Our Road Trip: Part II - New Darlings

NASHVILLE, TN
We couldn’t have been more excited to finally arrive in Nashville. The best thing about a road trip is the anticipation. Yeah, it’s great to hop on a plane and be at your destination in a few hours (instant gratification!), but when you can milk 1600+ miles into four days of driving, bonding, and singing Bob Dylan’s entire discography, it just can’t be beat! We saw some amazing things along the way, but Nashville had a special charm. It’s a city with so much history, while also feeling like it still has so much to say. We would wander around without any agenda, being redirected by the locals. Unlike the other cities we traveled through, we actually spent some real time in Nashville. We took our time and fully embraced the cold, damp weather that we are no longer used to since moving to Phoenix in 2013. While there was physically no way we could have hit every place on our LONG list of recommendations…we gave it our best try!

Imogene + Willie: You can’t mention Nashville without mentioning Imogene + Willie. This shop is doing it right. We’d heard about it from people around Phoenix and as we traveled east, people in other cities would all recommend it as well. We didn’t waste any time, as it was our first stop once we arrived in Nashville. Quality items and a staff that was ready to be our tour guides in Nashville. They gave us a list of places (by neighborhood) to hit while we were in town.

Sisters of Nature: Is it possible to walk into a shop and instantly become friends with the girls who run it? YES! If you live in Nashville (lucky!) or if you’re visiting, please please please give these girls a visit. This place is filled with gorgeousness from top to bottom. We took home as much as we could without any buyers remorse!

The Groove: You can’t do Nashville without some music. This record store had lots of quality finds. We dug up some gems (Talking Heads and Velvet Underground) at a super price.

Nisolo: Couldn’t get over the quality of these beautiful leather shoes. Worth every penny and the showroom is a minimalist’s dream!

Barista Parlor: Yes, we went to Barista Parlor. Typical? Probably…but worth it! We enjoyed the rainy day vibes while sipping on some hot drinks with our pals, Karsyn and Collin. We chatted about life for as long as we could…our families, our jobs, married life. It was great to make such a strong connection with these two.

5th & Taylor: Unfortunately we didn’t take any photos here. We were too busy enjoying the delicious food and all the twinkling candles. This was our last night in Nashville and it was definitely the way to go. Germantown seems to be growing in popularity over in Nashville, and with places like 5th & Taylor, we could see why.

DALLLAS, TX

We didn’t want to take the exact same route back to Phoenix, so instead of heading straight west, we went down to Dallas on our way back home. We had been told to try a bunch of places in town, but by this point on our trip, we were feeling a little sluggish. Our first night in Dallas was spent eating popcorn at our Best Western hotel, watching cheesy game shows, and getting some much needed energy back. After a good night’s sleep, we headed to the Bishop Arts District and after a very long wait enjoyed some brunch at Oddfellows.

Our favorite spot in Dallas was this beautiful shop called Set & Co. It’s one of those places where you look around and wonder how you could fit the entire place into your suitcase. It sold some beautiful artisanal kitchen and home goods and is run by a lovely husband and wife. If you are in Dallas, this should be a go-to!

We also made some appropriate time for all things JFK. We are big history dorks, so we didn’t miss the opportunity to head over to the Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza. No matter what your political views are, this place will make you feel something. So many theories and an all-around great museum with tons of historic gems. We’re glad we stopped there.

As our road trip came to an end, we realized how much we had packed into two weeks. We met some incredibly kind people, drank way too much caffeine, and collected hundreds of photos that we know we will forever cherish. Big thank you goes out to Best Western for giving us a place to rely on!

Our road trip looks:

4 comments on “Our Road Trip: Part II”

Whitney says:

October 21, 2015 at 5:36 pm

Ah! Love your photos. Looks like you guys had a great time! I’m curious where you got your shoes from in the first photo. <3

1. New Darlings says:
  
  November 1, 2015 at 2:31 pm
  
  Hi Whitney –
  They’re from a company called Nisolo. We checked them out while we were in Nashville and took this pair (among a few others, haha) home with us. Definitely check them out and let them know we sent you. They have beautiful shoes, plus a really pretty show room. 🙂
  
Ashton says:

October 23, 2015 at 6:50 pm

I love all the places you visited in Nashville. Where in Nashville was the second picture you posted taken at?

1. New Darlings says:
  
  November 1, 2015 at 2:33 pm
  
  Hi Ashton – Thanks so much! That photo was taken in this shop called Fuselage on Gallatin Ave. They had some pretty cool stuff! Definitely worth stopping in there. 🙂

4 comments on “Our Road Trip: Part II”

Leave a Reply Cancel reply