Down on Music Row

“I got into Nashville early / Sleepy, hungry, tired and dirty / And on the steps of the RCA / I ate a stale sweet roll / In the fountain at the Hall of Fame / I washed my face and read the names / In the walkway of the stars / Down on Music Row.”
– Dolly Parton

Living in the South, Nashville is one of those cities that everyone should visit at least once. I had technically visited Nashville once before, but it was on a work trip so I was somewhat limited in my exploring. So when the opportunity presented itself to take a long weekend trip to Nashville and meet some of my longtime blogging crushes in person, I was all in. A weekend trip with fellow bloggers is unlike your usual girls’ trips because those little things that we do that non-bloggers don’t (i.e., take outfit pictures in front of any and every wall we pass, record boomerangs of every cocktail we order, take pictures of each individual food item as it’s brought to the table). All of this to say that I had incredible time with my fellow bloggers. If you haven’t already, check them out:

Where to Stay: The House Punch

Usually when I travel, I look for the most central hotel that is the least expensive. After this trip, I think I’ll be checking out sites like AirBnB and VRBO more. Chanel found The House Punch listing on AirBnB and it only took a couple of quick texts on our group chat to decide that this place was a must for our basecamp. The colors just pop, the artwork is hilarious, and every room is just styled so perfectly. I think each of us had a piece or two that we wanted to take home with us. The oversized lips and the neon hearts were definitely two of my favorites.

Where to Play: Pinewood Social

Our first stop on our first full day in Nashville was obviously brunch but we wanted a place that would give us a different experience than what we’d find in our hometowns. It won’t take you very long on any google or yelp search to run across Pinewood Social. It’s sort of 3 or 4 destinations all in one. Depending on what you’re in the mood for or what part of Pinewood you’re in, it’s a coffee shop, a bar, a restaurant, and/or a bowling alley. Yes. A bowling alley!

12 South

For the shopaholics of which I am one, 12 South is an absolute must! Located just south of the Gulch, there are so many great shops and boutiques all within walking distance of each other. The flagship Draper James is a great place for those wall mural pictures I mentioned earlier, stocking up on some traditional, Southern flair, and asking the sales people if Reese is ever in the store. I loved getting to peruse the beauties at Amelia’s Flower Truck which was luckily parked right outside on the day that we were visiting. There are usually several flower trucks parked all over the city so you have to do some investigating to find out where to go to get some gorgeous fresh flowers for your day.

Noelle Rooftop

Weather wasn’t always on our side in Nashville, so on a clear night we wanted to find a great rooftop bar to take in the city and some cocktails. A couple of recommendations from some locals steered us towards the Noelle Hotel in the heart of downtown Nashville. This was our chance to look cute, unwind, and of course take more pictures. After our extended and sky-high cocktail hour, we may have closed out our evening with 20 White Castle burgers…maybe.