Nashville Questions

Old Feb 7th, 2016, 06:51 AM
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Nashville Questions

Hello,

My family is planning a trip we tried to do three years ago but had to cancel due to a relative's illness. At that time I think I raised some questions but here goes some more as we make another attempt to visit Nashville.

Is it possible to tour the Country Music Hall of Fame and RCA studio B along with a tour of the Ryman auditorium on the same day? Or is it better to do the Ryman on a different day to allow ample time?

Is the Tennesee State Museum worth a stop? Good for an hour or two?

Do you recommend visiting both Belmont Mansion and Belle Meade Plantation? Or are they similar enough where we should just pick one? If so which one do you recommend?

How would Cheekwood botanical gardens be in the height of summer? Anything to see or better in the springtime and skip in the summer months?



Thanks in advance.
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Old Feb 8th, 2016, 09:02 AM
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Topping. Anyone?
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Old Feb 8th, 2016, 11:55 AM
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I think it depends on your level of interest.

I would try very hard to go to a performance at Ryman because that's when it really exists. Otherwise, it's just a place.

I would go to Belle Meade Plantation, Cheekwood, and Percy Warner Park, which is in the same area and has an interesting tangle of scenic roads, plus polo and other horsey stuff.

I would also go to Andrew Jackson's house, the name of which completely escapes me at the moment. It is historic and interesting but not in Belle Meade.
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Old Feb 8th, 2016, 02:43 PM
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Andrew Jackson's home is called The Hermitage; it's on the other side of the river from the downtown sites, but not far from the airport, Grand Ole Opry and Opryland Hotel so if you are in that area already, it would be a good time to tour it.

Yes, I would think you could do the Country Music HOF and Studio B (highly recommended, by the way) AND a tour of The Ryman on the same day--check their websites for times. Maybe do the Ryman in the morning, leaving the CMHOF for the afternoon since it would be more open-ended. The Ryman backstage tour is really pretty interesting--it was the home of the Grand Ole Opry for years before it moved in the 70's so plenty of legends have played on the Ryman stage over the years. If there is a show there during your visit, all the better--the acoustics are incredible and it's just a cool place for a concert.
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Old Feb 8th, 2016, 05:15 PM
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Thanks Ackislander and musicfan--Yes we plan on visiting The Hermitage home of Andrew Jackson.

Good idea to do the Ryman first before CMHOF and to check out the backstage tour of the Ryman--ok.

As far as plantations--which should be the "must see" vs. "nice if you can get there"--Carnton Plantation in Franklin or Belle Meade or Belmont Mansion in Nashville?
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Old Feb 9th, 2016, 08:42 AM
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Another vote for the backstage tour at the Ryman - I thought it was really worth it.

Are plantations and historic homes a particular interest for you? Of the three historic homes you mention, I've only toured Belle Meade. It was mildly interesting to me but if you're already planning to do the Hermitage, personally that would fill my historic home quotient for one trip. If that's a big deal to you, though, I've heard good things about Carnton.

Cheekwood will be lovely in the summer - different than spring, of course, but still nice and a good add-on if you're at Belle Meade.
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Old Feb 9th, 2016, 08:57 AM
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I agree that you can do the CMHoF/Studio B and the Ryman tour the same day. Cheekwood is a beautiful place to walk around and it includes an old mansion that is now an art museum. I think you'd enjoy it in the summer. Driving there, you will see some of the Belle Meade mansions--where the "old money" lives. FYI, Belle Meade Plantation is tied into a great deal of history regarding race horses. If that's of any interest to you then I would include it on your list. Otherwise, the Hermitage might be enough.

If you want to experience some awesome regional food, don't miss Monell's. Their location on Murfreesboro Rd. (not far from the airport) is the most interesting building, but the one on 6th Avenue (near the Farmer's Market and Bicentennial Mall) is also in a converted old home. At both locations, the food is as good as it gets.

The TN State Museum is not a "must-see" for me. But it is interesting. Also, if you like Art Deco buildings, check out the Frist Art Museum and the lobby of the Union Station Hotel (next door to the Frist).

Enjoy Nashville.
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Old Feb 17th, 2016, 08:54 AM
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Thanks for the replies. Do you recommend spending the day in Franklin and seeing the houses and surrounding area? Is that a full day worth?

Is Belle Meade and Cheekwood a full day or half day?
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Old Feb 17th, 2016, 12:19 PM
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I think the answers to both depend on you. For Franklin, you could see Carnton and then eat and wander around downtown Franklin in half a day, or you could be leisurely about it, browse all the shops, drive to Leiper's Fork, etc and spend the whole day in the area.

Similarly, if you're really into gardens or take things leisurely, you could spend most of the day doing Belle Meade + Cheekwood, or if you're more of a get-in-get-out bunch, you could do both in several hours. If I recall correctly, my tour of the plantation was 2-2.5 hours. At Cheekwood, it depends on whether there's a special exhibit on and how quickly you go through it.
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Old Feb 17th, 2016, 03:10 PM
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I think Franklin would need a whole day especially if we want to visit Carnton, Carter House and Lotz House along with the downtown area.

Trying to cram a lot in as usual so don't know if we would have time for everything on our list and hard to pick which ones to definitely try to see vs. "nice if we can there".

Don't want to overload with too many plantations/houses either.

We know we want to visit the Hermitage--Andrew Jackson's home and probably DH would want to spend the day in Franklin to tour the Civil War sites. So do we try to also visit Belle Meade and Cheekwood? Just Cheekwood for the gardens?
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Old Feb 17th, 2016, 03:56 PM
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Just for fun, the Loveless Cafe

http://www.lovelesscafe.com/
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Old Feb 18th, 2016, 08:56 AM
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If it were my trip, the Hermitage, Carnton (and the others) *and* Belle Meade would be historic home overload, and unless you're in it for the wine tasting, I don't think Belle Meade would add much to what you'd have already seen. Cheekwood is lovely, but isn't on my top 5 list unless gardens are of particular interest to you. Given the interests you've stated and your must-dos, I'd skip the Belle Meade area if your time is limited.

How long is your whole trip, and what are your plans so far? That might help in prioritizing.
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Old Feb 19th, 2016, 07:17 PM
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Hi Jent103,

We do like gardens. Hopefully there will be flowers in bloom in the summer. When we had visited England we were so looking forward to going to Sissinghurst (supposed to be one of the top gardens in the world) but we went in the summer and even the head gardener had a sign apologizing for the look of the garden. That one is more a spring garden and wilts in the summer.

We will have 4 or 5 days--haven't finalized that part yet. So far we want to spend one or two days exploring downtown--Country Music Hall of Fame, Ryman Auditorium, Tennessee State Museum, Johnny Cash Museum?, the Parthenon of the south which is closer to the Vanderbilt area. Probably one day for Franklin to tour the civil war sights. We want to also visit the Hermitage and take in a show at the Opry. DH would be interested in the Lane Motor Museum--any thoughts on that one? Not sure how much we can reasonably fit in each day or how many days we need in total to see everything. Some people say they visit the CMHOF in a couple of hours and others say they spend all day. I know they expanded recently so what is a decent amount of time to expect including a tour of studio B?

I think you are right--after the Hermitage and Franklin houses--Belle Meade would be overload.

Between the Loveless Café and Monell's which one is preferable? Are they both good? I read that the Loveless Café is a tourist trap? And others say it is great.
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Old Feb 20th, 2016, 09:33 AM
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Loveless Cafe for breakfast; Monell's for lunch or dinner.

Monell's only serves brunch on weekends. I would't go to the Loveless Cafe for anything but breakfast.

You should call Cheekwood and ask if they will have flowers in the summer. FYI, downtown Franklin is only a few blocks of shops. But I enjoy walking a couple of blocks away from downtown (past the church) to see some of the pretty old homes.

Can't respond about the motor museum because I have no interest in that. But it sounds like your husband does ...

I would also recommend strolling around the Opryland Hotel. It's more Disneyland than a hotel. (i.e., there are boat rides INSIDE the hotel and beautiful indoor gardens).
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Old Feb 20th, 2016, 09:49 AM
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Thanks Songdoc for the suggestion to visit the loveless cafe for breakfast. Ok will keep in mind. What about pancake pantry? Any thoughts on that place?

Good idea to call the garden to see what is typically in bloom that time of year.

There seems a lot to do in Nashville and the surrounding area.
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Old Feb 22nd, 2016, 07:49 AM
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The Pancake Pantry is a classic tourist destination. It's been years since I've been (despite working blocks from it), but the last time I went the pancakes were as delicious as ever. It's a no-frills kind of place, not known for warm and friendly service - they have so much turnover that it's in their interest to get you in and out to keep the lines moving. So, go for the pancakes, not the Southern hospitality. If you're not into pancakes, there are many other breakfast spots in town that would probably make you happier.

The Loveless is good, classic Southern food. It's also a ways out of town and there is always a wait. (We tried to go after my grandmother's funeral last year, at 2 or 3pm on a Friday, and were told the wait was at least an hour, maybe more!) To me, it's a balance between how badly you want to try the famous biscuits and how much time you're willing to spend doing it (less of a time commitment if you do combine it with a visit to Belle Meade/Cheekwood). Sure it's touristy; that doesn't make it bad. Monell's or Arnold's would be good options that are much closer to the downtown things on your list, though note that the original Arnold's will close for renovations/expansion in March (they have a location in Green Hills now, though).

http://nashville.eater.com/2015/12/7...en-green-hills

Cheekwood has a nice bamboo garden that should be good in the summer, at the very least. My guess is that if you've seen a lot of botanical gardens, it won't be among the most impressive (compared to Butchart or Kew Gardens, for example), but it is a lovely spot in town with an interesting history.

I think the CMHOF again depends on your interest level and travel style - I'm someone who likes to read all the placards and everything, so I'd spend more time than some. I haven't done the Studio B tour so can't comment there. I will say that if you plan to do all your downtown things in one day, that would be a really packed day. The Hermitage + Opryland + the Opry is a good fit for a day, as is the Franklin area. The Parthenon won't take you too long unless you want to walk around the park as well. I have no idea on the motor museum, sorry!
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Old Feb 22nd, 2016, 08:54 AM
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Thanks again! We have been to both Butchart and Kew and loved them. We also loved the Huntington gardens in California. Looking forward to visiting Cheekwood too.

I think we need two days for downtown in order to fit everything in. I too like to read all the placards etc.

Thanks for the advice on restaurants. Any other really good recommendations either in downtown or outside of town?
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Old Feb 22nd, 2016, 12:19 PM
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Restaurants is one thing we have plenty of these days! Do you have any particular budget or likes/dislikes?

Some of my favorites...

Nicer:
Husk (just south of downtown)
City House (Germantown, just north of downtown)
Rolf & Daughters (Germantown)
Lockeland Table (East Nashville)

(you'll want reservations for all the above, especially on weekends)

Casual:
Martin's Barbecue (several locations; Belmont Blvd is closest to downtown)
Burger Up (12 South)
Fido (Hillsboro Village)
DeSano pizza (Music Row)
Mas Tacos Por Favor (East Nashville; cash only)
Sweet 16th Bakery for the best breakfast sandwiches on the planet

There are so many restaurants opening these days - there are many that I've heard good things about but haven't been to. Eater is a great resource to see what sounds delicious to you. Start here:

http://nashville.eater.com/maps/best...restaurants-18
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Old Feb 22nd, 2016, 12:20 PM
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PS - Franklin has a lot of restaurants these days too, but I'm rarely down there and don't know specifics. Eater will help you out there as well, if you don't get more advice here!
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