Pour yourself a Lynchburg Lemonade and turn up the stereo. A visit to Tennessee will quench your thirst for culture, and fuel your appetite for music, spirit and soul. From the neon lights of Beale Street to old-world Appalachian charms, life here switches from fast to slow in an ever-changing march of excitement.
NATURE & WILDLIFE
Tennessee takes the ‘great outdoors’ to an inspiring new level. Rattle up one of the highest railways in the world to Lookout Mountain in Chattanooga or hike behind thundering waterfalls. But don’t miss the opportunity to see the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This ancient range is atmospherically cloaked in fog each morning, while afternoon sun sees rainbows cast across the huge waterfalls that zigzag the rocks.
CULTURE
The King of Rock and Roll. The Queen of Country. From Elvis Presley to Dolly Partin, Johnny Cash to Tina Turner, Tennessee could have a music hall of fame all of its own. Anna Mae Bullock’s former schoolhouse in Brownsville is now a memorabilia-filled museum, said to be supplied by the late singer. And while a visit to Graceland is unforgettable, a stop at the iconic Sun Studios in Memphis is a must. The ‘birthplace of rock n’ roll’ played host to B.B. King, Jerry Lee Lewis and, of course, Elvis. Visitors can even stand in the exact spot where he laid down his first LP.
HISTORY
A truly sobering space, the National Civil Rights Museum never fails to have a powerful impact. In fact, its setting is the Lorraine Motel where Martin Luther King Jr. died. Tread hallways frozen in time, and immerse yourself in the story of the civil rights movement. Iconic Beale Street also maintains a strong sense of its roots, with the Old Daisy Theatre and Withers photography collection offering a further glimpse into Tennessee’s past.
Ruby Falls at Lookout Mountain is best explored after dark when lantern-lit tours shine a fresh light on the US’ deepest cave waterfall.
