"It’s not my scene exactly"

For some people, Nashville is a country-music mecca, so when we were looking for a weekend getaway, the Tennessee capital became a top contender for a weekend pilgrimage. Upon arrival, we circumvented party central for the moment and headed to the neighborhood near our AirBnB, uphill from the state fairgrounds, which hosts a monthly Flea Market (top). The many vendors set up on a vast footprint both inside and outside peddled a variety of products. We considered some wall art of a taxidermic and honky-tonk nature (bottom left and right), but all we brought home were some subdued kitchen rugs.

 

Although we had a snack at the flea market, it was time for a more substantial meal, so we headed to Dicey's Tavern, across from The Outfield, where we snapped a touristy selfie (top). The pizza parlor distinguishes itself by featuring party-cut pies, the typical style found in central Ohio; the Calabrian Vodka specialty pizza made us feel right at home (bottom left). The bathroom at Jackalope Brewing Company (bottom right), where we had a flight before we checked in for a nap after our long drive, was also quite homey.

 

It was easy to get some shut-eye in our stylish room, which featured a canopy bed with near-blackout curtains, photos and paintings by local artists, and a cowhide rug (top left). It was located right off Rains Avenue, within walking distance (if you're willing and able) of the Broadway strip. The area is being redeveloped, although relics of its history remain (top right). In no mood for an all-nighter, we hit up a couple hipsterish bars just blocks from our bed. I had a delicious cocktail that fused watermelon with hot sauce at Never Never Bar, housed in a former welding shop, before we downed some beers and pool balls at the bowling-alley-vibe Lucky's 3 Stars Bar (bottom).

  

With a good night's rest, we were ready to dive into downtown. We had hoped to fuel up at Sun Diner, but the line wrapped around the counters of the former record store, so we headed to the converted grocery at Puckett's Restaurant instead. By the time we finished breakfast, it was just after noon, so we decided we could start drinking. On a street packed with options, it's difficult to pick in which institution to imbibe, so we based our first stop, Layla's Honky Tonk (top left), on the appeal of the band set up right by the front door, like in most establishments on the strip. Once its morning gospel session was over, we headed next door to Robert's Western World (top right). Since we had already eaten, we didn't order the "Recession Special": a fried bologna sandwich served with chips, a moon pie, and an ice-cold PBR. But we did enjoy some Pabsts with the live music (bottom), and we even got a free moon pie with the check. 

 

Since we had plans for the evening, we didn't want to get too wild early in the day. So besides getting a taste of the mobile-party scene -- we saw so, so many people dancing on assorted vehicles (top) -- we took in a few Nashville sights, such as Ryman Auditorium (bottom left) and the waterfront park along the Cumberland River (bottom right). We thought we would escape the madness by getting off the beaten path at the Batter's Box Bar and Grill, but even there, we ended up sharing shots with a birthday-girl bunch from Wisconsin.

 

It was fitting that we stop at a sports bar, considering that sportsball was a primary impetus for our road trip -- we had come to venerate the Columbus Crew. We pre-gamed at Santa's Pub, a dive bar across from the stadium (top). Unfortunately, Kriss Kringle wasn't on hand to hear our wish list, so we weren't able to ask for a win. Despite a promising goal in the first minute of play, Columbus lost 3-1 (bottom left). This was quite a disappointment compared to the 6 goals accrued at the Crew opener (bottom right). However, Ol' Saint Nick came through with a 2-0 win against Nashville on our home field later in the year.

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“Berkeley Barb.” Berkeley Barb, vol. 12, no. 21(303), June 1971. JSTOR, https://jstor.org/stable/community.28033329. Accessed 31 May 2023.