enRICHed: Bill Rich visits Nashville

Weekend in the music city Words and images by Bill Rich Men's Traveler Field Contributor My stepdaughter Kim called a few months back and wanted to meet us for a fun weekend somewhere between St. Louis and Atlanta. So we decided it would be fun to check out Nashville. My wife Kathi found a decent rate at the Brentwood Suites in the Nashville suburb of Brentwood -- through Hotel.com. For about $260 for the weekend, we got a nice king suite with a sleeper sofa. The room had all the expected amenities including a king-sized bed, comfy couch, HBO, fridge, coffee machine and free breakfast. The drive up From Atlanta, Nashville was an easy 3½ hour drive up I-75 through Chattanooga and then onto I-24. The drive was pleasant with scenic views of the north Georgia mountains, the Tennessee River in Chattanooga and the billboards reminding you to stop at "The World’s Largest Firework Stands" before you hit the step climbs of Monteagle. We didn’t need to stop for gas, but we couldn’t resist the lure of The Outpost, a gas station/convenience store/restaurant/gun shop. You can fill the tank, grab lunch and pick up a .50 caliber sniper rifle. After arriving in Nashville We met up with Kim at the hotel and decided to check out downtown Nashville and grab dinner. The desk clerk at the hotel was extremely friendly and happy to give us a map and directions to the downtown area. Upon a recommendation of a co-worker, we decided to try out Jack’s BBQ on Broadway. After paying a parking attendant $15 to park in an open lot, we strolled down Broadway to the beat of live music echoing from the various honky-tonks peppered along the tourist strip. Jack’s BBQ is a small eatery crammed between 2 honky-tonk bars. It has counter service with a cook overseeing the ‘pit’ and a girl taking orders, slicing the meat, and plating the food. We all ordered the extremely tender and perfectly cooked beef brisket sandwiches and had a pick of 2 ala cart side items. You have a choice of several sauces; Texas which was hot/sweet, Tennessee which is tangy, and Kansas City which is a mild/sweet sauce. The main course was priced what you would expect, but the ala cart side items quickly jacked the price up to about $35 for 3 adults. The ladies enjoying a fine Music City meal. After filling our bellies, we strolled up Broadway and stepped into a few gift shops. As you would expect, most of the shops were country music-themed and "kitschy." Unfortunately the weather was a chilly rainy 40 degrees, so we cut our walk short and headed back to the hotel for the night.

Saturday After a nice lunch at the Cracker Barrel, We went to the Gaylord Opryland hotel. Ok. $19 to Self Park seemed a bit extreme, but I have to say the hotel is very impressive. If you're looking for a Hotel in Nashville, we found out that the Opryland Hotel offers reasonably priced weekend specials. We will definitely book a room there on our next visit. The hotel is HUGE, with plenty of specialty shops and eateries inside the hotel, along with a cool boat ride around a ‘river’ inside the atrium area. Next door is the Grand Ole Opry. If you're a country music fan, this is a must see! Be sure to check the schedule to see what music stars are playing. Next, we visited the Opry Mills outlet mall. The girls wanted to look for clothes; I had to visit the Gibson guitar factory outlet store! If you are a guitar player, this place is nirvana! They don’t mind if you do your best impression of Roy Clark or Slash. Nashville has some very interesting architecture blended with the touristy honky-tonks. Do your homework, be sure visit downtown, and check out one or two of the many honky-tonks for that ‘Music City’ flavor. You don’t have to be a country music fan to enjoy the city; Nashville has a lot to offer everyone with a lot of shopping, good food, and of course, country music. There are no shortages of touristy clubs and shops, but I think that’s part of the charm that is the Music City.

Bill Rich lives in Acworth Georgia with his wife Kathi. Bill is an accomplished Videographer/Video Editor who has worked in the television production business for three decades.

For more information, visit the Nashville Convention and Visitor's Bureau

Back to Men's Traveler