In order to take advantage of the national Presidents Day holiday and long weekend, I was quick to say “Yes!” and book a flight when my boyfriend and his friends planned a last-minute trip to Nashville, Tennessee.

What I love about Nashville, nicknamed Music City, is no matter how many times you visit, you can have an entirely different experience based on the activities, live music and food you explore. This time we had much to celebrate; and before I knew it, our 48 hours was busy with all the must-dos of the country music mecca.

Our trip began on a Southwest flight on Friday evening. I was surprised to learn Southwest began offering in-flight alcoholic beverages again, unlike other airlines who have yet to follow suit after removing the option during the height of the pandemic. Upon arrival, drinks and live music welcomed us as we met friends on the famous Broadway strip.

Church and Union and Honky Tonk Central hosted us before we called it a night in our Nashville-themed Airbnb, complete with a mural of the one-and-only Taylor Swift. We explored the city by tractor on Saturday with The Nashville Tractor, where we sang and danced for an hour as a tractor chauffeured us about, stopping for a view of the city’s skyline.

I never blog without mentioning notable restaurants and food. The standout meal on this trip was Sunday brunch at Biscuit Love for an authentic Southern meal. I also enjoyed Mothers Ruin for lunch, featuring Britney Spears and Betty White shrines in the restrooms. Another yummy bite was the loaded hot dog I got after a late night on Broadway — sometimes the simple things are the best, right?

I concluded the weekend was a huge success, measured solely by the fact Luke Combs’ “When It Rains It Pours” is still stuck in my head. ’Til next time, Nash!

— Haley Fogarty, advertising manager