Nashville is one of my favorite cities, but I don’t get to go as often as I like. I recently had a chance to visit Music City for a long weekend with my mom, sister, and niece. We went to Nashville for a concert. We were there for a few days, so we got to explore a bit of the city. Here’s a Nashville travel guide to see how to spend a weekend in the city.
Friday: Travel & Chill
During our first day of the Nashville trip, we took the trek from Arkansas to Nashville, got our nails done, and ate dinner.
Travel Day
Friday was mostly a chill day. We had to travel from my city in Arkansas to Nashville, Tennessee. I live about 45 minutes from the Arkansas-Tennessee border. The drive isn’t terrible, but Nashville is in the middle of the state, so there’s a bit to travel after you get to the Tennessee border. It took us about four hours once we were officially on the road.
Check-In At Hutton Hotel
Address: 1808 West End Ave, Nashville, TN 37203 | Website
Once we got to Nashville, we took some time to check in at the Hutton Hotel, our hotel for this trip. I got our rooms from Hotwire. Overall, it was a nice hotel, but we weren’t there much to talk about all of their amenities. It seemed like they were very music-focused, and a musician usually played music in the lobby when we returned in the afternoons of our stay.
The valet attendants at the Hutton Hotel were all incredibly friendly. Parking is kind of expensive here. There are self-parking options, but they make valet sound better because self-parking doesn’t have in-out privileges. We drove around Nashville a ton, so self-parking without in/out privileges wouldn’t make financial sense.
Capital Nail Bar
Address: 1204 Second Ave N, Nashville, TN 37208 | Website
Once we got to Nashville, we took some time to check in at the Hutton Hotel, and then we took some time to get our toes and nails done to prepare for Beyonce. We checked out Capital Nail Bar since it had good reviews and was close to our hotel/food.
Overall, I was pretty happy with this nail salon. It can be challenging to get marble nails the way I want them in my town, so I was impressed by how the nail tech was able to create some cute marble designs on my nails.
The Goat
Address: 1220 2nd Avenue North, Nashville, Tennessee 37208 | Website
After finishing our nails, we went to a restaurant close to our nail salon. The nail salon was centrally located to many fun buildings, including The Goat. They had good drinks and food, plus a fun vibe. The Farmhouse Tots were delicious.
Saturday: Shopping & Beyoncé
The next day, we went out shopping to see if we could find some last-minute items for the show. We ran across a few nice things, and it’s probably no surprise I spent too much at Old Navy.
Shopping At Opry Mills Mall & The Mall At Green Hills
Opry Mills Mall Address: 433 Opry Mills Dr, Nashville, TN 37214 | Website
The Mall At Green Hills Address: 2126 Abbott Martin Rd, Nashville, TN 37215 | Website
Nashville has a ton of places to shop. They have two big malls, but they are spread apart (especially during periods of high traffic.) There are also a ton of individual places to shop. I love Opry Mills Mall because it has many discount/factory stores. The Mall At Green Hills is definitely more high-end, so I wouldn’t suggest shopping there unless you have money burning a hole in your pocket.
The Cheesecake Factory At Opry Mills Mall
While we were at Opry Mills Mall, we got hungry, so we decided to get some food. I will say that we stood in line for quite a while for The Cheesecake Factory. When I went in July 2023, the hours on the website seemed to be slightly off from when the restaurant opened. When we realized they were off, it was almost time to open, so we just decided to wait. Also, The Cheesecake Factory was cold because they sat us right below an air vent. When you get past those issues, I liked my food. The waffle was good, and they gave me lots of syrup. It wasn’t my favorite meal of the trip, but it was a good meal for a hungry shopper.
Beyoncé Concert At Nissan Stadium
Address: 1 Titans Way, Nashville, TN 37213 | Website
After we went shopping and spent some time at the hotel, it was time for Beyoncé. This was my second time seeing Beyoncé, and both times have been at Nissan Stadium in Nashville. I was looking forward to this event for months. Renaissance was such a powerhouse of an album. I listen to it frequently, and I even wrote a track-by-track review of it on this blog when it was first released.
The first time I saw Beyoncé, it was just my sister and I. This time, my mom and niece joined us for the adventure. It was fun getting together with all the girls in my immediate family to see Beyoncé live. It was also my niece’s first concert. It’s fantastic that she will always be able to say Beyoncé was her first concert. How cool is that for a first concert?
I loved seeing the Renaissance World Tour. It was everything I imagined it would be. Lots of dancing, singing at the top of my lungs, and confetti. What more could I ask for?
Read On: Renaissance Review: My Track-By-Track Thoughts
Sunday: Topgolf & Mural Watching
During our last full day in Nashville, we decided to spend some time as a family visiting random parts of Nashville and hanging out downtown.
Topgolf Nashville
Address: 500 Cowan St, Nashville, TN 37207 | Website
First, we ended up checking out Nashville’s Topgolf location. I’ve become a massive fan of Topgolf over the years. So many major cities have Topgolf locations. It’s expensive, but you can always expect a good time, drinks, and food.
Topgolf Nashville was no exception to the rule of this franchise. Plus, I won because I was the only halfway decent player in my family.
Mural Watching
Address: All Over Nashville
If you check out any Nashville travel guide, you’ll be told about murals. Music City is known for its murals and the myriad places you can take a picture in the city. If you’re downtown, there will be a plethora of walls to pose in front of, like the famous Nashville What Lifts You Wings mural pictured below. Check out the Music City website for a deep dive into the murals in Nashville, along with addresses, so that you can plan your photos accordingly.
Nashville Sundae Club
Address: 335 11th Ave S, Nashville, TN 37203 | Website
Right next to the What Lifts You Mural, there is a beautiful courtyard and a few small businesses. One of those buildings houses the Nashville Sundae Club, a place to get delicious ice cream and drinks. It was pretty nice in the courtyard because we were next to this gorgeous water feature and shaded from the sun, but we still wanted to indulge in some ice cream to take a break after looking for murals.
So, we all got drinks and ice cream and proceeded to chat and watch the birds that flew by. It was one of the most peaceful parts of our trip. Every city needs an area like this one in Nashville.
Here’s a candid picture of me obviously enjoying the ice cream from Nashville Sundae Club:
The Escape Game Nashville
Address: Three locations across Nashville | Website
After we rested for a bit, my niece got the idea to do an escape room. After looking things up, we decided to go to The Escape Game in Nashville. Nashville has a few locations of this franchise, and they seem scattered across the United States. This is a great option if you are looking for some entertainment and bonding. My family and I are not great at escape rooms, so we did not escape. You might enjoy this company if you are good at escape rooms or do them regularly. The rooms seem complex enough, and there are multiple rooms to the puzzle.
Martin’s BBQ Joint
Address: 410 4th Avenue South Nashville, TN 37201 | Website
After we left The Escape Game and explored downtown a bit, we were hungry again. After asking around to see what people recommend, we got a few people to recommend Martin’s BBQ Joint. I enjoyed eating there. The food was delicious, but there was also live music and games (although I didn’t participate in them.) It seemed like a fun place to be on a weekend night.
Monday: Eating & Travel
Monday was mostly about traveling, but before we left, we got to eat at another good restaurant.
Calle Taco
Address: 600 9th Ave S Nashville, TN 37203 | Website
To begin the day, we ended up stopping at Calle Taco. I’m not 100% sure what made us stop here, but I’m glad we did. I got a delightful margarita, chips/dip, and some delicious street tacos. It was the perfect way to end my trip and all the good food I ate in Nashville.
Travel Day
After finishing at Calle Taco, we returned to the interstate and headed back to Arkansas. Before we left Nashville, though, I ran across a statue that immediately took me back to my childhood. The first time I went to Nashville was in 2007 when I went to my first concert (My Chemical Romance on their tour for The Black Parade with Muse as an opener.) When I went to Nashville during that trip, I saw this statue. Seeing it again as an adult was cool, and I immediately remembered the magic of my first trip to Music City.
Conclusion: Are You Ready For Music City With My Nashville Travel Guide?
So, there you have it, my Nashville travel guide. I can’t believe it took me so many years to return to Music City. It’s only a four-hour trip, but so many places took precedence over my return to Nashville. Have you ever been? Are you planning a trip? I’d love to know what your favorite places are.
Leave me a suggestion: What should be next on my Nashville bucket list?
