“Did you see the building on the right ? See the Penthouse ? “That belongs to Taylor Swift” our guide excitedly said when we passed an 18-story tower in downtown Nashville.

Bearing the nickname the Music City, Nashville with a population of 600,000 in the US State of Tennessee is home to many music stars, including, Kid Rock, Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks & Trisha Yearwood, Keith Urban and wife Nicole Kidman, Carrie Underwood and many more.

As we only have a limited time in Nashville, we opted for a short sight seeing tour and a walking tour.

The Music Row, Ryman Auditorium and The Country Music Hall of Fame will make you wonder of how great artists make their fellow human beings happy by creating remarkable sights and sounds.

It did not take us long to circle around The Music Row, on 16th and 17th Avenues south of Broadway and their surrounding streets. The area looked peaceful but it is where you can find the offices of almost anything related to country music including record labels, music studios, video production and radio networks.

Although some companies have moved out from the Music Row, it is still an imposing quarter of Nashville. Take for example, RCA Studio B. It has recorded more than 35,000 songs including 1,000 top 10 American hits and more than 150 Elvis Presley tunes.

Entering The Ryman Auditorium we could feel the aura of the bygone era. In this historic building, built in 1892, we can see pictures and hear stories of the great artists who performed there such as Enrico Caruso, Ethel Barrymore, Roy Rogers, Harry Houdini, Charlie Chaplin, Katharine Hepburn, Bob Hope and Mae West.

In contrast to the Ryman Auditorium, built a century later, the huge Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum  was established to identify and preserve the evolving history and traditions of country music and to educate its audiences.

While at first we did not recognize some of the names featured in the museum, after a few hours we came to admire those who spent their lives for the industry and preserve the virtuosities. Wanda Jackson whose paraphernalia decorated the museum, for example, was The First Lady of Rockabilly and America's first female Rock and Roll singer. Adele commended Wanda Jackson, now 75: “I love her, she is so brilliant. I don’t think Rolling in the Deep would exist if it wasn’t for Wanda Jackson.”

Nashville has hundreds of good dining establishments as listed by Urbanspoon. There is something for everyone, from southern food to ethnic cuisine, vegan friendly to steakhouses and cheap eats to fine dining.

Tootsies Orchid Lounge on 422 Broadway is not a luxurious place but this 50 years old lounge has hosted Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Patsy Cline, Charlie Pride, Kris Kristofferson and recently Kid Rock.

Standing shoulder to shoulder with many patrons, watching the walls full of posters and signed photos of musicians performing at Tootsies was like riding in a time machine.

Tootsies is one of the places to visit if you like Honky Tonk, a helluva of a good time involving good music, beer, and good friends. 

Several doors down from Tootsies on 416 Broadway is the legendary Jack’s, the Bar-B-Que King of Nashville. We went in attracted by the long line of people trying to get in, and learned that the place is frequented by Oprah Winfrey, Dolly Parton, Bono, Gene Simmons, Amy Grant and Keith Urban.

Jack’s a no nonsense eatery, has been in business for 35 years. You do not go to Jack’s for decoration, ambience or fancy china on a white clothed dining table.

Its “pit to plate” choices (meats from the smoker directly sliced and served into the plate) do not fill the menu card, but the volume, the smell and the flavor made the waiting in line more than worth it.

Texas Beef Brisket, Smoked Boston Turkey, Tennessee Pork Shoulder, Smoked Texas Sausage, St. Louis Style ribs, Smoked Chicken and Veggie Plate basically make the choices. Guests can then pick what they like either as sandwich, plate or pound.

Besides the pit to plate service, Jack’s claim to fame is their six types of sauce that have won BBQ awards by the National Barbeque Association.

Nashville is indeed a city with pleasurable choices, not only for Taylor Swift and musicians seeking fame and fortune but also for epicureans, those who pursue good food and comfort.

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Images: HixnHix, Chad Palmer, Feature Flash/Shutterstock, Jack's, Tootsies, Omar Niode Foundation