Not really a tour sort of person? You think tour and immediately see a bus crammed with retirees in visors and Sansabelt slacks? I’m with you. But Citystage Productions here in Nashville is reinventing the idea.

Imagine a tour combined with interactive theater combined with a spy thriller. This first one is called “The Safehouse” and has tour groups visit six historic locations downtown while solving puzzles, interacting with actors, and following clues as the plot unfolds. Their site even says you will “practice actual techniques used by spies throughout history.” It’s a great idea and I have to admit, they’ve got me intrigued.

It starts downtown at Printers Alley at noon each Saturday, goes every half hour, and lasts about 2.5 hours. And no bus ― the entire thing is on foot and covers less than a square mile, they say, which makes it doable for just about everyone, including kids.

So whether you’re a local or new to Nashville, here’s your chance to polish up your sleuth’s magnifying glass and see the city in a brand-new way.

Dane

So, if you have been keeping up with our blog you know by now that we aren’t your average hotel. You probably realized this when you heard about our Spiritual Menu or Divorce Package.  Hotel Preston has a “you want it, you got it” philosophy and we want to know what YOU want! That is why we have developed a contest to create our next big amenity. We already offer lava lamps, a pet fish, even a package for those looking to get divorced….but we know travelers out there will have great ideas for other amenities!

If you have a great idea for a new package or amenity that you’d like to see at the Hotel Preston, go
to Hotel Chatter and let us know.  The sky is the limit! The winner that comes up with the next big amenity will receive a weekend at the Hotel Preston. …and if you’re lucky, you’ll get to see me!

Dane

Any guy that owns a banjo (me) is a bona fide member of the bluegrass nation. But even if you don’t, and maybe you just own the “O Brother Where Art Thou?” soundtrack, the Ryman has a great summer series for you.

It’s called “Bluegrass Nights at the Ryman” and runs every Thursday at 7:30 through July. That makes for a total of six great shows, including some really big-name artists like Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder, Ralph Stanley & The Clinch Mountain Boys, and the Dan Tyminski Band. First up is Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver and Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper on June 25th.

The Ryman is a fitting place for the series as it played a key role in the birth of bluegrass. It was there that on a Saturday night in December 1945 a 21-year-old Earl Scruggs stepped to the WSM microphone on the Ryman stage playing a five-string banjo with a three-finger roll. And so bluegrass was born.

Dane

I take it for granted sometimes the sort of unique things we offer at Hotel Preston. Stuff you’re not going to get everywhere you stay. So if you happen to come on by, here’s my recommendation for your own “look good, feel good” package:

Step 1: Hit Café Isabella for one of their delicious breakfasts.
Step 2: Head to the fitness center work up a sweat and get your heart going.
Step 3: Return to your room and try out some of the Aveda bath products.
Step 4: Take yourself outside and find a comfortable spot poolside.
Step 4a: If you need a book to keep you company, just ask at the front desk.

I mean, we’re not trying to keep you from getting out and seeing Nashville. That’s not our intention. We just want to give guests everything they need to have a good, comfortable stay. But if you never leave the grounds, well, that’s OK, too.

Dane

Summer means sun, yes. It means getting outside, tossing the frisbee for the dog, getting out on the water. In fact, I think I can say that summer in Nashville may just about beat out any other city around.

Definitely one of the biggest reasons is all the incredible music events and festivals we get during the summer. And maybe the granddaddy of them all is right around the corner ― the CMA Music Festival from June 11-14.

This one is a true monster of an event. It’s got the stellar lineup of artists. Are you a fan of Trace Adkins, Brad Paisley, Rascal Flatts, Taylor Swift, Wynonna, Brooks & Dunn, or Reba McEntire? How about the Bellamy Brothers, Martina McBride, Neal McCoy, or Little Big Town? Well, then you best get tickets.

Get a four-day pass and free shuttles will run you back and forth to all the venues: LP Field, Riverfront Park, the Exhibit Hall, and the Family Zone/Sports Zone.

Dane

The proof is at Sukho Thai, a small Thai place over near Opryland on Music Valley Drive. It’s not your white tablecloth sort of spot but they’ve got all kinds of tasty Asian dishes and do it well. Plus it sits right next to the Grand Old Golf mini golf course and go-kart track!
The track goes right by the front window so you can enjoy the action while getting some Thai food satisfaction. Feel free to use that line, guys. It’s free.

But come on, as interesting afternoons go, can you do better than some satay (love that peanut sauce) or whatever and pushing the pedal to the metal in a go-kart? If there is I don’t know about it.

Dane

I have a colleague here at the hotel who is always giving me a bad time about being a country fan. He is more your rock dude. More cowbell, he always says. So I’m always trying to find country artists he likes too.

A recent one he couldn’t deny is Patsy Cline. At first, he tried to tell me she wasn’t country. Ha. So for his birthday Dora and I got him two tickets to Always…Patsy Cline at the Ryman. We saw it already last month and thought it was great.

I guess you could call it a musical play. It follows her friendship with a fan from Houston in the 60s who she kept up a correspondence with over the years. It’s funny and moving in spots and full of a lot of her great music.

The show runs until May 23 and I think may make my best case with that friend that country music don’t need no cowbell at all.

Dane

Hey everybody. You need a reason to come on over to Hotel Preston for a visit? Here’s a game to help out. Find the special that fits you, and then give us a call.

1.    Spring Has Sprung! — Get a map to walking trails in the area, a free shuttle drop-you off at the closest trailhead, a backpack with Kashi Organic Trail bars and water, and a Greentini in the Pink Slip Lounge.

2.    Mommy Me Time — Mom gets an in-room massage session while Dad takes the kids to the Imax and the Adventure Science Center, and then brunch for the whole family at Café Isabella.

3.    Rockstar Daddy — Dad gets a hot steam shave and shoe shine at the Trim Classic Barber and a trip to the Nashville Superspeedway to ride shotgun in a two-seat NASCAR-style stock car driven by a professional at speeds up to 165 MPH.

Check out the hotel’s other packages in Special Offers. There’s sure one to fit you. See you here.

Dane

You’ve seen Iron Chef on TV. How can you not love that crazy show? It brings food together with sports and adds a ticking clock. Well, Nashville has its own version called Iron Fork that pits five local chefs in head-to-head battle. Last year Deb Paquette from Zola won. It sold out.

But Iron Fork 2009 is on our agenda. This year the kitchen will see five new chefs go at each other for the Iron Fork title. They include Tandy Wilson of City House, Jeremy Barlow of Tayst, Guerry McComas of Yellow Porch, Bart Pickens of Saffire, Jason Love of Ombi.

The culinary battle kicks off at 6 p.m. on May 6 at the Country Music Hall of Fame. As for the secret ingredient, they’re keeping that under wraps. Whole Foods Market will choose and then chefs will have an hour to decide what to do with it.

Your ticket purchase gets you three drink tickets. So I’ll be waiting in the Blue Moon Beer Garden.

Dane

A week ago, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum held Nashville on the Rocks, a special night where all kinds of fantastic drinks made with specialty vodkas, rums, whiskeys, tequilas and gins were served. Don’t worry, it wasn’t just drinking.  There was also plenty of great food and a lot of displays to check out, as well.  If you haven’t been to the museum, I’d highly recommend it, of course you’ll have to wait until next year’s Nashville on the Rocks before you can drink there, too.

Here are some photos of the event to hold you over until next year:

Thanks for looking,

Dane