Nashville, Tennessee, the state capital, is located in the north central part of the state, roughly equidistant from Knoxville to the east and Memphis to the west. I-65 runs through the city from north to south; I-40 crosses it from east to west; I-24 crosses it diagonally from northwest to southeast; Briley Parkway circles the north side of the city; and I-440 circles the south side of the metro area and connects with all three interstate highways.
Additionally, US Highway 265 branches off from I-40 just west of Lebanon and turns south almost to Murfreesboro before turning north to connect with I-40 between Fairview and Pomona. Nashville International Airport is immediately south of I-40 on the east side of the city; the city center can be easily reached from there via interstate highways.
Nashville is justly called “Music City, USA”. It is home to the thriving country music industry, the Ryman Auditorium, the Grand Ole Opry, the Country Music Hall of Fame, and a lively late-night music scene in many saloons and saloons. all over town. There are two Visitor Information Centers, one at Fifth Avenue South and Broadway and a second at Fourth Avenue North and Commerce, where visitors can obtain maps, brochures, directions and more information on things to do and see in Nashville.
A visitor with a passing interest in country music shouldn’t miss the opportunity to investigate Nashville’s music scene. Ryman Auditorium downtown was originally a church and became home to the Grand Ole Opry in 1943, when it was christened “The Mother Church of Country Music.” The Opry has since moved to the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center, but the Ryman has since reopened as a music venue. Regular concerts are held there and tours are offered, both self-guided and behind the scenes.
Also downtown, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum is the perfect place to immerse yourself in the history of this distinctive style of American music.
The Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center, off Briley Parkway north of the airport, is a world unto itself, with a grand hotel, shops, a spa, restaurants from pubs to steakhouses and fine dining establishments, lounges and nightclubs, all under one roof. The complex is immediately adjacent to the Grand Ole Opry, where visitors can enjoy the famous country music show.
If music isn’t your main interest, Nashville has plenty of other experiences to offer, from a zoo and aquariums to amusement parks and paddlewheel rides on the river. For a taste of southern history, visit Belle Meade Plantation or take a tour of The Hermitage, home of Andrew Jackson. You can tour the historic Franklin Civil War battlefield and visit the cemetery where fallen soldiers rest. A little over an hour east of Nashville, Loretta Lynn’s Hurricane Mills has a restored southern mansion, a campground and trailer park, a museum and shops. Horse riding and fishing are also popular pastimes there.