It turned out I wasn’t the only one who had the idea of visiting Nashville to celebrate the Fourth of July this year; in fact, I was only one of hundreds of thousands! I, however, did not plan my trip around Nashville’s iconic firework display but rather planned to travel south to visit my best friend who calls Tennessee home. Of course, the fireworks show and Southern charm were a more-than-welcome addition.

I arrived in “Nash” last week and made my way through the crowds at BNA International Airport to find my best friend, Kennedy, awaiting my arrival. I have been once in the past, but I wasn’t able to experience the full effect of Nashville since it was mid-pandemic. This time we had a full itinerary of places to go and people to see. This list included shopping in Hillsborough, coffee dates in 12 South and unforgettable nights spent on Broadway.

One thing I love about Nashville is all of the different pockets of the city offering different dining experiences, nightlife and individuals from all over the globe. While each pocket is an easy commute to each other of only about 15 minutes, there was certainly a specific charm to each. One of my favorite areas was Hillsborough, where I shopped ′til I dropped in boutiques and pop-up thrift stores local to the area.

For all of the foodies out there, I couldn’t leave town without gathering a list of must-eats for the blog. Nada, in Midtown, prides itself on the shareable menu of Mexican street food; don’t leave without trying the street corn. I also loved The Greenhouse Bar that served fun and creative drinks and snacks.

Besides the holiday celebrations and the crowds of people (finally) coming together to celebrate, my favorite part of the trip was my evening spent at The Listening Room Café, where I heard four singer-songwriters doing their thing in Music City. Always looking forward to my next trip down south, I did a lot, but there is SO much more to see!

— Haley Fogarty, account executive