Andrew Delaplaine - Nashville: The Delaplaine 2016 Long Weekend Guide

NASHVILLE

The Delaplaine

2016

Long Weekend Guide

No business listed in this guide has providedanything free to be included.

Andrew Delaplaine

Senior Editors - Renee & SophieDelaplaine

Senior Writer - James Cubby

Gramercy Park Press

Copyright by Gramercy Park Press - All rightsreserved.

Please submit corrections, additions orcomments to

Published on Smashwords

Formatted by

* * *

All rights reserved. Without limiting therights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publicationmay be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system,or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic,mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without theprior written permission of both the copyright owner and the abovepublisher of this book.

Smashwords Edition LicenseNotes

This eBook is licensed for your personalenjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away toother people. If you would like to share this book with anotherperson, please purchase an additional copy for each person youshare it with. Thank you for respecting the author'swork.

* * *

TABLE OF CONTENTS

High on the Hog Sensible Alternatives Budget

Extravagant Middle Ground Budget

* * *

Every city has its own nickname. (Some evenhave more than one.) New York is the Big Apple. New Orleans is theBig Easy. Chicago is the City of the Big Shoulders.

Nashville is Music City, pure and simple.When you hear the term Music City, you only think of one town, andthat town is Nashville.

While Memphis is a larger city thanNashville, Nashville is the capital of Tennessee. I never actuallythought about that till I first arrived here. My initial reactionon hearing that Nashville was the capital of Tennessee was to thinkhow odd that sounded. Id only thought of Nashville as the CountryMusic Capital of the World, which of course it is. Not as thecapital of anything else.

Having been raised in South Carolina, I wellremember seeing Minnie Pearl on TV in broadcasts from the Grand OleOpry, which has done weekly shows since 1925, making it the longestcontinuously broadcast radio show in history.

Nashville is not only the center of thecountry music business, but for Christian music as well.

They city has outgrown its label as a purelycountry town. What makes it particularly unique is that itcombines the best elements of a small town (people say Hello onthe streets, the clerks in the shops are as pleasant as can be)with the sophistication of a big town (the museums are superlative,the galleries cutting edge, the restaurants are world classrepeatthe words Catbird Seat and Rolf & Daughters to me).

The restaurant scene has exploded, and nowfeatures some of the most original cooking that stands up to thebest that New York has to offer. Just look at what theyre doing atthe Catbird Seat. I find it particularly interesting that SeanBrock, who so successfully opened Husk and McCradys in Charleston,opted to return to Nashville (where he once worked for 3 years atthe Hermitage) with a local version of Husk. If Brocks presencedoesnt say something about the food scene in Nashville, nothingdoes.

The bar scene also has greatly expanded,offering much more variety. As for nightlife, theres never beenanyplace with so much music going on. Start at the Bluebird Caf(the location of scenes in ABCs Nashville TV show, though theyuse a set that recreates the site) and then dig deeper.

The formerly down-and-dirty 12 SouthDistrict has bounced back big-time with eateries offeringsustainable cuisine, trendy shops, a cutting edge atmosphere,making it one of the hotter new areas of town. Meanwhile, in whatsnow called SoBro (meaning that its directly south of the famousBroadway honky-tonk area), once home to almost nothing, you canexperience a whole new neighborhood coming alive as it changes dayby day, with famous chefs opening restaurants and craft cocktailsbeing served at new hotspots.

One thing I guarantee: Youll never getNashville out of your blood.

* * *

AIRBNB

www.airbnb.com

Book a room or an entire apartment from anindividual. You pay AirBnB and they pay the host after you checkin. The good thing here is that you get to review the host (but thehost also gets to review you after you leave), and this processworks to keep both sides honest.

PRICELINE and HOTWIRE

www.priceline.com

www.hotwire.com

With Priceline, you bid on rooms in the partof the city where you want to stay, select whatever star levels youwant, and generally can get cheaper rooms. These are usually inhotel chains, so nothing with too much character. With Hotwire,they tell you the price of the room. You dont bid on it. You canoften play one site off against the other to get an even cheaperdeal. (You dont find out the name of the lodging until you closethe deal.)

404 HOTEL

404 12th Ave S, Nashville, 615-251-1404

www.the404nashville.com

Located in the Gulch neighborhood, thisunique urban oasis offers five king rooms with a mix of vintage andcustom furniture. Amenities include: gourmet pastries deliveredfrom nearby bakery, and in-room refrigerators stocked withcomplimentary drinks.

THE DRAKE INN

420 Murfreesboro Pike, Nashville,615-256-7770

www.drakeinnnashville.com

This two-level historic inn features 101well-appointed guest rooms with modern conveniences. Amenitiesinclude: swimming pool, Jacuzzi, cable TVs and free internetaccess. Conveniently located near Downtown area, Music Row, CountryHall of Fame and other local attractions. While theres norestaurant on site, there are plenty of good ones nearby.Pet-friendly hotel.

GAYLORD OPRYLAND RESORT AND CONVENTIONCENTER

2800 Opryland Dr, Nashville,615-889-1000

www.gaylordhotels.com

This resort and convention center offers2,881 guest rooms all decorated with a Southern flair. Amenitiesinclude: free high-speed Internet access, cable TVs, moviechannels, and coffeemakers. This hotel features 9 acres of indoorgardens, cascading waterfalls, an indoor river, and indoor andoutdoor swimming pools, and a 20,000 square foot spa and fitnesscenter. The resort features an amazing selection of on-siterestaurants for the guests dining pleasure. Smoke-free hotel. Itsall a little much, but if youre looking for a one-stop shop kindof place to stay, this would be the place.