After what had to be the longest school year of all time, summer is finally here! Now that everything’s opening up again, it just might be the best summer ever — There’s nothing like spending a year at home to appreciate normal, everyday life and all the activities that come with it, right? I’ve spent […]

Nashville Guide, Travel

May 25, 2021

Here are 35 Awesome Things to Do with Kids in Franklin, Tennessee This Summer

I’ve learned over time that what often makes a shop or a tour or even a restaurant really, really special is the owner or guide or chef you interact with while you’re there. When I’m researching a city or town, I sort through hundreds of user reviews, seeking out the bookstore with the charismatic and […]

Fun, Nashville Guide, Travel

May 23, 2021

The Stones River Battlefield Tour is Now a Must-Do, Thanks to Its Amazing New Tour Guide

I’m a sucker for a great French brasserie and over the years, we’ve been lucky to dine at some of the best. 39 Rue de Jean in Charleston, Echaude in Quebec City, and the now sadly closed Brasserie Les Halles in Manhattan all left me with delicious memories of crispy pommes frites, mussels steamed in […]

Nashville Guide, Travel

May 7, 2021

Nashville’s Once Upon a Time in France is a Date Night Dream

I’m trying to be very Zen about Nashville’s growth explosion and its resulting traffic and soaring prices and overcrowded everything, and really the only way I can do that right now is by focusing on the food. Until the last few years, the food scene was pretty boring here — Our restaurants catered largely to […]

Fun, Nashville Guide, Travel

April 24, 2021

The Horn Brings Sambusas and Somali Chai to Nashville… and It’s Fantastic

Machine Falls near Tullahoma has been on our short list for a few years now, for two reasons:  First, we’ve heard it’s an impressive waterfall by Middle Tennessee standards. Second, State Naturalist Randy Hedgepath told me a couple of years ago that Short Springs Natural Area– where Machine Falls is located– is one of his […]

Nashville Guide, Travel

April 20, 2021

Machine Falls : Waterfalls & Wildflowers an Hour and a Half From Nashville

Like most of you, after months of quarantine, we are so very tired of being cooped up in our house — At the same time, we’re being extremely cautious about traveling this summer. It’s hard to find a place right now that meets our standards of crowd size, cleanliness, and plain old fun, but we […]

Nashville Guide, Travel

July 6, 2020

Leiper’s Fork: A Getaway Guide to Tennessee’s Best Kept Secret

Leiper's Creek Gallery

Cooler weather is (finally!) here, which makes it the best time of year for weekend family field trips. I’ve always had two ulterior motives when planning weekend activities for my family — No matter what we do together, I want my kids to get active or I want them to learn something. Fortunately, there are […]

Nashville Guide, Travel

October 11, 2019

15 Fall Family Field Trips Near Nashville

Things to do with kids this fall near Nashville

If you’re like me, you might be freaking out a little right now as summer approaches and the kids get out of school. What are you going to do with them? How will you get them off screens and make sure they’re having fun? Luckily, I’ve got a solution for you — I’ve got 65 […]

Nashville Guide, Travel

May 20, 2019

65 Things to Do with Kids in Nashville This Summer

For years now, I’ve been trying to plan a weekend getaway with my husband in Murfreesboro. Even thought it’s just 45 minutes from Nashville, we feel like we’re worlds away when we visit, transported to a place where history abounds, nature beckons, and plenty of shopping and restaurant opportunities await. Dennis and I finally got […]

Nashville Guide, Travel

May 7, 2019

30 Things to Do on a Date in Murfreesboro, TN

Date Ideas for Murfreesboro, TN

  If you haven’t been to Clarksville, Tennessee lately, you’ll definitely want to schedule a visit. Just an hour’s drive from Nashville, this history-filled town has tons of outdoor activities, an increasingly sophisticated restaurant scene, and a newly-revitalized downtown that’ll have you dreaming of renovating a loft space and moving here ASAP. We spent an […]

Nashville Guide, Travel

April 25, 2019

20 Things to Do in Clarksville, Tennessee

Fun Things to Do in Clarksville, TN