On Halloween weekend we headed to Nashville for an Islanders/Predators hockey game. It was our first time ever in Nashville, and we had the best time! We shared an Airbnb with friends and went to the game with a ton of other people part of MPR’s Isles meet-up group – plus Danny & Taylor made the trip down from New York!
One of my favorite things about relocating to the South is all of the new destinations we can explore within driving distance of Charlotte. Nashville is about 6 hours away, and the route took us right through beautiful Asheville. If you’ve never been, I highly recommend making the drive in the fall months because we got to do some leaf-peeping along the way – and we even drove through snow on our way home! (Don’t worry, I was prepared with the Michael Bublé Christmas CD locked and loaded.) 🍂
I think what I loved most about Nashville was the energy, and yes, there really is live music on every floor of every bar on Broadway. I can’t say I follow country music, but I sure can appreciate it. 🎶
I was a little worried about finding good restaurants for the group that had vegetarian options for me and MPR (AKA not BBQ), but I can honestly say it was a breeze. We did not have one bad meal. I got an amazing falafel sandwich at Acme Feed & Seed, flavorful Korean BBQ tofu tacos at Bajo Sexto Taco Lounge, and an egg and cheese on a buttery biscuit at Milk & Honey.
While exploring Nashville, we ran into numerous people from the Islanders team because they were all staying downtown. We even picked the same dinner spot as one of the coaches, and after we introduced ourselves, he gave us passes to meet some of the players after the game. We were definitely fan-girling, but we were able to sneak in a few selfies. (It helped that they had just won 6-2!)
On our way out Sunday morning, we stopped by the famous Biscuit Love to grab some bonuts to go – that’s biscuit dough fried like a doughnut. And yes, it’s worth the wait when the line wraps around the building! (Luckily we were in and out because we got there at 8 AM.)
I also couldn’t leave Nashville without popping into Reese Witherspoon’s store, Draper James. I came very close to buying a set of mugs with cute little scotty dogs and dachshunds on them, but I’m pretty sure if I came home with one more mug, MPR would kick me out. (What can I say? I enjoy teatime!)
Overall it was a great trip and I’m so thankful we got to share it with the best friends – both new and old. It was fun to see our New York and Charlotte words collide, and I’m looking forward to our upcoming trips to Raleigh and Brooklyn! 🏒
Caitlin Ryan, APR 
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