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| together again |
THE ATHENS OF THE SOUTH
Looking over my entries
at the Vacations From Home blog for this year I realized they are all pretty
much about Vietnam. That was a great trip, an exceptional trip, and I still
need to write more about Vietnam and Cambodia, but I wanted to tell you about
our trip to Nashville.
We had been there
before, several years ago. My daughter lives in Nashville and we decided it was
time to reconnect with her.
On our previous visit
to the Music City we did all the touristy things, like renting a car to see the
Grand Ole Opry, where we took a backstage tour, and to drive down Music Row,
where all the recording studios are located. We visited the Johnny Cash Museum,
(not a pay toilet) and bar hopped along the Honky Tonk Highway of Lower
Broadway.
IT’S ALWAYS 5 O’CLOCK
IN NASHVILLE
Starting at the
Cumberland River Broadway stretches out for several blocks and bulges with lively
bars. This is perhaps Nashville’s biggest draw, and the city is a popular
destination for bachelor and bachelorette parties. The streets are filled with
pedal-bar and loud party vans and every single bar has a band playing their
heart out for tips and the hope to be discovered. One place, Tootsie’s Orchid
Bar, has three stages for music and a rooftop patio. It is right around the
corner from the Ryman Auditorium, the original site for the Grand Ole Opry.
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| the view from Tootsie's Rooftop patio |
The bars operate from 10am to 3am and throughout the day Nashville is a constant party scene. For us, day drinking only, the nights are too rambunctious.
TO THE GODS
If you’re stumbling
about on Lower Broadway, you probably know Nashville is called the Music City,
but it has been known as “the Athens of the South” for a much longer time. The
city is home to many institutions of higher learning, like Vanderbilt and
somebody thought Athens of the South was an appropriate nickname.
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| Athena in Nashville |
In 1897 the city held
the Tennessee Centennial Exposition and in keeping with the learned-sounding
moniker erected an exact replica of the Parthenon in Athens, the most prominent
temple on the Acropolis. The one in Nashville’s Centennial Park is in much better
shape though and this new one also has inside a 42-foot-tall statue of Athena.
We visited the Parthenon last time, and for a fee you can enter the temple to
gaze upon the goddess, or you can be cheap and admire the picture.
TENNESSEE WHISKEY
This time we didn’t
rent a car, but took ride shares to get around. We limited our time on Lower Broadway
to two short pub crawls, one with my daughter and another with just Janet and I
at 11:00 am, because you HAVE to do that at least once whenever you visit
Nashville. Most of our time with my daughter was going out to dinners.  |
| TASTING AT LEIPER'S FORK |
One day
we hailed a ride to visit my daughter at her job and on another day we had a
driver take us out to Leiper’s Fork distillery, a small batch distillery in nearby
Williamson County, and in operation since 2016. Before our tour of the rustic
facilities, we drank slushy drinks at their outside bar and then sampled
several of their whiskies on the tour. On the ride back Janet wanted to crack
open one of the bottles we purchased at their store, but I reminded her they were gifts.
Book a tour through
them.
We stayed in a Sonder Hotel, there are a few in Nashville, and they have properties around the world. Ours was on Church Street, just across Rosa L. Parks Boulevard and everything on lower
Broadway was a short walk. Broadway was the adjacent street, but Church was
tree-lined and much quieter. On one of our strolls Janet and I discovered several interesting
and quirky places that were the polar opposite of the frenetic revelry just a
block away on that Honky Tonk Highway.
Sinatra Bar and Lounge
222 4th
Avenue North
This classy joint
opened in 2023. Just off Church, the Sinatra Bar and Lounge claims this is where Manhattan
meets Palm Springs. Open with high ceilings and brass fixtures at the bar
tended to by men in waist coats we imbibed a couple of martinis….not Frank’s
preferred Jack Daniels. There was a piano and singer in the middle of the
two-tiered restaurant performing classic songs. The whole place exudes “cool’
and is the antithesis cowboy boots and hee-haws.
I had worked as a
roadie for FAS in the late 80s and well, we had to go.
Skull’s Rainbow Room
One of our bar neighbors at
Sinatra’s told us about Skull’s Rainbow Room on Printer’s Alley, just around
the corner from our perch. Printer’s Alley was the center of publishing in
Nashville and now it’s a nightclub scene. Skull’s Rainbow Room is a nightclub
that features dining, live music and burlesque shows.
Makeready L&L
Tucked in the Noelle
Hotel on North 4th Street, and just up the block from Printer’s
Alley, this place pays homage to the printmakers and publishers that would come
here after work and their tag line of “work like a dog / drink like a fish”
gives a hint at its history.
HIDDEN BAR
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| Printer's Alley Nashville |
Also part of the
Noelle, the Sandworm is best described as a speakeasy. Drawn by the lanterns
decorating the Makeready that was closed, its entrance on Church Street, our curiosity
was aroused by our recent trip to Vietnam. Though it was closed for the night
the door was open and we crept in and eventually found the entrance behind a
nondescript door in a brightly lit corridor. The tag on the door said utility
room. It led to the Sandworm, filled with couches and a full bar and a couple
of patrons who greeted us vociferously. A bit unnerving, we felt like we
stumbled onto a forbidden world, but this place is another example of life
beyond the frenetic Lower Broadway, just a block away.
Good luck finding it.
GERMANTOWN
This quiet section of
Nashville is where my daughter lives and is a few blocks north of downtown. Like
Church Street, Germantown is a different world. It is quiet with brick
sidewalks and Victorian style buildings, and some great restaurants.
Pelato
1300 3rd
Avenue North
Specializing in Italian
food in sharable plates portions, Pelato was packed on a Monday night. We
ordered way too much food, as always.
Make a reservation.
The Iberian Pig
607 Overton Street
Set in a repurposed
industrial building, this tapas bar and restaurant had two levels. Located in
the Gulch, an urban area under redevelopment that is between downtown and Music
Row. This is a trendy section of town with lots of restaurants and nightlife. Don't miss pigging out on the daily Jamon happy hour from 4 to 6 pm.
THE GULCH, NASHVILLEHattie B’s
112 19th
Avenue South, Midtown
No visit to Nashville
would be complete with a visit to Hattie B’s. Spicy hot chicken is what they
serve and the sometimes overly lengthy lines just to get in the door is worth
the wait.
There are several locations in Nashville, including the airport.
NASHVILLE SOUNDS
19 Junior Gilliam Way,
Germantown
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| NASHVILLE SOUNDS |
This Triple-A affiliate
of the Milwaukee Brewers plays in First Horizon Park. There is a massive guitar
jumbotron in center field. We took in a game that went into extra innings. We
were able to walk from our hotel to the ballpark, but took a ride share back.
Thanks for reading.
Love Janet and greg
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| You know what they say about big feet... |
© 2024 by Gregory Dunaj
Awesome read! May have to take a trip there someday !!
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