I'm part of a "visit Nashville" group on Facebook and someone posting asking for tips of things to do with a 3 year old. I put together this quick list and thought I'd share it here as well for guests and friends to enjoy. There are so many other amazing options around town, but this is just a quick list to get you started.
1) Cheekwood Gardens - gorgeous gardens with lots of green space for kiddos to run and get some energy out! There is usually a seasonal exhibit and they are always amazing. There is also an incredible model train exhibit that you actually walk through and the trains go over your head and all around you plus a “children's garden” with a turtle pond etc. great for kids and parents. 2) Main Branch Library - beautiful space and free parking with validation for 1.5 hours at the attached garage. The children’s section is on the second floor and is epic with a playground, puppet play area, and more. Also check out their puppet show schedule! They are amazing! 3) The Tennessee State Museum is also downtown w/free parking and free admission. Parents would enjoy the whole museum for info about TN History and more plus there is an amazing kids room with activities and coloring and more. 4) Centennial Park is an amazing green space not far from Vanderbilt. Lots of families out picnicking and such and a duck pond where you can feed ducks (heads up you can only feed birdseed and fresh veggies, no bread). There is also a replica of the Parthenon that you can tour. 5) The Frist Art Museum has revolving fine and immersive exhibits perfect for grownups and kids to enjoy and on the top floor, the ArtQuest area is a hands on art experience that is a blast for everyone. 6) The Nashville Zoo is excellent excellent! We go all the time and the animal exhibits are beautiful, the animal show and veterinary center are unique and must-see and they just built a beautiful new playground for kids to enjoy.
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We were SO honored to be voted "Best Inn/Bed & Breakfast" in last year's Nashville Scene's "Best Of Nashville" awards and we'd love to do it again. Voting is open and runs through September 7th so cast your votes now!
You can vote HERE and be sure to read the guidelines below to nominate us for "Best Inn/Bed-and-Breakfast"! 🏠 choose the “Retail & Services” category 🏠 choose “Best Inn/Bed-and-Breakfast” 🏠 write in “The 12 South Carriage House” 🌟 NOTE: You have to vote in at least 20 categories for your vote to count, so we thought we'd help you out by sharing some of our friends and local favorites that you can vote for in other categories as well! 🌟 As always, thanks for your support!
WHAT TO KNOW BEFORE YOU BOOK
I've repeatedly seen comments on social media of people concerned that they might be booking with a scam account or an oligarch posing as a Ukrainian and are hesitant to book. To be fair, this is a valid concern. My perspective on this is that anytime you give money to help someone else, there is little way to patrol the stewardship of that money once it leaves your hands. If booking an AirBnB is a way you choose to be supportive I would recommend:
There are LOTS of other ways to be supportive if this doesn't resonate with you! Here are two other ideas:
Carriage House: So, tell us a little bit about yourselves and your business!
Morgan & Eddie: Created in June of 2016, Whiskey Boat Goods takes products you use daily and handcrafts them to unique perfection. We began this journey by creating products that we wanted to use around our home. So whether it’s candles, soaps, apothecary, cutting and serving boards, or reclaimed wood items, you will always get the very best product we can produce. CH: What is your favorite part of staying at The Carriage House when you come to town? M&E: The location is something that constantly brings us back to The Carriage House. It’s truly in the best area of Nashville! Additionally, the layout, decor, and functionality to the space makes it a true “home away from home” experience. CH: What is your go-to restaurant on 12 South? And what is your standard order there? M&E: Bartaco is always a go-to for us. I’m not sure we’ve ever stayed at The Carriage House and not eaten there! Eddie’s go-to order is always the chicken soup while I [Morgan] tend to go with the cauliflower taco. Of course you can’t leave without a margarita (or two!) Ha! I also love a good oat milk latte from Frothy Monkey! CH: I know you both are always on the go! What are two things you always have in your carry-on bags? M&E: We NEVER check bags so we pack everything in our carry-ons! But, a few things we always reach for are Portable battery + chapstick [Eddie] and AirPods + a sweatshirt for the plane ride [Morgan]! CH: So obviously you've both been to town a lot. What is a favorite Nashville experience for you both that you would recommend to other travelers? M&E: I think CMA Fest is always something that’s fun for people to experience. There’s truly something to do on every corner. For us, country music is what brought us together so [CMA Fest every] June is always a time for us to realize how everything really came full circle. Be sure to follow them on Instagram! Eddie: @ekloesel Morgan: @morgankloesel Whiskey Boat Goods: @whiskeyboatgoods Website: www.whiskeyboatgoods.com Some of their products that we are loving are their Crisp Texas Morning soap, this birch planter stand (since we've recently become a plant-lady) and their Bootlegger candle. The Opryland Hotel has long been a favorite of ours both for their amazing Christmas light displays and for the general wonder one feels when wandering through the gardens, or taking the boat ride through the Delta. When we heard they were opening an indoor/outdoor waterpark, we were delighted and this past week we finally got to take a staycation and check it out! SoundWaves made a huge splash in our opinion! To access the waterpark you either have to book a room night and choose the waterpark package, OR you can rent out a party room that includes wristbands. We took advantage of the Davidson County Resident discount and spend the night so we could have two days of water fun! (They also have a TN resident package discount if. you live elsewhere in the state.). We timed our adventure well as kiddos here are already back in school but the summer weather is still going strong. The hotel and park were both virtually empty [one lifeguard said they had only sold 158 passes for the days we were there!] and we felt totally comfortable with the COVID measures in place in the hotel - all the staff were masked and occupancy was so low we barely saw any other guests and it was easy to social distance. The park itself is immaculately clean, well-laid out and boasts incredible attractions like a wave pool, tons of water slides, a Flowrider surfing/knee board simulator, lazy river and lots of splash pad areas for littles. Stretchy wristbands make it simple to access the park and never loose your ticket and there are lockers and cabanas available to rent to keep your valuables safe if you don't want to leave them in the room. Our favorite attractions were the "Record Launch" centrifuge tube slide, and the Up Tempo Rapids River. We highly recommend wearing a life jacket in the Rapids so you can pick your feet up and just float along! We probably spent half our time there just floating this thing in circles as our daughter loved it so much! They also have an adults only area with an infinity pool and other relaxing spaces that we didn't get to check out on this trip. Overall, we give this 5 out of 5 stars and while we definitely want you to stay at The Carriage House while you're in town, you might just want to add a night to your trip to make some waves before heading home!
A distance panorama of the wave pool. They play fun music videos on that huge screen!
The park is so massive that it's impossible to get a photo of the whole thing - but this is the outdoor slide complex with the splashpad. The building to the left is the indoor part of the park including enclosed slides that are open year round, and the giant wave pool is behind me!
As a short-term rental host, we are always on the lookout for products that help us make our space clean and welcoming for our guests. We've had several hosts and guests alike reach out lately with questions about specific products so we thought we'd compile a little list here...who doesn't love a good "favorites" list? Quick note: this blog post does contain Amazon.com affiliate links which means if you click on a link and purchase that item, I will receive a small commission (but it won't change the price for you at all.) I'm only sharing items with you that I personally own and wholeheartedly believe in - and think you will love as much as I do! 1. Cubietime Alarm Clock - We saw this alarm clock in a high-end hotel on vacation while we were building our Carriage House and I'd Googled it and ordered it right on the spot. One of our all-time favorite electronics, it features a dimmable screen, alarm, lots of plug-in-ports and a sleek design.
2. Amazon Basics "Hotel" Duvet - We make our beds with a lightweight down-alternative comforter inside these inexpensive-yet-luxe duvets. The guests love them because they are comfortable and gorgeous and we love them because they are easy to launder, relatively wrinkle free and well made. We prefer them in white with either light or dark grey trim...word to the wise, the grey embroidery trim is not bleach-friendly and turns tan. However, if you accidentally run the duvet through with bleach (like I did), just bleach the pillow shams to match and you've got a tan-trimmed matching set! 3. 'Lectrofan White Noise Machine - I'm almost ashamed to admit how many of these we own, but I can attest to their supreme awesomeness in the world of white noise machines. We were gifted our first one by our friend Erin who boldly ignored the wimpy "baby shusher" I'd added to my registry when I was pregnant and bought me this instead insisting it was the only way to go. She was right. We recently hosted chef/blogger Amy Hannon in our Carriage House and she told me that she and her daughter had each ordered one the minute they woke up from their first nights sleep. So now you have 4 endorsements in one paragraph and really, what are you even waiting for? I also personally own this custom made travel case for when I'm on the road and highly recommend. 4. Hairdryer Bag - A great way to keep your hairdryer and all it's accessories organized. Stash the whole thing in a drawer, under the sink, on a bathroom shelf...no matter where you put it, this bag keeps it clean and fancy-looking. 5. Hairdryer - Truly the number one thing I always want to bring but never want to pack, we've loved keeping this hairdryer in the drawer for our guests. It's not the most expensive one on the market, but it's been a solid little workhorse that gets the job done. We keep the attachments in the hairdryer bag so its all together for anyone who needs to utilize them to keep their locks looking their best. 6. Makeup Washcloths - Makeup stains are the number one threat to the safety of your bed and bath linens so we highly recommend including some of these black cloths with a little note encouraging folks to use them to remove heavy makeup. *Most* of our guests are happy to comply and a few have even asked where I got them. There are some cheaper options on Amazon as well like these, but I haven't personally tried them so I can't vouch for towel quality, and I didn't love the embroidery font as much. But if you have a property with lots of bathrooms or just need to save a few $$ where you can, they might be worth trying out! 7. Shaving Kits - This is an amenity that we have recently begun to offer and guests have really appreciated them. The shaving cream and razor come in individually (not tested on animals) boxes so it's easy to leave in your bathroom organizer. Even if you don't own/manage a short term rental, these are just great to take on trips anyway! 8. Dr. Fresh Toothbrush/toothpaste set - We love these sets because they come with both toothbrush and toothpaste and are TSA approved for a guests who might want to tuck them in their bag for the flight home. Full disclosure, this isn't the cheapest place to order these little oral health kits. We use these same ones but actually purchase them from The Dollar Tree because they are $1 each. They are currently back-ordered on the DT website, and you have to buy a minimum of 24 of them if you purchase online, but here's the link in case you want to do that instead of just picking some up at your local Dollar Tree. 9. Dr. Teal's Bubble Bath - We've offered this bubble bath from the very beginning and guests absolutely love it. I often hear feedback like, "after a long day of driving/flying, it was amazing to soak in a warm bubble bath before bed!" I've found that this particular one is popular and often out of stock at stores like Target, Kroger or Wal-Mart so I tend to order it from Amazon for convenience. We've had a fun week of press around here so we decided to throw our hat in the ring for the Nashville Scene's "Best Of Nashville" awards this year. Voting opened today and runs through sept 7!
You can vote HERE and be sure to read the guidelines below to nominate us for "Best Inn/Bed-and-Breakfast"! 🏠 choose the “Retail & Services” category 🏠 choose “Best Inn/Bed-and-Breakfast” 🏠 write in “The 12 South Carriage House (Explore 12 South from a Beautiful Carriage House)” 🌟 NOTE: You have to vote in at least 20 categories for your vote to count, so we thought we'd help you out by sharing some of our friends and local favorites that you can vote for in other categories as well! 🌟
Hilton Head Island has long been on our list of places to visit. One dreary day last January, our need of something to look forward to happily coincided with a Southwest Airlines fare sale and we booked our tickets to finally make it happen. We had an amazing trip (so amazing in fact that we've already booked a return trip in September) and I've had a few people ask for recommendations so I thought I'd put together a little Hilton Head guide of all the things we loved!
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GO:
WHERE TO EAT:
THINGS TO DO:
WHERE TO STAY:
Before my parents moved to the quaint little town of Ardmore, TN right on the TN/AL state line a few years ago, I had never in my life heard of the sport or tractor pulling. If you’ve never heard of it either, the best way I know to explain it is Nascar and Monster Truck Jam had baby and that baby was a really strong tractor. Confused? Yeah, I was too. Let me break it down for you a little more. The tractor pull is a classic test of strength…who can pull something heavy the furthest. Competitors invest lots of time, money and expertise into making their tractor (or pickup truck…there are classes for those as well) the strongest, toughest piece of equipment possible. The tractor or truck is then hitched to the front of a “sled.” No one is going to take this particular sled down a hill in the snow however….these sleds are serious business. They look like a flatbed trailer with a small cab similar to what would be on a backhoe or other heavy equipment on the back. The sled is equipped with weights that are on a track. The weights slide forward as the sled moves forward making it increasingly difficult for the tractor or truck to pull it and eventually they come to a hard stop at the end of a straight dirt track. The contest is divided into classes depending on the size and type of the vehicle doing the pulling and the sled is loaded with different amounts of weights depending on the competitor class. Competitors must pull the sled from one end of the track to the other end without swerving outside the boundary lines. The one who pulls the sled the furthest wins. Now that’s you’re all well-educated on how the sport works, I’ll throw it out there that I’m honestly not into cars or car-racing. I’m not really into farm equipment and I kind of hate loud engine noises. I’m basically the least-likely candidate to enjoy this particular event but it’s one of the most fascinating things I’ve ever attended and every time I go, I absolutely can’t look away. While the Ardmore Pull is the only one I’ve ever been to, The MidSouth Pullers Association puts on a whole long list of events through the year and by all accounts from people I know that have attended, they do a really great job on all of them. I’ll leave you with some photos and videos from this year’s pull. If you’re looking for a family friendly event, we highly recommend. Just bring some earplugs for yourselves and some headphones for your littles. When I think about the word Hospitality, food inevitably is part of what comes to mind. I've always found this a tad bit unfortunate because while I love people and making them feel welcome, I'm by no means a chef. My friends and family will tell you that cooking not my strong suit and they would be right. BUT, I do enjoy creating meals or treats when I have a sure-fire recipe. I thought I'd share with you three of my all-time favorite cookbooks in case you too enjoy being in the kitchen as long as someone else has already figured out how to make a tasty meal and all you have to do is follow the instructions. ~ Bon Apetité Quick note: this blog post does contain Amazon.com affiliate links which means if you click on a link and purchase that item, I will receive a small commission (but it won't change the price for you at all.) I'm only sharing items with you that I personally own and wholeheartedly believe in - and think you will love as much as I do!
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bETHANY, YOUR HOSTAirBnB Superhost Bethany has lived in Nashville since 2006 and loves finding fun things to do at home and on the road! Archives
February 2023
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