Feeding the Travel Bug in Nashville, Tennessee

So, last October I planned to visit Nashville for my birthday. I had my Pinterest board filled with locations I knew I wanted to take pictures at and a list of bars and restaurants I wanted to visit. I was ecstatic and ready for the country aesthetic, musical vibes, and getting drunk off that Tennessee whiskey. Until it came down to purchasing the tickets. When I finally gathered the money to book the trip, the plane tickets went from $230 roundtrip to $730!!!  

There was no way of justifying $730 each for round trip tickets to Nashville in the middle of October. So instead, we went to New Orleans for my birthday trip. It was still an amazing experience and am so glad it worked out for the better, but I knew when the time was right I would still make my way to the Music City.

Fast forward to this whole pandemic - I knew that once certain cities lifted their restrictions and slowly opened back up in phases, I was going to take advantage of traveling again. Needless to say, once Nashville reopened, I came up with a game plan on how we would enjoy the city the safest way possible. 

 We were cautious the whole time and very selective on where we stood, and where we went to experience the city. I gathered a collection of places we visited along with tips to keep in mind if you are also interested in visiting the Music City. I hope you all enjoy! 

Jack Daniels Distillery

Since we were nervous about flying during this time, we rented a car to road trip to Nashville. Which meant first stop entering into the state of Tennessee was Lynchburg, home to Jack Daniels. Although they weren’t reserving any tours at the moment due to CDC regulations, they did offer whiskey tastings. We signed up for The Flight of Jack Daniel’s, which included a short tour of how Jack Daniel’s are made, sipped and learned about five Jack products, and a Jack Daniels short glass as a souvenir. The total came to $25 per person, so definitely worth the experience. It was informative and interesting to genuinely learn how the liquor is made and what to look for when tasting different whiskeys. I’m no pro by any means, but I did learn a lot. The good news is as of August 10th, 2020 the Jack Daniel’s Distillery is now opened for modified tours, which means as long as you’re okay with wearing a mask you too can enjoy this experience. 

White Limozeen Rooftop Bar

Oh Miss. Dolly Parton, you sure know how to tickle me pink. This rooftop bar is the epitome of go big or go home. Dripping in shades of pink, glamourous themed drinks, champagne Jell- o shots, along with a statue of the legend herself – this rooftop restaurant cocktail bar is as iconic as Dolly Parton herself. Located at The Graduate hotel, we walked straight to a colorful lobby that lead us to the elevator. Walking towards the host stand I could tell immediately how packed the restaurant was. Luckily the outside patio wasn’t as busy, and we were seated right away. Due to the popularity of the restaurant, they were filled with reservations and nearly on a wait. However, since it was only the two of us they made an exception. So, if you are planning to visit White Limozeen (which I recommend) I would call ahead first. 

Drippy Lips Mural

If you know me well, you know I would do whatever it takes to get a good picture. That means going all over town to find the perfect aesthetic, fabulous picturesque areas, and/or colorful murals. Needless to say, Nashville is filled with them! Since, three days isn’t enough to catch all of them, I knew without a doubt I wanted to go to this particular one. It’s funny because on the second day of traveling I was on a mission to find myself a western country hat. So, while shopping around and walking through the different streets in the city, I found the mural by accident. This romantic, kissy brick wall is called Drippy Lips Mural, located on 21st Avenue South. The alley in which the wall is located at is a bit narrow and depending where the sun is facing, lighting could be a little dark so don’t over think it. I just brightened my photos so the quality of the photo seemed brighter. 

P.S. I didn’t find my hat on that street but I eventually did at Vinnie Louise, which was 5 minutes away. The hat I’m wearing in the photo is the one I found. 

Hattie B’s Hot Chicken & The Smiling Elephant

Foooood!!!! Okay look, I really am a huge foodie. Not because I know all there is to know about food but only because I love eating it. So, knowing that Nashville is known for their hot chicken, I knew no matter the cost, I was going to have it. Hattie B’s was highly recommended so I went for it. It’s a quick order pick up restaurant with an outside patio and a few local beers on tap. They serve mild to spicy fried chicken, along with other comfort food side dishes. I ordered their most popular hot chicken sandwich, and it was deliciously spicy. Arnaldo is not much for spicy food, so when he had a bite he said the seasoning lingered on his tongue for far too long for him to regain his taste buds back. As for me, it was perfect. 

Now the Smiling Elephant was a bonus for me. I love Thai food and anytime it is suggested I’m always the first to be on board. This gem was recommended by a friend who shares the same love of Thai food and who also had just visited Nashville. Although the restaurant was located 15 minutes out of the way, it was so worth it in the end. I absolutely love curry, so when I learned they make a curry of the day every day to ensure fresh ingredients I was elated. A huge recommendation! The food was delicious and actually cheap. Two appetizers and two entrees that still ended up with leftovers came out to $30.  

Nicole’s Recommended Stops

If you were ever a fan of Laguna Beach, The Hills, or even Very Cavallari you would know our favorite girl to hate or just loved always, Kristin Cavallari. She was known for Laguna Beach’s villain to Lauren Conrad, the main narrative to The Hills season 5 and 6, and the boss bitch we all loved in Very Cavallari. If none of this rings a bell unsubscribe NOW! Just kidding. I’ve always been a fan, so knowing she owned a store in Nashville was part of my list of “must see” places. It’s a cute and chic store filled with candles, accessories, baby clothes, and home goods. I have to admit, her products are very expensive and possibly not worth the price points, but it was still pretty fun visiting a little part of her. I still purchased a shirt, a coffee mug, and a pair of earrings, because I just felt like I had to – but it still came out to $70. I know what you’re thinking, I’m impulsive, but just a heads up if you plan to walk out with something make sure you have a little extra spending money. 

Not much to say about the Cheekwood Estate and Gardens other than that it was beautiful and very peaceful. It’s about a 20-minute drive outside of downtown. Definitely a change of pace, so if you really connect with nature and flowers this is a nice place to unwind and feel in the moment. 

Traveling During COVID

In no moment did I ever feel scared, exposed, or stressed. We stood in hotels that took sanitary procedures seriously. Every restaurant and bar we went to all wore masks, sanitize everything constantly, and even called us out if our masks were slightly misplaced. The only negative I would have to say in this whole experience was the limited bars that were open, mainly the ones on Broadway. The ironic part about it is Broadway is considered a highly touristic street, so although a lot of their bars were closed, all of the bars the locals recommended were bars outside of the street. So even though some areas were limited, we still enjoyed our trip to the fullest. 

If you have any questions about my trip, recommendations, or thoughts on this article feel free to email me and subscribe! Thank you so much for reading!