt

Nashville is known as Music City USA and for good reason. A casual stroll around the city and it will soon become obvious why Nashville has earned this nickname. It is home to many iconic record labels, concert halls, and an array of famous artists throughout the ages including Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, and Taylor Swift who all moved to Nashville to make their name. Their legacy is stamped all over town, and a visit to the Johnny Cash Museum is recommended while the family-friendly and interactive Taylor Swift Education Center at the Country Music Hall of Fame should be an essential part of your day, especially for any Swifties in your troop.

Another must-do activity while exploring this famous scene is handily just outside the Country Music Hall of Fame, and that’s the Music City Walk of Fame. As with the more famous Hollywood Walk of Fame, this is a landmark where you look down instead of up to discover tributes to legends, of which there are more than 80 plaques in Music City.

Just across the road you can visit the National Museum of African-American Music and celebrate the many music genres created, influenced, and inspired by African Americans. This is an intriguing and interactive experience that brings the musical heroes of the past into the present, and delivers an essential history lesson.

No trip to Nashville is complete without a visit to the number one attraction in the city and that’s a visit to The Grand Ole Opry – the Home of Country Music. The Opry is a show known for creating one-of-a-kind entertainment experiences for audiences of all ages every weekend. There are other shows throughout the week too, and you can take a tour of The Opry House to discover the history behind the radio show that made country music the American cultural institution it is today.

Refuel with a BBQ

After exploring some of Nashville’s most iconic music institutions, you’ve surely built up an appetite, so it is probably time to check out the BBQ scene. Two of the most popular are Martin’s and Jack’s. Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint in downtown is one of the biggest of this chain and is an easy stroll from Music City Center and Lower Broadway. It has a fantastic beer garden and tasty BBQ too, of course! Jack’s Bar-B-Que is a real Nashville tradition serving all the BBQ classics at 416 Broadway. You can’t go too wrong with BBQ in Nashville.

Honky Tonk Nights

If you leave Nashville without ending up in a honky tonk, was it even worth a visit? If you’ve been to our recommended museums then you’ve been here during the day, but a saunter down lower Broadway at night and the neon lights of the crazy world of the Honky Tonk Highway will entice you. Honky Tonks generally contain at least one stage with live country rock music, a bar serving cold beverages, a food menu, and a party that lasts all day. Different honky tonks offer different menus and many have rooftop bars offering great views of the city such as famed honky tonk venues Miranda Lambert’s Casa Rosa and Famous Nashville.

Okay, we’ll stop saying honky tonk now and leave you to decide which ones you wish to explore at the end of your soulful and fun-filled day out in Nashville, Tennessee.