Episode 52: My Experience as a Tourist in My Own Hometown

26Jul 2021 by EJtheTravelDiva

I’ve been talking about being a tourist in your hometown, so I decided to actually do it myself so that I could tell you what the experience was like.

I took some time to be a tourist in my hometown of Nashville, Tennessee – yes, Music City itself, and today, I’m here to give you the ins and outs of my staycation, and the information you need to become a tourist in your own hometown as well.

Here we go:

[01:44] Lodging.

The most important part of the vacation was lodging.

if you’re doing a staycation, you should still book lodging – staying in your own house makes the experience less authentic than if you were staying at a hotel.

You can read this blog post to help you find the right place to stay during a staycation.

For my staycation, I stayed at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel. I’ve been there before for meetings and conventions, but never stayed there for a few days. This resort has everything you’ll ever need – if you didn’t want to tour the city, you wouldn’t need to leave the resort for anything.

Opryland has restaurants, entertainment, boat rides, room service, a spa, indoor and outdoor pool, shopping options, live music, and SoundWaves.

For all the influencers out there – there are so many Instagramable spots at the Opryland Hotel!

[05:47] SoundWaves.

SoundWaves is an indoor and outdoor waterpark at the Opryland Hotel.

They’re kid-friendly, but they have 2 adult-only pool areas. There’s plenty of food, and bars for drinks.

There’s also a FlowRider, a lazy river, a wave pool, so many water slides, and an outdoor movie screen.

If you’re staying at the Opryland Hotel, I highly suggest getting a pass to visit the SoundWaves waterpark.

[10:34] Hop-on-hop-off city tour.

I left the resort to experience Nashville during my staycation.

The first thing I did was the Nashville city tour.

Even though I’ve lived in Nashville my whole life, I enjoyed this city tour and learned so much.

Wherever you are, I recommend doing a city tour so that you can learn more about the destination you’re in – you will walk away from it with much more appreciation for the culture and the history.

One of the stops was at the Musician’s Hall of Fame Museum. This was the first time I took a tour of the museum, and I could’ve stayed entertained in there for hours. If you visit this museum, set aside several hours so that you can experience it in all its glory.

[15:08] The African American Music Museum.

If I didn’t take this staycation, I would probably not have had the chance to visit this recently-opened museum until much later.

If you can name any type of music, you will find it in the museum – all the way from how slaves sang in the fields, to world-leading artists today.

The history contained within the walls of this museum is incredible. Give yourself more than enough time to absorb the fascinating history that you can expect to find when you visit the museum.

[18:31] Restaurants and bars.

If you know me, you know I enjoy a good time at the bar here in Nashville.

After a year and a half of the pandemic, I had some catching up to do.

I made sure that I didn’t visit any of the places that were familiar to me, and Nashville has more than enough to offer anyone who wants to have good food, drinks, and entertainment.

One of the places on my itinerary was the Grand Ole Opry.

At the Opry, there’s always some live country music – I happened to be there on the debut night of a black female country artist, Allison Russell.

[21:52] The Listening Room Cafe.

If you go to The Listening Room, you will get to experience live music by songwriters.

There’s also good food and drinks, and combined with the live music, you’re bound to have a great time.

[23:08] Rooftop places.

Although I did go to many places I had never been to before, I was vacationing with a friend of mine, and I just had to give them the Nashville rooftop experience.

One of the places we went was in The Gulch – the L.A. Jackson on top of the Thompson Nashville. This is one of the liveliest rooftop bars in Nashville. The crowd is young, so keep that in mind. The food is good, the drinks are good, and it’s usually full.

[24:58] L27 Rooftop Lounge.

This lounge has a pool, cabanas, and a great bar.

Don’t expect the same vibe as the LA Jackson, but it’s very Instagramable, and it’s a great spot to chill.

[25:44] The Grand Hyatt Rooftop.

This recently opened, and it is massive.

You can expect amazing views, good drinks, and a great crowd. This is definitely one of the rooftop bars where you can expect a good time.

[26:43] Rooftop bar at The Joseph Hotel.

On the top floor of the Joseph Hotel, I ordered a heavenly charcuterie board with a Jack Daniels on the rocks.

I have a video on how to create a charcuterie board, because you all know I love a good charcuterie board.

You can expect a great view, great drinks, a pool, and cabanas.

[27:43] The dream hotel.

In the lobby of the Dream Hotel, you’ll find the cutest Instagramable bar.

If you want a great Instagramable bar with great drinks, you need to get to the Dream Hotel. Be aware that there are many flowers all around, so choose your colours wisely if you plan on taking many pictures.

[28:51] The Virgin Hotel.

After checking out of the Opry Hotel, I went and checked in at the brand new Virgin Hotel For a night.

The rooftop bar has great music, good food, and a pool. The rooms are very modern, and the vibe is young, sexy, and chic.

[31:15] J.Christopher’s.

J.Christopher’s is a small diner in Nashville.

There are so many options on the menu, and it is one of my favourite places to have breakfast in Nashville.

If you want to get good food away from the big touristy chains, J.Christopher’s is definitely the place to go.

[33:25] Photowalk Nashville.

I booked this tour in Nashville where you get several hours with a professional photographer taking pictures of you at great places in The Gulch.

You can do it at Photowalk Nashville, or as an Airbnb Experience.

For $5 extra, you can be picked up in a Tesla!

One phrase that I was saying throughout my whole staycation was “I am so embarrassed with myself for not knowing some of these things in my own hometown.”

People visit your city as tourists, so why not visit your own city as well? We need to stop taking it for granted.

Get out there, experience your own hometown. Check out Viator, and book a staycation.

You don’t need to leave your hometown to have a good time, but you do need to leave your house to have a good time.

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One thought on “Episode 52: My Experience as a Tourist in My Own Hometown”

Pamela Prymer

This is one of my favorite podcast you have done!! Being a Nashville native, but feeling like I don’t know Nashville because it has changed since I moved away 18 years ago. I have been telling me family that lives in Nashville we should explore Nashville more. I really want to come back and not let me family know and experience this Nashville destination on my own. LOL
I love to eat breakfast at J Christopher too, we have them here in Atlanta, GA.

07/28/2021 at 4:32 pm