Though we arrived in Nashville under the cover of night, the skyline was still dazzling and even the exit signs along the freeway thrilled us to no end: Opryland, Music Valley, Music Row, The Country Music Hall Of Fame, you name it, it thrilled us.
And once we found a hotel (we stayed at a pretty decent Courtyard By Marriot in the West End) and slept a spell, we awoke to the beauty that is Music City.
Much more chic and metropolitan that we expected, Nashville truly deserves the moniker it earned in the 1850’s…”Athens of the South”.
Everywhere we went in this vibrant, overgrown college town (Nashville is home to over 20 colleges!) was practically crackling with music, energy and excitement.
Even the sweet-faced, shoeless waif strumming her guitar on the sidewalk (pictured below) sounded like Emmylou Harris.
Really great, heartfelt music was literally in the air…wafting at you from every cafe, dive bar and honky tonk you strolled past on the street, and no matter where you went, you got the feeling that anything could happen in this town.
That homeless waif could have a record deal next week, that grungy college dude who handed you his band flier on the street (and there were many!) could be the next Elliot Smith or Beck.
Seriously, Nashville is just that kind of town.
These are some random pics taken from different areas we visited. Unfortunately, we didn’t get too many pictures of the Music Row neighborhood, which is lined with really cool old homes that have been converted into record label headquarters.
And there weren’t just country labels either, there were companies specializing in rock, alternative, world music, you name it. Like everything we saw in Nashville, we loved this neighborhood.
Anyway, after cruising around a bit to get a feel for the place, we were dying for some breakfast, so we headed uptown towards Bongo Java.
make. see. eat. do. 
I want to go so bad. Unfortunately Tim’s not really into the idea, so it’s going to have to move down on the priority list of vacation destinations.
Nashville “Athens of the South” or also known as “Hollywood of the south” where dreams can come true if you really beleive.
Later,
Tom
That is so funny you say that, we totally felt that way too. There was this magical “anything can happen” quality everywhere we went there…really cool!
Check out out free summer concert series on the riverfront! It happens every thursday throughout the summer and is open to the public.. It is a great addition to downtown Nashville during the summer months.