Courtlin Books Her First Trip to the Country Music Capital

For my 25th birthday in May I really want to take a trip somewhere exciting, and I can't think of a better place to go than NASHVILLE!

Over the past year, I've definitely become a lover of country music. I've always been a huge music lover, regardless of genre, but now country music has a special place in my heart. My 25th birthday is coming up on May 3rd, and I really want to do something I've never done before to mark the occasion. I threw around the idea of Vegas, but I just don't think I'm financially READY for a trip like that (maybe for my 30th?). That's when I had the brilliant idea to head to the home of country music, Nashville, Tennessee!

It's the perfect plan! It's only an 8.5 hour car ride away, there's a whole lot of live music (MY FAVORITE), I hear the food is amazing (my OTHER favorite), and there's always a chance I'll run into Brett Eldredge...

A couple of weeks ago, a couple of my friends/coworkers and I started looking into hotels, but they are CRAZY expensive. We don't want to be too far from downtown, so we found a better option: AirBNB. If you've never heard of it, basically it's a website where people go to rent out their homes/apartments to travelers. It sounded kind of sketchy to me at first, but after hearing personal experiences from a bunch of people I know, I decided to give it a shot. We found a place with AMAZING customer reviews, and it's less than HALF the price of a hotel. DONE DEAL. Last night I got the official confirmation, and now I'm in planning mode.

This is where I need your help! If you've ever been to Nashville, I need to know the best places to go. We will only be there 2 and a half days, but I fully plan on squeezing in as much as I possibly can. I'm talking restaurants, bars, museums, famous spots; everything touristy and also the not-so-touristy hidden gems. I'd really appreciate any input you can offer. Feel free to leave your suggestions in the comments. Thanks in advance!