Nashville has been on my bucket list for years, and last week I finally got to check it off! Was it amazing? Heck yes. Was it what I expected? Nope. Did I learn a thing or two while I was there? You betcha. If you’re thinking about booking a trip to Nashville, here are the top 5 things I learned that I think you should know, too. I hope these tips & tricks will make your life easier so you can maximize your time in the beautiful Music City!

#1: Plan & Prioritize

There are so many must-see spots in Nashville, but sadly, they aren’t all within walking distance of one another. When it comes to getting around, ride-sharing is definitely the way to go. With that being said, it’s important to plan out which neighborhoods you want to go to each day ahead of time to eliminate backtracking (trust me- I learned this the hard way!). Popular areas include: the Gulch for murals galore; 12^th Ave South for shopping (and more murals); downtown for day drinking, live music and museums; East Nashville for artsy vibes and off-the-beaten-path stops; and Germantown for local goodies at the Farmer’s Market.

With the amount of sights to see, food to eat and music to hear, it can certainly be overwhelming trying to squeeze it all in, especially if you are only going for a few days. My advice? Make a list and prioritize. Figure out your number one preferences for brunch, museums, photo opps, bars­- whatever it is you want to spend your time there doing- figure out where it is on the map, and plan out a tentative day-by-day schedule from there. Also check to make sure those places don’t close on certain days or at early hours while you are there.

But, remember to leave room in the schedule to wander and stop in the cute little places you stumble upon along the way, as Nashville is full of pleasant surprises!

#2: Listen Up!

In case you haven’t heard, Nashville is chalk full of incredible musical talent. It’s called Music City for a reason, after all. Make time to find a place to sit and take it all in. You never know when you might encounter a star on the horizon! Recommendations are the Station Inn, the Listening Room, Bluebird Café, the Grand Ole Opry (of course), and basically any of the bars on Broadway. Some of these venues may require you to purchase tickets ahead of time, which brings me back to my first point… that’s right folks- plan & prioritize!

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#3: Eat Up

Next to the music scene, Nashville is probably most well-known for its southern comfort food. Fried chicken and biscuits and burgers- oh my! The greatest disappointment from my trip was probably my inability to eat all the food that was on my list. If I could have one superpower, I think it would be the ability to expand my stomach to hold five times as much food as is currently possible and not be a miserable couch potato afterwards. If you’re a foodie like me, my advice is to not eat full meals, but to snack throughout the day. A piece of fried chicken from Hattie B’s here, a pastry from Five Daughters Bakery there… who says you can’t have it all?

#4: Be a Tourist & a Local

This is basically my mantra for every trip I take. I think it’s fun to indulge in being a tourist (at least a little) if it’s your first time to a city. Tourist attractions are usually popular for a reason, so throw on that tacky Nashville graphic tee, strap that bulky camera around your neck and embrace the fact that you are clearly not from here… and that’s okay! Not saying you have to drop $100 to go see a show at the Grand Ole Opry, but if that’s something that’s on your list, then go for it!

But that said, I also think traveling is an incredible opportunity to immerse yourself in the culture of a place that you’re unfamiliar with. In order to do that, you have to venture outside of those tourist hot spots to the places where the people who call Nashville “home” exist. Whether that be eating at a lesser known brunch spot, drinking at a bar not found on Broadway, or venturing out into the surrounding nature… whatever makes your heart content. I always think it’s fun to ask Uber drivers and servers for recommendations. The people who live there are the ones who know it best, after all.

#5: No Sleep Tonight

That’s right. I said it. This is coming from the granny herself. Yes, I may technically only be 24, but on the inside I’m a full-blown 75-year-old whose ideal Saturday includes binge watching Netflix, baking a loaf of pumpkin bread and going to bed at 9 pm. But Nashville is not the place for any of that business. Throw back some espresso shots, put on your dancing shoes and paint the town red. You’ll have the time of your life, and trust me, you won’t regret it!

Enjoy your stay! xo, The Girl Out of Texas