♥ Road Trips: Nashville ♥

Nashville, Tennessee is an easy 3 hour drive from Louisville, straight down I-65 S.

On Sunday, my dad and I drove down to do some sightseeing, but the main event was a Michael Buble concert! We left Louisville at about 2:00pm Eastern Time and arrived in Nashville at 4:00pm Central Time. There were snow flurries on the way down, but nothing too major.

When we got to Nashville, our first stop was Centennial Park to see the Parthenon. It is a full-scale replica of the ancient Parthenon in Greece.  It was originally built for the Tennessee Centennial Celebration in 1897. The first construction was meant to be temporary and was only made with brick, wood, and plaster. It was to be demolished after the celebration, but the people of Nashville protested. It was decided in 1921 that the building would be torn down and a permanent building would be constructed in its place. The Parthenon that stands today was completed in 1931 and houses Nashville's museum of art. It was closed the day we were in town, but it was still cool to see!

After a quick (and cooooold visit) to the Parthenon, we got back in the car and headed to Lower Broadway and the Cumberland River.

I love this part of downtown Nashville. If you have never visited, it is basically a street lined with hole-in-the-wall bars (LOTS of good live music), souvenir shops, and landmarks (like the Ernest Tubb Record Shop). It is also where Bridgestone Arena (where the concert was to be held) is located. Dad and I decided to check out the parking situation since we were there pretty early. The arena parking garage was $25 (!!!!) so we definitely passed on that. There were other lots that were several blocks away, but even those were $15. I suggested that since we had time, we investigate the possibility of parking on the street. I figured that someone was bound to leave a spot on the street at some point. Sure enough, on our first pass by, someone pulled out of their spot...right in front of the arena! We could not have been luckier! And, since it was a Sunday, we didn't even have to pay the meter! It was great!

It looks like Batman! :-P

I ♥ Elvis!

We walked up and down the street for just a bit, then went into a bar to get warm.

Around 5:30, my dad's friend, Janet, who lives in Nashville, came and picked us up. The three of us went to dinner at Whiskey Kitchen, just a ways down the street from where we were. It was pretty good, and had a nice, cozy atmosphere. After dinner, Janet dropped us back off at the arena and we got in line to go inside!

I'm not going to write a full review of the concert, but let's just say...I ♥ Buble! :-)

The concert ended at 11:00pm Central Time, and we started our drive back to Louisville. Had we thought ahead, staying overnight would have been the wiser choice. We did not get home until 3:00am.

Nashville is a great city. I visited once before, in 2007, but have always wanted to go back. The city has a really cool vibe, and I could definitely picture myself living there if the opportunity ever presented itself. We only scratched the surface on this trip, but I will definitely go back again. It's so crazy to think that in just a few hours drive you can be in an entirely different state (only 20 minutes if you head north!). That just doesn't happen in Texas! :-)