Ever been to Nashville? Think it's all about Country Music? Get ready to be surprised!
I have always been curious about Nashville for many years. I guess it all started over 20 years ago when my favorite football team at the time, the Houston Oilers, relocated to Nashville of all places and changed their name to the Tennessee Titans. I had my preconceptions of Nashville when I was younger, but as an adult, seeing footage on TV of homes, and events held throughout this city, my curiosity grew and I had to see for myself what Nashville was about.
I arrived in Nashville on a Friday evening ready to get my weekend started right by driving downtown to see the city lights and sights. I researched and discovered that Broadway was the main city strip of road filled with restaurants, live music venues, and tourist attractions.
What was surprising once I got to Downtown Nashville, was that it was very much a New York-Times Square/ New Orleans-Mardi Gras vibe. Broadway gets shut down to vehicles and becomes a pedestrian walk thru for a sea of people looking for a good time.
The next morning I ventured out to the Downtown Nashville area again and was able to drive and take in the city and shops without the mob of people. I made my way specifically to Centennial Park to see the Parthenon, an impressive full-scale replica of the Parthenon in Athens Greece!
Inside the Parthenon are great collections of artifacts, the history of the structure itself, and a grand sculpture of the Goddess Athena you have to see for yourself!
Nashville also has plenty of museums to visit mostly centered around the music of course given its history. There is the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum and The Johnny Cash Museum for example that you can check out. I did not have time to visit all the museums located downtown, but I did make a point to visit the National Museum of African American Music. It is a relatively small and new museum that is very modern, interactive, and filled with great pictures and artifacts from the many artists on display.
I spent the rest of my day driving around the outskirts of the city checking out a few other choice places and venues that I researched like The Farmer's Market. A great place to stop, relax and get a bite to eat from the various food vendors on site.
Nashville is officially in my top 3 favorite cities in the U.S. as of now. Not only is it a great place to visit, but in my opinion, a great place to live. The food is fantastic, pretty decent weather, and live music of course, and a great sports town. But don't take my word...check Nashville out for yourself!
