After our visit to Nashville Yards, we split up for lunch. Part of the group went to Little Hats Italian Market, while the rest of us went to Jack Brown’s Beer and Burger Joint. We had burgers and french fries. For dessert we had deep fried Oreos, which we described as Oreos covered in funnel cake, and they were delicious.

After lunch, we took the chance to continue exploring Nashville. Some of us had not yet seen the pedestrian bridge, capital, and farmer’s market, so we made sure to stop by. Since we made it up to the Capitol Building during the day, we were able to go inside and explore most of the building. First, we saw the old Tennessee Supreme Court Chamber, which was used until the 1987 Restoration. At that time, the room was restored to its original appearance using document carpeting and drapery, along with chandeliers from the 1850s. It is now only used for conferences and ceremonial occasions.

After that, we went upstairs to The Senate, which has seats for the 33 state senators. We learned that the leader of the Senate is also the Tennessee Lieutenant Governor, and is elected by members of the Senate. In most states, the Lieutenant Governor is elected with the governor, similar to how the Vice President of the US is elected, making this a unique feature for the Tennessee Senate. The Pillars, which can be seen in the photo below, are made of Tennessee marble, which is not actually marble. It is actually a type of crystalline limestone that can only be found in eastern Tennessee, and when polished strongly resembles marble.

Next, we visited the Tennessee House of Representatives, which was much larger to make space for the 99 representatives who represent each of the House districts of Tennessee. We did not stay long, as most of the room was blocked off.

Before leaving the Capitol Building, we also saw the Legislative Lounge, which was once the State Library. It was also restored to its original condition when the building was restored in 1987. The room is a three story library and contains archives of all the proceedings in the State Government. The Legislative Lounge is currently used as a reception space.

Finally, we went to the pedestrian bridge over the Cumberland River, which flows through Nashville. We also saw Nissan Stadium across the river, home of the Tennessee Titans football team, and a tied arch bridge further down the river.

On our way back to the Airbnb we stopped for ice cream at Matheson’s, which is located right next to Broadway. Other members of our group spent the afternoon at the farmer’s market, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, or relaxing at the Airbnb. They were surprised that the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum had exhibits on country musicians ranging from the beginning of country music all the way to modern country music from as recent as just a few years ago.

Blog by Dan Zhuravel