Country tunes put city on the map, but a jumping nightlife and soothing spas make it a great girls getaway.
By Tracey Teo
For the Journal-Constitution
Sunday, November 23, 2008
The best thing about being a woman is the prerogative to have a little fun. Thats according to Shania Twains former chart-topping hit, Man! I Feel Like a Woman! If its been a while since you exercised your prerogative, round up some girlfriends and head to Nashville. This thriving cosmopolitan city is growing faster than the ticket lines at the Grand Ole Opry, but it still has a down-home vibe. After a little spa time and a new pair of cowboy boots, youll feel like a country music diva even if you arent Shania Twain - ready for a night on the town in Music City.
Primp and pamper
Many women spend so much time taking care of others that they sometimes neglect themselves, said Yolanda Harris-Jackson, manager of the Relache spa at Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center. They often arrive with the weight of the world on their shoulders, but once those shoulders have been skillfully kneaded by a professional massage therapist, that weight becomes a distant memory.
A spa treatment is one of the amenities included in the Leave It All Behind Girlfriends Getaway package offered by the Gaylord Opryland Resort. The soothing stone massage is a guest favorite, along with the organic oxygen facial.
Luxurious spa treatments rejuvenate the body, but reconnecting with friends rejuvenates the spirit. Its impossible to remain in a funk while giggling over a glass of champagne with your best girlfriends as your feet soak in lavender-scented water.
After you have been massaged, soaked, extracted, exfoliated, wrapped and scrubbed, stop by the salon to get glammed up for your big night out. With a new do and a makeover, nobody will guess you are just an average mom with a mountain of laundry and your kids unfinished science project waiting for you when you get home.
The Gaylord Opryland Hotel operates a complimentary trolley tour for guests. It runs every half-hour from the hotel to nearby sights and attractions such as the Grand Ole Opry and Opry Mills Mall. The last trolley back to the hotel is at 1:35 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights.
Night on the town
The Nashville music scene offers everything from old-time honky-tonks to cutting-edge, trendy clubs playing rock and pop. You have the whole night ahead of you, so why devour one musical entree when you can taste the sampler platter?
> The Bluebird Cafe
Check out Nashvilles up-and-coming talent at the Bluebird. For wannabe songwriters in Nashville, this is the place to be and everybody knows it. Songs heard here could one day be picked up by big-name country music artists and skyrocket to the top of the charts. Before Garth Brooks was a household name, he used to hang out on Sunday Songwriters night belting out songs he wrote.
This is no hotel lounge where music is just background noise to chitchat and laughter. A glance at the cafes slogan - Shhh - printed on the cover of its menu lets everyone know to save the conversation for between sets.
> The Wildhorse Saloon
You wont be the first girls to go wild on the Wildhorse Saloon dance floor. No dance partner required. Just stampede with everybody else when the line dancing starts. Theres a good chance free line dancing lessons will be offered while you are there, so with a little practice, you and the girls will be doing the boot scootin boogie in no time.
Dont leave without ordering a basket of those famous deep-fried pickles - a customer favorite. They are worth the calories, ladies. And take a peek at the specialty drink menu. You will all get a giggle out of drinks with names such as Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy.
Nashvilles hottest bands as well as national acts can be heard playing the best in contemporary country and rock seven nights a week.
> Bourbon Street Blues and Boogie Bar
If you need proof Nashville is Music City, not Country Music City, this is it. The Bourbon Street Blues and Boogie Bar, a hole-in-the-wall bar in Printers Alley, is small, but the sound is larger than life. The house band, Josh Garrett and the Bottom Line, hail from Houma, La., so they are right at home in this New Orleans-style venue with a Mardi Gras theme. More than a musician, Garrett is a charismatic performer who keeps the party going until the wee hours with his mix of Louisiana blues, New Orleans funk and zydeco.
Visitors are showered with beads at the door, but if you really want to get into the Mardi Gras spirit, feather boas and tiaras are for sale in the gift shop.
IF YOU GO
Gaylord Opryland Hotel. Leave It All Behind Girlfriends Getaway: $230 one night, $362 two nights. 2800 Opryland Drive, Nashville, 1-866-972-6779, www.gaylordopryland.com
Wildhorse Saloon. $6 over 21, $8 under 21, no cover for Gaylord Opryland Resort guests. 120 Second Ave. N., Nashville, 615-902-8200, www.wildhorsesaloon.com
Bourbon Street Blues and Boogie Bar. $10 Friday and Saturday, $5 Monday-Thursday. 220 Printers Alley, Nashville, 615-242-5837, www.bourbonstreetblues.com