A Flash of Nash(ville)

Theri Gaynor
Apr 30
6 min read

Nashville, Tennessee

Wednesday, June 27, 2018 – Thursday June 28, 2018

Part of a longer trip that included Lexington, KY, Nashville, TN and Philadelphia, PA with a 12-hour hotel stop in Tyson, Virginia - 6/23/18 – 7/1/18

Our stop in Nashville was brief. The only items on our list of things to do during our stay was to take a tour of the city and to buy souvenirs.

We arrived at our hotel, the Clarion Hotel Nashville Downtown Stadium, a little after 5:00PM. The hotel was near the football stadium but on opposite side of the Cumberland River than the main touristy area of the city, but it was only a 5-minute car ride, maybe less. We stayed at the Clarion for two nights, giving us a full day in Nashville to explore. (a google search indicates that this hotel is no longer in operation).

Photo 1: our hotel room at the Clarion Hotel Nashville Downtown Stadium

Photo 2: water-light display near the check-in counter

Photo 3: Nissan Stadium, home of the Tennessee Titans

Since it was still early evening, we freshened up in our room and discussed where we wanted to have dinner. My partner researched the area while we rested, and he really wanted to try hot chicken. He located two places with good reviews; he wasn’t sure which one he wanted to try though. I hadn’t heard of hot chicken until this discussion, but I was open to the experience. Truth be told, spicy food isn’t something I specifically enjoy but I could always find something else if it was too hot for me.

Back in the car, we drove towards a food truck that he read had the best hot chicken, this was a bit of a long shot since food trucks often move to different locations so we weren’t sure it would be there or open. We got there just in time to watch them close for the evening. So, off we went to the other placed called Prince’s Hot Chicken. Prince’s was outside of the tourist area of Nashville, approximately 20 minutes from our hotel. It was a hole in the wall kind of place, and I was surprised that it presented as a take-out vibe rather than a sit-down location. The menu hung over the window, and we waited in line for our turn to order. There were a few tables to choose from after you’ve picked up your order. When you got to the window, you placed your order, paid, and waited for your food to be given to you.

I let my partner decide what to order since this was more in his wheelhouse. He purchased two hot chicken sandwiches with coleslaw and pickles. I was feeling under the weather (the humidity was high) so we opted to take our dinner back to the hotel to eat. (Probably worked out better for us too, what would we do if the chicken was too spicy for us and we were surrounded by people who were used to the heat, how embarrassing it would be!)

Well, it most definitely was hot. But the bread that it was served on definitely balanced the heat. Plus using the coleslaw and pickles to soften the heat helped as well. It was a big sandwich and I’m so proud of myself for eating it. It was totally amazing.

Photo 1: Prince's Hot Chicken sign on the front of the building

Photo 2: Front window of Prince's Hot Chicken

Not much later, we went down to the front desk and purchased two chocolate bars and two sodas. Had to have some sweet to balance out the heat! There was also a cool water and lights display in the lounge that fascinated me.

The next morning, we headed towards downtown Nashville to join the Hop On Hop Off bus tour. It was a rainy day, and I still felt rather sluggish. I was happy that we were starting with an activity that didn’t require a lot from me. It was also a somewhat early start for us; we were at the tour stop with our tickets a little past 10:00AM. I’m a big fan of Hop On Hop Off tours, and I’ve written about them in other blog posts. In a nutshell it’s a daily ticket for a tour bus that has multiple popular stops along the route where you can get off the bus tour and explore on your own. Then, later in the day you can hop on at the bus stop and resume the tour. Often, we take the full tour first, so we can see all the stops, then ride again to the destinations we want to explore further.

On this tour, we seemed to both be out of sorts because we wanted to see everything but couldn’t agree on anything. Hah! So, when in doubt, eat! We ate lunch(breakfast?) at Another Broken Egg Cafe. We were there about an hour before closing (they close at 2PM) but it was still pretty busy. Our waiter was great and very fun and patient! There were so many yummy plates with pancakes and French toast on the menu, but we kept it simple and ordered omelets and coffee. Had. To. Have. Coffee.

Photo 1: Across the street from the starting point of the Hop On Hop Off Tour

Photo 2: Street view of 5th Avenue S - promoting the Nashville Predator's

Photo 3: Inside Another Broken Egg Cafe

As we dined, we discussed where we wanted to head next. We decided to walk down 3^rd Avenue, as it seemed to be bustling. As we walked it started to rain consistently so we ducked into the Johnny Cash Museum. It felt like an old movie theatre, though smaller. It was also jam packed with memorabilia from the beginning of his life through the end. One of the most visually impressive things that I saw was the wall full of Johnny Cash records. There were so many! I appreciate this memory because it was an experience we might not have had if the weather was nicer, so sometimes things have a way of working out.

When the rain stopped, we left the museum and walked to the Ryman Auditorium where the Grand Ole Opry radio show used to take place. I’ve heard so much about the Grand Ole Opry over the years, I was happy to be able to visit. There were just so many artists that were discovered and performed there. Talk about nostalgia and history! We took the self-guided tour, and it brought us through the seating area, which was much smaller than I thought it would be. We also peeked upstairs where they seemed to be setting up for an event, so we quickly left the area, so as not to be in the way. The building was just so different than anything I had been in. It felt old but loved, if that makes any sense.

Before we left the Ryman, we spent some time at the gift shop and left with Ryman T-shirts and a keychain.

Photo 1: Birth of the Blues sign - annoyed with myself for not getting the full sign

Photo 2: Wall of vinyl records inside the Johnny Cash Museum

Photo 3: Entrance to the Ryman Auditorium

Our final stop in Nashville for the day was dinner at Jack’s Bar-B-Que. It was just steps away from the Ryman and it was a simple answer to where we could try to Nashville ribs. My partner ordered a ribs plate and a beef brisket plate and we shared them. The restaurant had a lot of foot traffic, but it could have felt that way because we weren’t too far from the counter and not too far from the entrance. Upstairs seemed busier, so I am glad we sat downstairs.

We stopped at a few more gift shops and stores as we walked back to our car. It was a full 8-hour day by the time we headed back to the hotel.

Photo 1: An idea of what Jack's looked like inside

Photo 2: the Jack's sign over the counter area

Things I learned from planning this trip: I can truly visualize how musicians traveled by bus to different venues around the country. So many cities are only within a few hours of each other.

Things I learned from attending this trip: I didn’t love it. In fact, I left feeling like I’d never take another trip to go there, and I don’t think I’ve thought that for any place I’ve visited. Beginning to realize that barbecue places are a lot more casual, no table service, you order your food and find a seat. Go back to Prince’s Hot Chicken!

Things I learned from writing this blog post: I feel a pang of sadness. Like I didn’t get the full experience of Nashville. I’ve even discussed with my partner about returning and possibly planning some time to either see a concert at the Ryman or at least stop into a place or two that has live music. I wonder how Nashville is during Christmas….

Photos from the bus tour