One Musical Day and Night in Nashville

A day in Nashville could be spent in many ways, but anyone seeking a true Music City experience should expect to eat and drink well, dance a little and see a lot. Whether visiting with the kids on an impromptu family trip or getting away with your partner or solo, for a fun long weekend, they city has much to offer.

Start with breakfast at Milk & Honey in The Gulch neighborhood, where you’ll find many hip restaurants, quirky shops and boutiques. Fill up on savory, sweet or refreshing southern fare, and grab a coffee for a walk to Music Row — if you want a snack for later, grab a biscuit from Biscuit Love before your walk. Stroll along streets lined with iconic radio stations and music label offices — maybe even take a tour of RCA Studio B, where legends like Dolly Parton and Elvis Presley laid some tracks.

From Music Row, visit any one of the many museums, like the Country Music Hall of Fame, or make your way to Broadway and head north for all the downtown fun and live music action. Stop in local bars and restaurants, a surprising number of which boast a family-friendly atmosphere during the day, or find open-air performances on the street.

Printer’s Alley. Photo: Sooth Sayre | Dreamstime.com

Make your way to Printer’s Alley for some quirky photo ops, or, even better, some historic jazz and blues bars. Over in Centennial Park, tourists marvel at the Parthenon, or keep moving toward John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge for a view of the city from the Cumberland River.

Pro tip: Take lots of pictures where you can so you don’t feel obligated to wait in line for a photo with the obligatory Nashville wings — there are more photogenic corners in the city.

When the kids are in bed and parents are out on the town, hunger is bound to strike — make your way to Prince’s Hot Chicken Shack on 123 Ewing Dr., after which you’ll have to cool off with a drink at any one of the local pubs and listen to some more live music.

With a little extra time, take a ride to the Grand Ole Opry or see a show at Bluebird Cafe for some truly iconic Nashville moments. For any sports fans, check out the Nashville Predators schedule to really feel like a local.