Big HELLO from Germany!

[TaxiDriver]

Hi you all!
A friend of mine and me are thinking about a vacation in the states next year. And one place we wanna stay is Nashville.
We wanna stay there for one week.
So I need a little help.
Our vacation will be between March and April.
I hread about the Tin Pan South Songwriters Festival. Can anyone tell me on what location and the exact date?

What about places to stay? Don´t have to be cheap. Somewhere close to bars or whereever the music plays...

Also wanna know some good bars with Live Music.

As "normal" tourists, what do we have to see?

I hope you can help me.

Many greetz from here.
Your Taxi:D

[Ben]

Hey TaxiDriver!

Sounds like you're planning a great trip to the States - Good to hear you're including Nashville for your adventure!

The Tin Pan South Songwriters Festival will be held April 1 – 5, 2008 in Nashville. Go to tinpansouth.com - I think you can sign up for updates.

Staying IN downtown Nashville is definitely a good move. Here are some places which are pretty much right downtown - and they're all walking distance to the action (a big plus!) Hilton on 4th Ave, the Renaissance on Commerce, Sheraton, Hermitage (very nice), Marriott Courtyard on 4th Ave. and Holiday Inn Express (a couple of blocks away from all the entertainment). Oh yea, there's also Union Station which is a few blocks away from the bars and restaurants and across the street from the Holiday Inn Express.

Just head over to Broadway - there are lots of small bars with live music which is played even during the day! Here's a few to mention: Tootsies (a must for every tourist), Robert's Western World, Bluegrass Inn, Legends Corner, The Stage and Cadillac Ranch. On 2nd Ave - which is a short walk from Broadway - go to Wildhorse Saloon (a must for a tourist) and BB Kings Blues Club. You can also walk to Printers Alley from there and hit a few of the bars. It's easy to honky-tonk bar hop - and staying in Nashville within walking distance is such a wise move (no one has to drive - yea!).

Hope you have loads of fun!

[TaxiDriver]

Thank you so much Ben.
I were already in the states last year. But mostly Louisiana and Missippi.
I´m really looking forward coming to Nashville and stay there for a while.
I need music in my life everywhere I go, so Nashville would be the perfect choice.

Have a great Halloween by the way.

Your Taxi

[TaxiDriver]

How is the weather in late March, early April?
I remember, it was really hot last year in early May.

[Ben]

TaxiDriver -

Well, if you need music in your life, then Nashville is all you - you can listen to live music all day and into the night. Can't beat that! Oh yea, forgot to mention, have you been to the Country Music Hall of Fame? If not, then it's probably right up your alley - you can spend a LONG time there! Close to to the Music Hall of Fame is a pretty new symphony center. If you're into symphony, then you'll like this place - it's gorgeous and there's really not a bad seat in the house. I was there a few weeks ago on a Saturday and it was one of those occasions where they opened the center up to everyone. The orchestra was performing and there was live music outside on their patio. Lots of people, lots of fun.

Weather in late March...early April...Well, I call March & April the teaser months. You can get gorgeous spring weather, but then BOOM - a cold front moves in and it's winter all over again. You're left thinking, when does that last burst of cold air stop making its way to Nashville?! The good thing (for me anyway) is that it never lasts long and beautiful spring is back again before you know it!

Anyway, typically, the average high in March is 61F degrees (16C) and the average low is 39F (4C). The average high in April is around 70F or 21C (nice!) and average low is 47F or 8C. If you're looking for a bit warmer weather, April is better. But, I'm wondering if 21C is toasty to you? !!

Have fun!

[TaxiDriver]

Ben you´re great!
Thank you sooooo much!

Yeah, I already thought about visiting Grand Ole Opry, Ryman, Music Hall of Fame and many more. Hope one week is enough time...;)

My friend also wanna visit the Belle Meade Plantation. Is it worth it?
You know, I´m so much more into country and almost every other genre of music, than she is.
Hope she doesn´t get to annoyed by me. :rolleyes: Cause when I listen to good music (especially when its live) I forget everything around my and loose my sense of time. :cool:

Even if it´s music history I´m interested in it.
Last year I visited Graceland in Memphis, and I´m really not a Elvis fan.
Or I visited the Blues Museum in Clarksdale, MS. Not so much into blues music, but I´m very open minded.

Can´t wait to come to your city. Guess my friend will have A LOT of problems to get me back to Germany. :D

She´s a lilttle concerned about the money. But I´ll gonna pay for everything first. She´ll pay me back later.

And she´s a lilttle concerned about her english knowledge. She can´t speak or understand it well. On my side, I understand it better then I speak it, but when I´m into it, it´s hard to stop me.

And I have to say, that everyone I met last year, understood me. You American people are all sooooooooo friendly and polite. It´s incredible!!!! So different then here.

Oh, almost forgot it. 21 C is perfect. Not to warm and not to cold.
And if it´s to cold, hey, we can dance ourselves warm.

Have a great day!
Your Taxi

[Ben]

Oh yea, Grand Ole Opry, Ryman, those are must sees. Also, do you know the Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum? It's fairly new, so you may not. It's off of the main street Broadway (behind Sommet Center) in downtown and right by the Country Music Hall of Fame. This should pique your interest - (right from their web site - musicanshalloffame.com) :

"The Musicians Hall Of Fame And Museum is the one and only museum in the world that honors the talented musicians who actually played on the greatest recordings of all time."

As for whether you should go to the Belle Meade Plantation - hmmm...that's a tough one b/c I"m getting the feeling it's not something you want to do. But, if you want to know my opinion, I think you should! If you're coming from so far away, try to see as many of the sites as you can.

As far as your friend being concerned about her English, tell her don't worry. As long as she tries and she's friendly, she'll be treated just fine!

Sounds like end of March or some time in April will be the best time for you both to visit Nashville!

[TaxiDriver]

You know, it would be selfish when we only do the things I wanna do. And I´m fine with the things she wanna see.
I´m glad she´s coming with me.
And I´m sooooo happy coming back to the US.

Today I planned our trip. And I got sooo excited!! Can´t wait to get on the plane... I´m crazy I know that. But I´m crazy in a good way.

Don´t you wanna be our personal Nashville guide???
Just kidding!!

[Ben]

TaxiDriver -

LOL!! You're pretty funny - I'm sure you'll do just fine without me as your tour guide!!

Where are your other stops in the USA?

[TaxiDriver]

My friend and me were joking around, that she would need handcuffs, that I don´t get lost in Nashville. ;o)

When I´m moved to my first own flat and got all my furniture next week, we´re gonna sit together and make the reservations for the flight and the hotel in Nashville. Many of the hotels are already sold out, but I found one, which I think is also close to the action. It´s the Best Western near Music Row at Division St. Do you know something about that?
I have a big South States Map, it´s a really small City Map of Nashville on it, but I couldn´t find Division St. on it....

Our other stops will be: Atlanta GA, Mobile AL (?), then through Gulfport/Biloxi MS over to New Orleans LA, from there over Baton Rouge LA to Natchez MS, up to Memphis TN, and then back to Nashville where we gonna spend our last week, before we have to go back to Germany.

Really big trip, huh?
But we both work as taxidrivers, so we´re used to drive a lot.
In Nashville we wanna just chill and have fun.
I think I could stay the whole time in Nashville, but my friend thinks that would be boring.

Maybe I could come back with my best friend some day. When we´re together we´re a lilttle freaked out, but really nice. She shares my love of music.
Yesterday, we watched a DVD from one of our favourites bands over here. It was taken while a concert, where I was. And OMG I´m on it. What a shame. ;o) But I had fun. And that´s the main reason.

Oh, alsmost forgot it again. Do you a bar named Silverado´s or something like that? Think I read somewhere about it, but can´t remember where. Or the Fuel?

[Ben]

You must be referring to Silverado's Dance Hall & Saloon - it does get good reviews. It's a few miles outside of downtown - but sorry - I'm not that familar with this place....Fuel is on 2nd Ave in downtown and it's a pretty hot spot right now - so you definitely need to put it on your list of where to go!!

[TaxiDriver]

The list is getting longer and longer. ;o)

Could you find out the exact address of Silverado´s for me? Would be great.

You´re so nice! Can´t tell you how much I appreciate all your help and informations.

[Ben]

You're very welcome!! :)

And, here's the address for Silverado's:

Silverado's Dance Hall & Saloon
1204 Murfreesboro Pike
Nashville, TN 37217-2411
Phone: (615) 361-9922

[TaxiDriver]

Thank you so much......again! :p

Today we told our boss, when we need our vacation. He said as long as he doesn´t have a calendar for next year, he won´t write it down, but we could make our reservations. Don´t have to understand that....:confused:

If I meet you in Nashville, I´ll buy you a beer, or whatever you wanna drink. Probably I´m gonna be the young woman who´s smiling the whole day and pulling her friend from one bar to the other.

I wish I could get on the plane tomorrow and not in 5 months.
Just thinking about it, makes this rainy, grey time much brighter.

Have a great weekend and drink a beer for me!? :D

[Ben]

Thanks - Hope you have a great weekend too!

Cheers! :)

[TaxiDriver]

Finally I moved to my own flat, and finally my internet works out.

Two weeks ago we booked our flight and made the reservation for the hotel in Nashville.

110 days to go!!!!

Last week I got my Citymap of Nashville!! I´m having so much fun!!!!!!!!!!!
Aaaaaaaaaaand.......... our hotel isn´t that far away from the action!! As far as I think.....