Chad and I planned a camping trip to the Great Smoky Mountains to take in all that fall has to offer. The mountains are about 11 hours from our door to the first view, so we looked at a map to see where we could stop along the way. Lucky for me, Nashville was right on our path out east, so we planned a one night stay in the country music capital of the world!

I’ve wanted to visit Nashville for a long time after all of the great things I’ve heard about the city, so a 24 hour teaser was just enough to make we want to go back ASAP. With 24 hours in Nashville, we ate REALLY well, spent some time with Mr. Johnny Cash, got our honkey tonk on, and got a teaser of the fall colors.

Our first stop was Whiskey Kitchen, where the whiskey is strong and the sweet potato fries are as good as they come. I obviously still found some champagne amongst the whiskey, and Chad was in whiskey paradise, sipping old fashioneds. We shared their appetizer WK Bourbon Poppers, which was popcorn chicken and sweet potato fries, and we devoured every last crumb.

Next, we met a friend of mine from high school for Mexican food and margs at Rosepepper. We went to high school together in Texas, so it was only fitting that we got our Mexican food fix together in Nashville too. The queso was delicious and the margs were flavorful and strong, and any meal is made better with good conversation.

We also hit some historical honkey tonk bars, Tootsies and Nudies, which obviously included listening to live music and admiring all of the memorabilia from performances past. There’s something about the history that town holds that’s pretty fascinating. Also, how are there so many talented people in one town?!

Speaking of talented people, I couldn’t leave town without saying hello to one of my favorites, Johnny Cash. The Johnny Cash Museum is right off Broadway downtown, and the number of Johnny Cash t-shirts I wanted to buy was out of control. I settled for some Johnny Cash playing cards and a postcard to frame, and just a lot of photos of his face.

The next morning we woke up and obviously had to find some good breakfast before we left town. We went to Puckett’s downtown, and any breakfast is made better with fried chicken! I got a breakfast platter which included fried chicken, a homemade biscuit and gravy, and obviously eggs and bacon. Chad got french toast that had peanut butter and bananas sandwiched in-between. We got mimosas and enjoyed our delicious food until we were stuffed.

To say it was a good 24 hours in Nashville would be an understatement. Chad and I talked about how we loved cities like Nashville, where the city has plenty to do but feels cozy and welcoming. We loved every second, and absolutely plan on coming back to stay longer next time. If you ever have the chance to pay a visit, definitely make it happen! Have you ever been to Nashville?