Heading to Nashville and trying to figure out what to do? Well here are a few things I recommend to do when in Nashville, Tennessee.

I recently spent my birthday weekend in Nashville. I’m a January baby and boy oh boy.. Baby it was cold outside! The news was predicting a “Snow-gedden” and many places were planning to close due to the snow storm. We decided to go ahead with our plans and I am glad that we didn’t cancel our trip. The night we flew in, it was raining and the following morning we woke up to snow but nothing like some of the storms that I have been in other places.

Nashville has been on my USA bucket list for a few years and when I read that Allegiant Airlines is now offering a direct flight from Palm Springs, Ca. I decided that it was time to check out Music City!

* Tip- check all your local airports for the best deals and sign up for numerous airlines emails. They post radon flash sales all the time

Getting around Town-Car rental

Nashville doesn’t get Snow to often, but go figure… My birthday weekend it Snowed! I love the Snow but honestly had not planned for Nashville to be a Snow trip. I must of repacked my outfits 4x for the trip!! So if you plan to visit during the Fall and Winter months, prepare for the weather to change last minute. I also had planned to not rent a car this trip and just use Uber or walk. But of course, with the Snow and cold weather I decided that booking a car would be the best option.

I shopped around like I always do and finally found a good rate. It seems that Car rentals are very expensive right now. I tried all my normal discount sites but the deal that I went with was from Tmobile Tuesday. If you are a Tmobile user, every Tuesday new deals are posted on an app. There is a weekly special for car rental discounts. I decided to take advantage of the deal. It was half the price of the other rates that I was quoted. Renting a car was more convenient for me on this trip but there are many different options for getting around town there is even a Hop on and off trolley tour that stops at 15 spots around the City.

Hotel-Lodging

I like to be adventurous and normally we don’t stay at one place the whole time we are on a trip. We were there for 3 full days and 4 nights. Each night we were at a different hotel. Honestly though,if you plan to stay just in Nashville I would suggest to stick with one hotel. Moving around each day can be difficult. I used my hotel reward points and credit card points for most of our stays. Hilton Airport, The Kimpton, Hotel Indigo and Glo by BW.

Out of the 4 hotels our favorite was The Kimpton. Service was exceptional, lobby was welcoming and rooms were clean, nicely decorated and the hotel had a boutique vibe to it. If you are looking for a budget accommodation near the airport (great for late night or early morning flights) I do recommend Glo by Best Western. It is a newer hotel and very affordable. They offer a free shuttle to/from the airport and free breakfast. The rooms were clean and the Staff was very friendly.

I am a member of a few hotel chains “reward member program” and if you travel alot highly recommend to sign up. The program is nice because depending on what level you are, you receive different perks such as early check in, upgrades, free breakfast, snacks, water, etc. One of the programs I belong to is the IHG hotel group and Kimpton is part of the hotel group. I had a great experience at this hotel.

Upon check in we were not only greeted with a warm welcome but we were also upgraded to a corner balcony room with a view. (I highly recommend this room!) The staff was also so kind and left me a Birthday card along with a bottle of “bubbly” to enjoy that evening. The lobby has a beautiful fireplace and sitting area. And there is an onsite restaurant. We had breakfast there the following morning and it was delicious. Nightly rates on this hotel vary. I definitely suggest to shop around on different sites like HotelTonight, Snap travel,etc and remember that when you search on your phone using Google then “mobile rates” pop up and you can track rates.

What to Wear

What to pack depends on the time of the year. Like I mentioned above, I packed and re-packed due to the cold weather. Warmer months- sundresses and sandals, shorts and boots. Then colder months- sweaters and jeans seemed to be the perfect outfit for most. I would suggest in the Fall & Winter months to pack a warm jacket,warm shoes, gloves and beanie.

Nashville is a laid back City and honestly you can dress any way you want! We had a few nice dinners and I felt a little over dressed compared to some.

“Currently” face masks are optional and not mandatory in some places throughout the City. But I will share that most tours and Museums require a mask at all times.

Budget-What to expect to pay

Please remember that this is just an “estimate” of average prices. You are sure to spend more or less while in Nashville and make note that during peak season prices do go up.

Cocktails– range from an average  of $6-12 (Happy Hour) and $12 to $18- depending on where you go (Plus tip)

Beer– $7-$12 each

Parking– varies from a few dollars for street parking to $5- $25 for lot parking.

Valet– average of $25-$60 if it is “valet parking” at hotel. If not then most places are $3-$5 for tip.

Hotels Downtown– peak/off peak varies from $185-$500 for a moderate hotel.

Hotels near airport -$105-$200 for basic accommodations

Airbnbs– average $220 a night

Uber– approximately $15-30 (local)

Taxi– flat rate of $25 plus extra fee P.P

Rental Car– EXPENSIVE! tripadvisor says-$153 a day. I found the average to be $60+

Food– $12-18 on average at a restaurant. I thought the food pricing was affordable compared to California.

Activities

As far as activities- I searched groupon for discounts on local attractions and also read forums to see if there were any current deals. Vacation is expensive but it CAN be AFFORDABLE! you just need to know some of the tricks to save $ money.

There is so much to do in Nashville and honestly 3 days was not enough time for us. We were able to see and do a lot, but next time I would like to stay an extra day.

Nashville has much more to do then just going out “honky tonking” at the local bars.

There are: Food tours, Museums, Parks,Capitol Building,Breweries, Distilleries,Shopping, Historical Sites, Brunch spots, Live music venues, Murals, City tours, Party buses, Hiking, Classes and so much more! The foodie scene there is huge too. There are so many independent restaurants which I love to see instead of chain restaurants.

The music scene there is amazing! Every where you go there is live music… cafes, coffee houses, bars, restaurants, hotels, street corners and music halls. I encourage you to plan ahead if you would like to visit a specific place. Most popular restaurants and music venues require advanced reservations.

Nashville is a pretty safe and walkable City. The main attractions are all downtown and easy to walk or Uber too. The airport is about a 15 minute drive to downtown. Some hotels near the airport offer free shuttle service to/from the airport. I also heard that taxis charge a flat rate of $25 plus an extra fee per person. I am not to sure if this is correct though because we only used our rental car.

3 days in Nashville

This 3 day itinerary is the perfect way to spend time in this beautiful City. There is so much to do that I am sure you will want to return time and time again. When I found a cheap flight I had to jump on the deal. Arriving Saturday evening and flying back home early Wednesday morning gave me 3 full days to explore the City.

1st night

• Car rental
• Drinks/dessert Mockingbird
• Drove around City
• Late night snack at White Castle
• Checked into hotel & had cocktails

Day 1

• Free breakfast at hotel
• Drove around looking at sites-Capitol,neighborhoods, University
• Grand Ole Opry (self guided tour)
• Gaylord Opry Resort (toured resort)
• Stopped at Cooters (Dukes of Hazard) for photo
• Photo ops at Murals
• Old smokey distillery tasting
• Dinner & show at Skulls Rainbow room
• Walked around printers alley
• Drove around looking at sights
• Stopped in a few bars on Broadway

Day 2

• Quick breakfast at hotel restaurant
• Hatch Print Tour
• Studio B tour
• Country Music Hall of Fame
• Lunch, drinks & live music at Johnny Cash bar & cafe
• Live music at The Listening Room
• Drove around town looking at all the action
• Photo ops at murals
• Drove to State Penitentiary
• Cocktails at hotel lounge

Day 3

• Fast food -Bojangles for breakfast
• Jack Daniels distillery tour
• Drove through the town of Lynchburg
• Stopped at a Historical Landmark- Civil war cemetery, battleground and Hoods Retreat
• Drove through the town of Franklin & checked out a few stores
• Belle Meade plantation
• Elders BBQ for dinner
• Headed to main drag- Broadway one last time for music and souvenirs
• Checked into hotel & dropped off rental car at airport

Last day-Flight home

• Grabbed a quick free hotel breakfast, boarded shuttle & early morning flight

Breakdown of the 3 day itinerary

Flight was easy and we even arrived shortly before the planned time. Allegiant was an easy airline to travel on and Palm Springs Airport is one of my favorites to fly in/out of. Being that this is a new route from PSP to BNA the flight was a very light flight. I think we may have had a total of 30 or less passengers. The cabin was clean and the flight attendants were nice. Snacks and drinks were available by purchase only. The flight was less then 4 hours. I downloaded a few shows from Netflix on my phone and that kept me busy. Of course, my husband was next to me asleep! Anyone else that can’t sleep on a flight? I REALLY wish I could!

First Night Adventure

Once we arrived at the Airport is was a smooth transition. The airport is pretty user friendly. As soon as we entered the airport lobby I heard live music and I knew we were in Nashville! As I mentioned above I reserved our car online and pick up was hassle free. The only complaint I have is that we waited in line at a service desk only to find out it wasn’t the correct place. There was only one open kiosk and that desk agent did not service all of the rental companies. So after the long wait we had to go downstairs to the garage. It was raining when we arrived in Nashville so we had to deal with a few sprinkles while walking to the rental garage. But the pick up was great and no issues with extra charges.

* TIP- remember to book your rental car with the credit card that offers car rental insurance that way you don’t need to add the extra coverage. Also the name on the contract and card need to match.

After the airport we had a reservation at a very popular place called Mockingbirds. I read a lot about this restaurant and it can be difficult to get reservations, so I was happy that our flight arrived on time and we had a chance to check this place out.

Mockingbirds-Modern fare, global cuisine and delicious fun is what some people say! The best part of the evening was meeting one of the owners, Mikey. Such a sweetheart he was so kind and brought me a Birthday dessert and a glass of bubbly! The modern diner is led by the talented culinary duo of Chef Brian Reggenbach and front of the house extraordinaire Mikey Corona who are also Partners in this project. If you watch the cooking show “Chopped”, Brian won on Season 24. We had appetizers, cocktails and dessert but they do offer a full menu and I heard they have an awesome brunch. There was plenty of parking available the evening we were there.

Once we were relaxed and had a full belly we decided to take advantage of the night (who needs sleep right?!). We drove around town scoping things out. It’s nice to see the City come to life at night. On the way back to the hotel my husband spotted a “White Castle”. We don’t have this chain in Southern California and whenever we are in an area that has a different popular fast food joint, we always check it out. I wasn’t hungry but he grabbed a late night snack at White Castle. (They look and probably taste just like the ones you find in the freezer section at the store).

It was getting late and honestly by this time it had been a very long day and I was ready to check into the hotel. The hotel wasn’t to impressive so I won’t share much about it. It was an older dated Hilton near the airport. The best part of the stay though was a very nice gentleman at breakfast the following morning. I am not to sure if he was the host or the breakfast restaurant manager but he was ever so kind.

Our first full day in Nashville

I had a few breakfast restaurants on my list that I really wanted to try out but I had to weigh the decision- Good breakfast spot and waste a few hours or quick hotel breakfast and spend more time seeing the town? As a foodie this was a hard choice! Sightseeing won and Free breakfast at the hotel it was.

*TIP– FREE Breakfast? Some hotel chains offer free breakfast for all guests and some offer a free breakfast if you are a “rewards member”. If you are grabbing a quick bite to eat this is a great option. Make note though that not all Hotels participate in this program

After we checked out at the Hilton property we decided to check in early to the new hotel and drop off our items. At that time I wasn’t to sure how safe the car would be and if we wanted to risk a break-in. I will tell you though that most places we parked I felt safe. But as with anywhere, always use caution.

We headed across town to the wonderful Kimpton property. Kimpton is part of the IHG hotel group which also includes the Best Western brand. Kimpton is one of the elite boutique hotels and they are normally very nice. We have stayed at a few including the one in San Diego,as well as Salt Lake City and we were very pleased with both stays. This location in Nashville definitely did not disappoint.

From the moment we walked into the lobby we were greeted not only by a warm fireplace but also the wonderful staff. Check in was easy, I was offered early check in as a IHG reward member (being a member does have its perks!). Kindness is also key! We got upgraded to a very nice corner room with a balcony and amazing view. They offer complimentary water and coffee in the lobby, as well as there is a gourmet restaurant on site. We had breakfast there the next morning and it was delicious. We really liked this hotel and would stay there again when visiting Nashville.

After we checked in and dropped our items off in our room, we wanted to go out and explore. Just as we were heading out, tiny little snowflakes started to fall. Such a beautiful view from our huge balcony windows. We took a moment to enjoy it and then we headed out in the rental car exploring.

We started off by driving around town checking things out. Then we headed on the freeway to the next stop. (about 15 minutes away. *You do need a rental car or you can Uber there for approximately $25-$45. Public transportation is also available).

Our first stop was Grand Ole Opry. No I did not buy tickets ahead of time. I wasn’t to sure how busy it would be and I really didn’t want to be in a crowded space. I’ve also read good and bad reviews on the tour. I decided I would just wait and see how the day went. Good thing that I didn’t spend the money for the tour because the actual tour was not open the day we were there. A lot of places closed due to the snowstorm.

As far as if it is worth visiting, I can’t speak from personal experience but from what I’ve read, its basically 50/50 on the reviews. Some enjoy it and some say it was a waste of time and money. I will tell you though that I had the time of my life visiting even though I didn’t have a chance to go inside for a tour. Just knowing that I was standing in front of the Grand Ole Opry was enough for me! It was freezing outside but I bundled up and walked around the pavilion. Lots of places to take photos and like I said, just being there was good enough for me. I posted some of the photos from our time there on my instagram page. #chasingthesunshineblog

We spent about 45 minutes there and then headed over to the Gaylord Opryland Resort. I want to start off by saying that I read a lot of reviews and also some helpful tips on this place and I would like to share a few with you. I will add the info after I tell you a little more about the resort. This iconic resort is worth visiting. I had originally booked a night there and then canceled but after we toured the property I wish that I would have kept the reservation.

You definitely get a thumbs up from me on this unique luxury property. It reminded me of Hawaii and Las Vegas combined. The lobby was grand and after you pass through the lobby you are transformed into another world a 4.5 acre atrium. A tropical setting that reminds me of a Vegas hotel. Shops everywhere, lots of restaurants,live music, waterfalls, there is an arcade and water park on site and that is just a few of the things available. So much to see and do there. Great choice if you have the kids with you and want to keep them busy.

This resort is a Marriott property, so if you have points to use you can redeem the points at this resort. Rates vary during the season so I suggest to shop around on different hotel sites. During Christmas time this place is transformed into a Winter Wonderland that offers an array of holiday activities and fun.

• Parking is expensive. It doesn’t matter if you are a day guest or staying the night. The rate is around $30-$40 a day.
• You can park for free near the convention center. It was raining so we were not to sure exactly where the area to park was located, but I’ve heard from numerous people that you can park for free and walk.
• If you are just visiting for the day then I would allow yourself 1- 2 hours to walk around the resort.
• There is a mall right next door between Grand Ole Opry and the resort. There is also a lot to see in do in that shopping center.

There are a few more things to see and do in that general area but we were strapped for time. So we took a quick minute to stop by Cooters Place (Dukes of Hazard). It is near the exit of the resort and down the main road. I snapped a few photos and then we were off to the next stop.

Next stop on the list was Murals.I really wanted to see all of the mural art work that Nashville has to offer but they have so many great spots that we were only able to get through a handful.

Tip- You may see a mural online in an article, blog or instagram. Unfortunately not all murals stay. There were at least 10 murals that I was dying to see. We went on a wild goose chase looking for them, only to find out that they had been painted over! (insert sad face)

After we stopped at numerous murals to take photos and appreciate the artwork, the next place on my list was Old Smokey Distillery. This actually was one of my favorite things that we did while in Nashville. Have you ever had moonshine? Whether you answered yes or no, you need to check this place out.

Half of the building is a huge restaurant and sports bar and the other half is a gift shop and tasting room. This 30,000 foot distillery is the Worlds most visited distillery and I am sure the flavors will blow your mind! A tasting costs $10 and includes a few small samples of different flavors of moonshine,a craft beer and some history on moonshine and one or two funny stories from your bartender! Our tasting barista was a blast!

TIP- Not only do you get to sample some moonshine but the $10 tasting is good for $10 towards something in the gift shop. And if it’s your birthday… Make sure to show your ID because you get a FREE tasting! We spent about 1.5 -2 hrs here. I would of stayed longer but we had dinner reservations we had to get to.

That evening we had a nice dinner planned for my birthday. I had booked reservations at Skulls Rainbow Room. Another hard place to get a reservation at and it was voted one of the top 100 places to eat in the USA so I was really excited to dine there especially with all the wonderful things I heard about the place. I wont be a Debbie Downer but I will be honest, I didn’t feel it lived up to the hype.

The restaurant had a cool decor and a classy bar vibe to it and I definitely felt some “energy” while in there (I did not know at the time but apparently there is some “history” of this there). My overall experience wasn’t something that I would rave about but then again, service varies and how chefs prepare the dishes. The cocktails were nothing special, but my soup was amazing! I had a lobster bisque that was very tasty. My husband had a steak dinner. The steak was cooked perfect but the presentation wasn’t the best. I expected the food to be plated a little different, especially being that it was a nicer dinner spot. We also had to wait 10 minutes past the actual time that the steak arrived to our table. My husband wasn’t able to eat his meal because he did not have a knife. They had live music that evening but I had planned to see the burlesque show but for some reason we had the dates wrong. My experience doesn’t mean you will have the same so if the menu interests you, I say give it a try!

Since 1948, Skull’s Rainbow Room has been the cornerstone of Nashville’s legendary Printer’s Alley. Founded by David “Skull” Schulman, the restaurant and nightclub has featured artists such as Etta James, Elvis Presley, Patsy Cline, Johnny Cash, Paul McCartney and Bob Dylan on the legendary checkerboard stage. They are proud to continue Skull’s historic legacy with a critically acclaimed menu, live jazz music nightly and burlesque performances.

After dinner, we walked around Printers Alley. It looks different at night with all the lights. There are a few food spots and also bars in that area. Live music and laughter spilled from the walls. After that we went down to the main drag to check out the bars. We walked around for a bit but with the snow I was freezing! By that time we decided to go back to our room and enjoy the beautiful view from the balcony. Plus we had a bottle of “bubbly” waiting for us courtesy of the hotel staff.

Day 2 in Nashville

You’re probably wondering, wow! They did all of that in one day? Well guess what? Everyday is full of adventure with us! The following morning after a great night in our beautiful room we woke up to it snowing outside. Of course this was beautiful to view, but we had places to go and people to see! We had a quick breakfast at the hotel restaurant (approximately $24 for the both of us) then headed out the door and over to day 2 which was full of tours! I booked tours at Hatch Print Show, Studio B and Country Music Hall of Fame. I have a detailed blog on all three of these tours https://www.chasingthesunshineblog.com/3-must-see-attractions-in-nashville/. You can click the link to read all about our experience. I will say though that it was a great experience. I highly suggest to check these 3 places out when in Nashville.

By the time we finished the tours it was late afternoon. We were starving!!! The main drag is 2 blocks away. So we walked over and had lunch & drinks at Johnny Cash’s BBQ & Beer. Don’t laugh but this was one of my favorite meals while in Nashville. Honestly I was very surprised! I knew I wanted to check out the museum and cafe but I wasn’t to sure about eating there. I had the idea that it was going to be pre-made food like you would get at a chain restaurant. I was wrong! Service was great and our meal was pipping hot and delicious! It had a Southern homemade style to it. Of course we had to have a cocktail. Don’t let the disposable plastic cups fool you. The drinks were on point! 2nd favorite cocktail on our trip. There was also a band playing and it was cool to get the chance to hear some live music.

TIP- I’ve been told it can get kind of rowdy there at night. So if you want to keep it low key then stop in for lunch like we did.

After our late lunch we checked in to the next hotel. Hotel Indigo which is also a IHG hotel. (I also used my reward points for this stay). Hotel Indigo is an older hotel and currently going through major renovation (January 2022). The hotel staff was amazing but I wouldn’t recommend staying there during renovation (I would call to check).

Later in evening we had tickets to see Live music at the Listening Room. It started in 2006 as a simple idea and now is a popular spot to grab some good food and listen to some amazing upcoming talent. The listening room is a small intimate musical experience were you get to listen to live music by songwriters. The evening we were there the showcased artist was a group of female singer/songwriters called Song Suffragettes. It was a cool experience and if you like live music I would check this place out.

You can find out who will be showcased by going to their website.www.listeningroom.com.

I booked tickets ahead of time because shows can sell out. There is a ticket price and they also have a minimum purchase of food or alcohol. I think it was around $15. We did order drinks and food while we watched the show. Service was great and the food and cocktails were good.

After the show the night was still young, we drove around town and stopped at a few murals. We also drove by the Capitol building and a few other touristy spots. I even had my husband drive out to the State Penitentiary (obviously we could only see it at a distance). Yeah I know… weird right? But hey… I like to see all that the City has to offer and this Penitentiary was in a few famous movies like “The Green Mile” and “Walk the Line”.

We had to get up early the next day because we were headed to our next destination which was about 1.5 hours away from Nashville. So we went back to our hotel and grabbed cocktails at our hotel lounge. The bartender made an exceptional Old Fashioned. He even added the signature cherry and orange twist. These cocktails were our #1 favorite drink on the trip. My favorite part of this hotel was the lounge (IHG Elite Member = 2 free cocktails!)

Day 3

No time to eat at a sit down breakfast. Who needs breakfast when you have whiskey?!! We decided to grab a bite to eat on our way out of town. We stopped at Bojangles drive-thru for breakfast. This chain is not available in Southern California, so like I mentioned before we always like to try local places even fast food. For $3 we got a flaky fresh biscuit that had sausage, egg and cheese along with a order of hash brown nuggets. The food wasn’t bad but the price is what had me dancing for joy! Seriously in California this would of been $8.00.

I thought that by this time we would need to fill up the gas tank with all the driving but the rental car was very economical and we only needed 2 gallons of gas. AND the gas in Nashville was $2 LESS a gallon then in California. CRAZY!!

We threw on some tunes and happily made our way in our little “roller skate” (my nickname for our rental car) down the freeway. It was nice to see other parts of Tennessee just on the outskirts of Nashville. We went threw some very small towns, countryside and suburbs. It was a beautiful drive.

1.5 hrs later we made it to Lynchburg, Tennessee to tour the Jack Daniels Distillery. Lynchburg is a VERY small town. I joked with my husband and said that I think the distillery property is larger. As soon as you enter the town you will see the entrance to the distillery. The property is very well maintained, organized and beautiful. The day of our tour it was a quiet day so it was nice that we were able to avoid larger crowds. I decided that we would go in and check in for our tour and after the guided tour then we would check out the rest of the areas on the property.

We all know “Jack”, and I am sure he has been your best friend a time or two! If you are contemplating taking the tour I say- do it! It’s worth the time, money and drive. The tour is led by a personal guide and it is very informative. Not only do you get to hear about the distillery but you also get to experience the history. This walking tour brings you all around the property and also into the actual barrel rooms and processing area. It was a great day, My husband and I loved the tour.

I have a more in-depth look at the tour on my blog (COMING SOON). Click here to read all about the details of our tour.

• I would plan on being there around 2-3 hours
• The tour is 1.5 hours and you may want to check out the grounds, purchase gifts and tour the museum section of the distillery.
• I wouldn’t recommend this tour for children or for anyone that has difficulty walking. There are stairs, inclines and some tight spots during the tour.
• There are a few tours to choose from. They are both very similar but one has a different selection of whiskey to taste.
• I suggest to Book online in advance
• If you do not have a rental car there are several different tour companies that have packages available.

After we were finished at the distillery we took a quick drive down the road to see the “Town”. You can actually walk there but we were on a “schedule” and I knew if we walked then we would loose track of time looking at all the cool shops.

The town of Franklin was our next stop. I was excited to see this town. I heard it had so much charm and I wanted to see it in person. I didn’t have enough time in the actual town of Franklin because on our way there I found out that there were 2 other spots that I had to stop at.

Franklin, Tennessee has a unique blend of history and new growth. Founded in 1799 and named after Benjamin Franklin. One of the bloodiest battles in the Civil War took place here, bringing thousands of historic tourists each year to visit the site of the Battle of Franklin, Carnton, the Carter House and many other historic locations throughout the City.

Located just 21 miles out of Nashville, Franklin is known for its vibrant music scene, lively festivals, and historic main street. It is the seventh largest city in Tennessee with a population of nearly 70,000 people. Franklin is home to a handful of prestigious universities, several large corporations, and some prominent entertainment venues.

The 2 other areas that I had to stop at are Historical landmarks. We have a passion for seeing and feeling where History was made. We have had the chance over the years to visit many amazing historical spots so I had to squeeze these 2 places in. My oldest Son is a History Major at UC Berkeley, so that definitely shows that our family has a passion for this.

I knew ahead of time that it may be emotional and hard for me to visit. I am glad that I did.

Historical Landmark- Civil War Hoods Retreat and Cemetery, Carton and Carter House.

As the evening approached we knew this was our last full day in Nashville and there was so much more we wanted to experience! This is when I knew that we should of added 1 more day to our itinerary. On our way back to Nashville, we went a different route and drove through a few more towns,suburbs, countryside and even a very upscale neighborhood with beautiful mansions.

When we got back into Nashville we stopped at Belle Meade Plantation. They had just ended the last tour but I was determined to at least get a sneak peek. We walked the property but we were not able to actually go on a guided tour.

Can you believe that this was our last day and we had not yet had BBQ? Dinner was at Edleys BBQ which is one of the top spots for BBQ. the food was great and the prices were very reasonable. After we got our grub on we knew the night was coming to an end, so we headed back to the main drag to buy souvenirs and to say good-bye to the City of Nashville.

The Night before our flight

We checked into another hotel that was super close to the airport. It’s a newer hotel and part of the Best Western family of hotels. GLO is very similar to Hiltons brand- TRU. ( I also used reward points for the nights stay). The accommodations at this hotel were great for the budget traveler. Affordable and clean. They offer a free airport shuttle as well as a free hot breakfast. I also want to point out that the staff here was the most friendly out of all the places that we stayed during our trip to Nashville.

Once we checked in my husband dropped the car rental off at the airport and took the shuttle back to the hotel. While he was doing that task, I was busy “re-packing” for our trip back home the next morning.

Morning of flight

We all dread the day we have to fly back home. But if you are like me, then that means that you need to start planning your next getaway!

We grabbed a quick breakfast while we waited in the lobby for our shuttle to arrive. I’d like to add that our shuttle driver was amazing!

I was really happy with our trip and everything worked out smoothly. If I could change anything it would of been to be able to add a little extra time to see some more sights and definitely hit more foodie spots! But as you can tell by our itinerary we definitely packed in A LOT in the 3 days we were there.

I hope these tips as well as all the other information that I have shared helps you plan the “Perfect Nashville Trip”. Please drop by my IG page #chasingthesunshineblog and share your story with me about the places that you had a chance to visit.

Yes… Travel is Worth It!

Yes, travel does cost money BUT if you spend the time to research and plan then you can save a lot of money. Travel CAN be affordable! I get “those looks” sometimes and hear from others…

“She’s traveling AGAIN”?! and the answer is.…

YES, I AM!!! For me, travel heals the Soul! I enjoy nice things and I live a decent life, but honestly I would rather spend money on travel then an super expensive handbag. Travel is not only healing but you are making memories. You cant put a price on that!

My older Son is a History Major. We exposed him early on to museums, events, travel, and now he has a huge appreciation for those things. Of course we did the typical fun kid stuff too and loved hitting up the theme parks! But exposing your children to different cultures, food, art and more is worth more to me than materialistic things. My younger Son thanked me a few days ago for all the fun experiences that we have been able to experience. He also had a deep conversation with me about how seeing the World has taught him a lot and he is very thankful. It was very touching and made me happy to know that even though it may seem “boring” to a kid at times, they really do appreciate it.

Whether it is Solo, Couple or a Family trip- Memories are to be made and travel is important, it teaches us so much. Get out there and explore!!!!!

Until the next adventure my friends…

Much love! Stay safe and healthy XO

Check out my other stories on Nashville

https://www.chasingthesunshineblog.com/3-must-see-attractions-in-nashville/

https://www.chasingthesunshineblog.com/nashville-on-a-budget/