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Hi chaps! Here's the deal - for some months I've been working on a project at my University that involves cataloguing a large amount of research material. This material belonged to one of our professors, now sadly deceased. His family kindly donated his entire collection of music, film and literature, over 28,000 pieces, to our facility along with a substantial financial contribution, with the intention being to set up an archive in his name. In thanks for our efforts, the family have very generously decided to fly us out to Nashville so that we can take part in the Thanksgiving festivities as their brother's representatives. Which is nice.

I've never been to the US before, so I'm naturally very excited, and can't wait to soak up the sights, sounds (and booze) of Tennessee! Any Dakkanauts here from Nashville or the surrounding area have any suggestions for things to see/do/eat?

If you can get through the rad zones and avoid the bandits it can be a nice place to visit.

 Ahtman wrote:
If you can get through the rad zones and avoid the raiders it can be a nice place to visit.

You almost had it right.

also, don't take the first bite

I visited there a few years back, nice area, try the barbeque. I'm not a country fan, so that killed about half the touristy things for me to do.

There is a lot of music in Nashville and used to be in Memphis as well when I lived there many years ago (blues IIRC). Isn't Elvis' place there too? Depending on when you go there might be a civil war reenactment going on. SHiloh is not far from there, and some other CW battle sites.

Also river boats on the big muddy.

Holy crap! I just remembered that Jack Daniels is distilled in Tennessee!

This gak just got real.

The JD Distillery is not far from Nashville. Graceland, Elvis' home is in Memphis, though.

You're at the "center" of Country music, so there are plenty of places to listen to that, if you enjoy it.

I don't know Nashville that well, though. I've only traveled through there to get to other places and never stayed, I'm afraid.

Jack Daniel's Distillery.

182 Lynchburg Highway Lynchburg, Tennessee 37352

Mmmmmm Lynchburg Tennessee, so beautiful they could distill the morning dew into liquor.

Yeah, within Nashville itself though, if its just you can be great... Check out many of the local bars and clubs.. though they will predominately be country themed.

Try a steakhouse and BBQ place.

If its the time of year, check out a Titans game. Or if its not football season, and we can magically get some Hockey this year, check out a Predators game.

If you head north on the interstate a bit, you can take a tour of Jim Beam's place in Kentucky, or find Lynchburg (never been myself)

I thought this was going to be something about Eddie Murphy.

At any rate, welcome to the US, Albatross.

 kronk wrote:
The JD Distillery is not far from Nashville.

Yeah, it's under 2hrs drive or something. Definitely worth a day-trip out there, I reckon.

Graceland, Elvis' home is in Memphis, though.

Yeah, that's like 4+ hours, so it's probably a no-go.

You're at the "center" of Country music, so there are plenty of places to listen to that, if you enjoy it.

I know, yeah. Not a HUGE fan of country, but apparently there's a lot of blues, soul and jazz there too. Which is awesome.

 Albatross wrote:

I know, yeah. Not a HUGE fan of country, but apparently there's a lot of blues, soul and jazz there too. Which is awesome.

Yep! Should be plenty of bars with live bands you've never heard of or some larger venues with some better known musicians.

You'll not be wanting for live music in Nashville.

 Ensis Ferrae wrote:

If you head north on the interstate a bit, you can take a tour of Jim Beam's place in Kentucky, or find Lynchburg (never been myself)

Awesome, thanks! I guess it's whisky country, eh?

Suits me down to the ground...

Certain is. It's also moonshine territory. The area south of Nashville is heavily forested and rather hilly. Lots of places to hide a still...and a dead body.

I believe the Grand Ol Opry is in Nashville which is a historic place for American Country Music which has been going strong since 1925.

Also, Jack Daniels is all well and good, but really you should be trying some Maker's Mark, Knob Creek, and Woodford Reserve is where it's at.

I would check out the Tennessee Tourism Website at http://www.tn.gov/tourdev/ or http://tnvacation.com/

Albatross wrote:Holy crap! I just remembered that Jack Daniels is distilled in Tennessee!

This gak just got real.

If memory serves Lynchburg is in Moore County, a dry county. It's one of those little oddities that life (and religious teatotalling wackjobs) gives to us.

While you are in Nashville you should visit the Parthenon and the Hermitage.

Im a veteran of the American war (getting fething leathered in distilleries and breweries in America) Ill meet you there!

When you looking at going Thanksgiving this year? As in.. November 15th? I'm due to fly out December 13th, maybe I can shunt if forward a bit.

I've got two more trips planned this year already. Maybe we can meet for a long weekend.

 mattyrm wrote:
Im a veteran of the American war (getting fething leathered in distilleries and breweries in America) Ill meet you there!

When you looking at going Thanksgiving this year? As in.. November 15th? I'm due to fly out December 13th, maybe I can shunt if forward a bit.

I've got two more trips planned this year already. Maybe we can meet for a long weekend.

Yeah, a looooong weekend... Of getting fething leathered!

We're due to fly out on the 20th, with the Thanksgiving party/dinner happening on the 22nd, and we should be leaving on the 26th. Just a short trip, really. It's only 98% confirmed at the moment - I'll let you know when it's 100%.

It terrifies me that Albatross and Matty will both be two states away from me, hammered. At the same time.

Good thing Tennessee is super religious, they will need all the gods they can get.....

But where are they coming?

No luck on the NFL... Titans will be in Jacksonville that weekend.
And yeah the JD Distillery is in a dry county.. you can tour the place but tasting has to wait.
Would meet you up for a game somewhere but thats a bit far for me to commute..... Gonna be logging OT that weekend.

I was about to rant about something, but I decided I'd ask a question first. Is tipping uncommon in the UK?

Did anyone else open this thread excitedly assuming it was about Dresden's American tour dates, and end up utterly disappointed that its just Alby going to Nashville? ;P

 Seaward wrote:
I was about to rant about something, but I decided I'd ask a question first. Is tipping uncommon in the UK?

Yes. We don't tip much in the UK, other than on a restaurant bill and only then in posh places.

The amount of tipping here in the US threw me a great deal, you tip for everything. Car valet, breakfast diner, tour guides etc. 10-20% for everything gets expensive fast...

 dogma wrote:
But where are they coming?

Nashville, TN in my case. I guess Matty will be in California somewhere to see his missus, with a possible stop-over in Nashville to hang out with me.

 helgrenze wrote:
No luck on the NFL... Titans will be in Jacksonville that weekend.
And yeah the JD Distillery is in a dry county.. you can tour the place but tasting has to wait.
Would meet you up for a game somewhere but thats a bit far for me to commute..... Gonna be logging OT that weekend.

No worries, mate - I won't have my minis with me anyway! Thanks, though.

chaos0xomega wrote:
Did anyone else open this thread excitedly assuming it was about Dresden's American tour dates, and end up utterly disappointed that its just Alby going to Nashville? ;P

Just you, probably!

We split up a few months ago anyway, so no American tour for me!

 MeanGreenStompa wrote:

 Seaward wrote:
I was about to rant about something, but I decided I'd ask a question first. Is tipping uncommon in the UK?

Yes. We don't tip much in the UK, other than on a restaurant bill and only then in posh places.

Basically, this. I tip a fair bit, generally - stuff like taxis and takeaway delivery, plus restaurants. It tends to be just rounding up to the nearest whole number, plus a quid or two. It's not as common as in the States, or so I'm led to believe.

 Albatross wrote:

Basically, this. I tip a fair bit, generally - stuff like taxis and takeaway delivery, plus restaurants. It tends to be just rounding up to the nearest whole number, plus a quid or two. It's not as common as in the States, or so I'm led to believe.

Eh, my girlfriend's just been going nuts all week. She's a bartender, and apparently a huge group of British doctors over here for something have been coming in to her place every night and not tipping. At all. I was wondering if it was a cultural thing.

Tipping the bar staff is certainly something we'd not be used to in the UK. Closest we'd get is buying a drink for the bar person.

 Seaward wrote:

 Albatross wrote:

Basically, this. I tip a fair bit, generally - stuff like taxis and takeaway delivery, plus restaurants. It tends to be just rounding up to the nearest whole number, plus a quid or two. It's not as common as in the States, or so I'm led to believe.

Eh, my girlfriend's just been going nuts all week. She's a bartender, and apparently a huge group of British doctors over here for something have been coming in to her place every night and not tipping. At all. I was wondering if it was a cultural thing.

Tipping at the bar for your booze really, really won't occur to most Brits unless it's explained to them.

I was warned immediately by my wife on visiting and had already learned that lesson on visiting Austria previously, but it's not done in the UK.


I'm a fairly generous tipper here, especially after learning that many jobs, especially bar and waiting tables, pay below the (already feeble) US minimum wage, because the amount is tallied up to include projected tips. Unless the service is crap, obviously.




Automatically Appended Next Post:
Being that they don't know they should be tipping, it's difficult as most of the doctors would (should) be embarrassed that they haven't been. Then again, walking up to them and saying 'hey, you should give me a tip' won't go down well at all.

If there is an american with their party, perhaps taking them aside and saying 'I don't think the Brits have tipping for bar staff over there, they don't know we do'. Or something like that, might work.

 Wolfstan wrote:
Tipping the bar staff is certainly something we'd not be used to in the UK. Closest we'd get is buying a drink for the bar person.

Yep, you definitely tip bartenders, and waitstaff (the new word is server). When the kids were young we'd go to Olive Garden. However they loved us there. My first action when the waiter came was to slap a $20 into their hand and tell them "we're going to make a mess, but we're also going to tip very well."