The Wilens Do Nashville!!

🎸 DAY 1 — Downtown Deep Dive

Theme: Get the lay of the land, eat iconic Nashville food, hit Broadway hard

Morning | Old Town Trolley Hop-On Hop-Off Start at Marathon Motor Works (1305 Clinton St) — the #1 trolley starting point. The multi-stop trolley tour lets you hop on and off freely at each of the 13 stops, covering landmarks like Marathon Motor Works, the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Ryman Auditorium, the Johnny Cash Museum, the Parthenon, and the Farmers' Market, with live narration rich in anecdotes along the way. Ceetiz

💰 ~$45/person (1-day pass), ~$55 for 2-day | Book at trolleytours.com/nashville | Trolleys depart every 30 minutes

Midday | Nashville Hot Chicken Showdown at Assembly Food Hall Get off at the Broadway/Country Music Hall stop and walk to Assembly Food Hall (Fifth + Broadway, 5 min away). This is ground zero for the great hot chicken debate. Hattie B's Hot Chicken at the Food Hall location is a local legend — get it mild or turn up the heat if you're brave. Prince's Hot Chicken at the Food Hall is widely regarded as the original — just be careful telling Hattie B's loyalists that. Order one plate from each and settle the debate yourself.

Afternoon | Hatch Show Print Tour One of the most genuinely cool things in Nashville that most tourists blow past. This shop, over 140 years old, still hums with the tradition of letterpress printing. During the tour you'll see brilliantly colored posters, feel the texture of the prints, smell the fresh ink — and get to press your own poster to take home as a keepsake.

Book at hatchshowprint.com | Open daily 9am–5:30pm | 224 Rep. John Lewis Way S (right next door to the Country Music Hall of Fame)

Evening | Dinner + Broadway Night Dinner at Honkey Tonk at The Twelve Thirty Club (550 Broadway) — Honky Tonk at The Twelve Thirty Club offers an "amazing atmosphere" with great food and live music. Guests rave about the "incredible music talent" and the "delicious" food, including standout dishes like the prime rib special and pork belly dumplings. Service is often described as "attentive" and "outstanding," enhancing the overall "fantastic experience." (Reservations for 4 at 5:15 pm through Opentable)

Pop-in for drinks | Chief's on Broadway (200 Broadway) — Eric Church's 6-story bar featuring Rodney Scott's Whole Hog BBQ, a partnership with the James Beard Award-winning pitmaster. Grab a rooftop table for unbeatable Broadway views, then work your way down the street.

Afterwards, wander into Puckett's Grocery (500 Church St) for more live music and great Southern food, or hit AJ's Good Time Bar for Alan Jackson's multi-story honky-tonk with rooftop views.

chiefsonbroadway.com

🤠 DAY 2 — Parthenon, Opryland & Scoreboard live music

Theme: Country music's holiest sites

Morning | The Parthenon at Centennial Park — Peak Nashville Quirk Walk or drive 10 minutes to Centennial Park. In 1897, a full-scale replica of the Parthenon in Athens was built for Tennessee's Centennial Exposition, as Nashville was pushing the nickname "Athens of the South." It proved so wildly popular that it was replaced with a more permanent rendition. Inside is a 42-foot gilded statue of Athena — the largest indoor sculpture in the Western hemisphere. It's genuinely jaw-dropping and costs almost nothing.

nashvilleparthenon.com | 2500 West End Ave | Closed Mondays

Afternoon | Gaylord Opryland Resort (Free to Explore) Even if you're not staying there, walking through the Gaylord Opryland Resort is an experience in itself. The resort features a 4.5-acre indoor garden atrium with a nightly water and light show, an indoor riverboat ride, and nearly 20 dining options including whiskey tastings, Italian cuisine, local beer at the Delta Market, and brunch at Cascades American Cafe. KAYAK The Delta River flatboat ride through the indoor garden is ~$15/person and genuinely surreal.

💰 Free to walk through | Boat ride ~$15/person | marriott.com/opryland

~3:00pm | Cooter's Place — FREE Dukes of Hazzard Museum

This is peak Nashville quirk and it's completely free. The Nashville Dukes of Hazzard Museum is operated by Ben Jones, who played Cooter on the show. It features original costumes, props, memorabilia, thousands of collectibles, and of course the General Lee, Cooter's Tow Truck, Rosco's Patrol Car, Daisy's Jeep, and Boss Hogg's Cadillac. Yelp You can get your photo taken inside the General Lee for a small charge. A 45-minute stop is plenty — it's delightfully absurd and genuinely beloved.

💰 FREE admission | Small charge for General Lee photo | Open daily 9am–6:30pm | 2613 McGavock Pike (literally a 3-minute drive from Opryland) | cootersplace.com

4:00–7:00pm | The Spazmatics at Scoreboard Bar & Grill — FREE Show

This high-energy 80s new wave tribute band will have you dancing and singing along to hits from artists like Devo, A-Ha, The Cure, and more. Known for their nerdy stage personas and hilarious crowd interactions, the Spazmatics deliver not just music but an unforgettable entertainment experience — and it's completely FREE every Sunday from 4–7pm. Visit Nashville TN This is a legitimately legendary local Sunday tradition. Show up a bit before 4pm to grab a table — it fills up.

💰 FREE | Scoreboard Bar & Grill, 2408 Music Valley Dr | scoreboardopry.com | No tickets needed, just show up

7:30pm | Dinner at Caney Fork River Valley Grille

Right across the street from Scoreboard, Caney Fork is a Tennessee institution. They specialize in US premium farm-raised catfish (fried, broiled, or blackened), the best slow-cooked large rack of ribs in Nashville, wild game specials, and their signature almost-world-famous corn fritters. They're now also rated the #1 wild game restaurant in Tennessee, and the menu includes gator bites, elk sliders, venison sausage, bison, and a campfire s'mores dessert you make at your own table. The vibe is lodge-style, the portions are enormous, and it's the kind of place where the staff treats you like family.

Don't miss: the corn fritters (legendary), fried catfish, and the Outfitter Stew (gator tail + venison sausage). Adventurous eaters should try the elk sliders as a starter.

Reservations recommended on weekends | 2400 Music Valley Dr | (615) 724-1200 | caneyforkrestaurant.com | Open Sun–Thu until 9pm, Fri–Sat until 10pm

🍩 DAY 3 — Local Favorite

Theme: The Nashville that locals actually love

Morning | Five Daughters Bakery + 12 South Neighborhood Start the morning in 12 South, one of the most beloved local neighborhoods — a small community with a leafy green park and a main street dotted with trendy boutiques and eateries. The main draw at Five Daughters is the 100-layer donut — a combination of a donut and croissant, rolled in sugar, filled with cream, and glazed. This family-run bakery is genuinely the best donut many visitors have ever had. Travel Addicts Grab coffees, stroll the block, peek into the boutiques.

fivedaughtersbakery.com | 1110 Caruthers Ave | Open 7am daily