Downtown Nashville

Spend the whole day watching hopeful aspiring stars do their thing in one of the strip's many famous honky-tonks. Many now-famous country legends have appeared here, so you may see a star of the future.

The Country Music Hall of Fame is the one must-do if you're strapped for time – it’s easy to get to and covers every bit of country music history.

Take in an American football match at the city's immense stadium by the banks of the Cumberland River. It’s a wonderful experience.

Quick Tips:

A Trolley Bus Tour leaves downtown every hour and is another good way of seeing all the major sights (even if only briefly).

Best Way To Get Around:

The downtown area is actually pretty small, and if your stay is based in this area, you can get around on foot. Public buses seem to be frequent to get to other parts of the city and out-of-town centres.

The Hilton Suites Downtown really are in a prime position for anyone who has come to Nashville for the country music. Just across the parking lot is the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Strip, where you'll find world-famous bars such as Roberts and the Black Orchid around the corner. It's also a stone's throw from the Cumberland River, and over the water is the American football stadium.

The hotel is a many-storied building with an impressive entrance, where you are faced with two glass elevators taking you up to the rooms. Reception staff were friendly and helpful and made us very welcome.

The suites comprise a living area and a bedroom with two comfortable double beds and a large bathroom (large walk-in shower, but no bath). There were TVs in the bedroom and the living area, where there was also a coffee/tea-making machine and a minibar/fridge.

Breakfast is a buffet affair with oodles to choose from - fresh fruit, eggs done in loads of different ways (including a jalapeno omelette - the other half loved this!), bacon, grits (my favourite), different juices, cereals - you name it, it was there!

The hotel also has a sports bar (hugely busy when there are matches on TV), a quieter lounger area, a small shop, and lots of car parking.

My only gripe is that the pillows were feather ones, which I am VERY allergic to, and no alternatives were available. I couldn't really believe that such an establishment would be unable to provide this simple request.

Otherwise, I would recommend this highly for anyone in Nashville for country music. There are few shops nearby, but this is the place to be close to for great music and attractions.

Joe's Crab Shack is apparently part of a national chain (I'd never heard of them), and this is one of two restaurants in Nashville. The place is done out as you'd imagine: a great big seaside shack with lots of booths, things hanging from beams, wooden fish, fishing nets, life buoys, and loads more.

The staff is fun and friendly and will see you right through the menu, offering you the relevant dips, side portions, and drink promotions. Our waitress, Crystal, was a total star!

The food is obviously seafood, but there are corndogs and burgers for the kids or steak or chicken for the adults who prefer not to eat seafood.

The crabs come in loads of different ways with different sauces. The grilled ghost crabs are highly recommended. I'd also recommend the coconut shrimps - heaven on a plate! The fries are great and the chunky coleslaw is delicious.

Look out for the staff dropping everything (well, not EVERYTHING!) to put on a quick line-dancing show.

Dinner for two with starters and main courses as well as beers worked out around £27.

Kids will love it, and seafood lovers will love the food.

The restaurant is situated in the downtown area, close to the main strip where you'll find the honky-tonks. Head there after eating at Joe's.

Roberts Western World is one of the best known country and western music venues on the Broadway - Nashville's famous strip of honky tonk bars. It has friendly staff (drop by and say Hi to Diane!), good beer (Rolling Rock is recommended) and plays host to a variety of country music bands and singers. Some are well-known, others less so, and some who have gone on to become very famous.

The bar might not be plush or larger but the atmosphere is great, and clienetele is evenly mixed between die-hard regulars and tourists.

Bar food is served during the day - fired chicken, hotdogs and burgers, for the main part. Tasty and filling--not healthy or different, but appropriate to the type of joint this is.

Photographs on the wall show a who's who of bands who have played their or celebrities who have gone to hear the music. You can buy a Roberts Western World T-shirt, or even a pair of cowboy boots for some authentic line dancing.

Roberts is an umnissable sight in Nashville. Unreservedly recommended.

Open daily from 10am-3am.

Situated some 75 miles south east of Nashville, this isn't strictly a Nashville activity but many people staying in the city go out to visit this great attraction. Incredibly guided tours are free. They last about an hour and 15 minutes and depart every 15 minutes or so.

Led by a guide in costume, you see the Tennessee whisky making process from beginning to end with the expert help of characterful guides. (Randy is fabulous!!!)

Not for people with mobility problems as this involves a lot of climbing stairs, you will see how the maple chips are made, how the sour mash bubbles in vats and even where the ladies add the labels to the finished bottles.

In the foyer there is an exhibition of some fantastic old photographs of days gone by at the distillery and you get a glass of chilled homemade lemonade after the tour.

A group photo is taken and will appear on line on the Jack Daniels website a few days later for you to download - a great souvenir.

Afterwards, pop into Lynchburg village and buy some Jack Daniels souvenirs - if it has the JD logo on it, you can buy it here!

A fab day out, terrific fun. If you can try to go on a day when they are having a Tennessee barbecue. You have to pay but they are brilliant! Held up at the pavilion on top of the hill you will get great food accompanied by a lone steel guitar player. Perfect!

The tour lasts about an hour and your vehicle is what looks like a trolley bus, but is actually a conventional one. Still, it has partially open side so it does mean you can get a bit of a through drought on hot days which really helps in this hot city. Your driver also does the commentary and we found our driver to be friendly, funny and extremely knowledgeable, answering questions from tourists over and above the information in his commentary.

There are unfortunately no opportunities to get out and have a walk or to take better photographs than what you can manage through the windows. However, if you don't have long in town (we didn't) or you want to get your bearings on arrival and perhaps get some ideas for things you'd like to do in more depth, this is a good way to start. You will see Vanderbilt University, Music Row (where you'll see the amazingly opulent record company buildings), the State Capitol, Fort Nashborough (which looks more like a kids fort than anything you've ever seen) and the Parthenon - which is a gorgeous building and stands in lovely gardens.

Frankly, its amazing what they cram in to the hour and how much you learn. Special praise must go to the guide who manages to blend the right mix of fact and fun. Children might not be particularly interested, one for the adults only - especially if you want to see the record company premises and a few stars homes.