Shipwreck Cove
I love summer.
My head hums “Summertime, Summertime,” by The Jamies on repeat, with some “Hot Fun in the Summer” by Sly and the Family Stone thrown in. I love food cooked on the grill, eating a popsicle before it melts and picking my produce from my backyard. I’m also a Pisces, so to me summer means water. Often you’ll find me with a paddleboard on my roof rack. My neighbor never saw me run as fast as he did on the 95-degree day he invited me to jump in his pool.
Combine my loves: food + water + summer = waterfront dining. For 2022 I am pursuing “the Summer of Margaret” (read in the voice of George Costanza). I’ll be looking for the best places to eat and drink while basking in the glow of sunshine reflected off the water (while wearing maximum SPF, of course). I’ll be including both natural bodies of water and man-made pools. My self-imposed rules: These have to be places where you can get on or in the water, not just look at it. (At some pools you need to be a hotel guest; others you don’t.) And it needs to be within an hour’s drive of Nashville, because you want to spend your time outside, not in the car.
A few hot tips: Several area pools have day passes listed on ResortPass, which can be a way to take a dip if you don’t have regular pool access. Swimply, the Airbnb for swimming pools, has some options, too.
For my inaugural waterfront dining exploration, I have four suggestions — two on natural bodies of water and two man-made. Over the course of the summer I’ll be profiling others. Read, grab your towel and jump in. The water’s fine.
Fins
Fins, Margaritaville Hotel Nashville
425 Rep. John Lewis Way S., fourth floor
Perhaps no one has embraced the summertime aesthetic like Jimmy Buffett. His margarita-branded hotel south of downtown has a surfboard-themed restaurant and bar called Fins. Its fourth-floor location and beachy decor give you access to the outdoors, and food and drink that will make you feel like you are in a coastal ZIP code. You can even bring your dog. (Mine was introduced to the concept of puppuccino here on a recent staycation.) Anyone is welcome to eat, drink and listen to live music on the deck from a lounge chair or the open-air restaurant. Actual swimming is reserved for hotel guests.
SoundWaves at Gaylord Opryland
2800 Opryland Drive
The mammoth indoor-outdoor water park at Gaylord Opryland includes everything you could want for chlorinated fun: lazy rivers, speedy water flumes, wave pools, cabanas, kid-friendly areas and an adults-only pool. It’s an all-day-and-night blast, no matter the weather. The only guaranteed way to visit SoundWaves is by booking a combination package that includes both admission and the hotel room. Fortunately, Davidson County residents get up to a 40 percent discount, while other Tennessee residents lock in up to 25 percent off. If you don’t have the cash for a staycation, just down Briley Parkway is Wave Country (2320 Two Rivers Parkway), Metro Nashville’s public wave pool and waterpark.
Shipwreck Cove at Elm Hill Marina
3361 Bell Road
Perhaps the best-known lakefront eatery on J. Percy Priest Lake, Shipwreck Cove is the party spot at Elm Hill Marina. With nearly 360-degree water views, you can head here for bushwackers, burgers, fish tacos and all the fried food your summer tastebuds crave after renting a pontoon boat from the marina or heading out with your friends who are members at Nashville Boat Club. Shipwreck Cove is just minutes north of Hamilton Creek Recreation Area. Shipwreck Cove occasionally hosts live music.
Cherokee Restaurant
Cherokee Restaurant
450 Cherokee Dock Road, Lebanon
Since 1958, Cherokee has been serving steaks and seafood to boaters on Old Hickory Lake, and this lakeside eatery reminds me more than anywhere else of summers on the Great Lakes. It has had some upgrades in recent years, with a 90-foot-long bar. (When I first started going here people did BYOB in coolers.) Boaters make their way to the marina for a bite before setting out on a sunset cruise. Two patios allow you to take in the views while you feast, and they host occasional live music performances.
Summer Guide is presented by Two Lane
Waterfront dining, a Renaissance festival and coveted barbecue — plus more great summertime stuff to do and where to do itÂ
