I recently visited Nashville to meet with my friend Kelly and 30 other bloggers. If you saw my Instagram post with all the women I went with, I said that Kelly “made” me fly across the country for this meetup she was hosting at the best little Airbnb known as The Myrtle Nashville. I made Kelly promise we would be roomies, and if things got awkward, we would just watch Bravo in bed together. That didn’t happen; I had the time and came home with 30 new friends.
I’ve been on my share of Girl’s trips throughout my adult life, and honestly, this weekend in Nashville was one of the best. I was a terrible blogger and didn’t take many photos, so I’m stealing a few pictures from friends. I’ll credit each one when I do. Do me a favor and check these bloggers out, they are worth following, and I am blessed to call them real-life friends.
Let’s jump into the weekend!
A Girls’ Weekend in Nashville
I took one of the first flights from John Wayne Airport in Orange County on Friday morning and arrived in Nashville at 2:45 pm. In retrospect, I may have benefited from taking a red-eye or flying out of LAX on an earlier flight. Some of my friends arrived in Nashville in the morning, and I wish I had that extra time to run around with them.
Where We Stayed
I met a couple of friends at the airport flying in from Houston and shared an Uber to the AIRBNB some of us were staying at in East Nashville. It costs about $20 and about 25 minutes on a Friday afternoon, so keep that in mind if you are planning on staying in East Nashville when you go!
The Myrtle Nashville
A massive group of us stayed in East Nashville at the Myrtle Nashville. As soon as I walked into Unit A, I felt at home. The Myrtle Nashville has a cozy modern bohemian vibe. There are subtle pops of color on a neutral palette of grays, blacks, whites, and browns. The decor from Myrtle Nashville will inspire me as I continue to decorate our house. I stayed in the master bedroom on the third floor with three other girls, and we had plenty of room. It did help that the en suite bathroom with a walk-in closet was the size of my master bedroom at home. On the second floor, there were two bedrooms and a bathroom. There is also a rooftop patio on each unit, but more about that later.
The Waverly Nashville
Some of the group decided to stay in loft-style apartments at The Waverly Nashville. I didn’t go inside, but the photos on their Instagram and my friends’ photos were beautiful. It is located within walking distance of 12th Street, home of the I Believe in Nashville mural, countless options of food and coffee, and Reese Witherspoon’s Draper James. When I return to Nashville, I would love to stay at The Waverly Nashville and explore this area more.
Loews Vanderbilt Hotel – Nashville
If hotels are more your style, some girls stayed at the Loews Vanderbilt Hotel in Nashville. My friends Katie and Meg shared a few thoughts and photos about the hotel in their blog post about the weekend. Check it out because the Loews Vanderbilt Hotel looks like the perfect hotel.
Meg O On The Go – A Girls Weekend in Nashville
Katie Crenshaw – WHY NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE IS THE BEST CITY FOR A GIRLS WEEKEND
What to Do in Nashville
When I flew home on Sunday night, I didn’t know if I would do a recap on the blog. I flew in later on Friday, and I just hung around our Airbnb with a few other people on Saturday. But here I am, recapping a wonderful weekend in Nashville because I love to write and share my adventures.
Friday
Like I said before, I arrived in Nashville in the afternoon and went directly to the AIRBNB. When I came, a group of girls stood around the kitchen island, drinking and laughing. It was amazing how easy it was to connect with everyone there. We stood around for a couple hours, chatting and laughing before getting ready for the night.
Dinner – Makeready at The Noelle Hotel
After we were all ready for the night (with the size of our group, this was no easy task), we loaded into a few UBERS and headed towards Downtown Nashville for dinner at Makeready at the Noelle Hotel. The entrance to the restaurant is around the corner from the hotel lobby and within walking distance from Printer’s Alley. Makeready was the perfect spot to sit down for dinner and chat. And drink a cocktail or two.
I loved Makeready’s take on traditional hot chicken. I would love to go back one day and explore more of the menu.
After Dinner – Cross-Eyed Critters Watering Hole at The Graduate Nashville
After dinner, our group split up for the night. Some of us went to a burlesque show, while others wanted to end the night at a karaoke bar. Thankfully, we had some locals from our group, and they suggested we go to the Cross-Eyed Critters Watering Hole at The Graduate Nashville. Unlike the dive karaoke bars I used to frequent before I started having kids, this “watering hole” was made for people who love to grab a mic and belt out a tune. Complete with a stage and its animatronic backup band, we had fun dancing and watching people sing their hearts out. Nashville is a music city, after all. Get there early if you want to sing; the waitlist seemed long.
Saturday
We spent Saturday morning chatting and drinking coffee. Some girls ate breakfast at Proper Bagel and raved about their time there. As for the rest of the morning/early afternoon, I was lazy and ordered a pizza with a few other girls. We had the best time lounging on the couches, chatting, and watching Bravo TV. When traveling with a large group, splitting up and doing what you want is okay.
What My Friends Did
Several of my friends started their adventures making their Goo Goo Clusters candy. My friend Jenny gave me her Goo Goo, which was so good. Thanks, Jenny! If you want to read more about the Goo Goo Clusters experience, my friend Brandi did an excellent recap of their experience on her blog.
After making the candy of their dreams, they headed to lunch at FGL (Florida Georgia Line’s Restaurant). Head up to the rooftop patio for amazing views of downtown.
Then like good bloggers, they went to check out the many amazing murals of Nashville. Seriously, the murals are gorgeous and totally instagramable. My friend, Ashley of Millie & Moses, did a whole blog post about the murals of Nashville. If you want to find out more, check out her post. It’s worth it.
Saturday Night
While my friends were working hard to get featured on the influencers in the wild Instagram page. My friend and roomie, Miranda, was working on a fantastic charcuterie board for us to snack on. Not only did it look unique, everything tasted and paired well together.
Saturday was the coldest day of the weekend. When everyone returned from their adventures, we bundled up and went up to the rooftop patio of the Myrtle and were treated to a magical concert by a singer-songwriter known as Menna. Check her out on her Instagram page.
Dinner, Dancing, and Tik Tok Shenanigans
Fun at the Famous Saloon
After our rooftop concert, we headed out on the town. Our first stop was the Famous Saloon. When we arrived, we headed straight to the rooftop bar, where the view was insane. Looking out over the Cumberland River, you could see Nissan Stadium and the John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge. As a Southern Californian, I love any location looking out over a water body. A few of us ate dinner there, and most of us had drinks. We ran into a couple bachelor parties there and helped with their scavenger hunt. Did I mention this is a bachelor/bachelorette destination? Parties were everywhere.
The Stage on Broadway
If you are looking for a fun venue for live music, check out the Stage on Broadway. On Saturday night, there were four floors of live music and a little something for everyone. We ended up on the top floor with a rooftop patio over Broadway Street. I didn’t expect Nashville to have so many rooftop bars and terraces, but almost every building had one. We danced the night away to Haeley Vaughn and the incredible band that played with her. They played everything from country to classic rock to Lizzo.
When I sat down to write this blog post, I found some fun facts about Haeley Vaughn and the Stage on Broadway:
- Haeley Vaughn was on Season 9 of American Idol when she was 16!
- If you watch Very Cavallari, you might recognize her as Jon Stone’s new girlfriend. I knew she looked familiar when I watched last week’s episode. She appeared as a screenshot on Brittany Taylor’s (Jon’s ex) friend’s phone, but Haeley was still there, and I still recognized her.
- According to the Stage’s website, there is never a cover charge and famous country singers sometimes come to hang out. It is Nashville; you never know who you’ll run into. Me? I ran into no one. But maybe you will.
Sunday
We checked out of the AIRBNB and headed towards the 12th South neighborhood of Nashville for donuts and to kill time before our flights home.
Five Daughters Bakery
We went for the donuts, and I left wishing to take this family-owned business back to California. Not only did they have pastries to die for and Instagramable, but Five Daughters Bakery also had a small area outside that would be perfect for kids to run around. As a mom, I am always looking for things kids can do. I can’t help it.
Frothy Monkey
I knew these women were my people when we got more food after eating donuts. The Frothy Monkey was a couple of blocks down the Street from Five Daughters and was the perfect place to grab an iced coffee and a breakfast sandwich. I felt bad because most of us rolled in with our luggage, but we tried to keep it in the corner, and the employees seemed understanding.
Shopping and Alley Hangs
I think 12th South is my dream. Good food, great coffee, and amazing places to get your shop on. Several of my friends bought new hats at a local boutique, we browsed Draper James and took photos at the I Believe in Nashville mural. Ady and I also convinced strangers to do a Tik Tok with us in the ally next to Draper James; it wasn’t weird.
Check out the blog posts from my friends:
Katie | Meg | Brandi | Noelle | Ashley | Claire | Lynneah | Kirstie | Ange