Nashville, TN - Advice for trip

[holmburgers]

My GF and I are going to Nashville this weekend for a spring break trip and I thought I'd solicit APUGgers for any advice on what to see, where not to go (I heard there were sketchy parts of town, though true in any city...) and what photography related things I should seek out while there, including galleries, shops, museums, etc.

We'll have 2 full days in the city and then taking a short jaunt to Mammoth Caves. Maybe I should bring some flash-bulbs and live out my cave photography dreams!

Cheers,

Chris

 

[Terry Christian]

Hey, I'll be there too! I live three hours away on Memphis and always visit Nashville in March to visit friends.

Definitely visit the Parthenon, in Centennial Park. Cameras and tripods are permitted to get a shot of the massive statue of Athena Parthenos, but I think there's a no-flash rule. The lighting inside is dim, so bring your cable release. The Hermitage, Andrew Jackson's home, is also in the Nashville area.

My favorite place to eat there is a brewery/restaurant called Blackstone ("nice" but casual) and the Gerst Haus serves authentic German food, with enough variety to suit anybody.

 

[holmburgers]

Terry, thanks for the great tips. Authentic German food actually sounds really interesting. Also, didn't know about our man on the $20, cool stuff!

 

[Marc B.]

Time permitting, take a thirty minute drive to Smyrna; visit the Sam Davis house/museum.

IIRC, Tennessee is second, only to Virginia, for the number of Civil War Battlefield sites.
If interested, do some searching online to develop an itinerary that will suit your plans.

Two gastronomical delights of the region that should not be missed:
'Chess Pie' and a sandwich called 'The Kentucky Brown.'

Unless they have cleaned-up that part of town, the Ryman Auditorium,
birthplace of the 'Grand Ole Opry,' is in an area I would steer clear of after dark.

 

[holmburgers]

Chess pie sounds amazing..

Civil war sites are something I hadn't considered.

 

[Terry Christian]

Oh, and another thing: Near the Capitol there's the Tennessee Bicentennial Mall, which is an urban park which has a visual layout of the history of the state, and with a picturesque view of the Capitol itself. It's also great for people-watching and there's a sort of farmer's market right next to it.