1. Check the concert schedules for the Ryman Auditorium, Bridgestone Arena, Ascend Amphitheatre and City Winery before you plan your trip, and plan it around an amazing live music act.
2. Make reservations for a singer-songwriter night in the round at the Bluebird Café, or catch a bluegrass show at the Station Inn.
- Christy Tosh Crider, Shareholder
3. Nashville has a great comedy scene that is often overlooked. You can find open mic nights just about any night of the week. Zanies is the local favorite with occasional headliners.
- Karen Blake, Attorney
4. If you're looking to try out Nashville's craft beer scene, stop by Jackalope Brewery. The brewmaster, Bailey Spaulding, is a female lawyer who started homebrewing while she was a student at Vanderbilt Law School. After developing a cult following in her law school class, she decided brewing beer was her real passion in life and opened the brewery in 2011. Today, Jackalope's 30 brands are served in more than 500 locations around Middle and West Tennessee. Try the Bearwalker, a maple brown ale made with real Vermont maple syrup, or LoveBird, a strawberry/raspberry hefeweizen.
5. While you're in Nashville, you're likely to see tourists (and locals) snapping selfies in front of the city's many murals. "Mural Hopping" has become so popular that some people even rent golf carts or private drivers to shuttle them from mural to mural all over Nashville. Click here for a list of some of our favorite murals. Your Instagram account (and your kids) will thank us.
- Claire Cowart Haltom, Shareholder
6. For the foodies, I recommend scheduling a walking tour through Walk Eat Nashville. Each tour gives participants the opportunity to get a little exercise, sight-see and sample tasty dishes from some of Nashville's finest restaurants!
- Joy Boyd Longnecker, Shareholder
7. Grab a cooler of beer and boxed wine, Pringles and Twizzlers, and go for a kayak or canoe float down the Harpeth River (30 minutes outside of Nashville). It can take two hours if you go straight through or five hours if you stop and frolic along the way (my strong preference).
8. Stop by my secret shopping location, United Apparel Liquidators, where my favorite designer clothes (Balenciaga, Rag & Bone, Armani) sell for 70 – 90 percent off retail. The New York Times calls it "the best kept secret in fashion." I bought $350 jeans for $30, a $1,250 sweater for $150 and a $150 gold bracelet for $4!
- Tonya Mitchem Grindon, Shareholder
9. While Five Daughters Bakery (in 12 South) is best known for their 100 layer donuts, they have the best biscuit sandwiches in town, and they are only $3!
- Sarah Murray, Associate
10. Nashville Hot Chicken is a must-have while you're in Nashville, and Hattie B's Hot Chicken is the best. Don't miss the dark quarter (I like mine "hot"), pimento mac & cheese and banana pudding.
- Caldwell G. Collins, Shareholder
11. Nashville has a wide variety of ethnic restaurants. Indian food lovers should also check out Dosa Hut Indian Grill, which is harder to find but equally delicious, located off of Nolensville Road. Dosa Hut also has an "express" shop located in Nashville's downtown Arcade. You can order off the menu instead of eating what's served, and their dosas, which they will cook while you wait, are fabulous. The Arcade also has a wonderful Ethiopian restaurant, Ajora Kitchen, which is not meat-free, but you can easily eat meat-free if you're vegetarian and fill up with some wonderfully flavored and healthy fare.
- Martha L. Boyd, Shareholder
12. Enjoy a fine Italian dinner at Trattoria Il Mulino, across the street from Bridgestone Arena. By far the best selection on the menu, their pasta – made fresh daily – is incredible. They have a great tiramisu made with limoncello, too. Ask for James, and you will be treated to stellar service! And then…Go to a Predators game! Although you may not have known that Nashville was a hockey town, the Nashville Preds recently made it to the Stanley Cup Finals with the entire city rallied behind them. Catching a game in Bridgestone Arena is like no other – the energy, the chants and the music stars in attendance make for an unforgettable experience. We believe in Smashville!
- Karen Blake, Attorney
13. If you are traveling with young children, don't miss the Martin ArtQuest at the Frist Center for the Visual Arts and the garden-scale outdoor train exhibit at Cheekwood Estate & Gardens. At Martin ArtQuest, budding artists are invited to paint, sketch, make an animated short video and explore multiple hands-on activities in addition to viewing the latest art exhibition on display in the museum. Cheekwood is a perfect spot to enjoy a picnic with your family while watching the train exhibit and then explore the beautiful gardens and outdoor art installations.
- Chelsea Sudbury, Attorney