This past year I’ve traveled more than I have in my entire life. It’s been mostly just little trips here and there, but I am loving it. For those of you who don’t know, my husband travels for work. Some years he’s traveled a lot, and other years not so much, but this year he’s been gone almost non-stop, and I’ve been lucky enough to get to visit him on some of his trips!

We’ve been wanting to visit Nashville together for a while now, and had even planned to go for my birthday, but had to change plans when he had to go away for work again. So when he found out he would be spending time in Nashville for work, we figured it was the perfect oppotunity for me to pop down at the tail end of his trip and spend a little time seeing him and the city!

I flew down on the 4th of July and we got a chance to see the downtown completely blocked off from cars, and the streets filled with people, food trucks, and live music. It was definitely a great first experience in the city! The second day, after he was done work, we drove a little south of the city and spent the afternoon in the town of Franklin, which is adorable – definitely worth checking out if you have the time. My husband had to work most of the last day, but I took advantage of a beautiful morning and met a friend at Barista Parlor, and then Uber’d down to the Twelve South neighborhood and did some shopping and eating on my own. I actually enjoy a little alone time in new cities to just wander shops and neighborhoods and really get a feel for everything, and Twelve South was really great for wandering!

Being from the north-east with our big, mostly walk-able cities, one thing to note if you go to Nashville is that it’s not really a “walking city”. Yes you can walk the downtown neighborhood, but if you plan to do any of the other neighborhoods, you’ll definitely need to drive or grab an Uber to get there.

EAT

FIVE DAUGHTER’S BAKERY – Officially my favorite Nashville stop. I’ve been following them on IG for a long time, just waiting for the day to come that I could try their 100 layer doughnuts, and they did not disappoint. They have a location in the 12 South neighborhood, as well as one in an adorable old factory in Franklin, TN!

BARISTA PARLOR – One of those super-hyped coffee spots that I wondered whether it was just a good Instagram spot, or whether they were really worth it. I’m glad to say they are totally worth the stop. They have a couple locations around the city and I spent the morning catching up with a friend at the Golden Sound one. Not only is it beautiful, but the coffee and food are fantastic.

FROTHY MONKEY – A great spot to stop and grab a salad and more coffee after a couple hours wandering Twelve South!

BRADLEY’S CURBSIDE CREAMERY – We were lucky enough to try out this awesome little ice cream truck while they were parked downtown for the 4th. I don’t think they have any definite locations, but if you can hunt them down while you’re in the city they are definitely worth it!

THE STILLERY – A great place if you’re looking for a spot to eat downtown and aren’t feeling the honky-tonk bars. We happened to wander in here when looking for somewhere to eat on the 4th and ended up absolutely loving it! Definitely get the baked cheese if you go!

SHOP

IMOGENE + WILLIE – This is one of those places I’ve been dying to check out for years. Yes, they are way out of my price range to actually buy anything, but it’s one of those places that’s so unique and cute that it’s worth stopping in just to see (major bonus – they had a puppy sleeping on the floor when I visited!). They also have the Amelia’s Flower Truck that parks right out front if you fancy treating yourself to a cute little bouquet!

WHITE’S MERCANTILE – White’s is another shop that has locations in both Twelve South and Franklin, and both are worth wandering through. They have a well curated collection of men’s, women’s, kid’s, and home-wares, and both stores are incredibly well merchandised.

CRAFT SOUTH – If you like sewing, knitting, or anything else crafty, make sure to pop in here. It’s not a huge store but they are so cute and have a great selection. I even took a yard of fabric home, ’cause I just couldn’t resist!

Of course, with only a few short days in the city I didn’t get to hit all of the spots I would have loved, like Pinewood Social, Crema, Bookman/Bookwoman, and Proper Bagel! Are there any other places I need to add to my list for the next time? I’m completely smitten and can’t wait to go back!