Belmont Vision - Features - Spring break in Nashville can be fun too

ISSUE: 02/28/07 > FEATURES > spring break in nashville can be fun too

While some of your friends go to the beach or on a mission trip, you may be stuck in Nashville for spring break. Music City isn’t as glamorous as Hawaii, but you can still find fun things to do close to Belmont. Tourists from across the country visit Nashville, but there are probably several places around town you’ve never made the effort to check out. Now is your chance. Here are a few ideas:

Visit a thrift store. Even if you’re not interested in buying anything, it could be fun to browse through people’s old clothes. Maybe you'll make a good find. Or maybe you’ll laugh a lot. If you’re up for an adventure, check out The Goodwill Outlet store at 905 Ninth Ave. N. You buy clothes at $1.49 a pound. They sell the clothes that have been in the regular Goodwill stores for five weeks.

If it happens to be your birthday, you should find a restaurant that will feed you for free on your special day. Some food joints that will give you a meal are Atlanta Bread Company on West End, Caney Fork Fish Camp on Music Valley Drive, Bistro 215 in Green Hills, Chef Yang's on White Bridge Road and Blue Sky Buffet in Goodlettsville. Make sure you bring your ID to prove that it really is your birthday.

Go see the zebras at the zoo. Through the end of March, Nashville Zoo is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. All you have to pay is $8 and parking is always free. If the weather is cold, there may be fewer animals out, but there also may be less people. Visiting after 1 p.m. on the weekdays and at 9 a.m. on Sundays can help you avoid long lines. The address is Grassmere, 3777 Nolensville Rd.

The Parthenon is a replica of the original Parthenon in Athens. We’ve all seen it from West End Avenue. But have you actually been in it? There is a re-creation of the 42-foot Athena statue inside. The building also serves as an art museum. There are 63 paintings by 19th- and 20th-century American artists permanently on display. The cost is $5 and the hours are Tuesday through Saturday 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. At this time of the year, there are two special gallery exhibits featuring worldwide traveler and Nashville-based documentary photographer Stacey Irvin and artist Dan Quest’s woodcuts of the Jack Daniels Distillery.

Even if you're not a country fan, you should watch a show at The Grand Ole Opry. It's the world’s longest-running live radio show, and it's been airing since 1925. There are a few shows to pick from over spring break. For example, on Tuesday the 6th, you can see Restless Heart, Del McCoury, Diamond Rio and Jimmy Dickens. On Saturday the 10th at 6:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. you can see Mel Tillis, Alan Jackson, Pam Tillis, Del McCoury, Ricky Skaggs, Steve Holy and Jim Ed Brown. Ticket prices are in the $30-$50 range.

Walk around downtown and cross the Shelby Street Bridge. You'll see tourists, but you'll also see some cool shops. And the historic bridge is that main connection between downtown and the neighborhoods of East Nashville. You'll see some pretty views of the city skyline.

Go dancing at B.B. King’s or Wildhorse Saloon. You can bring friends and dance to the live bluesy music at B.B. King’s, or you can learn how to line dance at Wildhorse. These places will remind you of the benefits of living in Music City.

Create a useful piece of artwork at All Fired Up. At this shop in Hillsboro Village, you can make a personal ceramic gift for a friend or yourself. You pick out a ceramic piece, paints and paintbrushes, take a seat and paint away. The cost is $6 for the sitting fee plus the cost of the item you paint. Item choices include picture frames, figurines, mugs and vases. All Fired Up is located across from the back parking lot of Bosco’s.