Annual MLKD Trip..........

This year it's "Honky Tonk Town"- AKA Nashville AKA Music City

Each year for the last 7 years my husband and I have taken a trip with my in-laws . Three years ago my father-in-law died; in his honor we continue the tradition, always raising a glass to him and treasuring the memories. Time to make more memories..........

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Who Knew...................

 Queen Victoria was the first person to actually describe Nashville as Music City!  One fact I managed to learn and actually retain during this weekend of fun in the Music City.

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So Now We are Here .......Where to Stay?

We opted to stay in East Nashville in a very comfortable Airbnb. The house was perfect for our stay as we needed a place to comfortably visit and catch up with family while at the same time have easy access to walkable restaurants. This place delivered that and so much more.  I loved the eclectic style and the comfort and size of the rooms. We were presently surprised at how close we were to sites that we wanted to visit and our Uber bill was more than reasonable. The host ,Laura ,was very responsive and offered a grocery service at a very reasonable rate.During our stay Nashville was hit with ice and snow and she was kind enough to ensure the steps and walkway were well salted to ensure our safety. If you are in Nashville consider this AirBnB as an option it really offers so much for a great price.

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What To Do When the Tempreture Drops and it Snows in Music City !

Closed....................

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The best laid plans change when the temperature drops overnight and snow and ice intrude on your vacation. Our trip to Nashville was a short one so we planned a few specific places that we all agreed we wanted to visit; the first one was the art gallery at The Parthenon in Centennial Park.  As we pulled up in our uber the park looked pretty deserted. We braved to cold and headed to the front door in the hope of it opening into some warmth- sadly we were disappointed!  Closed due to the frigid weather . Bbrrrrr!!!! Baby it's cold outside!!

So feel free to offer comment and suggestions for anyone wishing to explore this art gallery.The gallery looks stunning and well worth a visit. Click on the picture for a link to the site.
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What we Missed!

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On the Way to Broadway...............

​There are two stops on the way to Broadway that I highly recommend. The first is the Johnny Cash Museum. This was not high on our list but I was lucky enough to purchase a Groupon for entry for 4 for a mere $30 .I bought the tickets in case we needed a “filler”. As our plans were disrupted by frigid weather this turned out to be a great opportunity and a great “filler”, and it was toasty inside!!!

Aside from the fact we were all grateful for the heat we were all actually thrilled with this experience. If you get a chance check it out it’s literally around the corner from Broadway on 3rd Ave.

 The exhibits are expertly organized and the sheer quantity of memorabilia and artifacts is amazing. I learned so much about this icons life and never realized what a truly philanthropic person Johnny Cash was.

​If you are heading to Broadway consider adding an hour or so to your itinerary to include this museum, it truly is worth a stop.
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And the Second Stop...................was closed!!

This Southern treat has a history that dates back to 1912, check out the website for the history and much more. Sadly the weather once again thwarted our plans and we didn’t get to explore the famous Goo Goo store – we did however find this delicious treat sold all over town so we were able to indulge. Judge for yourself try the original and the supreme…………. you decide which will become your sweet indulgence while in Nashville. 
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Next Stop "NashVegas" AKA Broadway.............

After leaving the warmth of the Johnny Cash Museum we hustled ourselves around the corner in search of a warm honky tonk – we were not disappointed.  There is no end to the choices available ;we explored four great places and enjoyed each one. All had great free live music and good beer so no complaints!
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My favorite band of the weekend was The Scallywags .They played at The Stage. Check out their music and website by clicking on the image above.
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Three floors of music , great sounds! Recommended by our Uber driver ! HA!

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So What does Chicken and a Cheating Man Have to do with Nashville? 

I read about this Nashville food as I researched our trip. Apparently the recipe dates back 70 years and the story goes that Andre Prince’s girlfriend created some fierce , firery, hot recipe to punish him for his indiscretions. Turns out he loved the chicken and created what is believed to be the first recipe for hot chicken. Prince’s Hot Chicken Shakck is still in existence today but we opted to try Hattie B’s Hot Chicken.
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Each establishment creates their own recipe. The line for this particular establishment went around the corner and down the street, the temperature was a mere 23 degrees. We decided to wait the 50 minutes in hope that the chicken we were about to experience was as good as the reviews. We weren’t disappointed .It’s good!!!

Not Everyone Goes Here......But They Should!

Another great find on Groupon –The Musician’s Hall of Fame. This was a great way to spend an afternoon as the exhibits and artifacts are superbly presented and the experience simply gives a different perspective and understanding of the musicians behind the music. The interactive section is simply tremendous. There is so much to see and do here, this museum really should be on everyone’s list of things to experience while in the Music City.
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​Must Mention................

The Terminal Café at 733 Porter. What a great find. Breakfast is served all day, coffee is amazingly good, food is delicious and the service unsurpassed. All is all a great place highly recommend if you are in the area.
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The Grist Brewery on Porter offered some seriously good beer and amazing pimento cheese spread. This place has a very eclectic style and a cool relaxed vibe. 

Stay Warm and Snap a Shot............

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Some Thoughts.............

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• Uber is GREAT! Believe it or not I have not used this App before, I’m a total convert ,if there were an Uber Cult I’d join! We met some great drivers, got to hit the Honky Tonk’s with no need for a DD and it was so economical and user friendly! 
• Using Uber means you can’t ask your sweet husband to stop at any random sight that catches your eye so you can snap a shot. I missed lots of shots -this was hard for me but I learned to let it go and............ My sweet husband had less stress.
• We didn’t get to see certain sights due to the weather. All of my research and plans had to be transformed at the drop of a hat…………if you travel embrace the unexpected and go with the flow.
• There are still sights I want to see and that’s ok.
• When you are visiting a city for just a few days prioritize before you leave otherwise you will either be overwhelmed with your choices or you will simple miss some great places. None of us have time or cash to do this. Put a little effort in before you go it will be well worth it.
• Traveling and pleasing four people is so much more of a challenge then pleasing yourself!
• I’m always up for a challenge!
• Treasuring people and memories is important - making more memories should be on everyone’s list of “must do’s”.

So What Do I Want to See................

Murals are literally everywhere in Nashville. As we drove around in our uber’s I so wanted to ask the driver to STOP so I could snap shots but- I ‘m new to uber and not sure if this is a recognized uber etiquette.
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And Finally A Fitting Finnish for a Special Weekend on a Dedicated Day from an Amazing Man..........

Bernie Presta

Full time educator- wanna be travel blogger. Exploring our world one trip at a time.