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Hi all...we are making our first scouting trip to the Nashville area next week and are looking for suggestions of cool places/things to do/eateries along our journey. We will be there Aug 11-16th and staying in the Cool Springs area for our base. Our main area of interest is Franklin, but we also want to check out Murphreesboro, Hendersonville and downtown Nashville to see what each locale has to offer. We are looking for overall feel of an area to see if it is someplace we would like to come back and look at indepth.
So - with that in mind are they any "events" happening that would be fun to check out while we are there - stuff the locals do, not just tourists. Great places to eat (we are not fast food/chain restaurant type people) we like to experience the local flavor. Great parks (we have a 6 year old) and anything else that is kid friendly and fun!!
Also looking for neighborhood suggestions - we are focusing on the immediate downtown area of Franklin because we love the older architecture, sidewalks, walking proximity to shops, cafes, et. What areas in Hendersonville and Murphreesboro offer the same type of feel?
Hubby is an avid cyclist and will be joing a group for a Natchez Trace ride - any other areas/rides he should look into??
For kiddie fun: Bicentennial Mall (bring a swimsuit or shorts for your child so he or she can play in the fountains)--it's next door to the Nashville Farmer's Market, Centennial Park, the Adventure Science Center, Wave County Park (more water fun).
You might also thinking about checking out one or more of the following: Radnor Lake, Priest Lake, Warner Parks, Belle Meade Plantation, the Frist Center for the Visual Arts (also has a special place on the second floor for kids), Cheekwood, Montgomery Bell State Park, the Hermitage, the Centennial Sportsplex, and uh, some other places . . . which have slipped my mind, but I'm sure I'll remember later.
As for events, it tends to be a little slow after the 4th of July until Labor Day. It's the hottest time of the year, plus people are getting their kids ready to go back to school (this weekend is Tennessee Sales Tax Holiday, by the way). There probably are a few events around town, but not as many as there are in late spring, early summer, and fall.
The Tomato Festival is in East Nashville this weekend. Come enjoy all things Tomato. There's a 5k early Saturday morning...followed by Tomato art, Bloody Mary contests and just about anything else you can think to do with a Tomato. It's around the 5 Points area in East Nashville...that's Woodland and 11th St.
As far as Hendersonville goes, there's Drakes Creek Park and other park areas around Old Hickory Lake. To be honest, I don't think of Hendersonville as being a really great touristy place to visit. It's a fanastic place to live, but I don't think there's a lot to offer visitors other than the lake, city parks, Trinity Broadcasting (televangelist studios), and Johnny and June Carter Cash's graves. Long Hollow Pike is a great place to bicycle with rolling hills and scenery, but it's not as nice or safe as the Natchez Trace. If history is your thing, there's Mansker's Fort in nearby Goodlettsville. It's a reproduction of a the 18th century fort that protected settlers. Otherwise, alley pretty well hit the nail on the head with other places to visit. I'd strongly recommend the Hermitage, personally.
Murfreesboro has a neat downtown area...a traditional county courthouse/square. There are also a couple of great places to eat there: Marina's has great Italian food. City Cafe is a very good meat-n-three (both are around the square). Stones River National Battlefield is in Murfreesboro and has a pretty good interpretive drive through it. Make sure and watch the video before at the ranger station. The Oaklands is a very nice antebellum home in Murfreesboro. I'd suggest visiting there if you go to the 'boro.
South of Franklin in Spring Hill is Rippavilla, another antebellum home that was Gen. Hood's headquarters during the Battle of Spring Hill, just before the Battle of Franklin. I've heard it is really beautiful. Something else to consider, maybe on your way from Franklin to Murfreesboro, is Arrington Vineyards in Arrington. It's owned by Kix Brooks (Brooks and Dunn) and others. It's a really nice winery...but obviously may not be a place for kids.
Good luck with your trip. There's plenty to do in Middle TN.
Hi all...we are making our first scouting trip to the Nashville area next week and are looking for suggestions of cool places/things to do/eateries along our journey. We will be there Aug 11-16th and staying in the Cool Springs area for our base. Our main area of interest is Franklin, but we also want to check out Murphreesboro, Hendersonville and downtown Nashville to see what each locale has to offer. We are looking for overall feel of an area to see if it is someplace we would like to come back and look at indepth.
So - with that in mind are they any "events" happening that would be fun to check out while we are there - stuff the locals do, not just tourists. Great places to eat (we are not fast food/chain restaurant type people) we like to experience the local flavor. Great parks (we have a 6 year old) and anything else that is kid friendly and fun!!
Also looking for neighborhood suggestions - we are focusing on the immediate downtown area of Franklin because we love the older architecture, sidewalks, walking proximity to shops, cafes, et. What areas in Hendersonville and Murphreesboro offer the same type of feel?
Hubby is an avid cyclist and will be joing a group for a Natchez Trace ride - any other areas/rides he should look into??
Anything else we should be on the lookout for??
Thanks!
Franklin is an old city. Hendersonville is a baby in comparison...it was only incorporated in 1969. You won't find that same type of neighborhood here, although there are plans for several "new-urban" areas that will try to create this.
However, Hendersonville has a great parks system and is located on Old Hickory Lake. There's also great lakeside bike trails at lock 4 between Gallatin and Hendersonville and there's a new greenway system being built with the first leg completed across from The Streets at Indian Lake.
For good local restaurants in Hendersonville try The Itty Bitty Sandwich Shop for lunch or The Chocolate Strawberry. For Dinner, The Avanti Gourmet, Knead Dough Pizzeria, September's, or Cafe Rakka would be good options.
Good parks to check out would be Moss Wright Park (1st Hville exit, then first left of Caldwell Ln) They hold colonial fair days each may. Drakes Creek park in the middle of the city at the bridge.
To see the best of Hendersonville make sure you get off of main street and drive down into the peninsulas on roads like Indian Lake, Walton Ferry, Cages Bend and Caudill Ln.
I forgot to mention a few restaurant ideas! For uniquely Nashville restaurants:
Rotier's - On Elliston Place, just off of West End Avenue. A Nashville tradition...consistantly named the "best burger" in town. Supposedly one of the places that inspired Jimmy Buffett's song "Cheesburger in Paradise".
Gerst House - Just off I-40/24 at Woodland Street. Great traditional German restaurant...a real fun place to eat especially on weekend nights when the polka band is playing.
Arnold's Country Kitchen - 8th Ave. Won a James Beard Award...traditional meat-n-three, excellent southern cuisine. Get there early for lunch because it's hard to get a table sometimes.
Prince's Hot Chicken - Ewing Dr, just off Dickerson Road. "Hot Chicken" is a Nashville specialty and if you like really spicy food, then you should check Prince's out. It's in a sketchy part of town (I've never felt unsafe here, and I go all the time) and is notorious for having 45 minute wait times for your order. But it really is a slice of Nashville. And be warned, their "Mild" is on par with a lot of restaurant's "hot". "Medium" is really hot. And "Hot" is a religious experience.
Pancake Pantry - 21st Avenue/Hillsboro Village area. Another Nashville tradition, be sure and get here early for breakfast as the place really fills up quickly, especially on weekends. A good place to celebrity-watch too.
The "new urbanism" style of neighborhood has caught our attention in the past. I do like the look and styling of the houses and idea of creating a walkable neighborhood - just slightly worried about the lack of mature landscaping. We know about Westhaven in Franklin - what are some of the areas in Hendersonville?? Also - is there any walkable downtown portion of Hendersonville - or is it mostly of the strip mall nature??
Regarding parks - do any of the parks in any of the areas have water features - like fountains or sprayers or zero depth pools? My daughter loves these and since it will be blazing hot it would make for a good diversion.
And just a reminder we don't want to come down there as "tourists" we want to see how it would feel to live there So - keep the ideas coming! Thanks!
Hendersonville has no historic downtown but there is a
retail center called the streets of Indian Lake that is made to look like a town square and it's very nice. On Saturday mornings there is a farmers market and in the evenings the square
hosts a summer concert series. There's also a great Local restaurant there called Septembers. There is a new urbanist community planned around this center but it is mostly still under construction and in the planning stages. For another new urbanist community check out Kennesaw Farms located off Gallatin rd between Hendersonville and Gallatin.
Also the park area in the middle of the Streets at Indian Lake has one of those sprayer fountain zones.
I'd also suggest maybe driving up to Gallatin if you're looking for a traditional "town square" downtown. It's been awhile since I went up there, but Larriviere's restaurant is there on the square and is really good. I don't recall there being a lot of shopping down there, though...mostly law firms and the like. But there's a square and the county courthouse is smack dab in the middle of the square.
FWIW, my favorite town/county square in TN is Lynchburg's in Smith County. Such a fun place and only tenth of a mile from the Jack Daniel's distillery.
Now that you are part way through your visit, I hope you check back in...
Others have addressed Murfreesboro and Hendersonville, both wonderful places to live. We live in Franklin and I wanted to suggest a few things that might help you feel what it's like to live here since you are not coming as a tourist.
One of the things we enjoy most this time of year is to take the dog and go downtown after supper, get ice cream at Baskin Robbins, or Ben and Jerry's, then sit on one of the benches along Main Street to eat. You'll be amazed at the number of people, with and without dogs, who will stop to chat. Main Street is filled with unique shops if you are into that, but in the evening, it's a place to walk or sit and watch people and dogs. Every time we do that, my wife says "I'm SO glad we moved here!"
Take your child to Tinkerbell playground in Pinkerton Park near downtown. Pinkerton is a "passive" park, no ball playing allowed, it's intended for walking, playing, picnicking. There is a pedestrian bridge that spans the Harpeth River and connects the park to downtown. There is also a trail at the back of the park that goes up a steep, wooded hill to a clearing on top. A great walk with the dog and child.
I'd suggest you take your child and visit the Franklin and/or Brentwood libraries. If you spend any time in downtown Nashville, their library is simply amazing.
Check out Reed's Produce on Fourth Ave. If you move to Franklin, you'll probably shop there, and they have the best selection of pumpkins at Halloween.
A great many families here use the Franklin or Brentwood YMCA, or the Williamson County Recreation Center which has similar facilities, so stop by for a quick tour if you have time. The county Aquatic Center in Brentwood is a first class facility.
I know it's a tourist thing, but the Carter House tour is something my children loved when they were young and have gone back for when they were older. The tour guide we had last year is a frequent guest on The History Channel and gave a fascinating tour. It's a great tour whether or not you are interested in Civil War history, and it's not presented from a Southern point of view, just pure historical facts.
The Factory at Franklin is sort of a mini mall in an old factory. Lots of little shops and restaurants, and dogs are welcome inside the main building, but not in the stores. We sometimes walk our dog there if it's really hot outside.
The Farmer's Market is Saturday 8 to 1 behind The Factory.
There is a walking tour of downtown every night at 8:00 (if four or more show up). It's supposed to be about haunted buildings, so it depends on your child. You can take your dog, too. They meet in front of the old courthouse on the square.
If you don't go by Merridee's Bread Basket, you haven't been to Franklin. Bread, pastries, cookies and pies baked in the store every night! They have the best sandwiches in town for lunch. You could get cinnamon rolls to heat in your hotel room the next morning. I used to take a tray of their cookies to clients and after doing it once, they all requested it on every visit ("Don't you come down here without those cookies".)
Neighborhoods, if you liked Westhaven you need to check out McKay's Mill if you haven't. Not the same, but it's the "new urban" style.
After Hubby cycles the Natchez Trace, he may not consider moving anywhere else. Make sure you get to drive down it, too. He might also like riding on any roads that lead into the Leiper's Fork community, near the Trace, especially Old Hillsboro Road and Leiper's Creek Road.
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So - keep the ideas coming! Thanks!
