Seriously, its been quite a few years since I was there, but the tour is outstanding.
Posted on 05/23/2018 6:14:24 PM PDT by Michael.SF.
Vacationing this coming week in Tennessee and have never been there. Looking for some ideas from fellow Freeper travelers, including insights, new places, off the beaten path places, places locals go to and places to avoid. (see below)
The mosquitoes.
Even if you don’t want to see or do them, they will see you and will do you.
We have a trip scheduled for mid-June to Banner Elk and Gatlinburg. Several hikes already mapped out. Roan, Craggy Gardens, Linville Falls.
The Station Inn in N’ville is excellent too for live bluegrass and pitchers of beer.
And wasp spray. Our last cabin was surrounded with them. Racoons and skunks were another problem. LOL!
Another thing....if you like Ray Stevens...he has a dinner theater. We’ll be going soon.
just about every place I thought of has already been mentioned.
Don’t see Rock City, it is a rip off.
You might visit Clingman’s Dome.
Seriously, its been quite a few years since I was there, but the tour is outstanding.
Gatlinburg is a beautiful area but still recovering from that huge forest fire, so you may be a bit disappointed in the scenic value it takes years for the trees and vegetation to grow back. I assume you’re traveling by car, if you enjoy driving mountain roads, go over to Cherokee, NC. Harrah’s Casino complex has gotten fairly impressive, some interesting native crafts, a few good restaurant, a lot of tourist stuff. The road is quite elevated by eastern standards and very scenic. So’s the Cherohala Skyway, even more so actually. If you’re the sporting sort and enjoy driving fast on the twisties, try Tail Of The Dragon, which begins at Deal’s Gap in NC and descends into TN. There are numerous opportunities for river rafting, from relatively serene and good for beginners on up to very challenging. Nolichucky I believe in TN is a good one. Nantahala in NC is one of the good beginner rivers. There are many others. Civil War points of interest near Chatanooga if you want to venture that far afield from Gatlinburg.
Set aside time for a drive up to Wiseman’s View. Rough gravel road, passable by car but better suited to 4WD, several miles. The overlook is stunning, you can see the entire Linville Gorge and it looks like nothing in the east. You can see the famous Brown Mountain off in the distance, people go there to overnight hoping to see the Brown Mountain Lights.
What about the belles?
Just visited Stones River Battlefield. It was facinateing.
There is also another Battlefield called Parkers Crossroads off I-40,
Exit 108 right outside Jackson, TN on your way to Nashville.
Smoky Mountains: there is so much to do there.
It depends on what u are into.
Amusements such as Dollywood and all the Strip amusements
in Pigeon Forge. Music and Dinner Shows
Lots of shopping opportunities and of course, hiking in the Great
Smoky Mountains.
The Rock and Soul Museum next to the Gibson Guitar factory is an excellent place to visit. Sun Studio takes about ten minutes.
Smoky Mountain Knife Works in Sevierville. It’s like the WalMart of knife stores.
Smoky Mountain National Park, Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg are nearby, but none of them are 30,000 square feet of knives.
Mountain gals have their own charms but I wouldn’t describe them as “belles.” If it’s belles you seek then Nashville and the Memphis burbs would probably work better for you.
Stops included; The Flight 93 National Park, The Smithsonian Air & Space Museum at Dulles airport (SR-71, Enola Gay, Concord, Shuttle Discovery, XF-35), Gettysburg, Puxatony, & others.
The point is Pennsylvania is every bit as beautiful, off the interstate as you'll probably find Tennessee is. General Robert E. Lee may or may not of wanted to fight where Gettysburg is but if it's to be the last land you see, it is a pretty one.
We took all kinds of back roads on this trip, up and down mountains, 15 MPH switchbacks and generally white knuckle driving for hours. My wife had 2 gps devices and an old fashioned AAA map book for reference.
We had a ball. Enjoy Tennessee!
Thanks! That is on the list
Thank you. What is your recommendation to see in Murfreesboro?
I’d dump Gatlinburg completely - it always struck me as a huge tourist trap. And the Smokey Mountain National Park used to be the most visited (crowded) in the country. Move a day or two to Chattanooga - Lookout Mountain (ride up the cable railroad). Depending on your interests, the National Battlefield Park, the railroad museum, the river; perhaps another day to Knoxville. That would save you a bunch of driving. (Tennessee is LOOOOONG). The Holston valley is attractive, but you’ll have plenty of mountain driving without it.
Backing up a bit. Memphis - mud island used to be nice, but my visit there was so far back they still had the Memphis Belle there. I don’t know if it is still worth the trip.
Nashville - the Hermitage, if you are into history. And/or visit the boyhood home of the man who won the War Between the States - Elm Springs, in Columbia, Tennessee, less than an hour south of Nashville (open weekdays only)
Chattanooga - if you want nature with out the “Hillbilly Golf” attractions, there’s Cloudland Canyon State Park in Georgia up on top of Lookout Mountain. http://gastateparks.org/CloudlandCanyon
If you’re going to gatlinburg, get the little brown book at the entrance - and pick the hike you wanna start with. Start with Chimney Tops...lol, Abrams Falls, Rainbow Falls...
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