12–14 April 2019

For Spring Break this year we took the opportunity to get back on the road, this time to explore Nashville and Gatlinburg, Tennessee.

Nashville, the Capital of Tennessee, is known by many names, the Capital of Country Music, Music City USA, and Nash Vegas amongst others. It is one of the United States’ unique destinations.

It didn’t take long for us to understand why they call it Nash Vegas. Outside of Las Vegas, we’ve never seen so many bachelorette parties – limos, buses, party wagons everywhere we looked up and down Broadway.

Downtown Nashville

Music City USA is a more obvious nickname. Live music rings out throughout downtown streets and alleys. Similar to the Blues in Memphis and Jazz in New Orleans, Country Music largely defines Nashville’s image. This was a family trip so we didn’t spend time in the juke-joints and honky-tonks that line the streets; instead we concentrated on the town’s history and quirky sites.

Nashville Capitol Mall

Centennial Park located downtown, north of Vanderbilt University, was a bit of a disappointment. The park’s size and location in this vibrant town felt like an opportunity lost. Its highlight, the Parthenon, was worth the effort though. The full-scale replica of the original in Athens, Greece, was built in 1897 as part of the Tennessee Centennial Exposition.

Centennial Park

Nashville is filled with current and historically significant landmarks of Country Music. The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum, Ryman Auditorium, Johnny Cash Museum, Music Row, The Grand Ole Opry, Bluebird Café, and Third Man Records top the list.

Country Music Hall of Fame

Third Man Records (Jack White of the White Stripes)

The Grand Ole Opry

Antique Archaeology (American Pickers TV Show)