It felt like we just got back from Key West a several weeks ago and that feeling was actually true. Several months ago, I received an email from the Pearl Jam fan club (a.k.a. the Ten Club) about how they were going to be performing again supporting their newest album, Dark Matter in several cities. The one city that stuck out at me was Nashville, TN.

My husband and I would always talk about visiting Nashville, especially since we have become great friends with Brent and Julie who are located just outside of the city. Not thinking I had a chance, I wound up putting in a request in the lottery for the Nashville show Night 2 which was a Thursday (thinking that if we did get the tickets we could make a long weekend out of it).

Then came that Monday evening. I kept checking my email and nothing… until around 5:30pm there it was! I got two tickets to the Nashville N2 show! However, where were the seats?? I have been in the fan club since ‘95 so I was hoping they would be pretty decent for reserved seating. When I checked we were section 107 row BB. I went online to see the seating chart for the Bridgestone Arena and could not believe where they were. A few days following I went ahead and booked our airfare and a room at the JW Marriott.

I got in touch with Julie to let her know and she also went ahead and reserved two nights at the same hotel. They would join us that Friday after the show. So it was all set that we were going to Nashville. However, a few days later I found out that I would have to go to Minnesota for work. Luckily the dates didn’t overlap and I would be able to have a day at home before traveling again. 

Thursday, May 8th – First Day in Music City – Another Broken Egg, Robert’s, Tootsie’s, Pearl Jam Concert

Several weeks leading up to our Nashville trip, reports were coming out regarding Newark Liberty Airport and United Airlines. Headlining stories included, air traffic controllers on leave due to a temporary blackout, runway under construction, United cancelling up to 40 flights a day, etc. I was starting to get worried about our 10am flight out of Newark. What if the flight was delayed and/or cancelled? The Pearl Jam show was that night so there wasn’t much of leeway. I would have loved to change our flight to the night before, but with the added expensive of another night at the JW Marriott and our work schedules, it wasn’t really in the cards. 

So a couple days before our flight I saw that I could change our 10am flight to the first flight out of Newark at 6:40am. It was so early, but I thought that there is less of a chance of a cancelled flight (if you are the first one out in the morning). I went ahead and changed our flight and coordinated with our car service. Instead of getting picked up at 6am, it was going to be 4am making it for a very long day, but at least we would get there – fingers crossed. 

That 4am alarm came quick that morning, but I was so excited about going to Nashville and seeing my favorite band. I quickly checked my iPhone and the United app showed that our flight was still on time. With a sigh of relief, I hopped in the shower and then woke up my husband.

I already had all our luggage by the front door, so once I fed our kitty and I looked outside, our car driver was waiting for us in front of our house. This is actually going to happen I thought to myself. We said our goodbyes to Kobe (our kitty) and carried our luggage to the car. Since it was just 4am, traffic was not much of an issue. We arrived at Newark airport just past 5am. The TSA lines however were bustling with people, which put me off guard, but maybe more people were taking the earlier flights like us to avoid cancellations/delays later on in the day.

Once we got through TSA, we headed to the United Club for a bite to eat and coffee. We grabbed a couple of empty seats at the bar and I noticed it didn’t open until 6am. It was probably for the best since we had to stay up for the concert later on that evening. My husband grabbed a bite to eat, while I got a cup of coffee. 

Soon it was time to head to the gate to board our flight. It felt odd to see the boarding display say Nashville verses Key West. Both my husband and I were newbies going to Nashville. Usually before a trip I do my own research for places to check out, dine out, etc., but our friends Brent and Julie were meeting us the next day and would take us around. 

Once we boarded, we were soon on our way to Nashville. The flight was pretty short – only about an hour and 30 minutes if that? When we touched down I looked at my fitbit watch and it said that it was just after 9am. That’s right – they are an hour earlier CT. Wow what were we going to do with all that time before the show?

Well we figured the first thing would be to check in to our hotel. We only had carry-on so once we deplaned, we walked through the airport and out to the transportation pickup area. I thought that we would get an Uber, but there were taxis waiting. So we wound up grabbing a cab to take us to downtown Nashville.

Along the way on Route 40, our driver gave us some insights about Nashville. He was quite informative and mentioned that a nice place for breakfast is the Sun Diner located next to the Johnny Cash museum. He also told us how everyday the music starts at 10:30am and will go to as late as 3am. As we neared our hotel, we asked our driver how to get to Broadway (which is the main area for all the action, etc.). When we arrived at the hotel, he pointed down the road at the Bridgestone Arena (where the Pearl Jam show was) and then told us that if we made a left past it, that would lead us right to Broadway. I didn’t realize how close we were to both the arena and Broadway. It was a win win for sure.

We grabbed our luggage out of the taxi and walked in to the JW Marriott. It was beautiful. I knew there was no way our room would be ready since it wasn’t even 10am, but I thought that maybe they could at least hold our luggage so we could walk around. We walked up to check-in and the younger man behind the desk welcomed us to Nashville. Our room wasn’t ready which wasn’t a surprise at all, but he did offer to hold our luggage. He said that he would give me a call / text alert when our room was available. Perfect!

I was excited to get out there and see Nashville. After we handed off our luggage, we walked down past the Bridgestone Arena. 

“That’s where we’re seeing Pearl Jam tonight” I told myself. When we came around the side, you could see where the merchandise stand would be. I received an email a day before from the Ten Club mentioning that the stand would be opening at noon so I wanted to be sure to head back later on to check it out. 

Then along the way we noticed fans sitting outside of the arena in chairs just waiting. They were waiting to get the best available spot for general admission, but to wait there all day long – that’s dedication! 

The weather was a bit overcast and cool as we neared broadway. I was glad that I had a lightweight hoodie on because the wind seemed to pick up a bit when we reached Broadway. Once we got to the main drag, you could see all the neon signs and smells of bbq. 

The streets were still quiet since it was early in the morning. I did start to notice the occasional couple wearing Pearl Jam shirts walking around. We took a walk down the one side of Broadway and then crossed to the other. I still didn’t have anything to eat yet and I was pretty hungry for breakfast. While we were walking around, there was a man who was waiting to direct traffic on the side of the road. My husband went up to him and asked him if he had any recommendations for breakfast. (We totally forgot about the place our taxi driver mentioned.) 

He suggested that if we made a turn off Broadway and walk up a block there was a place called Another Broken Egg. Sold! We thanked him for the suggestion and headed to the restaurant. It wasn’t hard to find and when we reached the entrance, my husband noticed that across the street there was a banner on display in front of a large building advertising that Dolly Parton was going to have her own hotel there – coming in 2026.

When we walked in, the place was busy. The hostess came up to us and was about to seat us however, my husband saw that there were a couple of seats available at the small bar towards the back. At that point I could not wait to place an order. The menu itself was quite extensive. Everything sounded so good, but I was afraid to order anything that may affect my stomach so I wound up going with a few fried eggs, with andouille sausage and grits. My husband went for it and ordered the biscuits and gravy. We also ordered a couple cups of coffee. 

Our server came over and poured us the coffee and it was greatly appreciated. I was already tired and I couldn’t even think about not making it for the show later. And then I thought how the email also mentioned that Pearl Jam would take the stage at 8:45pm that night but for us it was really 9:45pm. (And as a side note, the 10am flight we originally had never got delayed or cancelled so in hindsight I could have left the flight as is. All well.)

Our breakfast was served and it really hit the spot. The grits were amazing, but I think my favorite thing on the plate was the andouille sausage. My husband thoroughly enjoyed the biscuits and gravy. It didn’t take us long to finish our meals and while we were waiting for the check, we noticed that the restrooms (only 2) were located right along the wall next to the bar where we were sitting. I felt like it was grand central station. People would stand on line and wait and wait. Luckily I didn’t have to use it, but you would think they would have more restrooms for such a busy place. 

My husband paid the check and we headed back towards Broadway. More and more people sporting their Pearl Jam gear were coming in to view. We started to walk back towards the JW Marriott and just like that, I got an alert on my iPhone that our room was ready. 

So we walked back down past the Bridgestone Arena with more fans waiting online and along the Music City Convention Center (that had some sort of convention going on). 

We made it to the hotel and we were given a couple of key cards for our room. Once they brought out our luggage, we took the elevator up to the 26th floor. However, you had to use your key card when you entered the elevator. I didn’t realize it at first, but there was someone from the convention next door in the elevator that gave us the 411. 

We made it the 26th floor and the view was absolutely beautiful. Looking at the hallway signs, we found our room number and walked down to open the door.

It was an amazing room with incredible views like we saw after we exited the elevator. And that bed looked so comfortable. Thought about maybe taking a quick nap or not, but I knew if I did that, I would be extra tired for the rest of the day.

After unpacking our things we decided to go back down to Broadway and check out some of the bars.

Then I realized it was around noon and that the merchandise stand would be open. So we walked down to the Bridgestone Arena and sure enough there were already fans there making their purchases. I walked up to the tent area and asked the security guard where the line started. I felt like I was in the Christmas Story for a moment. He told me the line ended there and began over there. And over there was literally two city blocks around the corner. Well I guess I won’t be getting any gear this time round. I was hoping that maybe closer to the show the line wouldn’t be so bad and/or they would have another stand inside of the arena for merchandise.

So a bit disappointed, I walked back to the sidewalk to join my husband. Then we both looked at each other, if I didn’t ask the security guard the question, I probably could have just purchased what I wanted without him even knowing, but then I would have felt guilty (well maybe a little). We walked back onto Broadway and the streets were coming alive with people. It was such a difference vibe, then a few hours earlier. I had no idea what place to check out first. You could hear music from musicians coming from every which way. My husband suggested Robert’s for our first stop.  Before walking in, I was surprised when we were asked for ID. Thankfully I had my driver’s license with me.

We grabbed a couple of seats at the bar. It felt so strange to me, we actually made it to Nashville! While listening to the band play, we each ordered a beer. I thought the best bet would be to stick to beer – no strong mixies, etc. We settled in for a few and enjoyed the music. 

I am not really a country fan per say, but I do enjoy some songs here and there. The band was quite good. Then I saw that they were serving fried bologna sandwiches behind the bar. Only in Nashville I thought.

After a couple of songs, one of the band members came around with a tip bucket. That’s random I thought to myself. However, later we found out that all the musicians that perform in Nashville do not get paid (like they do in Key West) – they solely rely on tips. Could to know. 

Our next stop was Tootsie’s. Again we had to show our ID before entering the place. There was a good band playing on the first level, but the place was standing room only. So we walked in the back and up another level. There was another band playing in the back. A bartender was stationed behind the almost empty bar, but it was pretty cool so we decided to have a beer. Then where we were sitting you could hear the band from down below and the one that was on our same level. At one point I heard the band below play a Pearl Jam cover. 

Then I saw a sign that there was another level to a rooftop bar. I wanted to check it out so we grabbed our beer and walked up the stairs. The stairs opened up to another large bar, again packed with people and then a large open area over looking Broadway. It was really cool, but unfortunately every table and chair was taken. Again noticing all the Pearl Jam shirts, so I assumed mostly everyone was there for the show like us.

With no seats available, we walked back down the stairs to the mid level where we first started. Not wanted to have another round, we paid our tab and walked back out onto Broadway. The sun finally came out and it was actually getting warm. The streets were filling up with more and more people. 

We walked around and saw Jason Aldean’s place and below it, was a real cool looking bar. It was pretty empty but the vibe of the place was intriguing.

There was (of course) a band playing on the stage towards the back of the place.  My husband and I ordered a drink and noticed that the name of the place was called Tequila Cowboy.

There was even an old car on top of the bar. 

Another thing I noticed after seeing a few bands perform, most of them have a QR code of some sort on display so if you want to request a song you can do it that way instead of going up to the band and ask them. Wow how times have changed!

We listened to a few tunes before making our next stop. Ae we were walking around, we noticed a lot of these Petal Bar contraptions. There would be people literally pedaling on this thing while drinking along broadway. How can that be fun? Maybe it is – but I was good sticking to the ground. 

Our next place to check out was called Losers. It was located on a side street off Broadway. It looked interesting, so we walked in. There was a guy playing guitar while we found a couple of empty seats at the bar. To me it had a familiar feel to me. Maybe like Rick’s in Key West? I don’t know but I liked the place.

At this point I was getting beered out, so I asked the bartender if they had Surf Side. She didn’t but had an alternate spiked tea. It wasn’t bad, but I prefer Surf Side better.

While we were listening to the music, I noticed that it started raining outside and it was coming down. We were contemplating about whether or not to have another drink but we weren’t sure if it was going to subside. When we walked back out it didn’t seem so bad – maybe a light rain. Then I noticed to the side was the Sun Diner. That’s the place that was recommended to us! thought. Well I knew where we would go for breakfast the next day.

The rain started up again and we wound up walking in through Jon Bon Jovi’s place which had a side entrance. There was a band playing and it was so loud (maybe I am getting too old) as we walked around through the place and back onto Broadway. It was a pretty cool move. When we got back onto Broadway the rain had stopped. Then it felt like a cooler breeze was coming through. It was getting to be that time to head back to our room and freshen up before the show.

We walked back by the merchandise stand and there was still a long line. Then we noticed that all of the fans that were waiting outside were being let in to the arena – probably because they were getting drenched. I thought that was so nice that they were doing that for them.

Once we got back to our room, I made sure I put on a Pearl Jam shirt I got from when we saw the last year at Madison Square Garden. I also packed a shirt for my husband as well. I thought now we fit in like everyone else walking around Nashville.

We felt more revived after freshing up and walked down to the hotel bar. It was crowded because of that convention next door. I found out after looking at their lanyards, that it was for some sort of Fire Sprinklers? Well I guess every place needs a fire sprinkler hence all the people at the convention.

I ordered a glass of white wine, figuring I waited long enough and I should be okay, while my husband ordered a vodka and soda. Since we were so close to the Bridgestone Arena we decided that the best place to have something to eat is right there at the JW Marriottt. The hotel bar actually had a food menu so we went ahead and shared some truffle fries and a flatbread pizza. It was the perfect thing to fuel us for a bit and not weigh us down too much.

Finally after such a long day, it was getting closer to the show. I wound up going back up to our room to grab another hoodie because the temperature was dropping outside. When I got up to the 26th floor, the sunset was so pretty. It was the perfect night (even though a bit cool) for a Pearl Jam concert.

When I made it back down to the hotel bar, I met up with my husband and we headed out to the arena. There were a few other fans walking as well, so we kind of teamed up crossing the street and whatnot. After we made it through security I looked for an merchandise stand. Something – anything. No such luck. I guess they only had the stand outside. We grabbed a couple of drinks before heading down to our seats.

When we got to our seats, I could not believe how close we were. I thought that we would be up a level, but where we were, it was like we were practically floor level. I was so beyond excited. I was also hoping that they would be opening up to Long Road. I had always wanted to hear Pearl Jam open up with the song, but had never had the opportunity. So a few months before the show I started a thread on the Forum like so many other fans do requesting the song for the opener. And yes Pearl Jam does look at the requests and from time to time your request will come true. 

I also recently got the new iPhone 16 Pro Max. I was overdue for a while for an upgrade (I had the 12), but I knew this show was coming up so I went ahead and made the upgrade. So right before the band was coming on, I was messing around with my phone trying to remove that SOS message thing that comes up. I knew I was going to be recording at least (hopefully) them opening up to Long Road that I didn’t want to hit that SOS by mistake. Well instead of eliminating that, I wound up deleting the eSIM on my phone. I basically wiped out all cell service on my phone. I couldn’t believe what I just did. I told my husband and he just shook his head in disbelief. The phone still worked as far as everything else but I still was dumbfounded.

Trying to put it what I did, out of my mind, I got my phone ready. Soon you could hear and see Pearl Jam hit the stage. I hit record and yes it was Long Road. It brought such a huge smile to my face. I was hoping that they would go into Release (my favorite Pearl Jam song) but they changed it up to Garden. Regardless the show and seats were incredible. 

I thought Eddie’s voice sounded amazing. 

And it was especially a special night when Peter Frampton joined Pearl Jam on stage. How cool was that? 

As the night went on, the entire travel day was setting in. After they performed (not one of my favorite covers they do) Sonic Reducer, I looked at my husband and said that we should head back to the hotel. I was so tired. I looked at my phone and it was just after midnight or so? So that made it around 1am our time – we did the math and realized we were up for over 21 hours – close to 22. I couldn’t believe that we made it that long. I was a bit disappointed that we were leaving but again we were so exhausted. We wound up missing the last 3 songs, Keep on Rockin’ In the Free World, Alive and YellowLedbetter. (Darn I really wanted to capture the band doing their usual bow at the end of a show.)

We made it back to our room and I was still in shock about my phone. What do I do? My husband hit the pillow and was lights out.  I did have WiFi available on my phone through the hotel, so I found a number to Verizon that I could call. So I wrote it down and that was the first thing I was going to do the next morning. 

Friday, May 9th – Second Day in Music City – iPhone Restored, Sun Diner, Honky Tonkin’ with Our Friends, Eddie V’s

Hoping to sleep in a bit since we were up for so long the day before, I kept waking up worried about my phone. When I found the number for Verizon help the night before, it said that they would be available starting at 7am. However we were in CT so I had to wait until 8am to call. As soon as I saw the clock turn to 8am I got up and called the number using the hotel phone. After several tries I finally got through to a live person. She had to go through several security steps to authenticate my phone, etc. but eventually after about an hour on the phone, my eSIM was restored. I was so relieved that I felt like going back to sleep, but my husband was already up and ready to get some breakfast.

I jumped in the shower to freshen up and try to wake up. Then we headed back to Broadway, still seeing waves of people sporting their Pearl Jam attire. (Probably making it a long weekend like we were doing.). We then remembered that we saw the Sun Diner the day before, so we headed in that direction. When we walked in, there were people standing along the back wall waiting to be seated. Then the one server behind the counter told us to get in line and wait to be seated. We looked around and noticed how it was set up. It was an open kitchen, but in front were several counter tops that came out across the room with stools around them. This made each section easy for the server to get food over to the customers. What a brilliant idea we both thought.

The line moved quicker then expected and soon we were pointed to two empty stools on the end of the counter/bar top. I looked over the menu and I wanted to try the hot chicken, but I decided to go with the regular classic breakfast with a couple of fried eggs. I also ordered a side of the pork belly. We’re in Nashville, why not I thought to myself. My husband decided to be indulgent and order the chicken and waffles. I wish I could do that, but I would be so tired after eating all that food.

We ordered a couple cups of coffee and along with our breakfast order. The coffee was just what I needed to help wake me up that morning. Plus we were meeting up with our good friends Brent and Julie later that morning. They live about 40 minutes away and reached out to us, telling us that they would probably be at the hotel around 11am. 

When our orders came out I couldn’t wait to dig in, but I noticed there was no pork belly. Instead there was bacon on my plate. All well,  you can’t go wrong with bacon so I enjoyed it just as well. My husband’s chicken and waffles looked so good. They were topped with a sausage gravy. Needless to say, he truly enjoyed what he ordered and my eggs were cooked perfectly. We thought that we would definitely come back the following day with Brent and Julie.

Once we were fueled with food for the day, we paid our tab and walked back to the JW Marriott. By the time we got back to the hotel, it was nearing 11am so we decided to wait for our friends in the lobby area. Soon we could see them walk in to the check in desk. We waited for them to check in before meeting up with them. Even though we just saw them a couple of weeks prior in Key West, it was still so much fun to see them again.  Their room wasn’t ready yet, so Julie and I headed up to our room so that they could store their luggage there.

We headed to the hotel bar to have a drink and catch up for a few. Julie told us that she made dinner reservations at a place called Eddie V’s that evening. I was so excited to try something new and since we really didn’t have a dinner out in Nashville yet.

Then it was time to head back to Broadway to do a little “Honky Tonkin” if you will. When we started walking towards Broadway, we noticed more and more people along the streets, especially bachelorette parties. I don’t think I have ever seen so many bachelorette parties in my entire life. Most of them would be riding in open air buses singing and screaming “wooooo”. Now I know why they call it “Wooville”, because that’s all you hear all day and night long while you walk around.

We decided our first stop would be Robert’s even though we were there the day before, but my husband and I both enjoyed the place. When we walked in, the place was already filled up with people. We grabbed a couple of seats at a table along the wall, but all of a sudden I noticed a few people were leaving the bar. It was perfect because we were able to secure our seats there and watch the band play. We all ordered something to drink and cheered one another. We were finally in Nashville with our friends.

After listening to the band for a bit we moved on to the next stop which was Tequila Cowboy. (Basically we wound up taking Brent and Julie where we went to the day before, since we enjoyed each stop.) I ordered a margarita  since I needed something refreshing after several beers at Robert’s. 

Then Brent and Julie mentioned that they hadn’t eaten anything that morning. Unfortunately where we were didn’t serve food, but the bartender mentioned that the place above us, which is Jason Aldean’s, serves food. So we finished our drinks and walked up the stairway. When we got to Jason Aldean’s, I couldn’t believe how big it was and all the people. There was a huge bar in the center and a band performing in the back on a stage. 

We were able to find a couple of seats at the bar. Brent and Julie ordered something to eat while I sat back and enjoyed the music. I was somewhat hungry, but I knew if I ate something at that point, I would not be hungry for our dinner later that evening.

When everyone was ready, we headed back out to get back to the JW Marriott. The streets were filled with so many people by then. Probably since it was a Friday afternoon, the start to the weekend. Again watching all the bachelorette parties go by in the open air buses and/or the pedal tavern things.

We made it back in time to freshen up for dinner. When my husband and I were ready we took the elevator down to the hotel bar. We told Brent and Julie we would meet them there and then walk over to dinner.

Brent and Julie joined us at the bar, having time for a pre-dinner cocktail. I decided to have a glass of white wine, since most likely I would be sticking to wine with dinner. There were still a bunch of  people staying at the hotel for the conference nearby. 

We all finished our drinks and headed back down towards Broadway. When we walked in, Julie gave the hostess their name. The place was really nice inside. After a couple of minutes, the hostess seated us in a very comfortable booth. However, there was this really bright, and I mean spotlight bright, light above us. Julie even asked our server if it could be lowered and/or turned off but they said they couldn’t. I mean I don’t mind dining in a well lit establishment, but that was a bit uncomfortable.

Putting the spotlight in the back of our minds, we all placed our orders. Julie ordered a seafood tower for all of us to share which I was very excited about. Eddie V’s is known for their steaks, but being that I don’t really eat red meat anymore, I opted for the dover sole in a lemon beurre blanc sauce. I was actually really happy about ordering the sole since I never see it really anymore on menus and I love dover sole.

Everyone else ordered a steak for the main meals. My husband also ordered the fried calamari for us to share for an appetizer. Soon the seafood tower arrived and I was ready to sample a few oysters. Everything was delicious and tasted so fresh. 

Next was the fried calamari which had an asian spin on it. I loved how it was prepared. The calamari melted in your mouth and were light and crispy.  Then our main course was served. The dover sole was as delicious as it looked. Everyone else enjoyed their steak. 

After we were done with our meals we were too stuffed to go back out to any of the bars. Plus when we walked out of the restaurant you could see the streets packed with people. It was pretty cool however, to see all the neon signs lit up at night like that.

When we got back to the hotel, Brent and Julie headed to their room. We thanked them for dinner and planned on meeting in the morning for breakfast and do it all over again.

My husband ordered another cocktail from the hotel bar, and I had a glass of white wine. We relaxed for a few before turning in as well.

Saturday, May 10th – Third Day in Music City – Sun Diner & Honky Tonkin’ (again), Bourbon Steak

I slept really good that night, so when I woke up I felt so much better then I did the day before. Maybe not worrying about if I destroyed my phone helped. Our flight the next day was at 9am, so I had to be on alert to check into our flight at some point that morning. 

After we both freshened up, we headed down to the hotel lobby to wait for Brent and Julie. While we were waiting I was able to check in for our flight through the United App. One less thing to worry about. Soon Brent and Julie arrived and we headed back out towards the Sun Diner. We actually wound up walking a different way then what my husband and I did the day before. Brent and Julie knew there way around the city unlike us, so they showed us a different route. While we were walking around, Julie pointed out some buildings and told us some interesting facts, like one building was the old Grand Ole Opry building.

We walked into the Sun Diner and again people were all lined up against the wall. This time though the line was a lot longer. We reassured Brent and Julie that the line moves quickly and it appear to be as bad as it looks. While standing patiently, we notice that the only two booths in the entire place, had a family that looked like they were getting ready to leave. Could we actually get a booth? That would be ideal since it would be easier for the four of us to talk to one another verses sitting along the counter top.

Sure enough when our turn was up, we were seated in the booth. Talk about perfect timing. Of course I ordered a cup of coffee to start. I found that all the places we had coffee at in Nashville were delicious. Our coffee was served and we then all placed our order. This time I ordered an omelete and tried again ordering a side of the pork belly. 

It only took several minutes for our orders to be served. The place has such a great system that even though they are busy, you don’t have to wait long for your breakfast. I noticed that I did get the side of the pork belly. It looked like a couple of boneless pork chops. Oh boy. How was I going to eat all that? Well I tried it and it was good, but I couldn’t finish all of it. The omelete was tasty too and I was able to finish it.

I had to use the restroom before we left and when I went to follow the signs towards the ladies room, it took you to the restrooms that are located in Tequila Cowboy. The buildings are connected somehow. I thought it was pretty interesting, but getting back it was a little confusing. When I made it back to our booth, our bill was paid and we headed back out to start another day of Honky Tonkin’.

To start though, I wanted to get a few touristy Nashville shirts and of course a hat. No not a cowboy hat or cowboy boots, but a trucker hat. Successfully I found a place that had all the things that I wanted right next to the Tequila Cowboy. 

Sporting my new Nashville trucker hat, we walked back down Broadway. The first stop we decided to check out was called the Lucky Bastard Saloon.

The place just opened up so there wasn’t really anyone in there except for the band that was already playing. They sounded really good as we were settling into a couple of seats.

My husband went to the bar to order us a couple of sweet tea vodkas and water. We were excited to see that they had Firefly too. It was the perfect drink to start the day. While we were enjoying the music, more and more people started to walk in. 

Not wanting to stay on one place too long for our last day in Nashville, we headed to Legends. When we walked in, the lead singer of the band recognized Brent right away. It was pretty funny. He tried to get him to come up on stage but he politely declined. 

We wound up staying for a bit before moving on to the next.

Our next stop was The Stage. When we walked in, like every other place, there was a band playing. This band however sounded more like the type of music I like even though it had a country flare.

We were able to get a couple of seats along the bar. While everyone was ordering a drink, I walked on over to the end of the bar where I noticed that they had some merchandise. I got a couple of shirts for my husband and I, since I tend to like wearing shirts of an actual place we went to verses a generic shirt.

Then as I sat back down, I started to record the band perform. It turned out to be an original song and I thought it was really good.

When the band was done, the drummer came over to ask to have his picture taken with Brent. Then I wound up walking up to the lead singer (Mac Watts) and told him that I really enjoyed his music. 

After we finished our drinks we walked back out to the busy streets of Nashville. This time, we figured that we would walk back to the hotel and relax for a little while since we had the really nice dinner that evening at Bourbon Steak.

When we got back to the hotel my husband and I both freshened up. I was pretty excited about the dinner since Bourbon Steak is located on the 34th floor of the hotel. We wound up all meeting back at the hotel bar for another pre-dinner cocktail.

Soon it was time for us to take the elevator up to the restaurant. When we got up to the restaurant, the views were amazing.

All the glass that surrounds the restaurant was very impressive.

Julie even told me that a lot of women take selfies of themselves in the ladies room because of the view from there. I thought I may have to try that.

Our table wasn’t ready yet, so we walked on over to the bar that extends to the outside portion of the bar. It was very crowded, but my husband and I were able to order a drink. 

Of course we found a couple of seats just as they told us our table was ready. 

The hostess seated us at a beautiful table which overlooked the entire dining room. To start Julie and I ordered a glass of wine while Brent and my husband ordered an old fashion. Similar to Eddie V’s Bourbon Steak is known for its selection of steak. 

For our appetizer, my husband and I ordered the tuna tartare to start and I went with the grilled salmon and my husband ordered the NY sirloin. Julie also went with the salmon and Brent ordered a steak as well. Then we selected a bunch of sides to share – creamed spinach, truffled mac and cheese and roasted brussell sprouts.

I didn’t realize that our tuna tartare was going to be prepared tableside. When the waiter came over with a cart and started cutting the tuna and preparing our appetizer I was quite surprised. I haven’t experienced tableside service since I was a kid. When he served us the tuna I couldn’t wait to try it. It was so flavorful and delicious.

Next was our main course. I couldn’t believe the amount of brussell sprouts there was for the one side dish. It was enough for an army. My salmon was cooked perfectly and it went very well with the creamed spinach. Then I tried the truffled mac and cheese. Wow I could have had that as my main meal it was so good. 

Once we were done powering through our dinner, I went to the ladies room to check it out. When I walked in there was actually a young lady having some sort of photo shoot. I guess it is true what they say about talking selfies in there. I could see why though. The view with all the lights of Nashville below was so pretty.

When I returned to the table, I ordered an espresso to finish the night. My husband also ordered one and it was the perfect ending to a wonderful dinner. When everyone was ready, we took the elevator down to the hotel bar for a night cap. Then it was time to get some sleep since we had an early flight the next morning. We thanked Brent and Julie for a wonder time and dinner(s), then said our good byes. It was sad to see them go, but knowing we were going to be seeing again in the not so far distant future, made it easier.

Once we got back to our room, I made sure I set our alarm for 6am so we could have enough time to get ready before grabbing an Uber to the airport. That alarm came quick though We both showered and packed up our things. Since our flight was at 9am so I thought that arriving at the airport, by 7am should be enough time. We were able to get an Uber right away in front of the hotel, The ride to the airport was only about 20 minutes. The TSA lines were very short so we breezed through security. We had some time to grab a bite to eat and some coffee before boarding our flight. Luckily we had no issues with our flight and we were soon back in Newark, NJ around noon.

All in all, it was an unforgettable experience—watching my favorite band in a new setting and exploring Music City with incredible friends.

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog as always I truly appreciate it …. until next time!