Nashville, TN

It's that time again, another businessman's guide to a southern city. Of course, you don't need to be a businessman (or woman) to read and use the recommendations herein. Nashville is one of my favorite southern cities, offering both the great friendliness that personifies the south, while also being large and metropolitan enough to have anything you could want to eat or do. It is the Capitol of Tennessee, which was the last state to cecede and first to rejoin the Union in "The Great War of Northern Aggression".

Tennessee is in many ways three seperate states, the mountainous conservative east with Knoxville and Chattanooga, the agrarian and low lying west with Memphis and the Mississippi delta, and the middle which sits on the shelf that is the cumberland plateau, which houses horse farms and the afformentioned capitol of Nashville, as well as Tennessee Sippin' Whiskey (or Whisky to some).

Things to do-- Nashville is a large metro area of over a million people, so there is something for everyone here. Being "Music City", Nashville lives up to the name with live music nearly all day every day somewhere, usually a good first stop is Broadway downtown, there you'll find The Stage, Wildhorse Saloon (Country as well as names from Pat Benetar to Hootie and the Blowfish), and my personal favorites Tootsies Orchid Lounge (two stages and great local performers) and Buck Wild Saloon (Karaoke often). B.B. Kings has a great spot on 2nd Ave right by Coyote Ugly. The Westend/University area has lots of bars, dance clubs, and dives, my favorite is the Flying Saucer, great selection of brews and decent food. The Bluebird Cafe is a Nashville INSTITUTION.
For sports, the NFL's Tennessee Titans, NHL Predators, and AAA baseball with the Sounds, and it wouldn't be the South if you couldn't get some college football, the SEC doormat Vanderbilt, while a prestigious academic school, is always counted as a W for the other conference schools.
The state capitol, worth several hours to tour, literally sits on capitol hill, so downtown is not overly friendly to pedestrians due to the up and down, but it's nice. My favorite daytrip would be to head out to one of the two middle Tennessee Whiskey distillers, the world renown Jack Daniels, or my favorite and much more interractive George Dickel Distillery in Cascade Hollow, if you don't know what a "Hollow" is, that alone is reason enough to check it out! Of course, no trip to Nashville would be complete without a trip to Ryman Auditorium and/or The Grand Ole Opry. President Andrew Jackson's home is also a neat tour in the Nashville area and if you're a country music fan, you can do star home tours as well.

Where to Stay-- Being the largest metro area in Tennessee and one of the largest in the south, there is no shortage of hotels, the best are downtown and include Union Station, the Renaissance, a nice new Homewood Suites, and my favorite and Tennessee's only 5 star/5 diamond hotel The Hermitage, which sits directly across the street from the state museum and the Capitol. If downtown isn't your spot, or you'd like to be a little closer to the distilleries, Murfreesboro has a brand new Embassy Suites. The largest hotel in the world without a casino is also right here, The Opryland Hotel is a city in itself, boasting over 2,500 rooms, it is truly a destination and within walking distance of Opry Mills Mall and The Grand Ole Opry itself.

What to Eat-- This is a very good food town! If you want local, Jack's BBQ is the real deal, nothing fancy, but very good meat AND sauce, a rare combination. One of my favorites is The Standard at the Smith house, this one IS New South at its best, a great blend of old recipes and ambiance infused with the best of a big city, it is also a lunch hangout for lots of local music industry types. The city also has a growing number of "Big City" places, chains like Ruth's Chris and The Palm as well as local uppity spots like Watermark, all are good. If you're looking for different, Gerst Haus is one of my favorite German restaurants on this continent! They do it right, and they also have a good selection of american fare for the pickier eaters in the group. Bosco's is a good local brew pub with better than average food, they also have a Big River Grill which is a can't go wrong stop for food and beverage. The best combination of show and substance may be The Capital Grill (not the chain) that is in the Hermitage Hotel, it is THE place where the lobbyists take the stage legistlaters to make things happen, and the food and atmosphere are both wonderful.

So there is the five minute wrap up. Nashville is a great town for young and old, rich and poor, alone or with the family and friends.