The weather was warm, even in September. I fit a lot in during my long weekend stay. And I was a traditionalist and used my film camera (not exclusively, but mostly).

I had never been to Nashville before, and I was excited to see what my friends had thought up for my visit. It was a relaxed, low-key kind of deal. I mostly missed them and wanted to spend time with them.

Batch.

My friend, Cynthia, works at this great little shop called Batch. You can put together special gift boxes or simply shop from the local goods in the store. Batch's mission is to promote locally-made, artisanal goods, and they don't disappoint.

The Stage on Broadway.

We explored NashVegas, the downtown strip that's as brightly colored as Las Vegas, hence the nickname. There is a place for everyone here. Different venues host a surprising variety of live music every night, though country music reigns supreme. And the live music is excellent and free!

Lights hovered over a side street in Nashville (film).

Hatch Show Print.

One of the best things I was able to see was Hatch Show Print. It uses traditional letterpress and printmaking techniques to make posters, prints, and t-shirts. The print house even has an antique letterpress machine in a soundproof room. Without the room, it can be heard in the upper floors in the Country Music Hall of Fame.

As luck would have it, we got an impromptu tour! My friends knew one of the printers working behind the gate, and he let us in to explore the printing space. Some of these printing blocks are decades old. At one point, the storage space was running low and the printers began recycling the old printing blocks. One block from an old presidential campaign was turned into a cart to use on the printing floor! They're still finding recycled ones in odd places, and when they do, they'll print them again to make sure they're not forgotten.

High Garden Woodland Tea House & Sipping Apothecary.

We also made time for us to catch up. Enter High Garden Woodland Tea House & Sipping Apothecary (cool name, right?). If you're not a coffee person (*gasp*) like me, this is the perfect place for you. They have an enormous selection of teas you can take home, and they have a modest selection of teas you can order for your table. We had a tea pot with enough for three or four.

The atmosphere is truly relaxing, and it smelled like fresh cut wood (thanks to recently-finished construction). The tea was delicious. We ordered a green tea (I can't remember the name). There was even a small bottle of honey on the tray for us.

High Garden's tea tray with tea pot, tea cups, and a small bottle of honey (film).

Antiques.

I love shopping for antiques. Specifically, cameras. An old friend collected them, and when I saw her collection, I was inspired to start my own. We found an antique store that had an extensive selection (and cameras!). It was in an old building - an antique itself - with train tracks beside it.

The train tracks behind the antique store (film).

While we explored, we saw a wedding on the side of the river, ate at a few delicious restaurants, and generally had a great time catching up. I can't wait to go back.