Selfie down by the Cumberland River

Last week we took advantage of Craig’s business trip to Nashville and added in a little extra fun time.  We love Nashville for all of the obvious reasons, the size, the friendly atmosphere, the honky tonks on Broadway, but are you aware that Nashville has some very cool rooftop bars?  While we were there we checked out 3 awesome rooftop bars and one interesting speakeasy.

The ever-famous Tootsies

We took in the usual sites and sounds in Nashville.  How can you not?  We visited Tootsies on two different occasions and scooted our boots with the rest of the crowd.  We went to Kid Rock’s Big Honky Tonk Rock ‘n Roll Steakhouse.  It was fun and the band really had the crowd rockin’.  However, Kid, your bar is way too  big and takes up too much of the dance floor in the center of the room.  Just sayin’.  We strolled down by the river and visited the Ryman Auditorium.  We were pleasantly surprised by the tour.  The history and artifacts from famous entertainers were fascinating.  Did you know that more than just country artists have performed at the Ryman?

The Ryman Auditorium — amazing

The first rooftop bar that we visited was in the Kimpton property of Aertson.  We were there for a private party.  It had a cool vibe with indoor and outdoor seating.  The outdoor area had lots of fun eclectic chairs and furniture.  Of course the bluegrass band playing live music was a great benefit to the atmosphere.  The bartenders both in the rooftop bar and in the Henley lobby bar know their stuff and can mix up some great concoctions for you.

Rhonda at the Aertson

Later we went to the rooftop bar above Hotel Noelle called Rare Bird.  What a great place!  Once again the furniture was super cool, but the view was stunning.  We hit the weather on a perfect night and enjoyed ourselves with a couple of nice cocktails while we rocked in our comfy seats taking in the beautiful view of Nashville.  We were so comfortable and enjoyed the view so much that we didn’t want to leave. This is definitely worth checking out the next time you are in Nashville and want to go hang out where the locals go.

Spending some rare time at the Rare Bird

The next night we visited The Bobby Hotel, which is only half a block away from Hotel Noelle.  The Bobby Hotel’s Rooftop Lounge takes the cake, or I guess we should say, “The Bus!”  They had a retrofitted bus airlifted on top of the hotel roof.  There is also an air stream camper up there.  The roof is a mix of zones and decor with a portion made to look like a backyard camping trip.  This bar was so much fun to visit and watch adults explore the various zones like they were 12 years-old again!  You can tell from our photos that we had a little fun with it, too!

Craig got hit by the bus

Another one drives the bus…

Fun chairs and tables fill the inside of the bus for a unique experience

Airstream camper in the backyard zone

Another destination for exploring fun off-the-beaten-path places in Nashville was a speakeasy in the basement of the Hotel Noelle.  Like all speakeasies the bar area was small but decorated with interesting items like a life-size polar bear, and glittery life-size monkey.  The menu had interesting cocktails listed and there was even a surprise entertainment for the guests.  It had us feeling like we were slipping back in time during the era of Prohibition.  It was definitely a fun place to visit, and unlike the rest of Nashville.

Hattie B’s Hot Chicken was the last place we visited before heading back to Texas.  Hattie B’s was near our hotel and we noticed that people seemed to be standing in line to get into the place during all hours of the day.  We were very curious about this spicy hot chicken, but we didn’t want to stand in that long line.  The regulars told us the way to go is to order on-line.  Then you can just walk in and grab your order and go —no waiting in the hot steamy sun.  So while in Nashville we did what the regulars do.  We placed our order on-line and walked in past the waiting crowd.  The chicken was delicious.  We ordered the mild spice because everyone said that we should “level down” in our spice preference, but we could have ordered medium hot — we are from Texas…  Hattie B’s is definitely worth a try if you are in Nashville.

Hattie B’s hot chicken — you gotta get some!

If you are in Nashville, stop by one of our spots and let us know what you think.  We’d love to hear from you!