After we graduated from college, our two roommates and best friends left Seattle for California and D.C. and we decided that every year moving forward, we’d take a vacation to see each other in a new city. In 2016, we did Sin City…because why not. This year, we decided to go to the other coast and explore Nashville. We love country music, BBQ, and it’s always been a place we’ve wanted to explore. So we picked 4th of July weekend, packed our bags, and jumped on a plane for the trip of a lifetime.
S A T U R D A Y
We got in really late Friday night, so Saturday was our first real day in town and boy, it was a marathon day. We started at the Gulch neighborhood. Definitely a must see if you’re heading to Nashville! We stopped by Killebrew Coffee for a bit of caffeine, and then walked around the adorable shops. We made our way to Saint Anejo for some popcorn chicken and waffles, guac and of course, margaritas. We are not typically fans of chicken and waffles, but Nashville had the best selection so order it whenever you can!
Next stop, Adele for drinks, which we followed up with more drinks at the rooftop bar at the Thompson Hotel. This place is so cute, and the drinks are even more delicious than they look.
For dinner, we explored 12 South. We went to bartaco for dinner and had the best meal. Everything came family style, so we split the corn, tuna poke and chipotle slaw and got a bunch of tacos. We took advantage of our one Saturday night in the city by going big! We went to Broadway and hit up a few bars, had the best time listening to real country music and cover bands play the classics, and danced the night away.
S U N D A Y
After a full day of drinking and eating, we were feeling like we needed to change it up and start the day with something a bit more healthy. We went back to 12th Street and hit up Franklin Juice Bar for some acai bowls and ginger shots. Yum! After that, we walked around the neighborhood and shopped a bit. The stores were all so cute, and were mostly old houses that had been turned into shops. Of course, we had to hit up Draper James and it was just as gorgeous as you’d imagine. They even serve sweet tea while you’re shopping. I mean, come on, y’all. It doesn’t get any better than that.
After a few hours of shopping, we decided to kill some time before our boat tour and duck into Taqueria del Sol for some chips, guac and queso. A few minutes after we sat down…our phones buzzed. **Flash flood warning in your area.** Um, really? The rain just kept getting more, and more, and more intense. Unfortunately, our boat tour was cancelled while we were in the Uber driving over, so we make a quick last minute decision and went to escape the rain at Pinewood Social. Think of your favorite coffee shop, an old fashion diner and adorable bowling lanes. That’s exactly what Pinewood Social is. We drank amazing coffee, delicious cocktails and played Apples to Apples. From there, we walked along the river and stopped at Martin’s for some BBQ. If you ever find yourself in this city, go out of your way, wait in line…and eat all the BBQ you can. The food was incredible, and they have another bar upstairs with live music.
M O N D A Y
We started our day at Biscuit Love (the location by Vanderbilt because we were told the lines were shorter) and it was absolutely worth the hype. From there, we walked around the neighborhood and then strolled through Vanderbilt and onto Music Row. Since it was the day before a holiday, it was pretty quiet. But still, super cool to see all these places where famous musicians have recorded their hits.
Once again, we found ourselves hiding from another (brief) storm. And what better way to stay entertained than drinking with your besties at 11 am? So, a round of shots with the girls and before long, we were off to Belle Meade Plantation for a tour. The rest of the day was filled with more eating (Hattie B’s Hot Chicken), more drinking (hello, ACME and Midtown!) and so much laughter.
T U E S D A Y
We had a slow start to the morning, because well, Monday was a long night. We lounged out by the pool for a few hours and then went back and got ready to go out to 2nd street (right off Broadway!) for 4th of July celebrations. We had the best time bar hoping, learning how to two step at Wildhorse Saloon, and munching on fried pickles. We were hopping between bars around 9 pm when all the sudden the fireworks started. We had live music behind us and the most beautiful 35 minute firework display in front of us. We finished the night with some ice cream and then one last stop at HQ before calling it a night.
W E D N E S D A Y
For one last hurrah, we started the day early at Monell’s. It is homestyle, classic southern cooking served family style – definitely not a place to be missed! The food is incredible and it’s one of the most unique dining experiences. Then we strolled around the neighborhood and ended up running through the most intense rain storm, again! From there, we took an Uber to East Nashville because it was one of the last neighborhoods we hadn’t gotten a chance to explore. Again, more caffeine. We explored Barista Parlor and both got the iced bourbon vanilla latte (highly recommend it!) and then strolled around the neighborhood. We stepped into boutique stores, old record shops and admired the gorgeous mural paintings.
XX,
A & H
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