Andrew and I have taken many road trips together since we first started dating. One of our very first road trips ever was to Nashville and then to Kentucky for Christmas. It was our first Christmas together and we decided to split the 8-hour drive to Kentucky by stopping in Nashville for a few days. We recently made Nashville our pitstop again on our way to Kentucky earlier this summer.
With the holidays fast approaching, I thought now would be a good time to share some of our Nashville recommendations, including some of the Christmas activities we did that first year.
Nashville Union Station Historic Hotel
The last time we were in Nashville we stayed at The Union Station Nashville Yards hotel. Union Station was a train terminal originally opened in 1900 designed by Richard Montfort and was once a bustling hot spot for American travel. It closed as a train terminal in 1979 and was abandoned until 1986 when it opened as a hotel. The hotel now offers a unique and historic stay experience for travelers. Instead of windows to the outside, our hotel room windows faced the center of the train station showing off the intriquite clock tower and massive chandelier. The rooms are modernly and comfortable and feature tall ceilings that make it feel even more luxiorious.
Nashville WhatLiftsYou Wings Mural
If you’re looking for the famous Nashville wings for a photo opp, you will want to map to
302 11th Ave S, Nashville, TN 37203
We scootered here from our hotel. The wings are located in The Gulch so after snapping your pic, head over to the strip of boutiques for some casual strolling or serious shopping or find yourself at one of the gulch’s trendy restaurants.
DeSano Pizzeria Napoletana
If you know anything about me and Andrew, you know that pizza is our favorite thing and we seek out the best pizza in almost every new city we travel to. If you’re in Nashville, looking for the best pizza, look no further than DeSano’s. There are now 9 DeSano locations around the US, but the Nashville location is the flagship store and the vibes at the OG location are unmatched. We recommend getting the Pizza Carnevale, trust us. The crust is folded into triangles over beautiful scoops of ricotta cheese resulting in this star-shaped stuffed-crust pizza that is out of this world delicious.
Dose Coffee & Tea
In need of good coffee, a quick bite, or a place to work? Then you’ll want to pop over to Dose. They have a wide selection of pastries all made in-house and a pretty impressive breakfast/lunch menu. We were there around brunch time and both swung towards lunch cravings that day. We had turkey sandwiches and lattes.
As promised, here are the “Christmas Activites” that I would recommend if you are in Nashville around the holidays.
Gaylord Opryland Resort
The Opryland Resort is a must see year-round if you are in Nashville, but the Christmas decorations are a sight to see if you are planning a trip in November or December. We mosied through the convention center enjoying all the Christmas decor and lights. Theres tons of holiday activities to do including gingerbread house decorating, photos with Santa, and Frosty’s Pub.
GLOW Holiday Festival
Although we loved Christmas at The Opryland Resory, nothing beats GLOW Holiday. The light displays were amazing. We grabbed hot cocoa from Mrs. Clause’s Bakery and walked through the lights. There is ice skating and a craft center for the little ones. I’m not sure if they have released their 2022 times and dates yet, but this was such a fun experience.
Love always,
