Whether your tastes run toward Opryland kitsch or downtown grit, Nashville’s come-as-you-are vibe and we’re-all-friends-here attitude will grab you with its hook and keep you humming its tune all the way from the Honkytonk Highway to Hillsborough Village.

Cash in on Buy-One-Get-Two-Free Justin boots at Boot Country - Hankering to outfit yourself like Hank? Then head to this no-strings- attached Broadway boot emporium for real deals and a revolving door of labels from Justin Vintage to Ariat. (304 Broadway)

Slick back with the rockabilly pompadours on stage at Robert’s Western World on The Honkytonk Highway- With a motto that reads “come on in…don’t cost ya’ nothing” this joint wears its down-home sensibility on its sleeve. Tear up the tile or belly up to the bar; the drinks are cheap and the company’s cheerful. (416 B Broadway)

Check out The King’s steer-horn-adorned convertible and the Sing me Back Home exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum – Right in the center of the downtown action, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum breeds loyalty from hipsters to traditionalist alike with its hands-on exhibits and tip-of-the-hat to musical giants from Roy Acuff to Ray Charles. (222 5th Avenue South)

Soak your flapjacks in the world-famous cinnamon syrup at the Pancake Pantry – On the main drag of see-and-be-seen Hillsborough Village, this is one breakfast joint that’s worth the hour-long lines. Send an emissary down the block to Fido for lattes while you wait. (1796 21st Avenue South)

Kick back with Shepherd’s Pie and live music at former East Nashville Laundromat, Family Wash – A little edgy and filled with authentic good times, Family Wash does it up right every Tuesday through Saturday night. Turn to this East Nashville neighborhood joint for down-home chicken pot-pie and an eclectic line-up of rising stars. (2038 Greenwood Avenue)

Render yourself speechless in front of the city’s 12-ton, 41-foot, gold-leafed Athena – This über-version of the goddess Athena, housed inside Music City’s replica of the Parthenon, was constructed as part of the 1897 Tennessee Centennial Exposition and draws a strange brand of wonderment. Think 90,000 leaves of 23.75 carat Italian gold. (Centennial Park)

Get your Cash on – Johnny Cash, that is – at Hatch Show Prints – The undisputed wellspring of vintage concert promotional posters, this downtown print house in the Lower Broadway historic district has catered to the Mid-South's entertainment industry since 1879. Stop by to shop from over 100 reprints of Hatch-originals printed from hand-carved wooden blocks. (316 Broadway)

Fling your fringe like a rock star at Manuel’s Exclusive Clothiers – Long known as “Nashville’s Couture Cowboy,” 79 year-old Manuel Arturo José Cuevas Martinez has earned a position of rockabilly royalty with his otherworldly rhinestone and fringe creations. Stop by his museum cum showroom for a glimpse into the history of bling – from Johnny Cash to Mick Jagger. (1922 Broadway)

Engage your inner aficionado at the Frist Center for the Visual Arts - Make tracks to what is arguably one of the finest art exhibition centers in the Southeast. Situated in the city’s former Federal Post Office, an extraordinary example of art deco architecture in itself, the Frist spreads its arms wide with 24,000 square feet of gallery space filled with constantly changing exhibits by local, regional and international artists. (919 Broadway)

Suck on a Hot Chocolate (chile pepper) or Rose Petal Popsicle from at Las Paletas – Inside Irma and Norma Paz’s authentic, gourmet Mexican Popsicle shop each flavor reads like a declaration of passion. Show your taste buds who’s boss with their signature blend of chocolate and wasabi, or freshen your palate with a plum, grapefruit, nectarine or hyacinth pop. (2907 12th Avenue South)

Nashville offers gold-record good times 24-hours a day. Book a room at the downtown Union Station hotel so that you don’t have to miss even a moment of the action. Make time for platinum standbys like The Grand Ole Opry and newly minted treasures like East Nashville’s Sweet 16th Bakery. No matter what your pleasure, a long weekend in Nashville offers enough good food, good folks and good times to keep you singing its praises for years to come.

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Sarah Reiss a full-time travel writer, SATW member and contributing travel editor. Her column, The Thoughtful Traveler, appears quarterly in 11 East Coast newspapers, and her monthly column, 10 Reasons to Love..., runs on OffbeatTravel.com. When she is not on the road, she calls the mountains of Southern California, where she lives with her husband and two dogs, home. SarahReiss.net