Think about trying to walk an entire city in one day. Sounds almost impossible, right? Well, if you’re in for an exciting story on how to visit the most popular destinations in Nashville, Tennessee, in a short period of time, you’re in the right place!
By: Elisabell Velazquez
The "Greetings from Nashville, Tennessee" post card mural is across from the parking lot where my family and I parked to tour Nashville.
It was summer 2019 and my family and I were visiting Tennessee for my little brother’s baseball tournament. We would be staying for one week in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. However, my parents took the opportunity to extend our vacation in Tennessee with an additional week as my high school graduation gift. In that week, I could visit any place I wished to see before my brother’s baseball tournament would start the week after. Don’t get me wrong, Pigeon Forge is the epitome of a perfect landscape with mountains and fresh air. However, I could not miss the opportunity of visiting Nashville while staying in Tennessee. Two days after settling in our lodge, my family and I drove from Pigeon Forge to Nashville, a total of around 3 1/2 hours. We woke up at 6 a.m. and arrived to Nashville at around 9:30 a.m. Why so early? Well, we wanted to visit as many places as possible in one day. I’m not a morning person but I must add the early morning trip was totally worth it as the views were breathtaking.
From the moment we entered Nashville, I could feel how my day would be a joyful and energy-filled day. Because Nashville is a tourist destination, there were plenty of parking lots located in the center of the city. My family parked near Loser’s Bar and Grill. We paid $20 for the entire day and from there, we began walking around the Music City.
If you only have one day to travel Nashville as I did, I suggest you prepare a thorough itinerary beforehand and prepare for an adventure-filled day.
The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum has a room with replicas of old records and one can listen to the songs by clicking on a red button located on each record.
Music
Nashville is known as the Music City and it truly is the city where no matter where you are walking, you can hear street artists and professional artists playing music. Nashville is well-known for the start of the career of many artists, especially country singers. If you visit Nashville, you cannot miss visiting the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. The museum has various ticket options. My family and I purchased the Museum Experience, which included the general museum admission and an audio tour. I highly recommend the audio tour as it ensures that you do not miss a single detail or exhibit.
From the replicas of the records to the clothes and personal belongings of the artists to their cars. The fact of knowing that I was in the city where Elvis Presley, Dolly Parton and other artists recorded many of their musical successes gave me chills. Not only does the museum feature older artists but it also features modern artists such as Taylor Swift. The museum has a designated area called the Taylor Swift Education Center. The center features three classrooms where workshops are held, a videoconference lab and an interactive gallery designed to educate people of all ages about the culture of country music and how it evolved.
The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum truly attracts one's attention. If you're a music fan, I truly recommend visiting the museum as you are guaranteed nothing that is not joy.
The "Nashville Looks Good On You" mural is inside of the Downtown Sporting Club, which is a restaurant, bar and hotel.
Art
Music is not the only feature that distinguishes Nashville from other cities. Its murals and wall art are a staple that everyone must see. There is art all over Nashville, and walls too waiting for you to form a part of a line to take a picture for Instagram.
The WhatLiftsYou mural in Nashville, TN, is the largest painting artist Kelsey Montague has ever done. The wings are 20 feet high.
One of the most popular murals in Nashville is the #WhatLiftsYou wall. The mural was created by Kelsey Monteague. The wall features a large butterfly and a small butterfly. Here, people take photos and many upload them to social media. I am not going to lie, I did have to wait in line to take a picture here but it was not as bad as I thought it would be! There were around 10 people in line and while they were taking pictures, I simply admired the art which is even more impressive in person.
The I Believe in Nashville wall on 12th Avenue South displays the Tennessee state flag.
Another mural you must not miss is the I Believe in Nashville wall. There are two walls with the "I Believe in Nashville" artwork in the city. I visited the Nashville Original located on 12th Avenue South. The meaning of the "I Believe in Nashville" mural goes deeper than what is seen with the eye. Adrien Saporiti is the artist who created the mural with the intention of representing not only Nashville's history of the 2010 flood but also depicting the unified and strong culture of the city as a whole.
Nashville is definitely a colorful city. With murals on almost every wall, created by different artists with specific meanings, Nashville's art encourages you to embark on a so-called mission around the city's streets looking to find each one without missing a detail. Without a doubt, by the end of the day, I felt like I had walked through a maze and had experienced a different aspect of Nashville in each mural I observed.
Architecture
The Parthenon in Centennial Park is visible from Vanderbilt University as the buildings are 4 minutes away from one another.
After walking the streets of Nashville looking for each mural, my family and I decided to visit The Parthenon in Centennial Park. Unfortunately, we arrived too late to enter the museum. However, we toured around the exterior of the monument and observed the beauty of the architecture. As the name implies, The Parthenon is a replica of the original Parthenon in Athens, Greece. The replica is also known as Nashville's art museum. The tickets to enter the museum are $6 for adults and $4 for children and seniors. The monument's art and architecture is representative of the original Parthenon and classical architecture.
The John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge connects downtown Nashville to the residential suburbs of East Nashville.
While walking around Nashville, I could not miss walking across the John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge, formerly known as the Shelby Street Pedestrian Bridge. The bridge's design is unique with a modern touch and it provides an amazing view of Nashville's skyline. I highly recommended visiting the John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge and absorbing all of Nashville.
Food
Street artists perform for tips at the local bars in Nashville, many with hopes of one day recording their own music.
From fried pickles to barbecue, Nashville has all of your favorite southern dishes. And yes! While you are eating, you are also listening to live music. Rippy's Bar and Grill is one of the many corner bars that feature live country music in Nashville. With a southern style menu, Rippy's Bar and Grill's special main dish is the smoked ribs dish. So yummy! Rippy's Bar and Grill represents Nashville's culture not only with its cuisine but the live music as well. Now, you tell me, what's better than eating ribs and listening to music all at the same place? Rippy's Bar and Grill's exceptional service deserves recognition and I definitely recommend it to anyone visiting Nashville.
There are a total of 7 Five Daughters Bakeries, two in Atlanta, GA and five in Nashville, TN. This is the Five Daughters Bakery located in 12th South.
After eating my smoked ribs' meal, my family and I went to the aesthetic and delicious Five Daughters Bakery. From the moment you enter the bakery, one can smell the freshness of the hand-crafted donuts. The Five Daughters Bakery is well-known for its 100-layer donuts which I must say are amazing! My favorite was the lemon poppy seed donut. The donuts are exclusive for each month which means there are many flavors depending on the season.
So many places, so little time . . . but everything is possible!
Nashville truly lives up to its name as Music City with its energy and culture.
After a long day of walking around Nashville and visiting popular destinations, I fell in love with the Music City and am hoping to visit again in the future. Visiting Nashville was an experience that I will never forget and I hope your experience in Nashville is as exciting!