#roadtripretro - Nashville, Tennessee

During our trip through the US, we found ourselves in Tennessee twice. On the way to the west side of the United States, one of the stops was Memphis, which we wrote about here. Initially, it was supposed to be the only place in this state that we will see, but due to the disappointment brought by Memphis, we decided to give "Music City" a chance, that is the aforementioned Nashville. By the way, we also took a trip to the legendary whiskey distillery in Lynchburg.

The pandemic did affect US metropolises. Cities were usually deserted, lacking the spirit of tourism, curious people in the streets, bustling alleys etc. But our friends, who traveled through Nashville before, told us that the city is alive, it's fun there and it's worth giving it a chance. We did so, and from Kentucky we headed south on Route 41.

Music City

Tired from the long journey, we got to the hotel in Nashville sometime in the evening. As we did not plan to stay long, we decided to go out to the city. The seemingly quiet neighborhood began to gather noise with each step toward the center and the city's main street, Broadway. Already the first premises passed on the way confirmed the belief that the city - despite the pandemic - is alive. Restaurants were opened, people at the tables, background music, loud conversations. For the second time since Vegas (which we wrote about here) we felt a bit strange, but somehow so good. We finally got to the Broadway ...

Music City is not an accidental nickname for the city of Nashville. Many artists started their musical careers here, many of them still invest in venues and entertainment. Nashville is one of the must-see stops for country music and rock'n'roll stars. The city is alive with live music, performances of smaller and larger bands, country music (and not only) oozes from wide open pubs, the street is buzzing, and people in pubs have a good time. The sidewalks are filled with cowboys and cowgirls - in leather boots, hats, denim accessories and flannel shirts. There is live music in almost every bar. There is a very pleasant atmosphere on Broadway, no so-called flock or feelings of anxiety (except Covid of course), the people are smiling and they come here to have fun.

We decided to sit in one of the less crowded places where the band was playing covers of famous American hits. There was Nirvana, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Cranberries, Johnny Cash and other great songs. The slightly drunk guests sang the next choruses and cheered for encouragement after each song. In addition, non-stop interaction with the audience, extremely friendly service, good local beer and an atmosphere that immediately puts a smile on your face. One can only think what is happening here when the city is running at full throttle...

It was a great experience and Nashville will now be our "regular" target for trips. Overall, the state of Tennessee made a good impression on us - it's very similar to North Carolina, very country, green, natural. People seem to be nice and there are some spots to go "to the city" :) The next morning we had a visit to Jack Daniel's Distillery ...

Good ol' Jack

Lynchburg is located in Tennessee in Moore County. It is the so-called "Dry County" which means more or less that there are regulations similar to those from the prohibition era. In other words, alcohol is not sold there. There would be nothing extraordinary about it if not for the fact that one of the most legendary whiskey brands in the world is produced and bottled here - Jack Daniels. Better yet, Lynchburg's production of this alcohol is in the millions of gallons, with 1.5 million gallons of alcohol maturing in each warehouse. There are about 90 stores, by the way. This is the beautiful history of alcohol in a non-alcoholic county. But no wonder, the distillery means a lot for Lynchburg and its surroundings, it is a unique employer and an extremely important place for this region.

The Lynchburg Distillery has existed practically from the very beginning of Jack Daniels' existence. On the premises of this company, there are all the historical buildings, perfectly preserved, reflecting the atmosphere of old times, the industrial era, as it once was in America. Although you can't go in and look everywhere (of course, during the trip there is non-stop production there, so it probably wouldn't be too smart ...), the atmosphere of the place is really special. And the fact that young Jack, a very colorful character (we also wrote about him - click!), Used to roam these alleys adds flavor to the whole complex.

At the end of the tour around the distillery, we still had a visit to the legendary "Barrell House", the historic warehouse where the first series of alcohol matured in the barrels. We could try several different editions of Jack Daniels there. Interestingly, the samples were spilled so as not to exceed the county limits for consumption in a public place. But one decent sip from each small capsule is enough to familiarize yourself with the range of flavors.

That was a very nice and interesting experience, a bit of American history, a lot of interesting stories and a good atmosphere - we left Lynchburg satisfied and it was not due to the whiskey we were testing. We love such moments, such adventures, it makes you want to travel and discover different places. Besides, we always mention it - American history is quite young, so many of these things happened not so long ago, which adds extra flavor to all these experiences. Tennesse - we recommend it, we will definitely come back there. If you have not planned a stop in this region of the United States - think again, because it's worth it :)