Help with Nashville trip

[bebelle]

In December my husband will be attending a conference in Nashville and the whole family is going with him. YEAH! Now the problem...this trip was not in the budget and we are already going to Disney in May so money is tight. What are the must sees in Nashville (besides the Grand Old Opry)? I would also like to make this educational for the kids (12 and 15). We will be there for 4 days but will not have a car. We will be staying at the Sheraton on Union Street which pretty much seems at the heart of things. Also what can we expect with the weather? Thanks in advance!

 

[asta]

Since you are in the downtown area (and because it is very entertaining) make sure you go to the Country Music Hall of Fame. It will be in walking distance. You mention going to the Grand Ole Opry - if you are attending it at the new location out by the Opryland Hotel, make sure that you also go look at the original location, the Ryman Auditorium. You may even pass it walking from your hotel to the Country Music Hall of Fame. The honky tonks on Lower Broadway are a great tourist stop but not with children, it might be fun just to walk by them. The music is loud enough to be heard outside. I also recommend going to the Opryland Hotel that time of year just to look at all the Christmas lights and decorations. Make sure you walk through all of the lobbies and wait for the fountain show (I can't remember which lobby it is in). There is a state museum downtown, it is OK but the country music one is better. I have toured a recording studio with school groups and found that very interesting but I don't know if you can do this by just walking in. You might want to look into one of the bus tours but I don't know if they stop at the studios or if they just drive by homes of the stars. As far as ticketed events, the Rockettes are at Opryland that time of year and the NHL Predators play downtown. A great educational trip would also include a visit to the Hermitage, home of President Andrew Jackson. You have to drive a few miles but it is worth it. Nearby Franklin is great for several Civil War sites-the Carter House was an actual battle site and Carnton was used as Civil War hospital and burial site.

And I almost forgot, the Bluebird Cafe is the best place to hear live music in a small setting but I don't know if it is just for adults. It is a favorite of the people who actually write the music and sometimes the stars show up. You will have to drive to get there so check and see if there is an age limit before you go.

Sorry that I have rambled, let me know if you want more info on any of my ideas and I will try and make more sense.

 

[TriMom]

Unfortunately, Nashville is a hard city to "tour" without a car. If you are downtown, you can do the Ryman, Country Music Hall of Fame, The Bicentennial Mall - a park with a great farmer's market. The riverfront and Fort Nashboro, the state Capitol Building - it's been a while, I don't know if they still do tours, Lower Broadway and Second Ave. A suggest Demos' for a great Italian dinner. It' at Commerce and 2nd.

To see anything else - the current Grand Ole Opry, Gaylord Opryland, the Hermitage, the Parthenon (yes - the Parthenon, we built a replica for 1897 Centennial Celebration), Adventure Science Center - you will need a car.

Weather - cold and damp. Highs in the upper 40's, lows in the 30's and a possibility of cold rain. We very rarely get snow.

 

[bebelle]

I am assuming that there is public transportation or taxis? Does anyone know if there are buses that "tour" the sites and allow you to disembark and reboard on a future bus? I know when we visited San Diego and Washington, DC there was a company that did this. You bought a daily ticket and could hop on and off special tour buses that made the rounds to all the sites.

 

[mandy200587]

The Opry will be at the Ryman when your there. The Opry house will have the Rockettes and their ice show. Check out Jack's BBQ for good bbq. Wildhorse saloon is really good and sometimes they have bands playing at night. As far as the Opry show, look for codes that get you 3 dollars off each seat. You won't be up at front but at the Ryman there really isn't a bad seat.

 

[nannerbadnanner]

Unfortunately, the public transportation in Nashville leaves much to be desired, but you should be able to get around downtown without too many issues.

Dowtown, you can visit the Frist Center, the Ryman, the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Tennesse State Museum, and the Capitol building. There are also many bars and restaurants like Tootsie's and Jack's BBQ.

East of town you will find the Opryland hotel which is tourist destination in and of itself. It is awesome at Christmas! Next to it is the Grand Ole Opry which is a really fun experience and Opry Mills Mall which is also a destination in and of itself. They have bus tours that you can take that leave from this area, and they also have the General Jackson which is a riverboat cruise and dinner show.

A little further east you have The Hermitage which was the home of President Andrew Jackson. In addition to the house tour, they have a museum and are currently excavating the slave quarters to recreate their daily life.

Other area attractions are the Nashville Zoo, the Adventure Science Center, Cheekwood Mansion, and Traveler's Rest Plantation.

It's a fun place with a lot to do. Let us know what your interests are!

 

[Evil Genius]

Tour the Ryman and the Country Music Hall of Fame. Jacks BBQ Yummmmmmmm stop by the Wildhorse Saloon and have some fried pickles double yummmmmmm. Then go down the street and get a praline from Leon's.

Visitmusiccity.com helped me out with my trip this past summer as well as the folks here.

Have a great time!

 

[asta]

I missed the mention that you wouldn't have a car. There are a couple of web sites that will tell you about tours that you can take in Nashville. If you are going to be here for four days I think that you should check into one of these. I believe that they both will pick you up at your hotel. I would look at Gray Line Nashville first because I see their buses all over town. Their web site lists the tours they offer but I would highly recommend the Opryland Hotel one that time of year. There is also a website called NashvilleSightseeing.com that offers local tours also. I don't think that I could fill up 4 days with activities if I were confined to the downtown area.

 

[ClarabelleCowFan]

Tour the Ryman and the Country Music Hall of Fame. Jacks BBQ Yummmmmmmm stop by the Wildhorse Saloon and have some fried pickles double yummmmmmm. Then go down the street and get a praline from Leon's.

Visitmusiccity.com helped me out with my trip this past summer as well as the folks here.

Have a great time!

Oh man I miss those fried pickles at the Wildhorse!

OP - with kids you won't be able to do the downtown scene at night (nor would you probably want to) but most of the places are open during the day. Check the Wildhorse to see if they still have the line dancing lessons in the afternoon (free and kid friendly). For 4 days I would get a car for at least 1 or 2 days - you can get a cheap one thru Hotwire. The public transportation system in Nash is NOT something I would take as a tourist. The cabs are pricey too - you would spend less on renting a car.

Opry Mills mall adjacent to the Opryland Hotel would be a huge hit with kids that age. There is a movie theater inside and several restaurants like Johnny Rockets, Rainforest Cafe and the Aquarium. There is also a huge food court and a Macaroni Grille. Yum!