Nicknamed the Music City, Nashville is the personification of Country-Western as the home to the Grand Ole Opry and the Country Music Hall of Fame.  Tennessee’s state capital is more than a toe-tappin', guitar-strummin' town, though.  It’s a modern business city and medical-educational center that exudes a welcoming feel of Old South hospitality. Come and dance the Tennessee Waltz with us on this 72-hour city trip.

Gaylord Opryland Resort

You’ll want to rent a car when you’re visiting Nashville because attractions are spread among several locations from downtown to the West End area, and to Opryland and other points east. If you want to leave the driving to someone else, a direct bus operates between downtown and Opryland. During the summer the Music City Queen paddle wheeler runs on the Cumberland River between Riverfront Park downtown and Opryland. Check its schedules before your visit.

Your best choices of areas for accommodations are downtown, the Midtown-West End area around Vanderbilt University, and the Opryland area. We suggest Loews Vanderbilt Plaza Hotel, which is convenient to sights and offers a concierge floor, piano bar and other amenities. It does book quickly for university events, so reserve rooms early and ask about specials. The biggest property is Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center, a tourist attraction in and of itself with more than nine acres of indoor tropical gardens, a river on which you may ride flatboats, and a laser light show.  Somewhat overwhelming in size and scale, the hotel features about 2,800 rooms—be sure and consult your map as you make your way around, as it’s easy to get lost (and, unfortunately, some of the international staff don’t speak enough English to point you in the right direction).

DAY 1

Bicentennial Mall State Park

Fuel up for a day of downtown sightseeing at Monell’s in the historic Germantown neighborhood. Located directly behind the Capitol-and just steps from Nashville’s Farmers’ Market, Monell’s serves southern- and family-style food at its finest. The two-story red brick converted home sits on a quiet street among many renovated and lovingly cared-for shotgun houses. Diners are seated next to each other at big, farmhouse tables, but friends are made quickly as large bowls of scrambled eggs, corn pudding, sausage, bacon and potatoes are passed to the left. Fried chicken is served with every meal here, and biscuits, butter and, of course, sweet tea are native accompaniments to this country breakfast (served Saturday and Sunday mornings only).

Get a perspective on the entire state with a stroll through nearby Bicentennial Mall State Park. Of particular note are the Rivers of Tennessee Fountains, composed of 31 vertical sprays representing the state's waterways; the Walkway of Counties, with vegetation from different regions; the World War II Memorial, a globe with countries as they were in that period; and the Pathway of History, a 1,400-foot wall illustrating significant events of the last two centuries.

Make your next stop 501 Broadway, where the Visitor Information Center at the Gaylord Entertainment Center sells discounted tickets and multi-ticket packages to attractions. Besides maps and other helpful literature, it has complimentary booklets of coupons that translate to savings for sightseeing, shopping and dining throughout the city. While at Gaylord Entertainment Center, sports enthusiasts may want to visit the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame, which pays tribute to the state's rich heritage in this field. (Tennesseans are avid supporters of their teams—high school, college and pro.)

Country Music Hall of Fame

A short walk takes you to the striking Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, a dynamic $37 million shrine that tells the story of this American form of music and the people who popularized it. Step into a recording booth and listen to a session, and then learn about the stars named to the hall of fame.  You can also see live performances, including shows by "pickers," in the Songwriter's Theater. Allow about two hours or more here, especially if you're a die-hard C-W fan.

A couple of blocks up the street you’ll find Ryman Auditorium, the original home of the world-famous Grand Ole Opry.  During the day you can tour the landmark, built in the 1890s as a site for revival meetings. Named for riverboat Capt. Thomas Green Ryman, the building in 1893 also hosted a lecture on Arctic exploration by Lt. Robert Peary and a performance by the New York Symphony. The Ryman served as a stage for classical performances long before it became a temple of modern Bluegrass. Check on performances of all types scheduled in the evenings.

To the west several blocks, the landmark Art Deco Post Office building now houses the Frist Center for the Visual Arts. The center hosts traveling exhibits, some lasting several years.  Here you’ll find a lovely café offering soups, salads and sandwiches for lunch, with outside seating available.  Some exhibits offer their own themed cafes, or you can belly up to some of the city’s best barbecue at Rippy’s Smokin’ Bar & Grill just a few blocks down. Owner Jeff Rippy smokes his own meats with a time-tested and secret tradition of ingredients—the smoked sausage appetizer is not to be missed. Pulled pork sandwiches and sides are always a safe bet, but the pulled pork pizza (with a side of ranch dressing for dipping) is something special.

Frist Center for the Visual Arts

Cap off the day's sightseeing with a tour of The Hermitage, home of President Andrew Jackson, in Donelson. The white-columned Greek-Revival home dates to the 1830s.  Jackson, who from 1829-1837 served as seventh president of the United States, and his wife Rachel settled here in log cabins in 1804 and expanded the farm into a cotton plantation. A film serves as a good introduction to this president and his life. Besides taking a guided tour of the home, you can wander around grounds that include a garden and other buildings, and see ongoing archaeological excavations. (Be sure to ask about the home’s summer music programs.)

This evening, cross the Cumberland River and dine in East Nashville, one of the most vibrant and diverse communities in the city. Surrounded by local farmers happy to drive in fresh produce daily, many chef-owned restaurants offer entrées made from that day’s harvest. Among the best is Margot Café and Bar in Little Five Points. Chef Margot McCormack scours local farmers’ markets for the freshest ingredients and plans her menu accordingly. The menu, which changes not just seasonally but nightly, always includes a select scope of small plates for sharing, meat and fish selections, at least one vegetarian option, and beautiful desserts. A little deeper in East Nashville sits Eastland Café. The sister restaurant to Park Café, a gorgeous and intimate space in the West Nashville neighborhood of Sylvan Park, Eastland Café turns out simple fare with flair, including a brined pork porterhouse and their signature green chile mac and cheese.

Continue to Day 2