A weekend in Nashville is a sensory experience with days full of creative mouthwatering food and nights full of sultry romantic music.
As much as we loved our hotel, The 404, we had to get out and explore the city. Our first Nashville experience was a good one – finding Texas worthy Méxican food at Saint Añejo. The lively atmosphere was created by the indoor-outdoor feel, cement tile, and string lighting. The chili con queso and potato flautas would make it easy to become a vegetarian. We headed off to our college tour with full stomachs and high hopes, by me, of a child spending four years here.
Our second day in Nashville was wide open for fun so we ventured down the road to what is called 12South. This is a Nashville experience not to be missed. I put enough money in the parking meter for an hour or two, but we ended up staying all day. Cute restaurants, coffee shops, and quirky boutiques line the street bringing a multitude of people out to enjoy themselves.
Eating delicious food is an unavoidable Nashville experience.
Grilled corn topped with cotija cheese at Bartaco.
We found more delicious Méxican food at Bartaco. It is quite the popular place with long wait times but well worth it for the great outdoor dining, delicious food and margaritas. The margaritas were so good in fact that I had to try two – one pineapple, one blood orange. I recommend both. One orders by checking the box on a casual notepad which you place on a metal stand. The waiter brings out each item on a cute metal tray as each is ready.
Savant featured vintage clothes, western wear, and Southwestern silver and turquoise jewelry.
No idea what this house was used for, but the unique color and windows were intriguing.
This would be the perfect car to drive around the cute Nashville neighborhood near 12South.
How cute is this s’more truck? If only we hadn’t been too full from the Méxican food.
Purple clematis was a prominent flower at my wedding so I couldn’t pass up a photo.
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The beautiful moon and star of Islam against a gorgeous blue sky.
The charm of the street comes from the repurposing of original buildings. Old houses and filling stations are now shops, such a preferable alternative to the boring ubiquitous strip malls seen all over America. One such gas station houses White’s Mercantile which is pretty much the end point of the shopping area. This store, owned by singer/song-writer Holly Williams (daughter of Hank Jr.), features carefully curated home accessories and beauty items. This particular Saturday an airstream trailer was pulled up front where the original pumps would have been. The trailer was stuffed full of gorgeous clothes for a special trunk show. Complimentary treats from local vendors were laid out on long tables.
Amelia’s flower truck parked outside of White’s Mercantile.
The most charming flower stand sold fresh stems from a converted VW van. Perfect weather, perfect street, perfect day.
We left 12South to meet up with a friend who has an apartment in the Gulch just down the street from our hotel. She is a woman of many talents, professionally an illustrator/graphic designer, but non-professionally a designer, stylist, party planner, etc. She gave us a tour of her recently renovated “love nest”. With five grown children, she and her husband have earned a one-bedroom getaway where they can enjoy this fun city.
The non-kitchen kitchen.
Her front door opens right into this lounge-like, have a glass-of-wine kitchen.
Floor to ceiling view of downtown Nashville.
The glass wall of the living room provides sweeping views of downtown Nashville.
Rooftop terrace in the Gulch.
The roof top terrace is quite the spot for parties with numerous fire pits, lounge chairs, and a pool area. They must come up here every night to watch the sunset.
Another must-have Nashville experience is hearing live music.
Being with a local made all the difference in our trip as we never would have known about The Listening Room. The night we went, four singer songwriters shared the stage and each performed their original songs. Each one was hugely talented and successful in this musical city, for example: one wrote songs for Brad Paisley, another for Kelsea Ballerini.
Our first night in Nashville we saw the phenomenal Vanderbilt Meladores (men’s a cappella group) perform their last time for the year. They were so good that I thought our second night in town would be a let down. The Listening Room provided an unbelievable experience not found anywhere else. It was a perfect way to end the trip.
If child number three ends up in Nashville her parents will be quite happy.
Casa V Interiors can design your much-deserved weekend hideaway.