Nashville, Tennessee - Home of Country Music and Southern Cooking

Tennessee seceded from the United States on May 7, 1861, making it the second to last state to secede before North Carolina. Although the vice-president of the United States, Andrew Johnson, was from Tennessee, it didn’t help prevent the state from joining the Confederacy. Other than Virginia, Tennessee saw more battles than any other state with the majority of those being won by the Union forces.

About thirty-five miles south of Nashville is Murfreesboro, the site of one of the major engagements of the Civil War that saw the highest percentage of casualties on both sides. The Battle of Stones River took place on December 31, 1862 to January 2, 1863. On March 3, 1927, the Stones River National Military Park was established and in 1960 it was designated a national battlefield.

The visitor’s center is located on Old Nashville Highway in Murfreesboro. There is no fee to visit the battlefield. The visitor’s center offers a brief synopsis of the battle and park rangers are also on hand to answer any questions. There is also a small gift shop inside. It is here that you can pick up a map of the battlefield as you explore by car or foot.

If you prefer to take the driving tour, follow the road from the visitor’s center which loops around the interior of the main battlefield. The first stop is the Eve of Battle where soldiers slept in subzero temperatures waiting for the battle that was to await them. Others stops on the tour include The Slaughter Pen and the Cotton Field, before ending back at the visitor’s center. Appreciating a battlefield requires a little imagination as most of the stops on the tour appear to be just a wide open field. If you can picture thousands of troops on both sides fighting a battle and how close they were to each other, it might you give you a small glimpse of what it was like to fight in the Civil War.

As you leave the visitor’s center, turn right onto the Old Nashville Highway and immediately on your left is the National Cemetery. The cemetery was created in 1865 and 6100 Union soldiers are interred here with 2,562 of those unidentified. The confederate’s bodies were taken to their hometowns or buried in mass graves in Murfreesboro. Located a few hundred feet south of the cemetery is the Hazen Brigade Monument, the oldest Civil War monument in the United States still in its original location. Erected in 1863, it honors the men of Col. William Hazen’s brigade, the only Union force to hold their position during the battle. The brigade ended up losing along with the Battle of Shiloh, 409 men. Within the stone walls lie the graves of 45 men who perished during the Battle of Stones River.

Across town lies the last stop on the driving tour. McFadden’s Ford is located on Van Cleve Lane off of the New Nashville Highway. The final scene of the battle occurred here as the Union held off the Confederate forces. In less than an hour, over 1800 Confederate troops were either killed or wounded.

Although this battle isn’t as famous as Gettysburg or Antietam, it was one of the most costly to both sides. After the battle was over, 13, 249 Union troops and 10,266 Confederate troops gave their lives.

Memphis may be Tennessee’s barbeque capital, but Nashville has one place that Memphis doesn’t, Jack’s BBQ. The restaurant located on Broadway St in what is commonly referred to as The District, draws tourists and locals alike. Jack’s BBQ got it start back in the seventies when owner, Jack Cawthon, realized that Nashville lacked a good barbeque establishment. He opened his restaurant at the end of Broadway St near the riverfront at a time when the area was in need of a major revitalization. He has been credited with helping revitalize the area. The original restaurant has since become a parking lot for Hard Rock Café, but Jack didn’t move far. He relocated a few blocks up on Broadway St with a second restaurant on West Trinity Lane, a short two miles from downtown.

Jack’s BBQ cooking process begins with dry rubbing the meat with spices and then slow cooks the meat for eighteen hours. The meat is sliced and cut in front of you as it is placed on the plate known as "Pit to Plate." The pink smoke ring on the meat is a signature characteristic of smoked barbeque. The menu consists of Tennessee Pork Shoulder, Texas Beef Brisket, Smoked Turkey Breast and Chicken, Smoked Texas Sausage, and St. Louis Style Pork Ribs. Any of the meats can be ordered as a sandwich or a plate or buy it by the pound to take home. If you can’t decide on just one meat, order the combo plate that consists of three different types of meats, your choice. The sandwich and dinner meals are served with two sides where you can choose from coleslaw, baked beans, potato salad, macaroni and cheese, green beans, corn, and potato chips. They also serve family meals that can serve 3-5 people.

If you think choosing what type of meat you want is difficult, wait until you are presented with the selection of sauces to accompany it. Jack’s BBQ offers six different sauces to choose from. The Kansas City Style is a sweet mild sauce while the tomato based Texas Sweet Hot sauce has a strong kick to it. The Tennessee Original is a vinegar based sauce and the Carolina Style has a mustard base. For those wanting something hotter, try the XXX-911 which is a combination of the Tennessee Original and the Texas Sweet Hot sauce, but with just a little more of a kick. For something unique, try the Music City White Sauce which is a mayo and horseradish based sauce which gives any meat a unique flavor. Any of their sauces can be purchased at the restaurant along with their dry rubs.

The prices are very reasonable with sandwich plates around $5 and dinner plates around $10. They are open until 9pm during the week and 10pm on the weekends with the Trinity location closing an hour earlier. If you are in Nashville and want some good barbeque, just look for the Pigs over Broadway iconic sign and enjoy some of the best food Nashville has to offer.

There are certain cities that are just commonly associated with certain types of music. New Orleans has been considered the birthplace of Jazz which produced one of the greatest jazz legends of all time, Louie Armstrong. Memphis has its roots in the Blues genre where BB King has been regarded as the King of Blues. East of Memphis in Tennessee’s capital city of Nashville, a new sound and genre was being discovered, Country Music. Nashville is the second biggest music center behind New York City with all four of the big record labels represented as well as a host of independents.

Situated in downtown Nashville is the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, where all of the great country singers are immortalized. Before you even step inside, the outside of the building is a worth a glance as it was built to symbolize music itself. The windows that cover the front of the building were made in a way to symbolize the keys on a piano. The radio mast on the top of the building is a miniature replica of the WSM’s (a Nashville AM station) unique diamond shaped radio tower that is one of Nashville’s landmarks. The radio tower honors WSM which first signed on in 1925 and help spread country music over the radio. Surrounding the tower are different sizes of round discs that symbolize the different records that country music has been recorded upon. The building itself, when viewed from the air, is designed in the shape of a bass clef.

Inside the building directly in front of you is the ticket booth with the gift shop to the right. The tour begins by taking an elevator to the third floor. The museum follows country music chronologically from its humble beginnings to the superstars of today. There are audio exhibits where you can listen to the sounds of the pioneers of country music. At the other end of the building are two unique customized vehicles. Webb Pierce, a famous vocalist in the 1950’s, who was known for his flamboyant Nudie suits, was just as flamboyant with his vehicles. His 1962 Pontiac Bonneville became known as the "Silver Dollar Convertible." This vehicle is totally outlandish from the huge longhorns on the front of the vehicle, horseshoes on the gas and brake pedal, and ornamental handguns mounted on the hood. The name Silver Dollar is derived from the more than 1000 silver dollars inlaid in the upholstery. Directly across from this vehicle is Elvis Presley’s Solid Gold Cadillac. Considered to be his personal favorite, it is a 1960 Cadillac 75 Limousine. As the name implies, the vehicle’s exterior has 24 karat gold highlights and the interior has a gold plated television and record player.

The second floor could be called the Hank Williams floor. A good majority of the displays and exhibits are centered on Hank Williams and Hank Williams Jr and although they did much for country music, it seemed that the exhibits were a little lopsided in their favor. There are few exhibits of the modern country music era highlighting the careers of Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson, and Faith Hill. The exhibits end with the Class of 2009 Inductees, Roy Clark, Barbara Mandrell, and Charlie McCoy.

The highlight of the museum is the Hall of Fame Rotunda. The exhibit halls lead to the rotunda where bronze plaques adorn the walls honoring each person or group that has made country music what it is today. From the very first inductees in 1961, Jimmie Rodgers, Fred Rose, and Hank Williams, the Hall of Fame Rotunda now has 108 inductees. To be immortalized here is the goal of every country music singer.

The hub of Nashville’s nightlife is concentrated within a few blocks within downtown. The area, known as the District, is broken up into three areas, with Broadway St being the center of it all. Nightclubs, bars, and restaurants line Broadway St from 1st Ave at the Cumberland River to the Sommet Center at 5th Ave. Across the river is LP Field, home to the Tennessee Titans. Crossing the river is the Shelby Street Bridge, which is one of the longest pedestrian bridges in the world at 3,150 feet. The bridge allows easy access for pedestrians and bicyclists to get from one side to the other, especially on game days.

Second Avenue from Broadway to Union Street is known as the warehouse district. These warehouses originally served boats on the Cumberland River. They have since been renovated into restaurants and nightclubs. Anchored at the corner of Broadway and 1st Ave is Hard Rock Café and north of the restaurant is the Wildhorse Saloon. A three story bar and dance hall where people can line dance all night on a 4,982 square foot dance floor, considered to be one of the largest dance floors in the world.

Broadway Street is filled with restaurants such as Jack’s BBQ, just look for the pigs flying over Broadway sign and even chain restaurants like Joe’s Crab Shack. Bars and nightclubs fill the streets ranging from the small honky tonk to the famous Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge, look for the purple building. Musicians can browse and play different guitars at Gruhn’s Guitars or purchase a record at Ernest Tubb’s Record Shop.

Located at 5th Ave and Broadway is the Ryman Auditorium, a towering brick structure that is famous for being the original home to the Grand Ole Opry. Across from the Ryman Auditorium is the Sommet Center, home to the Nashville Predators of the NHL. The Nashville Visitor Center is located inside. It is here that you can buy the Music City Total Access Pass. The pass is $50 and it allows admission into four of sixteen different attractions throughout Nashville. It includes the Hall of Fame Museum, the Ryman Auditorium, The Hermitage, and many others. It also includes admission to the Parthenon.

Printer’s Alley is another famous section of downtown between Third and Fourth Ave running from Commerce Street to Union St. The name is derived from when the area used to be filled with publishing companies at the beginning of the 20th century. There were two newspapers, ten print shops, and thirteen publishers that filled the area. Part of it has been a nightclub district since the 1940’s and continues to this day to be a nightlife destination.

A few blocks away is the Tennessee State Capitol building which houses the state legislature and the governor’s office. It was built in 1845 and sits across from Legislative Plaza. Many different statues surround the capitol building with one being very controversial. Nashville’s most famous son, Andrew Jackson sits proudly on his horse in front of the Capitol. Sam Davis, known as the "Boy Hero of the Confederacy" was executed by the Union forces at the age of 21. The most controversial statue is of Edward Carmack, a senator from Tennessee who also made a living as a newspaper editor. His brash remarks got him killed when he was shot in 1908 over comments he made. There is now a movement to get the statue dismantled because Carmack was a devout racist. The State Capitol ground is also the final resting place of President James Polk and his wife, Sarah, located on the east side of the building.

With so many restaurants, bars, and nightclubs, downtown Nashville will keep you busy for days.

The Grand Ole Opry has been a part of the Nashville music scene ever since they first broadcast their first show on the radio on October 5, 1925. Today it is the oldest continuous radio program in the United States and can be heard on satellite radio as well as syndicated radio stations across the country. The Grand Ole Opry began on the fifth floor of the National Life and Accident Insurance Company building. Over the years as the attendance grew, bigger venues were sought to accommodate it. After a few different locations the Grand Ole Opry moved in 1943 to its most famous location, The Ryman Auditorium.

The Ryman Auditorium was originally built in 1891 in downtown Nashville. It was originally called the Union Gospel Tabernacle but was renamed in honor of its founder, Thomas Ryman. In 1943, the Grand Ole Opry moved into the Ryman Auditorium and changed the face of country music forever. Performing at the Grand Ole Opry was an honor and it could be a stepping stone to stardom as many famous musicians went on to have great careers. The Grand Ole Opry did for country music what the Apollo Theater in New York did for the R&B, soul, and hip hop genre.

Once again in 1974, the Grand Ole Opry outgrew the 2,362 seat venue and moved across town to the Opryland USA Theme Park. The Ryman Auditorium sat primarily vacant for decades except for being the scene in a few movies. In the early 90’s, it was slated for demolition and a fight ensued between those that wanted it demolished and those that wanted it preserved for historical reasons. The battle to save the Ryman auditorium is documented in newspaper editorials that adorn the walls on the second floor which gives a glimpse of the struggle that it took to save the building from destruction. In 2001, it was designated an historic landmark.

In 1994, the Ryman Auditorium reopened as a museum and performance venue after an $8.5 million renovation. The large brick building towers over Fifth Avenue and is located just around the corner from Broadway St, a popular destination for Nashville’s nightlife. The main entrance to the Ryman Auditorium is located off of Fourth Avenue. There is a gift shop inside immediately as you enter as well as the box office. The tour begins at the bronze sculpture of the Grand Ole Opry’s two most famous performers. Roy Acuff, the King of Country Music, and Minnie Pearl, the Queen of Country Comedy, performed at the Grand Ole Opry for more than 50 years.

The tour begins with a short fifteen minute video about the Ryman Auditorium which is shown inside the performance hall. The movie is viewed while sitting in a pew that resembles the seating in a church. The seating arrangement never changed from the time it was the Union Gospel Tabernacle until it became the home of the Grand Ole Opry. It has been nicknamed the "The Mother Church of Country Music." The tour is self-guided and there are exhibits on both floors. The exhibits highlight the different musicians that have performed here along with their outfits that they wore and other memorabilia. Such notables that are on display are Johnny and June Cash, Dolly Parton, and Loretta Lynn. You can get a good view of the stage from both levels while at the same time viewing the auditorium from the stage and getting a feel for what it is like to perform here. You can have a professional picture taken of yourself playing the guitar on stage for a fee or you can take it with your personal camera for free.

The Ryman Auditorium is not just a museum, but it is an actual live performance venue. Country music no longer dominates as musicians and bands ranging from alternative, pop, rock, blues, and even comedians take to the stage. Non-country artists and bands have included REM, Coldplay, Alice Cooper, Van Morrison, Hootie and the Blowfish, and many others. Outside of the auditorium on the walls are the official music poster of each performance that has been held here with each one being autographed.

The Ryman Auditorium is open for tours daily from 9am-4pm. Tickets are $12.50 for adults and for $16.25 you can get a guided tour of the backstage. However the backstage tour is subject to cancellation depending on the concert schedule. The box office is also open from 5pm-8pm on concert nights.

Although the Grand Ole Opry hasn’t called the Ryman Auditorium home since 1974, it hasn’t forgotten its roots. Every year from November through February, the Grand Ole Opry comes back to perform as if they never left.

Two and a half miles from the Nashville International Airport is the Marriott Residence Inn and is located right off of Exit 7 on Interstate 40. The hotel is not only close to the airport but is conveniently located within minutes from downtown. The hotel is perfect for those spending just a weekend or a week.

There are 168 rooms on two floors divided into studios and suites. The studios are located on the ground floor with the suites on the second floor. All of the rooms are equipped with a full kitchen and living room area with the suites equipped with a fireplace. The 500 square feet studio rooms are spaciously equipped with a queen bed, couch, work desk, and television. The suites are 800 square feet and are also equipped with a queen bed with some suites having an extra bedroom. All of the rooms have wireless high speed internet.

There is an outdoor pool and whirlpool on site with towels provided. A small fitness center with 24 hour access is also provided as well as a basketball court and tennis court. A complimentary full service breakfast is provided daily at the front office. Also at the front office is a small market where beverages and snacks can be purchased.

The rooms are reasonably priced with the studios around $100 and suites around $175. The price is higher on certain holidays. With free parking and close proximity to downtown and minutes from the Grand Old Opry, this hotel makes a great choice.

In 1897 Tennessee celebrated its 100th year since joining the Union, although they were a year late as they joined in 1796. To commemorate the special occasion, the Tennessee Centennial Exposition was held in Nashville. Different cities in Tennessee built exhibits and buildings on the grounds that closely related to their own history. Memphis built a pyramid that highlighted the history of Memphis as the ancient capital city of Egypt. Nashville built a full scale replica of the Parthenon as the city’s nickname has always been "The Athens of the South."

The Exposition was held in what is today known as Centennial Park. It is a 132 acre park located a few miles from downtown and directly across the street from Vanderbilt University. The original Parthenon was built as a temporary structure but in 1925 it was rebuilt as a permanent structure. The Parthenon operates today as an art museum.

Tours of the Parthenon cost $6 unless you have purchased a Music City Pass which already includes admission. The ground floor of the Parthenon is an art gallery divided into the east and west galleries. There is a permanent collection of 63 paintings by 19th and 20th century painters. There are also art exhibits that change periodically and a full schedule of the different exhibits can be found on their website.

An elevator or a flight of stairs takes you to the second level where Athena resides. Athena was the Greek goddess of wisdom, war, and justice. Athens was named in her honor and it was the Athenians who built the Greek Parthenon. Inside the Parthenon in Greece once stood the Athena Parthenos, a tall structure of Athena that was built sometime around 447 BC but was destroyed centuries later. In Nashville, a reconstruction of Athena stands 41 feet, 10 inches tall and weighs 12 tons, making it the largest indoor sculpture in the western world. In her right hand is a statue of Nike, the goddess of victory, which stands 6 feet 4 inches tall. Her other hand is propping up a large shield. The statue took eight years to build and in 2002 the gilding process was applied giving the statue its current form. Surrounding Athena on both sides of the wall are seventeen different statues representing Greek gods and goddesses.

Behind the Athena statue is the Treasury Room where a few sculptures are on display as well as the exit to the Parthenon. The doors leading out of the Parthenon are 7 feet wide, 24 feet tall and 1 foot thick. The doors weigh 7.5 tons and are considered to be the largest matching set of bronze doors in the world.

The Parthenon is open to the public Tuesday thru Saturday from 9am to 4:30pm. During the months of June thru August, it is also open on Sunday from 12:30-4:30. The tours are self-guided and it usually takes about 45 minutes. There is also a gift shop on the lower level of the Parthenon.

The Nashville Zoo at Grassmere is located just six miles from downtown. At first glance, I thought I was following the directions wrong. The zoo is literally surrounded by strip malls in this heavily business district of Nashville. The sign for the Nashville Zoo greets you just off of Nolensville Road and a quarter mile road takes you to the parking lot. Parking is free at the zoo and admission is $14 for adults and $9 for children 2-12.

The zoo has a unique history which probably explains why it is located where it is. Although the animals are what draw visitors to the zoo, there is another attraction at the zoo and that is the Grassmere Historic Home. The house was originally built around 1810 making it the second oldest residence in Davidson County. The house remained in the family with the last residents being two sisters, Margaret and Elise Croft. Realizing that they needed help with the upkeep the house and for financial reasons, they entered into an agreement with the Adventure Science Center. The agreement stipulated that the Science Center would pay the property taxes and help with upkeep while the two sisters still lived there and upon their death, the house and the two hundred acres would transfer ownership. There was one condition in the agreement and that was that the property would be maintained as a "nature study center."

The Grassmere Wildlife Park opened up in 1990 but closed in 1995 for financial reasons. Because of the will, the city had to look for a tenant and in 1996, the Nashville Zoo relocated to the site. The tour of the home is free and is included with the admission price. Tours run from 10am to 3pm every half hour between Memorial Day and Labor Day. The house grounds can be rented out for special events such as birthday parties, which make the house closed to the rest of the public while the event is going on.

At the front entrance of the zoo is a 66,000 square foot jungle gym where children can swing like monkeys and climb like a tiger. The jungle gym is designed with the many different animals in mind such as the snake tunnel and bat cave or you can climb the 35 foot "Tree of Life" tree house. Farther up the walkway is the Wild Animal Carousel. The horses are replaced with the many different species found in the zoo such as an anteater or a lion and many others. The carousel costs $2 a person.

Wrapping around in a circle at the back of the zoo is the African Savannah where the elephants and giraffes graze. The trail wraps back around to the Gibbon Islands where the Gibbons and Meerkats are on display. Also located here is a restaurant and gift shop. The trail veers off at the Meerkats habitat to the Unseen New World where the many reptiles are on display. Further down is the Bamboo Trail where cougars, leopards, tigers and even an anteater along with many other animals roam. They have to share this area though with the alligators who like to swim and relax in Alligator Cove.

Although this zoo may not be as big and fancy like most other zoos, it provides a great place to take the children where they can interact with the animals and burn some energy at the Jungle Gym.

Just at the northern terminus of the Natchez Parkway on Highway 100 southwest of Nashville, Tennessee is the Loveless Café. It has been hailed the best in southern food and has been featured in USA Today, Southern Living, People, as well as testimonials from Willard Scott, Martha Stewart, and others. When it first opened, it was the Loveless Café and Motel as the iconic sign outside will attest, which proudly displays vacancies. The restaurant became a food Mecca in 1951 when Lon and Annie Loveless bought the property and started serving fried chicken and biscuits. Business grew and some of the rooms were converted into a dining room while the menu expanded to include country hams that were cured on site. The Loveless Café has changed ownership three times and the secret biscuit recipe that was started by Annie Loveless continues to this day. Although motel operations ceased in 1985, the Loveless Café has expanded into the mail order market supplying the world with their famous biscuit mix and world class country hams and jellies.

I first read about the Loveless Café in the book 1000 Places to See Before You Die in the US, so we made sure to stop here before we left Nashville. We showed up on a Saturday for lunch and we were met with a large crowd outside. There was a two hour wait at noon. We decided to try again on Sunday for brunch. We showed up at 11:00 and there was an hour and a half wait. I refused to leave until I ate here, so we stayed.

There are plenty of things to do while you wait, which I found out is common everyday of the week. Surrounding the restaurant in what used to be the motel rooms are privately owned shops. You can browse art in Ruthie Cherry Fine Art or shop for handmade pottery at Shimai. There is a full service bicycle shop at Trace Bikes or pick out a gift at the Curious Heart Emporium. If those biscuits or country ham have you begging for more, you can pick them up at the Hams and Jams Country Market.

Loveless Café is open from 7am-9pm daily. Considering that their famous for there breakfast, it is served all day, everyday. They serve everything from their famous country ham with red eye gravy, pit cooked BBQ and eggs, omelets, or try their steak biscuits. All of the entrees are served with grits, potatoes, and their famous made from scratch biscuits.

Dinner is served from 11am to close. The Fried Chicken dinner is the most popular and is made the same way since they first started serving it in 1951. They also serve homemade meatloaf, catfish grilled or fried, or the southern sampler which is a combination of three meats. I can personally vouch for the fried chicken livers and grilled pork chops. They give you so much food it seems that one plate could actually serve two.

Each dinner plate is served with their famous biscuits and two sides. You can choose from stone-ground grits, caramel sweet potatoes, hashbrown casserole, fried okra, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, southern greens, and many more.

If the wait time is longer than you care to hang around for, ask to get you meal to go and eat outside. Or you can grab a pork plate or sandwich from the pork pit located directly next to the restaurant where they smoke it daily. Tourists do have to compete with the local residents. While I was waiting for my meal to go, a Nashville resident was advised that there was a two and a half hour wait. He was told in the future to call ahead and let him know that he was a local and they would have a table waiting for him. With food as good as this, it might be worth to get one of those fake ID’s and jump to the front of the line.