Fascinating destinations from all over the world
One of America's most famous natural conservation areas—and its most visited—is the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983.
The mountain resort town of Gatlinburg is the ideal destination from which to explore the park's most popular areas. A network of scenic drives and over 1,448 km (900 mi) of hiking trails crisscross the region. Gatlinburg itself is worth discovering for attractions that include the Space Needle observation tower. It provides visitors with a 360-degree view of the Great Smoky Mountains.
The Smoky Mountains cradle numerous points of interest, one being Cades Grove. Once home to settlers, the destination still features original pioneer homesteads such as John Cable Grist Mill, which dates back to 1867.
The city's tourist attractions include Dollywood, a theme park co-owned by country music legend Dolly Parton. Blending folksy Smoky Mountains traditions and crafts with modern thrill-a-minute rides and entertainment, Dollywood also hosts concerts and musical events each year, some headlining the Tennessee-born songstress herself.
Though born in Tupelo, Mississippi, Elvis Presley lived most of his life in Memphis. His former home, Graceland, is today one of the most recognized rock 'n' roll residences in the world, and draws as many visitors as the White House.
Joining a guided tour of Presley's palatial pad affords a glimpse into his life and exactly what his home looked like at the time of his passing on August 16, 1977. Nothing has been changed. What you see is as it was on that fateful day.
Elvis Presley helped put Tennessee on the popular music map. But so, too, did numerous other recording artists, notably country music stars. The Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville is essentially a museum the collections of which document country music from its folk roots through today.
Standing on Nashville's famous Music Row is the Grand Ole Opry. The venue is synonymous with country music and the radio shows of the same name. Pictured is the Ryman Auditorium, home of the Grand Ole Opry from 1943 to 1974, and known as the birthplace of bluegrass music.
Get your hands clappin' and toes a-tappin' on Nashville's Broadway Street. The hub of the city's entertainment district, Broadway is renowned for its historic bars and live country music scene.
Memphis has the dubious honor of being the city where civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, on April 4, 1968. He was shot while standing on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel, a spot permanently marked by a wreath. The former accommodation is now part of the National Civil Rights Museum. Nearly a quarter million people visit every year.
It was in Memphis that Elvis Presley cut his very first record, at the Sun Studio on Union Avenue. Often cited as the birthplace of rock 'n' roll, the studio is also where the likes of Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison, and Johnny Cash made some of their earliest records.
After touring Sun Records, why not head for Beal Street and catch some blues in one of the famous music clubs that line the neon-lit thoroughfare? The Memphis Music Hall of Fame is situated here, as is the equally compelling Memphis Rock 'n' Soul Museum.
Situated north of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the city of Pigeon Forge. Here, another historic 19th-century gristmill can be admired, the Old Mill that stands on the Little Pigeon River. Pigeon Forge, however, is especially known for its country music culture.
Tennessee's Civil War heritage is honored throughout the state with several monuments, museums, and cemeteries. The Shiloh National Military Park marks the location of the first significant American Civil War battle in the west and contains nearly 4,000 Union graves.
Chickamauga-Chattanooga National Military Park is the largest of its kind in the United States. Nearby is the landmark Point Park Battlefield where the infamous "Battle Above the Clouds" took place on November 24, 1863. Cannons placed at the summit of Lookout Mountain near Chattanooga serve as a reminder of the siege.
Students of American history should make a detour east out of Nashville to Andrew Jackson's Hermitage, the plantation home of the seventh US President from 1804-1845. Now a museum, the Hermitage also serves as his final resting place.
Nashville's full-sized replica of Athens' famous Parthenon resides in the city's Centennial Park. It was built entirely out of cement to commemorate the state's centenary in 1897. Its vast dimensions alone are worth casting an eye over.
Did you know that the city of Oak Ridge was conceived in secret and established by the US government in 1942 to serve as a home base for the Manhattan Project, an undertaking that produced the first nuclear weapons? The American Museum of Science and Energy preserves the old graphite reactors used to develop the technology, among other period artifacts. Other displays focus on national defense and include models of weaponry, tools, original documents, and the protective clothing used at the site.
The original Chattanooga Choo Choo steam engine (the name of which is inspired by the 1941 song made famous by Glen Miller) can be admired at the Tennessee Valley Railroad train station, which has been converted to a locomotive-themed hotel. The Tennessee Valley Railroad meanwhile, offers hour-long steam trips along a heritage line.
Sources: (Stanford University) (History)
See also: Celebrities who lived in hotels
Knoxville serves as another gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. But don't leave before exploring the city. Get your bearings by topping out on the iconic Sunsphere Tower. Inside its gold-dusted ball is an observation deck that affords sweeping views over Knoxville's downtown core.
To reach the summit of Lookout Mountain, take the Lookout Mountain Incline Railway that slowly glides up the Tennessee River Valley. Built in 1895, this railway is one of the world's steepest.
Easily the most incongruous of Pigeon Forge's visitor attraction is the spectacular Titanic Museum facility. Quite what the town has in common with the infamous ocean-going liner is not clear. But it's certainly an eye-opener. Nearly 500 Titanic related artifacts are displayed in the museum, which can be browsed on a self-guided tour.
The Museum of Appalachia in Norris is an open-air living history museum that interprets the story of how people settled the Appalachian Mountains in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Why not combine a visit with the wonderful Tennessee Fall Homecoming, a three-day event held in October and one of the nation's largest, most authentic music and folk festivals?
Actually, if going underground is your thing, delve into the fascinating Lost Sea, a huge cave system in Sweetwater with the largest subterranean lake in the United States. A sightseeing boat trip navigates this spectacular hidden waterway.
One of the most beloved of Tennessee's tourist attractions is the Peabody Hotel Duck March. The upmarket Peabody Hotel in Memphis is the venue for a daily waddle by several feathered celebrities as they visit the lobby fountain from 11 am to 5 pm.
For two weeks every June, Mother Nature hosts a spectacular lightshow when swarms of fireflies illuminate dusk with an amazing synchronized flash dance. The Sugarlands Visitor Center near Gatlinburg organizes trolley runs to the Little River Trailhead at Elkmont, where the colorful bugs congregate.
The Appalachian Trail passes through the center of the park on its route from Georgia to Maine. Some of the highest mountains in eastern North America are located here, including the 2,024-m (6,643 ft) Clingmans Dome.
Besides hiking, the park is a renowned fly fishing destination. In fact, this is the most popular activity, the park's waters enjoying a reputation for their healthy stock of brook, brown, and rainbow trout, as well as offering up challenging fishing terrain.
Overlooking Gatlinburg is Ober Gatlinburg, a ski resort and amusement complex offering an exciting program of year-round activities. An aerial tramway connects the area with downtown Gatlinburg.
Lookout Mountain conceals an incredible Tennessee natural wonder—Ruby Falls. A series of underground cascading waterfalls totaling 44 m (145 ft), this geological wonder is illuminated for dramatic effect.
Tennessee can boast numerous claims to fame. For example, the most visited park in the United States is the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. And in the early 1950s, a young man named Elvis Presley cut his first record in a small studio in Memphis. Furthermore, the tallest and deepest waterfall open to the public in America is found near Chattanooga. And did you know that in the 1940s the sleepy town of Oak Ridge played a major role in the development of the nuclear bomb?
Want to know more? Click through and find out what to see in Tennessee.
What to see in Tennessee
Today is National Tennessee Day
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Tennessee can boast numerous claims to fame. For example, the most visited park in the United States is the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. And in the early 1950s, a young man named Elvis Presley cut his first record in a small studio in Memphis. Furthermore, the tallest and deepest waterfall open to the public in America is found near Chattanooga. And did you know that in the 1940s the sleepy town of Oak Ridge played a major role in the development of the nuclear bomb?
Want to know more? Click through and find out what to see in Tennessee.