well folks, nashville made me sick.
literally.
due to my face feeling like it was inflating the entirety of our trip, there was less late-night honky-tonking on this trip than we imagined. this was the first vacation where we took daily afternoon naps and turned in early every night, and i'm not going to lie, it was pretty nice.
hotel beds do a body good.
y'all, nashville is rad. here are some reflections on our trip:
*if you are in a hurry, don't visit nashville. there, you wait. at stop lights, in restaurants, at music venues, everywhere. while sometimes aggravating for an impatient person like myself, it was always, hands down, worth the wait.
*southern soul food is my love language. always has been, but now it's officially official. (and it's always validating when the soul food establishment you visit has received a james beard award).
(my lunch: roast beef, mashed potatoes with jus, turnip greens, creamed corn, cornbread and banana pudding.
his lunch: roast beef, mac and cheese, turnip greens, fried green tomatoes, hot rolls and buttermilk pie).
*nashville is full of retail gems: small boutiques, artist communities, coffee shops, bookstores, quirky resale shops/record stores/galleries. some were weird, but all were wonderful. shopping local is important.
*on a related note, i really thought it would feel weird drinking cold beer in a church pew. it's amazing how fast it becomes not-weird.
*i love a good, stinky, happy hippie. something appeals to me about the attitude, the hugs, the clothes, the patchouli. however, i discovered on this trip that i am not the hugest fan of an entire auditorium full of hippies. the smell, y'all, the smell.
*if you are wondering why i was in an auditorium full of twirling hippies ranging from ages 4-70, we went to see the bands widespread panic and ratdog (aka, bob weir from the grateful dead).
the people watching was phenomenal.
*a hotel can make or break a trip. ours was charming and i was ready to move in.
they had me at hello color-coded books on shelves.
*there is a reason tourists and locals alike wait up to an hour to eat some pancakes.
we closed our eyes and dreamed at night of the sweet potato pancakes at the pancake pantry.
so we went twice.
we closed our eyes and dreamed at night of the sweet potato pancakes at the pancake pantry.
so we went twice.
*jack white is an artsy weirdo. and an overall badass.
*and even though we already knew it in our heart of hearts, we confirmed that for a fact, johnny cash is a super badass.
*when i saw that the country music hall of fame had a special exhibit on reba mcintire, i was skeptical. i was afraid it'd be a tad cheesy.
which it is at times, don't get me wrong, but as a person whose entire childhood had country music playing in the background, i was delighted at every turn.
i was reminded of my pawpaw, my dad, my childhood, and even my adulthood throughout the tour. it was money well spent, in my opinion.
which it is at times, don't get me wrong, but as a person whose entire childhood had country music playing in the background, i was delighted at every turn.
i was reminded of my pawpaw, my dad, my childhood, and even my adulthood throughout the tour. it was money well spent, in my opinion.
*sometimes the "coolest" parts of town are a lot more cool if you wear skinny jeans, suspenders, and sport a handlebar mustache.
since when are we not cool enough to enjoy a nice cup of coffee? is it because of the mom jeans?
since when are we not cool enough to enjoy a nice cup of coffee? is it because of the mom jeans?
*i can always appreciate a delicious restaurant in a crap part of town. it means people are investing in the area and that good things are to come.
nashville is so charming and it captured my heart, despite the constant sinus headache and lack of taylor swift sightings.
have you been? what did you think?
where we ate/drank:
prince's hot chicken shack- burn your mouth off
tootsie's- cold beer, honky-tonk
the pancake pantry-twice, sweet potato pancakes, omg
arnold's- meat and three
the pharmacy- delicious burger
silo- the cocktails were the star
barista parlor- hipster haven
loveless cafe- oh the biscuits
mitchell's deli- that gorgeous banh mi pictured above
where we shopped:
pangea in hillsboro village
the hatchery in five points
kitschy shops on broadway
where we stayed:
I love Nashville! I'm so glad you had a great trip, so sorry you were sick. I'm bookmarking for my next trip so I can try some of the places you went.
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