Nashville, Tennessee
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For gay nightlife, head to Church Street in the West End. Arguably the neighborhood's hottest gay bar, Tribe is a hip spot with a cute and diverse crowd and a full restaurant, an open-air deck, a decent-size dance floor, and a lounge area with plenty of comfy chairs. If you're seeking a more high-energy experience, venture next door to Play, a sprawling dance club that packs in huge crowds on weekends. Although it's a GLBT establishment, plenty of straights party here, too. Other gay hangouts in the same area include Blue Gene's, a relaxed neighborhood joint, and Blu Bar and Nightclub, which is especially popular with Nashville's African-American gay community. Nearby you can shop for books and Pride items at OutLoud, which also has a pleasant little cafe open for breakfast and lunch.

Over in East Nashville you'll find one of the liveliest lesbian bars in the South, Lipstick Lounge, set inside a brightly colored and attractively furnished old house. On the main level there's a small dance bar, and live music is often featured. Upstairs there's a lounge with darts, video games, and the like. One neighborhood hangout worth going out of your way for - if you're up for a quirky scene and hanging out with a completely unpretentious crowd - is Trax, a hard-to-find little dive bar in a somewhat industrial neighborhood south of downtown. Amid the linoleum floors and a fun juke box playing everything from country tunes to The Cure, you'll find a pool table, darts, and an all-ages, mostly male (but all-welcome) crowd sucking down cheap drinks.

Although not a gay establishment, the famed Bluebird Cafe does have something of a community following. This intimate spot serves passable comfort food, but you really come here to listen to outstanding live music in an intimate setting. There are two shows each night, the first more amateurish, the second generally featuring quite seasoned professionals.

Nashville's once staid hotel selection got a nice boost with the fall 2007 opening of the Hotel Indigo, a gay-friendly, moderately priced, and sleekly designed mid-rise in the city's West End - it's a short walk from gay nightlife. Also near West End gay bars, the posh and refined Loews Vanderbilt Plaza Hotel has dark cherry furniture, a slick white lobby, and first-rate service. This is the top business hotel in the city, and also a favorite of music celebs.

Occupying a turn-of-the-century railroad terminal on the edge of downtown, the Union Station Hotel has a gorgeous lobby and warmly furnished rooms. Light sleepers should keep in mind that freight trains rumble softly by some rooms, so request a unit away from the tracks if this concerns you. Run by the same team behind Portland, Oregon's swanky Lucia and deLuxe hotels, the Hotel Preston offers the hippest accommodations in Nashville. Alas, the location leaves a bit to be desired - it's 10 miles southeast of downtown, by the airport.

About a 20-minute drive east of downtown, the giant Opryland Resort comprises a huge hotel, spa, golf course, and the Grand Ole Opry performance center. If you're hungry, keep in mind that the open-air buffet at the Water's Edge Marketplace offers terrific food, at least as buffets go, and at fair prices. Although it's largely the domain of conventioneers and tourists, Opryland is at least worth a quick visit to admire the acres of indoor gardens and courtyards, and partake of some of the most colorful people-watching in Nashville.

Andrew Collins is the author of Fodor's Gay Guide to the USA and as well as numerous other guidebooks.