More to Nashville than the Opry

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Parking downtown is expense and difficult to find unless you are willing to walk from the outskirts into the heart of the nightlife. Parking at other attractions is easy and usually free.

We noticed that they did not have our Holiday Inn number on the reservation, even though my wife had provided the information when making the reservations. She knew that she did not have that card in her purse. Neither of the women would help us, stating that they did not know how to look up someone’s number on the computer system. We would have to send in the numerous copies, proof of stay, copy of the card, first-born child, and everything else it takes to get credit for a night stay. The forlorn look on my wife’s face must have changed one lady’s mind. She offered to try, just one time. But if it did not work, we’d have to follow the other process. Success! She found our number on the first try and entered it on our record.

The set of elevators sat just to the right of the desk and they were the slowest elevators possible. While we waited for one of them to return to the lobby, we looked around. A kidney-shaped pool and hot tub sat right in the middle of the lobby, surrounded by trees in an area that resembled an oasis. No fence, no gates, no privacy. Parents would have to keep a careful watch on their children to ensure they did not wander over to the pool and accidentally fall in! We enjoyed it, but we didn’t have little ones to worry about.

The room was clean and met expected standards for Holiday Inn. Our only frustration was the lack of hot water in the morning. When we called Maintenance, they told us there was a plumbing problem in that section of the hotel. To address our inconvenience and cold showers, we were given a discount on our next stay. We had again requested a king-size bed, so ended up in the same section of the hotel for our second stay. We should not have been surprised – no hot water, again.

Reservations are more challenging for this location, as you need to work around the special events at Vanderbilt University. Don't try to stay here during move-in weekend, move-out weekend, parents' weekend, homecoming, or graduation. These rooms are booked way in advance.

The location is fairly close to the airport, but the street name was confusing. The rental car people had not heard of the street name before and we had to call the motel for directions. Getting there was very simple and straight-forward once we knew which exit to take off Highway 40.

When we stay overnight, all we ask is for safety and cleanliness. This place just barely met both. The rooms opened into a hallway that required a room key for entrance. However, getting to the outdoor stairs (no elevator near our rooms) meant walking through a dark exterior hallway. We had to park our cars on the street and parallel parking was minimal.

The carpet on the stairs was well worn and bare, but the room carpet was acceptable. The room itself was clean - the bathroom, the linens, etc. were just fine. The room smell was acceptable. There was not a coffeepot in the room, but coffee could be purchased in the restaurant off the lobby.

In the middle of the motel buildings is a large outdoor pool. The pool is rectangular and almost full-size, long enough to seriously swim laps for exercise. Lounge chairs surround the perimeter of the pool, allowing an opportunity to relax by the poolside.

I have stayed here once with my wife and once by myself. It was acceptable for the less than $30 a night. I would not let my wife stay here by herself however. I'd pay the extra for the Holiday Inn.

The hotel is located near a section of restaurants, including Pancake Pantry.

Parking is free but very difficult. The very small lot in the front had minimal spots, so I not ever able to park there. Fortunately, the hotel does have an attached parking garage which was definitely a plus until someone with a car top carrier ran into one of the overhead pipes. It sprayed water all through the parking garage and hung down just the right height to hit the top of my car. The dangling pipe was repaired by the next morning.

The rooms were clean and conveniently located near the elevator. The weekend rate did not include breakfast, yet we had a coffee pot in the room so we could have our morning coffee while getting ready. The renovations to this hotel have certainly been worthwhile.

We’ve stayed at this Motel 6 twice now and have been pleased both times. We get a room with a queen-size bed, which means that the bed takes up the entire space in the room and there is only one set of towels. The front desk is good about letting us have a second set of towels because we’ve paid for two people.

The rooms have been clean. The bathrooms have been clean and the linens are clean. For some reason, that’s important to me. The television has a limited number of stations, but that has not been an issue for us. We’re not there long enough to watch TV. I can get to a national news station and a weather station, so that’s adequate for our purposes.

This Motel 6 has a nice outdoor pool. We’ve not used it, but the gated area surrounding the pool is well maintained and the water was clear. There is also a laundry facility at this motel, and the machines are usually in use whenever we walked by. Complimentary cups of coffee are available at the front desk in the morning and it’s freshly brewed.

The motel is located close to the airport, so low-flying airplanes start up early in the morning. They sound like thunder as they gain speed from the takeoff. If you’re planning to sleep in, this is not the best location! The neighborhood also seems to be fairly safe, with lots of other motels and hotels close by. However, I would not let my wife stay here by herself, as I'm not that comfortable with the safety.

Interestingly enough, the local high schools must have been having prom the night of our last stay. Carloads of young couples, with boys dressed in tuxedos and girls wearing foo-foo dresses, stopped in the office to get a room. Ages were not checked and soon the motel was completely full. We did not hear noise from a party, so the motel management must have kept things under control. We got a good night’s sleep, but I wonder how well the parents of all these high school kids slept. Did they know where their children were?

The lobby included a sectioned off room with a fireplace for reading and relaxing. The restaurant was off to the other side, so the noise level in the lobby and sitting area was minimal. The indoor pool was towards the back of the hotel and had just been filled. The water was cold and the Jacuzzi water was not even warmed to bath water temperature. They had not been filled long enough to obtain the needed warmth for comfort.

The room was very nice. We had two double beds, a desk (with data port), mini refrigerator and a microwave. There was also a coffee pot with plenty of caffeinated and decaf options. These features were extremely nice as we did spend some time in the hotel room during this visit to Nashville. We brought home some leftovers from our dinners, keeping them cold in the refrigerator until I heated them up in the microwave for a late night snack. There were two elevators and they were fast. We rarely waited for an open elevator from either our floor or from the lobby.

As expected with a new facility, everything was sparkling clean. I think we may have been the first people to even use this room. It was immaculate.

I know there were people in the adjoining room as we passed in the hall one morning. However, I did not hear a noise from that direction, including the running of water or television. Maybe they didn’t shower, but I have to think that the soundproofing in this hotel was better than most.

We were spoiled with the very low rate of the one-time introduction. I’d love to stay here again, but I’ll wait until there is a special on the rates.

The room was clean and had recently been repainted and wallpapered. The carpet was thick enough to show the lines of the latest vacuuming. There was only one sink, but plenty of counter space in front of the large mirror. My wife and I both could use this vanity area without bumping into each other. The room was large to comfortably include a king size bed as well as a small table with chairs.

The bathtub / shower was clean. The minimal personal items included 2 bars of soap so we could have one in the sink and one for the shower. The bath towels were a joke. Mine was stained and had a hole as large as my hand in the middle. That towel should have been retired to a rag box. My wife’s towel was very thin and rough. At least hers was not stained!

A continental breakfast was included, but that also was minimal. Dunkin Donuts just doesn't count as breakfast for me. The coffee was freshly brewed and hot so we were able to satisfy our caffeine fix until getting a real breakfast later. Three containers were filled with cereal options. Milk and orange juice were in the mini-refrigerator.

The location of this motel is right at the intersection of highways 24, 40 and 440. The area is safe enough, but as with several other bargain motels in Nashville, I would not let my wife stay here by herself. Its fine for the two of us, but the low lighting in the parking lot plus easy access to the motel doors is not sufficient safety for a single traveler.

I pulled up to the entrance on Fourth Street and was surprised. Minimal room had been left for parking and a sign for valet parking greeted me. Other than the valet option, parking is not readily available. With the lateness of the day and the noise level from Printer's Square (a block long section of town dedicated to those 21 years and older of which my daughter should never go there), I accepted the young man's offer to park my car.

My wife already started the check-in process and learned that the night clerk was from Missouri. We exchanged the usual banter of Kansas versus Missouri jokes before we received our room assignments. We were given a primo room, corner location with extra space. Additionally, the hotel was taking a survey on the types of services the patrons would prefer and we'd receive a full breakfast for taking the time to complete a 4 page document. Wow.

The room was great with all the features we needed. My wife was able to dial-up with a high speed connection and use the extra desk space for her work. After she finished, we obtained excellent recommendations from our Missouri friend on the downtown nightlife options.

We did fill out the survey and were the only people in the breakfast room the next morning. The entire buffet and chef were just for us. I ate enough to show my appreciation and because the food was good.

I probably won't stay here again because of the cost and I like to park my own car. I would let my wife stay here if she were traveling by herself.

Plan on arriving as early as possible, especially on a Sunday morning. The line starts at the door and winds out and around the building. (Thank goodness for the pot of coffee that is for all the people in line.) We have waited in line for over 30 minutes even when the temperature was around 20 degrees. Its a popular place!

The restaurant resembles a 50's diner. The tables and chairs are very close together but there are booths around the perimeter. Don't be too choosy about a table. There are plenty of people in line who will take the next table, so be prepared to sit at whatever table is available when you're finally at the head of the line.

Just as you might expect, pancakes are the specialty. We try to order different ones each time we eat here so we can try the various options. There are just about every type of pancake that you can imagine, although the chocolate pancake is more like a dessert than a breakfast item. Everything we've eaten here has been very good and the servings are always more than enough for one person. There are other options on the menu, including some lunch items, but we stick with the pancakes!

Original Review: Ask to be seated in the patio. It may be a few minutes longer wait, but the quietness and attention given to the guests in this area is fabulous. For some reason, the inside always seems so noisy and crowded. The inside seating includes booths and several tables for larger groups. The outside seating is patio furniture and there are several tables for groups of 8-10 outside.

The servers bring out a basket of chips. Ask for the cheese sauce with your chips. Its worth the extra charge! Try not to fill up on too many chips. Dinner preparation here takes a bit longer and our family of four has gone through 4 baskets of chips while waiting for our meal. Of course, then we were not even hungry for dinner. We try to eat the chips slowly and limit ourselves to one basket (well, two at the most...)

The Margaritas are the best. They offer colossal size drinks and these appear at many people's table. We usually get a pitcher as it's more cost effective than buying separate drinks.

Everything we've eaten at this restaurant has been very good. My daughters usually get a combination platter which gives them plenty of food to also share with me. My wife and I like to try different entries, and I have not been disappointed.

This is casual dining and makes for an enjoyable and relaxing evening. Plan on being very full.

We were there for the breakfast buffet. The offerings were numerous. The fruit was freshly sliced and in generous portions. I could have fixed myself toast from 3 different breads, or had bagels or muffins. The hot entry included eggs, bacon (not greasy at all), sausage, pancakes, and a few other items. My wife found homily grits and took a large serving. For breakfast!!!

I had a freshly cooked omelet, made just to my specifications. The cook was at a separate station and exclusively made custom omelets for restaurant patrons. My wife's plate was too full of grits to have an omelet, but she still ate part of mine.

The waitress kept a pot of coffee full at our table and continued to clear dishes as we finished with our food items. The restaurant was clean and the food very good. We will eat here again!

The restaurant itself is small. The ordering window is to the right and the menus are posted along the aisle so you can be ready to place your order when you arrive at the front of the line. The menu options were just regular type Mexican food, made with lots of grease and fattening stuff. I carried our tray of food outside and fortunately found one open table where we could eat. The food was okay, not great, yet this place was jam-packed. Both inside and outside, the tables were full. The ordering queue filled the inside aisle and spilled outside the door. I apparently was missing the appeal of this place. Eating here this one time was enough for me.

Over the years I’ve learned that locals shortened the name of this restaurant to SAT-CO and I’ve even heard it called FAT-CO. I believe it. The food was dripping in grease and I could practically feel it clogging my arteries.

When an acquaintance learned I frequently traveled to Nashville, she enthusiastically asked me about San Antonio Taco Company. She had lived there for several years and missed the food from this restaurant. She shared a story that when laid over at the Nashville airport for several hours, she called in a carry-out order and took a roundtrip cab ride to SAT-CO to get her restaurant fix. I was incredulous. Why would anyone put forth that much effort for this fattening food?

Even with the volume of people, I’ve only experienced minimal wait once inside the restaurant. The small waiting area is just past the deli counter (making me hungrier and tempting me to buy just a small snack before seating at a booth). The interior is bright and cherry, styled as a 50’s type diner. The benches in the waiting area are large and cushioned, making the wait comfortable.

After directing people to their table, the hostess leaves a bowl of large, crunchy pickles on the table – one per person. In all honesty, this deli-style treat was not too bad. I certainly did not expect to have pickles, being more used to having complimentary basket of chips. It was an interesting change.

The menu includes a wide variety of sandwich options. My favorite is the Reuben sandwich, large enough to satisfy my appetite, with a good mix of flavor between the corned beef and sauerkraut. My girls like the grilled cheese sandwich as the multiple cheeses have melted and drip from the sides of the bread. They finally decided to split this sandwich as they usually only ate a half sandwich each. My wife enjoys the club sandwich which included crisp bacon and fresh tomato slices. Even though we have reduced the amount of food we order at this restaurant, we consistently have food leftover. The sandwiches are large and very filling. Too bad they get soggy in a doggy bag!

Calypso Cafe seemed to have the exact salad options that could satisfy my appetite. All four of the salad choices were appealing and I spent too much time trying to decide which one to get. I finally selected the Lucayan Salad, a marinated chicken breast, Mandarin oranges, almonds topped with a homemade vinaigrette dressing, all on a bed of leaf lettuce. Two Boija muffins were included. My wife ordered the Tropical Chicken salad comprised of chicken, pineapple, raisins, and a touch of curry, all on a bed of lettuce. She selected a serving of muffins and spiced sweet potatoes (topped in coconut) as her side items. We ordered two of the desserts and I wish I had purchased more. I quickly polished off my chocolate mint square (a rich brownie topped with chocolate mint) and reached over to help my wife eat her Calypso bar (which tasted like a luscious lemon square, but with lime rather than lemon).

The restaurant itself has a small eating area and a carryout counter. My preference would be to stay there and eat; however, every table was full and several large groups of people preceded us in the waiting area. As loud as my stomach was growling, the carryout option looked better and better. We watched as our salads were prepared and carefully packed in a sack with handles. We ate our desserts on the drive back to the room.

The salads were large and more food than I expected. My salad had too much plain lettuce at the bottom and not enough of the chicken. I could only eat one of the muffins. I did decide to taste my wife’s sweet potatoes and they were delicious. I’ll get my own side order next time I eat there.

In addition to salads, Calypso Café also offers sandwiches, snacks, and soups (during the colder months only). It all looked good, so I believe I’ll be eating here again.

My usual selection includes a sandwich and at least one side dish. I’d be challenged to name a favorite sandwich as I’ve enjoyed each one that I’ve had from the café. If I had to narrow the list down, I could recommend Smoky Roasted Ham sandwich with the caramelized onions or the Turkey with Swiss Emmentaler cheese and garlic mayo. I don’t recall the exact price of the sandwiches, but believe they cost just under $5 – an excellent price for a hearty and delicious sandwich.

The side dishes are superb. My wife will frequently skip the sandwich and just order several side dishes of Provence’s salads. She almost always orders the fresh fruit salad and either the New Potato Salad or the Penne salad. A single order of a salad costs around $3. I attempt to select a different salad or pasta each time so I can try the different foods. Of course I always sneak a forkful of my wife’s salads when she’s not looking, so I think I’ve tried them all. I can only recall one salad that I wasn’t overly fond of the taste. The salad was fine; the taste was of personal preference.

The desserts are fabulous, with the small fruit tart as my very favorite. I’ve been at Provence when they open in the morning, just to purchase a fresh fruit tart for my trip back home.

Be prepared to stand in line to order your meal. Some of the sandwiches are prepared earlier that day and the salad servings are spooned up from a bowl so we’ve experienced minimal delay once the cashier takes our order. A few tables are outside on the sidewalk and a few more are located in the front room of the café. In the adjoining room, additional tables can be found. Serviceware and napkins are located in the adjoining room, along with coffee and water. However, they’re not all located together so either my wife or I will wander around to get our glasses of water and forks.

Parking is challenging with parallel parking out front and small (and always full) parking lots behind the building. We’ve parked several blocks away and walked to the café. Fortunately the café has an entrance in the back along with the front, giving easy access to café patrons.

I wish there was an easy way to ship their fruit tarts to me.

Marketplace restaurant is a long, narrow building, with additional eating area in the back. I prefer a table location in the front, even though the room lighting is minimal. Rows of personalized beer mugs line the north wall for the frequent patrons. However, last time I noticed the scores of cobwebs lacing the outside of the steins, so I wonder how frequently these mugs are used. My wife questioned our sitting at a table underneath the mugs, concerned about stuff that might be dropping on our table and food.

This brewery offers a ‘sampler’ of beer. A laminated menu lists the different brewed beers and I can select four different varieties in the sampler for $4. I believe each sample is 4oz. When the server presents the beer, each glass is carefully placed on the laminated menu over the name of the beer so I know what I’m drinking. Even though a sampler costs more than a 16 oz draw, I appreciate the opportunity to try various brews. In our latest visit, we tested the vanilla beer. The sweetness of this beer was overwhelming for both my wife and me. The server had earlier praised the wonderful taste of this beer, but she later shared that most women who do not like beer prefer the vanilla taste. If you like beer, skip the vanilla one and try the Nut Brown instead.

Of the dinners, my absolute favorite is the catfish. I could forego the potato wedges and just have a plate full of catfish. My second favorite is Shepard’s Pie. The serving portions of these meals allows plenty of food to share, so I’ve also appreciated the hamburgers, cheeseburgers, roast beef sandwich and even the chicken fingers all taken from my families' plates. If chips (not potato wedges) are include with your meal, I recommend asking for an alternative.

Try to eat here either as a late lunch or early dinner. We’ve experienced the best service and freshest food at those times. No, we did not have any cobwebs fall into our food.

The restaurant has a smoking and non-smoking section. Unfortunately, the place reeks of smoke when you first walk in and have to sit in the waiting area. However, the non-smoking eating area is smoke-free. No matter where you sit in this restaurant, the noise level is astronomical. We cannot carry on a decent conversation while dining at this place because the acoustics and the din of the other restaurant patrons.

The last time I ate at this restaurant, I was given an electronic pager and told my wait would be about 10 minutes. Twenty minutes later, and after latter arrivals had been seated, I asked the host about our place on the waiting list. He had no idea. He stated that he had been on his smoking break and did not know what was going on with our table. He was able to seat us when the next non-smoking table was available.

Our server was more interested in being social with the table next to us rather than trying to take our order. She failed to bring any service-ware out to the table, so I walked over to an empty table and took the napkin-wrapped silverware before the host could use that table. Our water glasses were empty before our dinners arrived and I had to flag our server down to get any refills.

The food was okay. My wife ordered a pizza, which is one of the specialties. The pizza dough is made with the brewed beer and the toppings are generous. I had ravioli and was surprised when the bowl was placed in front of me. There was not enough food. This was the size of an appetizer, not a dinner. No side dishes, just this measly bowl of small ravioli.

I return to this restaurant because I really like the beer. They have an excellent selection of high quality beer, offsetting some of the issues they have with their restaurant. I do wish they would offer a "sampler" selection of beer or "half glass" so that I could try additional varieties during the meal. If you don’t like beer, skip this place. If you like a cold and good draw of beer, then try to get here for the happy hour. The prices are cheaper and you can bypass the meal.

Although the restaurant was crowded, the hostess was able to seat us right way. Our table for two was in the non-smoking section where tables were packed next to each other. I felt as if we were dining at the same table as the group next to us. The tables were literally next to each other. There were family booths along the perimeter of the restaurant and they were all full.

Enrique was our server. He was dressed finely and made a concerted effort to provide excellent service and attention. He kept the basket of chips and dishes of sauce filled as we waited for our dinner. He provided excellent suggestions for dinner as I ordered a chicken specialty and my wife had the enchiladas. We did wait approximately 30 minutes for our dinners, but I attributed the delay to the volume of people in the restaurant. The meal was worth the wait. The food was well prepared, with extra large servings. At this point I realized that I had eaten too many chips before dinner! I would be able to finish my specialty meal, but would not be able to assist my wife with her enchilada. We had no room for dessert even though the options sounded delicious.

We were not rushed to eat and continued to receive refills of drinks from an attentive Enrique. We relaxed and savored the delicious meal.

The displays are well placed with easy viewing access. The lighting is good and we did not have any problem getting close to the displays. The activities such as the strength training and the kayak simulator are fun. There are also two 30 seat theaters to watch sports videos.

The mansion has been completely restored to its 1837 appearance and has almost all the original furnishings. We were supplied with headsets that contained the narrative as we walked through the mansion. The guide was quick to help the one person in our group who was having problems with his headset.

We visited the outside buildings on our own after the mansion tour. These buildings included:

• Garden and Tomb where Andres and Rachel Jackson are buried
• Cabins where the family originally lived
• Church that Andrew Jackson had built for his wife
• Tulip Grove house which is the home to Andrew Jackson's nephew

One of the out buildings was a restroom and it always had a line!

Wear your walking shoes so you can tour all the outside buildings. You may want to drive up to the Tulip House and to the churh. There is some parking available for those buildings. Set aside several hours for the tour. We did not plan enough time for our first visit and came back a second time.

The cost is $10 per adult and $9 for seniors (62 or older), $5 for children ages 6-12 and free for children under 6. The hours are 9 to 5 daily.

The tour starts with a video, sharing the historical significance of the house and barn. Belle Meade was a 5400 acre thoroughbred horse establishment and many of the derby winners have their ancestry traced back to horses from Belle Meade. The narrator in the video broaches the slavery on Belle Meade, sharing that it was a part of Belle Meade's history and the presentation is about history.

Belle Meade was also the location of a battle in the Civil War and the tour guides specifically identify the scars on the front porch from the war.

Inside the mansion, comparisons are made to "Gone with the Wind", showing how life really was in a southern mansion as opposed to the persception presented from Hollywood. The tour guide was knowledgeable and answered everyone's questions.

One person in our tour could not master the staircase and was treated with dignity by the tour guide. This person was offered a comfortable chair while the rest of the group viewed the second floor.

The tour also includes the out buildings which include a slave cabin, creamery and the carriage house. An antique carriage collection is displayed in the carriage house.

The tour costs 410 per adult and $4 for children ages 6-12.

As with most popular malls, parking is challenging at best. We arrived at 10am when the mall opens and found a parking spot within easy walking distance to the mall doors. When we left several hours later, every parking spot all the way back to the entry drive was full.

The mall is almost completely full of retailers. I'm glad to see the volume of businesses in an outlet facility as the one close to my home is only about 2/3 full. This provides quite a bit more selection and shopping opportunities. The selection includes both "outlet" and retail stores. Some of the stores are: Bed, Bath & Beyond, Shoe Carnival, Old Navy, Barnes & Noble, Harry & David, Bass, Nine West, Tommy Outlet, Liz Outlet, Saks Off 5th, Kirkland's Outlet, Fossil Outlet and a set of 20 Theaters.

The mall itself was full of people. There were numerous groups of junior high and high school kids hanging around, espeically the food court area (which offered TGIFridays and Chili's Too). Many people were outside Rainforest Cafe and Alabama Grill, waiting for tables.

In addition to all the stores, there was quite a bit of activity in the center secions. People were in the middle of the mall aisles selling balloons and other items. In the center section over by Barnes & Noble, Pillsbury had the "DoughBoy" out at the mall, and he was in a sectioned off area, dancing with a bunch of kids. (Okay, the Pillsbury food samples were better than the dancing Doughboy.) Another time, one of the munchkins from "The Wizard of Oz" was there signing autographs. Even another time, I saw some of the bango players being recorded for a performance on one of the country-western programs.

The mall is very clean, with shining hardwood floors (carpeting in some sections) with a few couches here and there for those of us waiting for our "shoppers" to return.

This place is a huge barn. We pulled into the gravel lot, filled with stretch limos and other luxury cars. We felt out of place in our dress slacks and shirts (no tie for me). Other men were in suits and tuxes and other ladies were in formals. We didn't care - we were tourists.

The tables were wood picnic tables with bench seats. The stage is a square in the middle of the barn with two rows of tables on the outside. The first row of tables are adjacent with the stage and are smaller tables made for a couple. The second row of tables are up 6 or 7 stairs and are larger tables for 6 people. There were two other couples sharing our table.

The food in the buffet was similar to Western Sizzlin rather than formal dinner options. The vegetables were just barely warmed and from a can. No fresh options here. The main entries tasted more like some of the frozen dinners we're heated up in the microwave. There was little to no taste or variety to the dinner selection. The dessert bar was set up on the stage area. We laughed at the choices. There was a brown cardboard container with ice cream (scoop your own!) or pudding with vanilla wafers and bananas. I did find a small sliver of cheesecake on a plate, but could not find another one for my wife. For the price and formality of the place,we were disappointed with the food and food selection.

The service was top notch and we had tons of attention from our waiter. He frequently stopped by our table to clear dishes and refill our drinks. They were a very talented group as they sang "Happy Birthday" and "Happy Anniversary" renditions to the appropriate person.

The play was enjoyable, all cast with local people. I would prefer to just watch the play and not get the dinner next time.