Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!Archive for tennessee
A Covered Bridge in the Smokies
By Linda Tancs
A short drive outside the city limits of Sevierville (“Gateway to the Smokies”), Harrisburg Covered Bridge is one of Tennessee’s last remaining covered bridges. Built in 1875 and spanning the East Fork of the Little Pigeon River, it’s on the National Register of Historic Places and is open to vehicular traffic. It’s a popular photo stop for those visiting the Smokies but be mindful of the private residences surrounding it.
Share this:
Hot Chicken in Nashville
By Linda Tancs
Nashville, Tennessee, boasts more than one kind of fireworks on Independence Day. July 4 is also the date of the annual Music City Hot Chicken Festival, which celebrates (what else) hot chicken, Nashville’s unique culinary claim to fame. The day kicks off with the Fire Truck Parade. You’ll also find live music, an amateur cook-off and a collection of area vendors. The free event is held in East Park.
Share this:
A Renaissance in Tennessee
By Linda Tancs
‘Tis a month for medieval merriment in Tennessee. In other words, it’s time for the Tennessee Renaissance Festival, held weekends in May and Memorial Day. Set in the fictional village of Covington Glen in Arrington, the event features swashbuckling, jousts, magic shows, musical performances, tasty food, and arts and crafts. What’s not fictional is Castle Gwynn, the backdrop for the festival. Privately owned, you can visit the grounds and gardens with your ticket admission. You’ll find exhibits of armor, tapestries, period pieces, video of some of the castle’s interior and a souvenir shop.
Share this:
Zoolumination
By Linda Tancs
Tennessee’s Nashville Zoo is one of the largest zoos in the country. It features more than 3,700 animals representing more than 350 different species. This time of year, though, it’s best known for Zoolumination, an event that boasts over 1,000 stunning Chinese lanterns. The largest festival of its kind in the nation, the theme varies from year to year.
Share this:
Rock Concerts in Tennessee
By Linda Tancs
The Caverns in Pelham, Tennessee, give new meaning to the term “rock concert.” It’s both a subterranean music venue offering expectedly good acoustics and a spelunking destination. The cave system covers over 8,000 linear feet of known cave passages. Underground shows are hosted in a section of The Caverns historically known to locals and cavers as Big Mouth Cave. Daily guided tours explore the wider expanse of the cave system, spanning three football fields in length. Cave tours for thrill seekers take guests even deeper inside and include the adventurous “Tombstone Pass.”
Share this:
Soul History in Memphis
By Linda Tancs
The golden age of soul is commemorated in Memphis, Tennessee, at Stax Museum of American Soul Music. It’s located at the original location of Stax Records, where legends like Otis Redding, Carla Thomas, the Mar-Keys, Booker T. and The MGs, Rufus Thomas and Isaac Hayes recorded. The building opens with a fully reassembled 1906 Mississippi Delta church, honoring the roots of Stax in Southern gospel music. You’ll also find period recording equipment in the control room and Studio A, an exact replica of the legendary converted movie theater where Stax artists cut records. Another gem is the Wall of Sound, where you can hear classics at the listening station and see the records and album art in floor-to-ceiling exhibits. And don’t miss Isaac Hayes’ glittering custom Cadillac Eldorado, fully equipped with unique amenities like a refrigerated mini-bar, television, 24-carat gold exterior trim and white fur carpeting on the floorboards.
Share this:
Loretta Lynn’s Ranch
By Linda Tancs
Loretta Lynn was a legendary American country music singer and songwriter. Her homestead in rural Tennessee is one of the state’s top tourist attractions. Located in Hurricane Mills, Loretta Lynn Ranch is a family-friendly destination featuring a full service RV Park, log cabin rentals and a swimming pool. You can tour her historic family home dating to the 1800s as well as an exact replica of her childhood home in Butcher Holler, Kentucky. The property also features numerous museums like the Coal Miner’s Daughter Museum, Native American Artifacts Museum and Grist Mill Museum. Full tour admission includes a guided tour of both homes as well as museum access.
Share this:
A Little Paris in Tennessee
By Linda Tancs
If you’re looking for a little Parisian flair without the air fare, then maybe you should head to Paris, Tennessee. West of Nashville, the city was named after its French counterpart in honor of the general Marquis de Lafayette. And what would a namesake city be without one of the most iconic landmarks in its midst? At Eiffel Tower Park, you’ll find a 70-foot steel replica of the Eiffel Tower. Just across the street from the park is Eiffel Tower Extended, where a stocked pond is open to anyone with a valid fishing license and trout stamp. The pond is stocked with a total of 1,000 trout fish biannually, in December and January.
Share this:
Titanic in Tennessee
By Linda Tancs
Museums recounting the tragic sinking of Titanic abound across the world. Although the facility in Belfast is located in the actual shipyard, other venues are no less significant or poignant. For instance, Tennessee boasts Titanic Museum in Pigeon Forge, a half-scale replica of the ship. A deeply immersive experience, visitors enter the ship with a boarding pass bearing the name of an actual passenger or crew member. The heart of the ship is the Grand Staircase, constructed from the original Harland & Wolff plans with its oak carvings and cherub statue. Guests also experience what it was like to walk the hallways, parlors and cabins, surrounded by more than 400 artifacts directly from the ship and its passengers. The attraction is self-guided with an audio guide included in your purchase to enhance the tour.
Share this:
A Pivotal Place in Tennessee
By Linda Tancs
The Battle of Franklin was fought on November 30, 1864, in Franklin, Tennessee, as part of the Franklin–Nashville Campaign of the American Civil War. It was one of the worst disasters of the war for the Confederate States Army. At its epicenter was Lotz House, where battle literally took place in the family’s front yard. Evidence of the conflict remain, with bloodstains and cannonball scars throughout the house. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, guided house tours take place throughout the day, as well as specialized tours like a ghost tour, a women’s history tour and a battlefield tour with a Civil War expert.
Travelrific® Travel Journal 