HMOH #30before30: get honky tonk in nashville

I've said it a million times and for those who have questioned it ... you should know better.  I'm like awesome at to-do lists, and more importantly, checking shit off.  So I've been motivated with a few great changes in my life to get to work on what's left remaining on this list.  I've also realized that there's not much time left to accomplish these small, silly, big and real achievements.

Up next was number 30 - get honky tonk in nashville.  It was one of those places I've always wanted to visit ... and there was no better time than CMA Festival to head down.  In celebration of our big promotions and new jobs, Ashley and I hit up Pepsi's corporate sponsor status and got great seats to a weekend long festival of country music and girls who don't know how to dress well.  All I had to do was get down there ...

And so all hail, god bless US Airways.  They never seize to amaze me with their poorly planned connections, awful staff and bad luck to all traveling plans.  With an expected arrival at 6:45 pm (it's too early in the game to be asking for vacation at the new job), I was going to get quickly to the hotel, change into my NY version of down south garb, and head to the concert that had the likes of Carrie Underwood as a headliner.  US Airways and ATC (air traffic control, we're on an acronym basis now) had different plans.  Long story short so as not to relive  ... I missed my connection, got rerouted twice, called my mommy and cried like a not thirty year old ... and arrived in Nashville after two more connecting flights at 11 p.m. where I instead I went straight to the bars.

Ashley and her coworker met me on the corner, but not before Ash stocked the hotel room with Firefly sweet tea, snacks and post-it notes to put me in a better mood.  Yes, my friends travel with post-it notes and I love them for it.

Bummed to miss the night's concert - we made up for it at Legends Corner bar with an awesome cover band.  I pretended to know the words to most songs, jived along and sipped on sweet tea to catch right up.  And so I did ...

The rest of the trip went smoothly - I woke up each morning with "Rock Me Mama Like a Wagon Wheel" in my head.  Saturday we strolled through town in the heat and stopped for a mid-morning Corona to cool down, made our way to the famous Grand Ole Opry concert hall and the Gaylord Opry Hotel (which b t dubs has a full on river running through it).  The Southern boys were cute as could be and surprisingly (pleasantly) there weren't any of the size 00 blondes I expected to see running the joint. The evening's concert was amah-zing due in part to Luke Bryan and the fact that we smuggled Grey Goose minis in my purse and hid them under a tampon so anyone checking wouldn't dare more it aside.  Fireworks closed out the night and brought little girl joy to my heart.  A quick trip, but a great trip ... I'd love to find myself down there again with more time to honky tonk.

Check out the photobook below and my HMOH nashville recos should you too be looking to cross Music City off your list:

Legend's Corner Bar

Printer's Alley:  home to nude karaoke and gentleman's clubs

naturals

Grand Ole Opry

Gaylord Opry Resort

#CMAfest

LP Field for Luke Bryan

my fave: fireworks after the show

  

Stay at:  Marriot Courtyard Downtown.  With only 2 weeks to book over a festival weekend, and limited options the Marriot was clean, walking distance from the scene and super accommodating.

Eat at: Whiskey Kitchen - and get the jalapeno calamari with frickles (fried pickles); 417 Union for a classic American meal; Paradise Park for 3am fried chicken, double decker burgers and I think those were chili fries

NOTE: With limited time in n-ville and no car to get places, we weren't able to visit all the reco'd foodie spots (for next time!).  Here are some others that come highly recommended:  Pancake Pantry, Loveless Cafe for southern food and Patterson House for cocktails.

Get your [tourist] honky tonk on at: Legends, CMA Festival, Wildhorse Saloon (try three floors, three different bands and a great crowd)

Check your tourist stops off at:  Grand Ole Opry house, Gaylord Opry Resort, Vanderbilt University's campus

Songs to download, even if you swear you'd never like it (trust me, this NYC chick did too ... give it a chance): 

• Drunk On You (Luke Bryan)
• Country Girl Shake It for Me (Luke Bryan)
• Smoke a Little Smoke (Eric Church)
• Springsteen (Eric Church)
• Rock Me Mama Like a Wagon Wheel (Bob Dylan)
• Dirt Road Anthem (Jason Aldean)
• We Owned The Night (Lady Antebellum)
• Toes (Zac Brown Band)

-HMOH