A beginner’s guide to one of the best cities we’ve traveled to! We chose Nashville for our one year anniversary trip because neither of us have been there before and have only heard AMAZING things! On one of our first dates I think we talked about places we’ve been to and place we want to go to someday and Nashville was at the top of that list for both of us! So, first off I want to thank y’all for your recommendations when I asked via stories! I will be sure to list all of those below to save for later!
Now for starters, we chose to road trip our way there and it was probably the best decision we could have made. It was long but totally worth it. Because it was the beginning of the year and our Anniversary weekend it really was the perfect time to not do anything but just drive and talk and just be us for two seconds! One of the goals we set for ourselves in marriage was to take more time like that. To try and balance our lives and if not, know when it’s time to refocus and prioritize US. Now this doesn’t mean we’ll go on a road trip every time we need that, but it helped us acknowledge it and make each other aware to keep us accountable of it in this year. But anyways back to the focus of this post, here’s everything we saw, did, went to, ate, and recommend from the great city of Nashville, Tennessee!
The Gulch
This area came HIGHLY recommended by all of you babes and anywhere I looked on the interweb! And it did not disappoint that’s for sure! If you’re looking for a great place to roam and spend a day or afternoon at you will never be bored in this district. I personally liked that there was a good mix of chain retail and boutique retail spaces there that kept things familiar and new at the same time! One feature that we didn’t get to see this time around is the Amelias Flower Truck, I was so looking forward to seeing this beauty but unfortunately it was closed for the winter months! (guess we’ll just have to go again…oh darn! lol) I’ll go ahead and break it down in some categories so it doesn’t get too confusing!
Food
Milk & Honey
This was a popular spot and is so so cute inside! If you’re looking for a great insta worthy place this is it! The food was alright, but the experience is what I could tell people go for! It was pretty crowded when we went so I didn’t get too many pics but I do think it’s a good place to add to a list when planning a trip!
Marcus’ Order: Big Kid Breakfast
My Order: Chicken n’ Waffles
To Share: Cinnamon Roll
Chicken n’ Waffles 
Cinnamon Roll 
Big Kid Breakfast
Biscut Love
This was HANDS DOWN our favorite meal the entire trip! Y’all know I’m a sucker for a good brunch and this is it! 100% worth any line that you may see or hear about for this place, but luckily, we got there early enough to beat the crowd! If you don’t wanna wait I do think it’s worth the earlier alarm clock, early bird gets the worm, right?!
Marcus’ Order: Biscuts and Sausage Gravy
My Order: The Princess, no Mustard, no pickles
To Share: Bonuts…aka the BEST thing you will ever eat in life!
The Princess 
Biscuit & Sausage Gravy 
BONUTS!!! 
Shopping
Didn’t do too much shopping on this trip but I did pop into Kitnish which has the cutest vibe, like I would be okay if that was my room! The gals working there were so nice, and the merch was adorable! Not to mention they had another Nashville classic wall inside the store. Could be cute for a group pic (Bach weekends) or just a solo shot!
A few other shopping places in the area:
Uncommon James
Urban Outfitters
Vici (kicking myself for not making it here)
Murals/Sites to See
Grace’s Alley: This is located in between the Urban Outfitters and Lucchese Store. To my understanding the design in between the alley changes around regularly to match with the seasons!
Butterfly Wall: #WhatLiftsYou
Located on the main strip of The Gulch and right before the entrance of a parking garage! You really can’t miss it when you’re there!
12 South
This area was our favorite from the whole trip. It was so perfect for just walking around because it had a little bit of everything. (If you’re familiar with the Austin area, Marcus’ and I believe it’s very similar to South Congress) From food, to murals, shops and cozy spots to spend time in, this area will keep you entertained.
Food
The Frothy Monkey
This place was so unique and cozy! If I lived in Nashville this would for sure be a regular go to. It’s a little small so I recommend a “to-go” order to walk around with or enjoy outside! We both had the Monkey Mocha, because we had just come back from brunch, and it was the BEST! Next time I would love to try their food menu, I passed by an Avocado Toast at one point and it looked delish!
Bartaco
Okay, so I had no idea that we had one of these in Dallas lol, but this place was so great! It was very aesthetically pleasing and fun! Loved the way that you order, makes it a great place for groups. Marcus and I ordered the Fish and Carne Asada tacos to split and they were YUM-MY!
S’more Love Bakery
This little food truck was the most precious thing! While I’m usually not a sweets person I couldn’t resist this lovely treat! They have seasonal flavors and signature creations! Hopefully if you visit the truck is there and ready to serve! 🙂
Shopping
Draper James: aka Reese Witherspoon’s fabulous brand! Store was southern charm at its finest! + we were greeted with an adorable iced tea!
Finnelys: An adorable boutique, with a cute wall on the side!
Summer Classics: A GORGEOUS home store! Clearly weren’t going to buy anything while on a trip, but it sure was beautiful to walk around in!
Vinnie Louise: Another store that I am kicking myself for not knowing about! But I love shopping their site online, and I know their store would have been amazing!
Murals/Sites to See
Draper James Stripes: The stripes go all along the rest of the wall! If you’re with a group this is an ideal wall since it covers so much! The colors are vibrant and fun! Great for any occasion!
I Believe in Nashville: A classic wall that I saw in almost all of my Nashville research! Located right across from the Draper James store/wall.
Nashville Looks Good on You: Probably my favorite wall that we found! This one is located exactly behind The Frothy Monkey, so in the parking lot…but don’t worry there’s plenty of room to snap some great pics!
Hello Gorgeous: This little hidden gem is so so cute! It’s on the side of the Finnley’s boutique in an alley, just watch out for cars that might be pulling out!
Lego Dude: This little lego guy was so cute! It’s quite small but just had to take a pic!
A few other places we visited…
Farmers Market
Adorable sign that I think is usually outside but they brought in for the cold weather. 
The online Jenis Ice Cream we saw without a HUGE line! 
Nothing makes me happier than disco balls & pizza! 
The Graduate Hotel
You guys, by some miracle we randomly came across this beauty! This Hotel is so incredible, the decor, the vibe, nothing but amazing things to say! Think of Dolly Parton meets, Marvelous Mrs. Maisel meets, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, that’s this place. While we were visiting in the lobby, we found out that there are more “Graduates” all over the U.S! Each are unique for the city that they are in, but in my opinion, this one takes the cake!
Graduate Nashville
Our Hotel & Adventures Nearby!
We LOVED our hotel! The biggest thing we wanted was convenience and things that could be easily walkable. So we stayed at the Hilton Nashville Downtown, it was the perfect location to still be able to walk around nearby and central to other places that we traveled to. Morning walks were so nice and when we would return from dinner we would walk again and just talk! There’s so many lights and live music playing constantly you’re never bored! Broadway is literaly one block over so that was nice to be so close!
All in all it was a GREAT trip and we can’t wait to return again someday! We’re so excited to be celebrating one year of marriage together and look forward to the many celebrations to come!
Found this one behind Losers Bar on Broadway. *trick, stand further infront of the wall, you might feel a little funny but it makes you appear more “in” the postcard!* 
view from our room 
The ticket wall! One of my favorites that we found! Located on the side of the
Y’ALLS Reccomendations!
First of all thank you so so much for all of the recs! These are the ones that we didn’t get to this trip but forsure keeping this list handy for next time!
Bars
***In case you’re wondering why we didn’t go to any bars (or drink at restaurants), that’s 100% my fault because I forgot my wallet at home. I felt HORRIBLE about it because I know it’s very much apart of the Nashville experience but we made the most of it and now I pretty much have that thing glued to me so I never forget it again!***
- The Stage
- Ole Red: Blake Sheltons Bar
- Jason Aldeans Kitchen & Rooftop
- Honky Tonk Central
- Tootsies
- ACME Feed & Seed: Rooftop
- FGL House
- LA Jackson
Restaurants
- Demos: Steak and Spaghetti
- Pancake Pantry
- Pfunky Griddle
- Loveless Cafe
- Franklin Juice Company
- 5 Daughters Bakery
- The Pharmacy
- Little Donkey
Other things to do!
- L27 at The Westin Hotel: Rooftop bar and pool
- Hillsboro Village: shopping area
- Pinewood Social
- Blue Bird Cafe
- Radnor Lake State Park