Posted on 02/25/2015 9:35:14 PM PST by Jonty30
I'm coming to Tennessee for a week's vacation. I still don't know what I will be doing when I'm down there.
What is there to do that is of interest to a visitor? Anything I shouldn't do that might get me killed by the locals? Any little places that are pleasant that most people don't know about?
I'd appreciate any assistance for this.
When I was a little boy, my mom took me to Tennessee for a vacation. I think she was trying to get away from psycho husband for a bit, so that’s where we went.
It was one of the best times I ever had. We went to Gatlinburg, which was awesome as well as Chatanooga.
We saw Ruby Falls which was quite lovely but a bit boring, and we also went to an underground gave that we toured in a boat. I remember there was blind catfish in it.
We went to place called Rock City which was a park that I initially thought would be boring, who wants to see a bunch of rocks, but those rocks turned out to be mountain skyscrapers, and it was just amazing.
But the best times I had there was just riding on horses on some mountain trails with a guide, though apparently this killed my mom’s back, and stopping off to swim on some random mountain creek that was absolutely gorgeous and freezing cold.
This stream left the biggest impression on me as I most got sucked over a good sized water fall when I got stuck in its pull. There was a guy cliff diving in the pool below the falls, apparently the water was that deep.
It is truly a lovely place with endless things to do, especially if you love the outdoors.
you can get bit by a rattlesnake, drive around looking for roadkill for dinner, swat mosquitos all dayl ong, chase possums, look for armadillos, weave a couple of baskets, apply calamine lotion to your poison ivy, run from black bears, wrestle Gators, hide from cougers, get swimmers itch from swimming with the ducks and geese-
My goodness, there’s tons to do in Tennessee
Cool thread.
Best advice so far in the thread: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/3261694/posts?page=23#23
Tennessee is wide. If you’re smart, you won’t plan on an Elvis tour in the morning, followed by Memphis BBQ for lunch, and then on to the Jack Daniels tour in the afternoon. Not happening...follow the advice in the linked thread.
Get off the blue highway and follow some back-road out into the hollow. Might find some shine, could get interesting! Good luck.
Go here, rent a room and a horse, and ride the trails of the 2,000 acres my Virginia great x4 granfather received as a grant for serving in the Revolutionary War that motivated him to move from Hanover County, VA to Macon County, TN.....after hearing Patrick Henry give his speech in St. John Church and guarding prisoners for Lafayette.....
longctrails.com
Oh, and hang out with my great kin who still live on this land, and go see my great x4 grandfathers’s gravesite..........
Bump
Natchaz Trace parkway. Many historical sites. It starts in Natchaz MS and ends in Nashville, TN
And you get to listen for the price of a cold beer.
Dixie Stampede in Pigeon Forge. Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Visitor Center is a great place to start!
Glad to know about Bea’s, though I don’t know if we’ll ever stop, since it’s in downtown Chattanooga and therefore off our travel path. Plus it has competition (for a meal stop on a trip) from Sugar’s Ribs, which we like quite well.
“Go see the Pantheon in Nashville.”
That would be ‘Parthenon’.
One of the hidden gems is Pigeon Forge. Very low key tourist places. Ignore the Titanic Museum shaped like a ship, 16 mini golf places, the monster truck ride and 12 helicopter ride emporiums.
But, if you’re into knives, the Smoky Mountain Knife Works is for you. Their inventory is over 1,000,000 knives and the staff is very knowledgeable.
Smoky Mountains are great too. Excellent backpacking.
If you are in Chattanooga, and a model railroader visit the train museum. Also, the lakes of the TVA...
So no”body’s” just trying to get in there, hunh?
If you go to Memphis just remember you will be in The Mogadishu of the South. Your life will be under constant threat. If you visit the Overton Park Zoo you will not be out of danger until you are inside the zoo and then only inside the animal cages. Memphis today is not a place to take lightly. I was born near there and it used to be my old stomping grounds in the late 60’s and early 70’s. The wife and I drove to Nashville last June and I made sure I did not have to stop while passing through Memphis.
Now you’ve done it! DEMOS’ I love that place and haven’t been to Nashville in years. I will be thinking about it all day. Kansas City Strip with the browned garlic butter spaghetti, pepperoncini on your plate.
I got stuck in my East Tennessee driveway this morning.....4 “ of snow on top of 1” of ice
If you go to Cocke County, go off the main road and ask a farmer if he can direct you to a working still and some real moonshiners. Thea might get pretty exciting
There is nothing to do in Tennessee, don’t bother.
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