Travel Eye on Nashville (Tennessee, USA)

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Overview:

Almost exact centre of Tennessee, Nashville is the booming city of the upper South. Its population is rapidly expanding as it attracts citizens from the surrounding states (such as Kentucky and Alabama), and even from New York and Los Angeles, to work in the music and wider entertainment business.

The city's roots go back a long way. It was first home to bison and deer, which attracted the hunters who settled here - as archaeological finds have proven. In the late 18th century, the first non-Indians arrived, in the form of a few French fur trappers and traders, one of who was the famous Daniel Boone. Soon after, migrants from the Appalachians began to settle and provided the beginnings of a sizeable community until, in 1835, Nashville became the state capital.

Today, Downtown Nashville, where most of the best hotels and the nightlife are concentrated, is an area of only about eight blocks square. It is a mix of chic hotels, businesses and honky-tonks, where Nashvillians work and where tourists wander around looking for the authentic country experience.

Music Row, which is actually the business heart of the country industry, is in midtown Nashville, southwest of Downtown. Out of the city, to the northeast, is the vast Opryland complex, from where the Grand Ole Opry is now broadcast and where country music museums and the Opryland Hotel all cluster.

Nashville is a must for country-music lovers and line-dancers everywhere, with accommodation and food to suit all pockets. Its strong Southern tradition, historic buildings and involvement in the American Civil War will entice history buffs.

The accommodation here comes in all shapes and sizes, from a handful of historic hotels through modern luxury hotels to budget motels and motor inns around downtown and in the Opryland area.

Locality:

Nashville is in the east United States, in the upper part of the "American South", towards the centre of the state of Tennessee (209 mls NE of Memphis, 8 mls W of Nashville international airport). It is set in broad, fairly flat, verdant terrain astride the wide Cumberland River, and Bounded to the south east by the large J Percy Priest Lake and several parks.

Entertainment/Facilities/Attractions/Things to do:

Shopping here is mainly tourist-orientated shops in the historic quarter around 2nd Avenue and Broadway which sell mainly souvenirs, T-shirts and local memorabilia. Most of the larger department stores at various malls outside town. Opry Mills in the Opryland area is a vast shopping and entertainment venue, offering a wide range of discounted branded goods, especially clothes, sports and outdoor gear and abundant country-music souvenirs, from printed T-shirts to rhinestone boots.

During the daytime there are various downtown museums, including the Tennessee State Museum. There is the State Capital building, Centennial Park's replica Parthenon, Country Music Hall of Fame.

The Opryland and Music Valley area has numerous attractions for country-music lovers. It is host to the summer Annual Fan Fair which is the world's biggest country-music festival.

The nightlife in Nashville is very lively and varied. "The District" has a plethora of lively bars and honky-tonks, most hosting live music and dancing. Star-studded country music at the famous Grand Ole Opry House at weekends: usually packed out, so book well in advance. Typical Southern-style entertainment and floor shows on the paddle-steamer showboat, General Jackson. The Ryman Auditorium presents musicals as well as traditional country music, rock 'n' roll and blues. Murder mystery dinners.

Eateries offer everything from smart international hotel restaurants to simple roadside diners. Dominated by Southern-style and Creole cuisine and huge portions: pancakes, biscuits, grits and gravy for breakfast!; barbecued pork and numerous fried chicken recipes. There is also the usual array of international fast-food chains and pizza parlours.