I was just in Nashville last week, for the second visit. Nashville resembles Brisbane in size, topography, and humid climate, if that is helpful. It was too hot for much strolling last week, so that could happen to you in September.

Cheekwood is definitely not a plantation, it was built in the 1930s as a mansion. I found the neighborhood more interesting than the house and grounds. Belle Mead I think is overrated, if you want to see a plantation go to The Hermitage which is historic as Andrew Jackson’s home as well as a being a former plantation. I haven’t been to Franklin but will visit there next trip.

The Gaylord is I think worth a walk through, but you should park at the huge shopping mall nearby for free— the Gaylord charges a flat $20/day for parking! The huge mall had little appeal for me, sorry I even set foot in it.

I did not go downtown this trip, but 2 years ago I did and exhaustively tried to find country music and there was none to be found. Every single bar (and I tried them all) was playing 70s rock covers (Sweet Home Alabama, Brown Sugar, etc, the same songs in every bar). We even asked at the Orchid Lounge and the guy working there said he didn’t like it but that there was no country music to be had on week nights, we’d have to come back on the weekend. Not sure that it is still that way, but something to keep in mind. The Grand Old Opry has shows some week nights— again, park at the mall if you go there, it’s right next to the Gaylord Hotel.

When I said I tried all the bars looking for country music, I meant the ones on 2nd and then those on Broadway, the main tourist area. I didn't try the Bluebird which is elsewhere, or other parts of the city.

The Parthenon is quite good, also.

The Courtyard downtown is a terrific location if you want to BE downtown. and be sure to go to 417 Union for breakfast (every day, all day) or lunch. This is the site of one of Nashville's most historic old restaurants, updated with a great menu and more-than-reasonable prices. And a full bar -- you'll see ppl there at 8 a.m. having a beer with breakfast . . . I grew up in Nashville and now live two hours away and find something new and fun to do every time I'm there. Hope you love it too! When you have your dates, be sure to check the concert schedule at the Ryman -- fantastic not-too-big venue with major names (mostly not country!) all the time.

Having lived in Middle TN my entire life (one year in Nashville), here are a few things to do. These are just personal suggestions and may not fit everyone's taste. Check out The Parthanon (the grounds are free but it does have a museum that isn't...still really cool!). Gaylod would be a great stop, but as the other readers mentioned, park at the mall and walk to avoid the charges. Great photography chances in there. The Ryman is great- see who is playing. Park downtown and just walk around. September should have nice weather. If you want to eat at places that have national recognition check out the Loveless cafe and Pandcake Pantry. The Hermatige is great as well if you like historic sites. You will need a car in Nashville if you plan on seeing the entire city & outskirts. Cheekwood is a great place to visit! My fiance had a buy 1 get one free coupon so we only paid $10. If you can find coupons, it is worth it! The Frist Art Museum is cool as well. Check them out online and see what exhibits are there. The Country Music Hall of Fame is neat to visit as are some of the bars on Broadway. The General Jackson Showboat is right there at Gaylord/OpryMills. Check it out if you want to cruise down the Cumberland River. The Capitol Bldg is really cool for history buffs- one of the designers of the building is burried in it! The materials used to make the bldg are all from TN, and it took 15 years to complete! The shops in Hilsboro Village near Vandy are pretty neat. Also, check out Percy Warner or Edwin Warner Park-(Percy Warner is bigger I think), for a nice picnic. Radnor Lake is nice too. The Bicentennial Mall is cool (another freebie). Not sure why types of meals you all like, but there are yummy spots downtown and around the Vanderbilt area. If you are Vegan/Vegetarian you MUST check out The Wild Cow on Eastland. So YUMMY! If they have their chocolate heaven cake- GET IT! Fiddlecakes on 8th (I believe) has yummies for those who are glueten free. Their vegan choc chip cookies are to die for!!! Search for passes like a Music City Events Pass. You may be able to do a few things for one price, saving you $10+ overall. Franklin is not that far (maybe 25 min.) They have a cool historic district you might want to check out. I would wait on Memphis and do it as a sepreate trip. It is a 3.5 hour drive. I hope this review helped. Just a few things that you might want to check out while you are here. Have fun during your stay!!! I think you'll really enjoy it!

I almost forgot- if you live vineyards- check out Arrington Vineyards. It's owned by Kix Brooks of Brooks & Dunn! The scenery is stunning & the tastings are free! Rasberry dessert wine with their dark choc truffles..YUM!!! A nice spot to relax and unwind. I think they still have live music there too. http://www.arringtonvineyards.com/

@Pittsburgher: thanks for the tip on 417 Union for breakfast! I am staying at downtown Courtyard in a couple of weeks and was hoping to find a fun place for breakfast since it is not included with the room.

we stayed at the Hutton lat year and loved it. upscale, intimate and has a very nice restaurant. the Gaylord is loud, has terrible restaurants, is so far away from the city that when we have stayed there in the past, really didn't feel like we were in Nashville. on the other hand, it is a do not miss experience. so either stay there one night or at least spend half a day wondering around it. it's huge, colorful, and quite incredible. downtown Nashville is one of the rare walk around cities in the U.S. Museums, good restaurants, nice people,etc. By the way, the Wyndham hotel in downtown Nashville is the old union station. we have never stayed there but like to wander thru there. i would also recommend going to Central Market. it;s a grocery store but a wonderful one. great place for lunch and near a nice shopping center. tour the Vanderbilt campus and of course the nightclubs have very good music.

My guess is that the OP's trip is already past. I'm posting here to rebut the idea that a tourist must have a car in Nashville. As long as you stay downtown, you're fine. Many of the city's attractions are within walking distance from the downtown hotels. And you're not too far from the city bus hub terminal, which is about two blocks from the capitol building -- several attractions in the city but not downtown (including the Opryland area) can be reached via city bus. I spent four days sightseeing in the city without a car successfully.

The only exceptions to this are some of the outlying historic houses, though one can take a Gray Line tour that stops at both The Hermitage and Belle Meade in one trip. Cheekwood is only reachable by car, though.

By the way, I did not at all like the collection of paintings at The Parthenon, though the building itself is kind of fun in a kitschy way.

Sorry to ask, but would you also find the Parthenon in Athens 'kitschy?'
The one in Nashville is an exact replica . . . Don't know what exhibit was up but they change on a regular basis. The builidng always stays the same -- just like the one in Athens . . .

Pittsburgher -- no, the Parthenon in Athens is the original and I don't see a basis for calling it kitsch. The Parthenon in Nashville is in essence a spruced up knock-off, which could potentially qualify it as kitsch. In the same way, one could also consider a contemporary artist's painted copy of the "Mona Lisa" to potentially be kitsch.

Regardless, I didn't at all care for the collection of paintings I saw in the lower gallery of the place. Upstairs, there were copies of the Elgin Marbles and a huge, showy statue of Athena. The last of these contributed to the kitschy feeling of the place, at least for me.

Memphis is very much worth a visit for Graceland, the Civil Rights Museum, and, especially, Beale Street.

Curious about the Wildhorse Saloon downtown. It was a hoot :) Somewhat touristy and wondering if it IS just touristy, and how many of us there are tourists! Having said that, it looked like there was a bachelorette party there. So is it popular with locals too?

travelinjo - I wouldn't say it's extremely popular with locals (the people I know who honky-tonk usually go to Tootsie's, Robert's or the Stage), but there were probably some locals in there. I've seen several posts on Fodor's from people coming to Nashville specifically for a bachelorette party, so that group may or may not have been Nashville residents, but downtown in general (honky-tonks, Big Bang) is a pretty popular spot for that sort of thing.