An English couple in Nashville
 

We will be staying in Nashville for a couple of weeks during September. We have not been to America before - we thought Nashville would be a good place to start for a country music fan like me!

Can anyone recommend any places/restaurants to visit, particularly the less well known? We will be using public transport (but we may consider hiring a car for a couple of days if possible).

Also, can anyone recommend any restaurants that are good at providing for a wheat/gluten free diet?

Thanks.

Tina

Are you thinking about spending a WHOLE TWO WEEKS in Nasheville?

Fleming's will fit your bill. Upscale and delicious! Been to both Boston and Nashville locations and would go back again in a minute! http://www.flemingssteakhouse.com/menu.htm
I would take the time to visit the Opryland Hotel, it's a sight to see, we had their Sunday breakfast buffet, expensive but tasty. They have a boat tour inside the hotel that winds through pretty foliage.
The Wildhorse Saloon is a must. Also check out the General Jackson http://www.gaylordhotels.com/gaylord...jack/index.cfm
Welcome to the USA! Hope you have a great time!

I had the same thought as Pat2003, Nashville for 2 whole weeks? With that said, Nashville is a lot of fun, but I think I've only visited the well-known places there.

If you're also interested in blues, barbeque, Elvis and the American Civil Rights movement, I suggest renting a car and visitng Memphis for a few days as well. It's a lovely, easy drive (or I thought so, anyway), and you could stop somewhere. Dollywood too?

In case you can't tell, I once had a very nice week in Nashville and Memphis!

For restaurants, Jack Arnold's is a great little meat and three downtown. Its small, and packed at lunch time, so you never know who you'll be sharing a table with! Quite popular with the Music Row set. For breakfast, drive out to the Loveless Cafe (best known for biscuits and gravy, which might not work for your needs) or try the Pancake Pantry in Hillsboro Village. They both should have some wheat-free options, though their best known dishes would be off limits.
I would say you definitely need to go to the Bluebird Cafe, but for a popular show, you'll need to book tickets in advance, because its a small place. Also, Tootsies (behind the Ryman) and other places along Printer's Alley (downtown) are popular with up and coming musicians.

In terms of taking public transportation--I'm a native Nashvillian and have never in my life gotten on a city bus. I don't think I'd feel particularly safe and I don't know that they go everywhere you want them to. If you're staying out at Opryland, I'd recommend renting a car, driving downtown, and parking. Downtown itself is very walkable. Places like Loveless Cafe, the Bluebird Cafe, and Pancake Pantry are all outside of downtown, so you'd need a car to get there.

I think two weeks in Nashville will be too long. I highly suggest renting a car for the full time you are here, as public transportation in smaller US cities like Nashville is not very extensive. Car rental rates in the US are not that expensive.

I definitely suggest driving over to Memphis to enjoy the blues music, Beale Street, Elvis's Graceland, and southern barbecue. I also think you should consider driving from Memphis down to New Orleans, which is one of my favorite US cities. New Orleans is very unique and has a ton of character, with great architecture, food, music, and people.

I recommend the Loveless Cafe, too. I've never had breakfast there, but my English husband and I had one of the best dinners ever there. The countryside reminded us of southern England and the Loveless is a wonderful find. You will need a car to get there. It is *not* a wheat/gluten-free sort of place though; Nashville could be tough for that.

I've only been to Nashville once for a conference and had a lovely time. It is a cute town and the people are very friendly, and naturally there are more music joints than you can shake a stick at. But I think after two weeks you'll be bored silly. Definately research other nearby locations, and if you are trying to get a feel for the American South (something this poor yankee knows very little about) then I would recommend considering other options in addition to exploring Nashville.

As far as public transporation goes. I did take the bus there as I'm very used to public transportation living where I live (I don't even have a car) and know that if I ever went back to nashville, I'd rent a car to get around town as it was unreliable, and the bus was a ghost-town, nobody rides it.

Um yes, we were staying in Nashville for two whole weeks at Best Western Downtown Music Row - we were originally going to stay for a week but changed it to two weeks when we realised how long the flights take!

I suppose we should look into hiring a car then and what documents we'll need to provide. What are the roads like? My partner is concerned about getting used to driving on the 'wrong side' of the road (I don't drive). What places in Tennessee are good to visit?

Thanks.

Tina

p.s. what does gravy mean? do you mean something like custard or maple syrup???

Gravy is most famous for being brown and is usually found on top of turkey. In the south, you get biscuits (small rolls-very yummy) and you dunk them in gravy (usually more white colored).
In Tenn. I would spend some time in Nashville, it is a fun town. Go to the Wildhorse Saloon and Opryland, etc.. Chattanooga is a cute little town. Memphis has Graceland and Elvis and the blues. The mountain areas have lakes and rivers and you can rent a cabin there. There is also the area of Dolly World and the there is a state park in the mountains there. You definitely need to rent a car. You would need a valid license from your country saying you can drive there. It is mostly open highways between the cities. That is very easy driving. In the cities it can get more tricky. I have been to Nashville and Chattanooga and they are fairly easy cities to navigate a car through. Gluten free diet may be tough especially outside of a large city. It can be done though I am sure. There are plenty of people that are gluten free in this country too. There are many areas in the south that would be worth visiting. Nashville would take 4 days to see everything you would need to see. New Orleans is a big city with character. I would look at a map and see where the best place to fly into was (probably an Atlanta)then rent a car and drive up through Chatnooga, north and then west to Nashville, west to Memphis and then maybe south and fly home from New Orleans! I don't know. I agree with everyone else that two weeks is a long time to visit Nashville. It is a small city. If you are flying from (England?), than you may as well see some of the south! If you are really terrified of driving, check out the Amtrak locations and where you can take a train to. Good luck.

I'm fed up now as we've already booked our flights and the hotel for 14 nights, so we probably won't be able to change them. Has anyone got anything to add that will cheer me up??? Would it be a good idea to visit places like Memphis by plane for a day trip or would this be too boring/expensive?

I've spoke to my partner, Matthew and he agrees we should hire a car but we don't want to spend the whole two weeks driving to and fro - your cities are so far apart!!!

Thanks.

Tina

Since your hotel reservations aren't until September, you can probably still change them. I think you should break up the 14 days with at least one road trip somewhere else, depending on what you like (Great Smoky Mountains would be nice in September, Memphis for two or three nights would be good--both are just about 3 or 4 hours drive--I wouldn't fly to Memphis--too expensive and you'd need a car there, too.) I live in Nashville and agree with the other posters that it would be difficult to fill up two weeks. As far as interesting areas in Nashville, I would add Franklin, a civil war town about 30 minutes outside of Nashville. Quaint downtown area, civil war sites, antique shops. Also, I don't think anyone has mentioned Cheekwood Botanical Gardens in Nashville. It's definitely worth a look.

Tina,

I understand why you might have trouble changing your arline ticket without penalty but hotel reservations? This far in advance?

Southwest flys into Nashville. With this much time to plan, I bet you could get cheap flights to Chicago, New Orleans, Orlando, or Philadelphia. Lots of options.

Memphis is a couple of hundred miles from Nashville if recall correctly. I'd do it as an overnight rather than a day trip. Mostly highway driving, probably not too stressful even for the unitiated. At least I find motorway driving in the UK a bit easier than towns/villages.

Good luck!

Tina don't fret! I am sure that your hotel is cancellable! If you reserved with a credit card, it definitely is. Most hotels can be cancelled up to 24 hours ahead. I agree with the other posters. Think about what you like to do, and you can plan mountains, memphis, etc...Most driving in Tenn is scenic and open highways. Take your time and research what you would like to do and pinpoint a couple of areas to visit!

Memphis is a cool city, but I would vote for the mountains. That would be a unique American experience. It would also provide for a change of pace instead of visiting another city. As for your hotel, since it's a chain, you'll have no trouble cancelling your reservations with a full refund. I often book and cancel hotels multiple times as I'm planning a trip.

You'll definitely need a car, as public transit is lousy except for the largest cities, with few exceptions. It shouldn't be too bad driving though, American roads are generally wide and not too crowded. I'm going to Ireland next week and will be driving on the left for the first time. From what I've read about the narrow, crowded roads that should be much more of a challenge.

You should be able to cancel your hotel at this point without a problem. Definitely rent a car in Nashville, much of what is great about this area is the surrounding countryside and the little towns. If you are interested in touring antebellum homes, go south to Franklin, Columbia, and Mt. Pleasant. September is a very pretty time to drive in the country. Another side trip would be to take the historic Natchez Trace Parkway (no semi-truck allowed, which is a big plus) down to Natchez (which is around 400 miles). If you do not want to go all the way to Natchez, you can stop in Oxford, Mississippi, see Ole Miss and some literary tourism. There are lots of rivers and lakes in the Nashville area, some where you can rent cabins, boats and go fishing, waterskiing, etc. Southwest Airlines has a big hub in Nashville where you can catch quick, inexpensive flights to cities like New Orleans, Tampa, Jacksonville, or Chicago. I would not waste any money eating any meals at the Opryland Hotel. You will be paying 5 star prices for 2 star quality. Better brunches can be had at the Belle Meade Plantation, 101st Airborne (where you can watch the planes take off and land) and the Loveless Cafe. The wheat/gluten free options at the Pancake Pantry are not worth the wait to get in the place. Check out nashscene.com for upcoming concerts/shows and the like so you can plan on what interests you. Football is religion in the South in the fall, maybe you can catch a Titans (pro) or Vanderbilt (college -- but they always lose) game.

Gravy in Nashville will be milk gravy which is called cream sauce in sophisticated circles. We eat it over biscuits (quick bread, not cookies) for breakfast or over mashed potatoes with fried chicken for dinner.

The Smoky Mountain park is a national park and very pretty. If you get tired of Tennessee, drive north up I-65 into Kentucky. Bowling Green has the Corvette Museum that might interest a car lover. Mammoth Cave is another National Park and interesting. Louisville is our largest city and has several points of interest including the Churchill Downs Museum. CD is the home of the KY Derby.

Country Music lovers can find lots to do in Nashville. The Country Music Hall of Fame, Ryman Auditorium, Second Ave. and lower Broadway areas (home of Tootsies and Wildhorse Saloon), Music Row, etc. are all must-sees. You will want to take at least one tour bus trip. There are several tours available of the stars' homes. The Nash-Trash tour is popular and very humorous (requires advance reservations). All of the combined music venues can fill several evenings. You definitely will need a car for trips to Opryland Hotel, the Parthenon, Frist Center, shopping, etc. Visit Leiper's Fork (small town south of Nashville) where many celebrities live. The shops there are only open Wednesday through Saturday; but "star" sightings are frequent. Downtown Franklin (near Leiper's Fork) is a fun place. Gravy is made with flour, meat drippings (bacon, sausage,or ham) and milk. Definitely not on a gluten free diet!

I like Nashville, but I can't imagine two weeks there. Perhaps you could consider changing your plans to 1 week there and 1 week elsewhere.

I just checked the Best Western website and rooms are available for a week in September with a cancellation policy of 6 pm of date of arrival. You shouldn't have ANY problem changing your reservation if you choose.

I checked www.ticketmaster.com and couldn't find any concerts going on in Nashville in September. Of course, you could do the Grand Ole Opry and a tour of the Ryman Auditorium. Check out www. opry.com and www.ryman.com.

Memphis is okay, but I'd head east for the Eastern Tennesse mountains. Knoxville could be your base or book something in Pigeon Forge or Gatlinburg (I like PF much better).

You'll find good country music options there. The Louise Mandrell show is one of the highest rated concerts of any performer - anywhere. Dollywood has good country music. Check out www.louisemandrell and www.dollywood.com.

Go to www.tripadvisor.com to see the reviews of the various shows in Pigeon Forge.

www.mapquest.com will provide maps and driving directions. Most of the routes will be on interstate highways (expressways or motorways)...unless you want to choose smaller roads.

The Smoky Mountain festival will be going on in Sept. It might be fun for you to try out a hayride. Horseback riding in the mountains and whitewater rafting would be memorable too.

If I was planning the trip, I'd cut the time in Nashville even a bit shorter to carve out two days in Asheville, NC. It's a couple of hours east of Knoxville, but is absolutely beautiful. The Grove Park Inn is "almost" as good as the Old Faithful Inn in our Yellowstone National Park. The Biltmore House is absolutely amazing - the largest private residence in America plopped down in the North Carolina mountains as a reinterpretation of a French chateau.

In short, I would do a few days in Nashville, perhaps three or four in the mountains and a couple more in Asheville. Head back to Nashville and the Best Western for the last two nights before you fly out.

I rearranged my plans after arrival in London and instead of day trips out of London we picked up a car at Gatwick and hit the countryside. We were so glad we did! Driving on the "wrong" side of the road wasn't too difficult. One of the best pieces of advice I was given was to go to a mall on a Sunday after the stores closed or a large parking lot with marked lanes. Practice driving on the "wrong" side - and be sure to switch your normal "lead" hand. It helps to train your body and brain to think differently - and it was remarkably easy to make the adjustment. I just constantly had to remind myself to "think left, think left" when pulling out onto the road. For you, it would be "think right!

If you do go to the mountains, plan to visit mid-week. Traffic will be lighter.

Enjoy your visit to the US - but do consider seeing more than Nashville!

Another idea - the Jack Daniel's Distellery is about an hour south of Nashville. The drive is through beautiful TN countryside.

www.jackdaniels.com for more info. The tour is open almost every day.