Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!Archive for tennessee
The Birthplace of Country Music
By Linda Tancs
Imagine being able to step into the shoes of some of the first families of country music and record your own rendition of the songs that launched their careers. You can do that at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum. Located at the junction between Bristol, Tennessee, and Bristol, Virginia, it’s officially recognized by Congress as the birthplace of country music. The museum’s mission is to preserve and promote the 1927 recording sessions of legends like Jimmie Rogers and the Carter family, an event that Johnny Cash hailed as a seminal event in country music history. Even the Library of Congress has ranked the “Bristol Sessions” as one of the 50 most significant events in the history of recorded music. A special exhibition honoring the Carters runs through 28 February.
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An American Story
By Linda Tancs
Memphis, Tennessee, the birthplace of rock ‘n’ roll, has another jewel in its crown: the National Civil Rights Museum. Chronicling the history and development of the civil rights movement, it begins with a multi-sensory exhibition concerning the slave trade. And it includes other poignant displays surrounding every historical milestone in the battle for equal rights, featuring in many instances the speeches of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (whose birth is celebrated in the United States on the third Monday of January each year as a national holiday). The museum is housed at The Lorraine Motel, site of Dr. King’s assassination on April 4, 1968. Today marks the museum’s annual King Holiday Celebration.
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Beneath the Elms
By Linda Tancs
In Memphis, Tennessee, you’ll find a historic cemetery, bird sanctuary and arboretum all in one place: Elmwood Cemetery. Some of the 80-acre property’s 1500 trees at this level two Tennessee State Arboretum date to the cemetery’s founding in 1852. Beneath the grounds’ ancient elms, oaks and magnolias rest those responsible for creating the city’s history, including war veterans and public servants. One of the first rural garden cemeteries in the South (characterized by a park-like setting, sweeping vistas, shady knolls, ancient trees and monuments), structures like the dramatic Entry Bridge and Phillips Cottage (the only known example of Victorian Carpenter Gothic architecture in Memphis) are on the National Register of Historic Places. Docent-led tours as well as car audio tours are available.
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America’s Most Visited National Park
By Linda Tancs
There are lots of reasons to visit Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Hikers love the 800 miles of maintained trails. There’s also fishing, camping, picnicking and auto touring. And, oh, the bears–1,500 live in the park; that’s nearly two per square mile. You can view them handily from Cades Cove, one of the most popular destinations in the Great Smokies for wildlife viewing. The Great Smoky Mountains are also known as the “Wildflower National Park,” boasting over 1,500 varieties and year-round blooms. You might think that, given its popularity, the biggest population of vertebrates in the park is the human variety. Not so. Thirty species of salamander roam the park at elevations up to 3,000 feet. That’s why they call it the “Salamander Capital of the World.” , The tallest mountains in the Appalachian chain, the Smokies host five forest types giving way to enviable biological diversity–and human history. No wonder it’s America’s most visited national park. Located in the east Tennessee region and straddling the border with North Carolina, you can easily access the park via Gatlinburg.
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A River Runs Through It
By Linda Tancs
Minutes from Nashville International Airport and next door to the Grand Ole Opry, Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center beckons visitors with a glass atrium stretching seven football fields in length. Beneath the atrium lies a stunning display of indoor gardens and cascading waterfalls, viewable along an indoor Delta River tour aboard a Mississippi-style flatboat. Look out for Danny, the 80-pound catfish and mascot of the meandering indoor river. And what better time to visit Music City than during the holidays! The resort’s 30th annual “A Country Christmas” features more than two million lights and dozens of shows and attractions.
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Spinning Tales in Tennessee
By Linda Tancs
Like kids around the campfire, folks have been gathering for story time in Jonesborough, Tennessee for over 40 years now. But in this case, substitute a tent for a campfire. At the National Storytelling Festival this weekend, circus-type tents in downtown Jonesborough celebrate the pure and simple truth of a well-told tale. This year’s tellers include Tim Lowry, Syd Lieberman, Diane Ferlatte and Minton Sparks.
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Music and Memphis
By Linda Tancs
Memphis is synonymous with music. Virtually every genre of music is associated with the city, particularly blues, rock and gospel. Out of Memphis came the talent of such greats as Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison and B.B. King. Take a spin around the city at Travelrific® Radio.
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Ducks Rule in Memphis
By Linda Tancs
The Peabody Memphis, a Forbes Four-Star, AAA Four-Diamond historic hotel in Tennessee, epitomizes southern hospitality and charm. A symbol of elegance and good taste, it attracts visitors worldwide. Of course, it’s within easy reach of many Memphis attractions like Beale Street, the Memphis Museum of Rock & Soul, Orpheum Theatre, FedEx Forum (home of the Memphis Grizzlies), AutoZone Park, Graceland and Sun Studio. But arguably its greatest attraction are the rooftop residents: five ducks who’ve been marching their way down from the Duck Palace to the Italian marble lobby fountain at the direction of their revered Duck Master since 1933. The march is held every day at 11 a.m. and 5 p.m.; you better arrive early if you want to secure your place along the red carpet running from the elevator door to the fountain. The ducks are yours to cherish from 11 until the five o’clock run, when it’s back in the elevator and up to the penthouse suite, so to speak, for those plucky mallards.
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King Biscuit
By Linda Tancs
They’ll be raising lots of dough from 27 to 28 May in Knoxville, Tennessee at the International Biscuit Festival. Celebrating the heart of comfort food in downtown Market Square, you can sample the fare along Biscuit Boulevard and decide who earns the title of Best Biscuit. For those who lose the crown this year, there’s always the bake-off. Last year’s winner saluted one of Elvis’s favorite dishes comprising peanut butter, banana and bacon. Every biscuit tells a story. The songwriting competition gives you a chance to share yours. Post your lyrics here.
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An Ocean Journey in Tennessee
By Linda Tancs
They’re sleeping with the fishes in Chattanooga, Tennessee at the city’s aquarium on Broad Street. The largest freshwater aquarium in the world, the facility offers overnight visits for families and large groups alike. The event includes a tour of both River Journey (an exhibition of river otters, turtles, alligators, giant catfish and thousands of freshwater species) and Ocean Journey (a collection of penguins, sharks, colorful fish, invertebrates and scores of other deep sea creatures). You can interact with their keepers, too, and get a glimpse of life behind the scenes–that is, below the surface.
