Dear Nashville, you’re the only ten I see! (…yeah I know that was lame…)
I’ve always wanted to visit Nashville and I finally got the chance during my 2019 Memorial Day Weekend Tennessee trip. After two days in the Great Smoky Mountains we had an extra day (and a half) to hit up “Music City”.
Nashville did not disappoint! We honky-tonked the night away, but during the day we were (unapologetically) tourists.
There are a lot of murals in Nashville! And yes, I dragged my boyfriend around to get those “Instagram worthy” shots. If you tried to visit every single mural it would take a few days. But it’s really fun trying to find them! So, here are three of my favorite ones!
- “What Lifts You”
This mural was painted by Kelsey Montague, and I was in awe when I saw it! It’s so beautiful in person and has many intricate details. The wings can be found in The Gulch area of Nashville. You can find it at 302 11th Ave S. Read more about Kelsey’s art here. While in The Gulch make sure to check out the famously delicious Biscuit Love!
- “I Believe in Nashville”
This mural radiates good vibes as soon as you step up to it! It was painted by Adrien Saporiti in 2012 and it’s located in the 12 South neighborhood of Nashville. You can find this mural at 2702 12th Ave S. You can get some great coffee at the Frothy Monkey, or if you’re feeling some tacos you can head down to bartaco.
- “Nashville”
Located in East Nashville is this unique balloon mural. It seems to jump off the wall when looking at it! It was created in August 2018 by Eric “Mobe” Bass. It was a little tricky for us to find, but it’s located on the side of BoomBozz Craft Pizza. The address is 1003 Russell St. Check out more of Eric’s art here. If you’re looking to cool down from the Tennessee heat then you’ll love Jeni’s Ice Cream in East Nashville.
If you’re a little hungry after the mural scavenger hunt, then you’ll need to stop by a local favorite food chain, Hattie B’s Hot Chicken. They make mouthwatering Southern comfort food! We visited their Melrose location at 2222 8th Ave S. The picture below was taken a few minutes before the unfortunate event of my boyfriend accidentally getting hot spices in his eye…I wish I got an after pic! (He didn’t think so in the moment, but I thought it was funny!)
My tip would be to get there as early as possible because lines get really long. Take water with you if you’re going in the summer because the heat is intense! I was on line for over an hour and a girl behind me fainted from the heat. The restaurant supplies water and paper cups outside, but bringing your own water would be better. I filled that tiny paper cup up more times than I can count.
Hattie B’s has six different spice levels that range from “no heat” to “SHUT THE CLUCK UP!!!”. The plates also come with two sides. What I loved about this place is that each plate is made to order, so you know you’re getting fresh Southern food!
The chicken closest to me is mild, the one across is hot, and the tender in the middle is damn hot. We were too chicken [pun definitely intended] to try “SHUT THE CLUCK UP”. The sides pictured are fries, pimento mac & cheese, and cole slaw. Every plate comes with bread and pickles. While I was eating all I kept thinking about was how I wish my stomach was able to hold more food!! I wasn’t able to finish it all, but I wanted to so bad!!
After mural hunting and stuffing your face, it’s time to watch the sunset over the Cumberland River. It’s a gorgeous area to sit, relax, and think about the day. You can snap some great pictures as the sun goes down and Nashville’s lights go on!
Let’s get to some honky-tonks!! I’m from New York, so other cities don’t really impress me, but ‘Music City’ stole my heart. I love everything about the country and my favorite music genre is…you guessed it…Country! All of the hottest Country artists own some of the best honky-tonks, including Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, Kid Rock, and FGL.
As you walk down the streets you’ll hear music coming from every corner with upcoming artists hoping to get recognized, people dancing in the streets, and a countless amount of cowboy boots! We spent most of our night at Jason Aldean’s Kitchen + Rooftop Bar. But whatever bar you choose I guarantee you’ll have the night of your life.
Our 24 hours came full circle the next morning when we ended our Tennessee trip with a decadent breakfast from Biscuit Love. Have a sweet tooth? You have to try the bonuts!!
Biscuits shaped like little donut holes!! What more could you want?! These sugary bonuts are topped with creamy lemon mascarpone on a bed of blueberry compote.
Leaving Nashville broke my heart and I’m dying to go back. I recommend to anyone going to check out every place in this post. There’s so much to see in Nashville (and the Great Smoky Mountains). I wanted to add it all!
Let me know in the comments below if I should write a post just for foodie finds in Nashville, or what to see/where to hike in the Great Smoky Mountains.
With love,
Karina xx
Traveling to Pennsylvania in the future? Click here to read about the must-sees while you’re there!