You don’t have to love country music to love Nashville. This is an amazing city that I have been lucky enough to visit a few times and always have a great time!

Nashville offers so much to do. It is one of my favorite cities in the US!  From live music, line dancing, bars, shopping, music venues, the Grand Ole Opry, horseback riding, beautiful parks, and more, my favorite is the live music that pours out into the streets with rows and multiple bars playing country rock music. There are so many great bars, how do you choose?

We tried the Whiskey Bent Saloon, that came recommended.  You can always find an up and coming country star playing covers and new music.  We loved the husky voice of a singer named Michael Scott.  We met him and purchased his CD called Radio Song while there.  He covered everything from Luke Bryan to Kenny Chesney.

We had an amazing time over at the Wildhorse Saloon. I love dancing, but never tried line dancing. So I put on my cowboy boots and got my groove on.  The Wildhorse has line dancing lessons daily, so of course we tried it! The World-Famous Wildhorse Saloon is huge with over 66,000 square feet of live music and dancing.  There are three floors of action-packed fun.  We had a great dinner there as well.  Wildhorse is a restaurant, bar, concert site, dance venue, TV studio and they cater.  They have it all!

We stopped in to at least 3-4 bars every night during our visit.  We loved Rippy’s which had great BBQ food and a rooftop patio.  The Stage was huge with two large floors and I heard Toby Keith is a regular. There were other bars we enjoyed like Tootsies, Honky Tonk Central, Bootleggers, and Doc Holidays.  You can’t go wrong if you visit all of them. Of course I had to run over to Coyote Ugly and dance on the bar with the other girls!

Everyone has heard of The Grand Ole Opry. The Grand Ole Opry has more than 90-years history where you can enjoy some of the top country music performers of all time.  You can purchase tickets for shows and concerts or sign up for a backstage tour.  If you want to get up close and personal, try a VIP tour and you can be up on stage as the big red curtain goes up for the first performance of the show!

There is also a Music city trolley hop that has fascinating tours taking people across the great city of Nashville, showcasing some of the most beautiful sites around the Music City. Visitors will be able to see the Country Music Hall of Fame as well as the Parthenon, and others.  I really enjoy tours for every big city to learn more about my visit.

The Gulch is an awesome community in the heart of Nashville.  It’s a dynamic area of urban development and redevelopment on the southwest border of Nashville’s Central Business District. There are unique shops, the coolest bars and clubs and trendy restaurants with outdoor seating.  We had an amazing dinner at the Sambuca where an amazing jazz/blues band played in the background.

While traveling south of Nashville we came across a winery. Arlington Vineyards is a beautiful winery in the rolling hills of Tennessee.  It is owned by country music artisit Kix Brooks, winemaker Kip Summers, and entrepreneur John Russell.  There is a tasting room and retail store.  You can bring in your own picnic basket and bask in the sun on a blanket that overlooks the vineyard and a beautiful view of the city.  I love wine and this is one of the most beautiful winery’s I have seen.

If you love whiskey, then try the Jack Daniels Distillery. For over 200 Years, some of the most famous Tennessee whiskey has been made down in Lynchburg. Not too far of a drive, it is well worth it.  They have daily tours, tasting and shops.

We had an amazing time horseback riding at the Natchez Trace Stables. Natchez is nestled in the rolling hills near Clear Creek Springs.  We rode the horses through beautiful fields and through Lick Creek.  Natchez is just a little less than an hour southwest of Nashville.  Don’t use your GPS.  Read the directions on the website, we got lost.

A friend of mine that lives in Nashville mentioned something that the locals like to do is go to Percy Warner Park.  Percy Warner has a full moon picking party once a month.  Local musicians form small groups and play bluegrass music.  You drink and walk from group to group.  There are also 6 trails of different mileage at Percy Warner park if your interested in hiking, horse trails or scenic walks.

Some of the favorite restaurants for the locals are The Southern, Kayne Prime and Pucketts downtown.  The best place for breakfast is The Row and The Tavern in midtown.  The Row has a bloddy mary bar that is out of this world!  Loveless Café has been in business for over 60 years and people drive for miles for their Hot Biscuits & Country Ham.

Nashville has something for everyone.  Whether you’re looking for a family adventure or a couples getaway, you have to check out Nashville and the surrounding area for fun in the sun!