You may be surprised just how much you can cram into a weekend in Nashville! Sure, longer is great, but sometimes you only have a weekend to spare.

That was the case for a friend and me when we took a road trip from Ohio. We had Friday evening, all day Saturday, and till about noon Sunday to spend in town. And we packed in quite a bit!

Granted, we didn’t do any tours because, with a limited time, we didn’t want to have to work around a set schedule. The main point of our trip was to meet up with a friend, and we wanted the flexibility to work around that. But even then, we still managed to see quite a few areas of town.

This was our itinerary…

Our Hotel

First things first, we checked into our hotel to drop off our things before heading out for dinner. We chose Hilton Nashville Green Hills, which is about 15 minutes SW of downtown Nashville. Since we were driving down from Ohio and thus had a car available to us, this was an easy drive to downtown. Plus, it helped reduce the cost of the hotel a bit since we weren’t staying in downtown hotels.

The hotel was beautiful! Heck, you could do a photoshoot in their lobby if you wanted to. (And we did.)

Admittedly, we didn’t take advantage of a lot of the great features of the hotel – we were too busy exploring the downtown area. But they do have a rooftop pool and bar (April-October), as well as a restaurant and bar and lounge. There’s also a fitness area, and they’re only a short drive from the famous Bluebird Café.

A glimpse of the beauty that is Arrington Vineyards. These large casks greet you at the entrance and are a perfect photo opp!

Friday Evening: Arrington Vineyards

OK, so Arrington Vineyards isn’t quite in Nashville, but it’s only about a half-hour south, and many travel guides mention it. Plus, it’s co-owned by country music star Kix Brooks of Brooks & Dunn, so that’s pretty appropriate for the Nashville theme.

Our goal for Friday evening had been to find a place with good food and live music. And this place delivered!

Oh my gosh this place is gorgeous! Two picturesque, large wooden casks greet you as you pull into the parking lot. Behind one of the casks lies a section of their vineyards. At the base of the hill is a wooden stand where the live bands play, and a gently rolling hill up from that has picnic tables or space for picnic blankets to be spread out while you drink and enjoy the sunset over the vineyards.

There were a couple food options the day we were there. Simply Living Life offers charcuterie boards, flatbreads, and the like. There was Pie Town Tacos the day we went, as well as another food truck with woodfired pizza. We opted for the tacos, and they were delicious! Another food truck offered coffee and dessert. So pretty much a little bit of everything!

There were a few options as to how to get your drinks. You could order a flight (white, red, sweet, or mixed), a wine slushy, or by the bottle. Sadly they don’t do by the glass. Aaaand you can only get one flight per person per day… I guess that’s a state law. The flights are $14, or complimentary if you’re part of the wine club. Slushies are $12 each, or $11 if you’re a wine club member.

A couple things to note… The live music is every weekend April through November, and Food Truck Fridays are May through October. Also, yes, there is a gravel hill up to the wine and food trucks. There are, however, golf carts for those who may desire assistance getting up the hill rather than walking.

Saturday

Breakfast at Frothy Monkey

We headed downtown to Frothy Monkey, which had been recommended by some locals. (We were at the 5^th Avenue location downtown, but there are a few locations.) It was clearly a popular place! They had a nice selection of coffee drinks and breakfast items, so it was easy for several of us to find something we wanted.

I ordered a Monkey Mocha (mocha with banana syrup) and a Julie sandwich – your choice of bagel with eggs, feta, basil, and tomato. In my personal opinion, the coffee flavor was mild on the banana flavor, and my sandwich came on bread instead of a bagel. It seemed each of our orders had been slightly altered. That said, it was all still delicious!

It was certainly a busy place, so it’s possible they were out of the bagels and that caused me to get bread instead. We were also sitting outside and placed our orders online rather than standing inside in the long line, so perhaps there was a communication thing with that.

A photogenic box perfect for taking photos of your travel buddies. This is located just outside M.L.Rose in North Gulch.

Drinks and Live Music

It’s darn near a sin to go your whole weekend in Nashville and not see some live music on Broadway! I mean, it’s Nashville!

The bar scene starts early on Broadway in Nashville, and if you don’t like crowds, I recommend you take advantage of it! It only gets busier as the day goes on.

Tootise’s Orchid Lounge

We started off at Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge. It’s an historic honky-tonk that opened in 1960, so it’s worth a visit just for the experience if nothing else. It’s also one of the very few places on Broadway you can still hear original artists and not just cover bands. The purple building stands out from the other bars, and each level has music playing. We ventured to the rooftop bar for a live band and a couple drinks at 11am. By then, the place was already hoppin’ and seating was growing sparse. There are tables with umbrellas for the warmer months, and alcohol slushies to cool off those stuck standing in the sunshine.

ACME Feed & Seed

We also ventured to ACME Feed & Seed as it had also come highly recommended. Personally, I was a big fan of the environment here! It was also busy, of course, as it was Saturday afternoon by the time we got there. But it wasn’t as packed as Tootsie’s or some of the other bars. There was also a live bluegrass band on the first floor, which provided a level of authenticity for the city’s history that I didn’t see at the other bars.

There was plenty of seating, as well as a couple different levels. If you feel like burning off some of that booze you’ve imbibed, skip the elevator and walk up the steps to the rooftop bar. You may need a minute to catch your breath at the top, but you’ll be rewarded with a tranquil view of the Cumberland River and a great viewpoint to people watch those on Broadway. The day we were there they also had a lemonade moonshine slushy that was so good!!

Side Note…

On that note, friendly reminder to stay hydrated! It gets warm down in Nashville, and the alcohol doesn’t help. It’s all fun and games till someone faceplants on the cement stairs climbing up to the rooftop bar…

A bluegrass band performing at ACME Feed & Seed.

Lunch on Broadway

Between Tootsie’s and ACME we stopped at Casa Rosa for lunch. I’m a big fan of Miranda Lambert, who owns Casa Rosa, and an even bigger fan of Tex Mex food, so it seemed like a good idea.

Like many places on Broadway, this bar is also three levels – a bar on level one, a restaurant on level two, and a rooftop bar on level three. There are stages on levels one and three for live bands, as well as a small gift shop on the first floor for shirts and other memorabilia.

My travel buddy told me about Casamigos tequila, which is partly owned by George Clooney, and that she thoroughly enjoyed it even though she’s not a tequila fanatic. Casa Rosa offers Casamigos, so of course I had to get a drink and enjoy this agave goodness for myself. (Side note: VERY smooth! Totally recommend!)

Several things on the menu sounded good, so my friend and I decided to order two different things and share. She ordered the Saturday special of carne asada tacos, and I ordered the appetizer of smoked brisket nachos. Oh. My. Goodness, y’all… I’m still sitting here drooling. The food was so good!! There were three street tacos in my friend’s order. They came with jalapenos and admittedly were a bit spicy. But take the peppers off if you’re sensitive and they were certainly doable. We were hesitant about ordering an appetizer but were told it was sharable. And it was! It was huge, actually, and there was even a little leftover after both of us had stuffed ourselves.

These brisket nachos and carne asada tacos were so incredibly good!

A Side Note About Casa Rosa…

I also noted while we were outside Casa Rosa that the drink menu included cocktails made with liquors from Noble Cut Distillery.

Ironically, I had booked a tour with Noble Cut, located in Columbus, for the following weekend. I wasn’t sure if this was the same Noble Cut or if another distillery of the same name happened to be in Tennessee. As it turns out, someone connected to Miranda Lambert had taken her some Noble Cut liquor to try, and she enjoyed it so much she decided to offer their products in her restaurant! Nashville is actually the largest buyer of Noble Cut products.

Likewise, I absolutely enjoyed my tour with them, and ended up purchasing their cherry whiskey, Magnolia whiskey, salted caramel whiskey, and a bottle of limoncello. (I’ve only ever had limoncello in Italy before, and this recipe is passed down to the owner Tony and his wife from their family in Italy. It’s pretty legit!) If you ever make it to Columbus, be sure to book a tour of their distillery, or at least stop by for a sample, and tell them I sent you. They’re now one of my favorites! So good!!

Photo Opportunities

Everyone needs some photographic documentation of their weekend in Nashville, right? Have no fear, there are photo opps everywhere! I’m not sure who started the trend of murals and photoshoot corners in the stores, but hey, it works.

Photo opportunities are literally all over the city. There are even tours to catch some of the main murals if you’d rather not drive or rideshare everywhere.

If, however, you’re ready to take to the open road in search of Instagram-worthy shots, check out this mural finder or this site from the official Nashville page.

Even in just a couple hours we were able to visit quite a few murals and store displays! Below are the ones we were able to visit, listed by general area so you can group them together. However, if you’re really interested in photo opps, be sure to check the mural maps – there are several nearby that we missed.

In The Gulch:

• “What Lifts You” – 230 11^th South
• A geometrical Jason Woodside – 1112 Laurel St.
• “Nashville Stole My Heart” – Kittenish, 304 11^th South
• “You’re Like, So Pretty” – Kittenish, 304 11^th South
• Holographic box with lights – Winky Lux, 226 11^th South

12South:

• “I Believe in Nashville” – 2706 12^th Ave South
• Blue and white wall at Draper James, 2608 12^th Ave South
• “Make Music Not War” – 2902 12^th Ave South
• “Garden Floral” – 2900 12^th Ave South
• “Rivive! Nashville Fox” – 2804 12^th Ave South
• “Hello Gorgeous” – Finnley’s, 2516 12^th South

“Make Music Not War” mural in the 12South area.

Also in 12South…

Admittedly, we were in need of a coffee run by the time we got to 12South in the late afternoon. Hey, we had done a lot! Coffee options abound in this area, but we ended up at White Bison Coffee. (Also nearby is a Portland Brew and another Frothy Monkey.) Not only does this place offer coffee, but it’s also a convenience store with snacks, to-go beer, and other drinks. It also has an amazing seating area both outside on the first floor and upstairs (indoors and out) that’s perfect for studying or taking a break.

This area is also good for some shopping. My friend found a few really cute things at Finnley’s, and Serendipity had some cute clothes, gifts, and stickers!

Saturday Night Downtown

We joined up with our friends again at M.L.Rose Craft Beer and Burgers in North Gulch. Being the craft beer fanatic that I am, I was impressed with their variety of craft brews on draft. They also had a decent sized outdoor seating area available, perfect for that 70 degree Nashville evening. Granted, I was still full from our late lunch at Casa Rosa, so I didn’t eat anything here.

Across the road was another photo opportunity with a lit up star and its words “Capitol View Nashville.” It’s actually a pretty cool display, with a couple steps and a platform inside, perfect for some group photos.

After that, we took a rideshare to Printer’s Alley.

Printer’s Alley

Printer’s Alley, not far from Broadway but off the beaten path, has a pretty interesting history to it, including being potentially haunted and protected from the alcohol laws of Prohibition. Its humble beginnings as home to several newspapers and print shops at the beginning of the 20^th century have since transformed into a place for drinking and live music nowadays.

It’s also rather photogenic if you catch it at the right time.

We stopped at The Whiskey Shot for drinks and live music. Regrettably, I missed the singer’s name, but the gentleman that performed when we were there was excellent!! If he is any indication of the regular caliber of talent that performs here, then you should definitely pay this place a visit!

Unfortunately, there didn’t seem to be many whiskeys on offer – tragic given their name. However, there was abundant seating, a large variety of drink, excellent music, and it was clean, so I really enjoyed this place all the same. There’s also a laser shooting game you can play on a big screen, should you be feeling lucky (or drunk) enough to give it a go.

Those Saturday Munchies

Don’t feel like going into a restaurant on Broadway on a jam-packed Saturday night? Neither did we. But it was about midnight and we hadn’t eaten dinner seeing as we had a late lunch.

Should the munchies find you as you’re out and about, I noticed there were several hot dog stands along our way. There was one on our walk between Printer’s Alley and Broadway, and a couple more near our parking garage (147 5^th Ave North).

Sunday

Even with only a couple hours Sunday morning before the end of our weekend in Nashville, we still fit several things in! My travel buddy had an appointment on the East Side, so all of these things are focused there.

Breakfast

I had read about Donut Distillery in my Lonely Planet USA guide. Considering how much there is to see in the USA, that says something if a business makes the cut into the guide!

Admittedly, I wasn’t sure if it really would be as good as I hoped… But it was better!

They serve mini donuts in a variety of flavors. They have a dozen standard menu donuts, or you can create your own combination of glazes and toppings. As the name suggests, they also have wines, beers, and coffee cocktails available. You can even do a bevvy and donut pairing!

Their prices are reasonable and their donuts are delicious! Each donut legitimately tasted like its description – like the Dreamcicle or Strawberry Lemonade. The Whiskey Glaze and Sweet Swine were a couple of my favorites!

These donuts are even better than they look! Whatever their description was, that’s exactly what they tasted like. I was impressed!

More Photo Opps

The East Side has a ton of murals as well.

Follow Gallatin Ave north from Donut Distillery, and you’ll find another Kelsey Mountague mural (the artist of “What Lifts You.”) This one is a hot air balloon, complete with basket (1032-1078 W Eastland Ave). It’s her largest hand-painted mural in the US, and definitely worth the visit!

Across the street at Kroger is another large mural boasting the East Side of Nashville, complete with pictures of produce.

Whodathunk I’d ever be posing for a picture outside of Kroger?? But hey, their mural is cool.

Lunch at the BE-Hive

My travel buddy is a plant-based kinda gal. While we had had some meat during our weekend in Nashville, we also wanted to check out the vegan scene before returning home. The BE-Hive Deli and Market had come recommended by some locals, so we decided to pay a visit for Sunday lunch before our drive home.

It’s a small shop with an even smaller parking lot, but they certainly have made a name for themselves! They sell vegan cheese and seitan, and there are a couple booths and seats available for those who order lunch.

My friend got their version of Taco Bell’s Crunchwrap and raved at how good it was! I got their Chxn Philly. I was impressed! Not only was it quite tasty, but it was also pretty filling and a good portion. At first I was glad I had ordered what I did as it appeared larger than my friend’s Crunchwrap, but I actually couldn’t finish it and was pleasantly pudged for the drive home.

Dining in for some chxn philly goodness at The BE-Hive.

Tertiary Sight

OK so this one is a bit more “woo woo” than the rest of our itinerary. But hear me out.

My friend had heard of this place during her visit to Nashville a few months prior and was intrigued. At Tertiary Sight, a photo is taken with a special camera that can see the colors of your aura. Then your aura photograph is read and analyzed, letting your know your strengths and perhaps your deeper goals and cares.

I hadn’t heard of this before our trip, but my friend was excited and was kind enough to let me sit in on her session. It was fascinating! I was thoroughly impressed with how spot-on the reading was and what could be seen just from my friend’s aura alone.

Take it with a grain of salt, or for what you will, but it was certainly interesting. When I’m able to make it down to Nashville next, I wouldn’t mind booking my own reading just for funzies!

My friend Monica about to have her aura photo taken at Tertiary Sight. Pretty fascinating how all this works!

Final Thoughts on a Weekend in Nashville

As you can tell, we booked a lot into our weekend in Nashville! And goodness knows there’s still a ton of stuff we missed that we could fit into another weekend trip (or ten). But for the amount of time we had, I’m pretty happy with what all we fit in, both in quality and variety. I’m certainly looking forward to another visit!

Have any suggestions on other must-sees for our next visit? Feel free to leave a comment below!

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