Tennessee travel guide

Elvis may have left the building but he was gracious enough to leave the keys to his Memphis estate with caretakers. Indeed, a lot of the annual visitors who make a trip to Tennessee include a pilgrimage to Graceland on their itinerary so that they can see where the King slept, where he ate his peanut butter and banana sandwiches, and where he and his family members are buried.

The mansion on Elvis Presley Avenue, though, isn’t the only attraction worth a stop in “The Volunteer State” that’s as famous for Jack Daniels and Davy Crockett as it is for foot-stomping country music. It’s a family-friendly destination with plenty to see and do. Here are some of the historical tidbits and highlights worth checking out.

During the Civil War, Tennessee was not only the last state to leave the Union but the first to sign back up four years later. Following Lincoln’s assassination, it was Tennessean Andrew Johnson who was sworn into take his place. Johnson subsequently became the first president to be impeached, owing to his views on the newly emerging civil rights legislation. By the turn of the century, Tennesseans were trying out a new fangled soda called Coca-Cola that was being bottled in their own state; the rest of the country quickly followed suit.

The year 1925 became a Tennessee landmark for launching two widely divergent platforms. The first was the inauguration of a live radio program broadcast from Nashville in a theater called the Grand Ole Opry. Not only is it the longest running program on the planet but its studio continues to attract 4,400 audience members per seating. The second event took place in Dayton: a much publicized trial in which a schoolteacher named John Scopes introduced the radical idea to his pupils that men and women were descended from apes rather than Adam and Eve. This being a Bible belt community, Scopes’ theories were not enthusiastically embraced, igniting a courtroom drama in which Clarence Darrow and William Jennings Bryan locked horns to debate whether evolution or creationism should hold sway on a school’s curriculum.

The National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis—formerly the Lorraine Motel—is yet another site associated with a turning point in American history. It was here in 1969 that Martin Luther King Jr. was gunned down, igniting even further racial tensions across the country.

Did you know the Heisman Trophy has roots in Tennessee? Named for Georgia Tech coach John Heisman, his school had the distinction of beating the Cumberland team in 1916 by a score that most of the latter would like to forget: 222 to 0.

THE PARTHENON

In 1897, Nashville played host to the Centennial Exposition, a fair designed to celebrate the four corners of the world with grand exhibit halls and pavilions. Given the longstanding fascination that modern people have always had for Ancient Greece, it was felt that a full scale replica of the Parthenon and an accompanying statue of the goddess Athena would be a definite crowd pleaser. While many such attractions of the day were customarily torn down and dismantled once a fair was officially over, the Tennesseans particularly bonded with this one and wanted it to remain. Today, it is used as an art gallery for 19th and 20th century works, as well as rotating exhibits from throughout the country. It is also a whimsical backdrop for shutterbug tourists who want to impress their friends and pretend they went out of the country for some weekend sightseeing.

TENNESSEE STATE MUSEUM

Once someone starts humming them, it’s really hard to get either the Daniel Boone or Davy Crockett TV songs out of your head. Especially in an enormous Nashville museum such as this which not only celebrates these frontier heroes but also the likes of Sam Houston, Andrew Jackson, and Sergeant York. Those who love military paraphernalia and weaponry will be enthralled with the museum’s extensive collection, especially those items from the Civil War. Its exhibit halls also invite you to travel even farther back in time—15,000 years to be precise. The museum’s dioramas, especially those depicting life in early Tennessee settlements, are especially well done. Admission is free, too, which makes it a practical venue for travelers on a budget.

AQUARIUM OF THE SMOKIES

Mention the Smokey Mountains and the first word to spring to your head isn’t likely to be “sharks”. At the Ripley Aquarium of the Smokies in Gatlinburg, though, they are here in abundance. Fortunately, their viewers are well protected behind walls of thick glass. Interactive and “touchable” exhibits for the kids will prompt squeals of delight. The Aquarium is open every day except Monday and also has a great gift shop.

JACK DANIELS DISTILLERY

The Jack Daniels Distillery in Lynchburg is the oldest distillery in the country. Visitors not only get to see how whiskey is made but are even invited to sample modest “sippin’s” at the end.

MISS MARY BOBO’S BOARDING HOUSE

Lynchburg is also where you’ll find a Federalist boarding house that dates from 1908 and serves up some of the best family-style cuisine in all of Tennessee. As the folklore goes, Mary Bobo acquired the property, a former hotel, as an old maid (she was only 27) and decided to turn it into a place where folks could stay and sit a spell in her garden after a good meal. Mary herself lived to the ripe old age of 102 and is believed to still haunt the place, flitting about to make sure no one goes away hungry. Suppers are by reservation only and are served at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. sharp. The costumed wait staff are especially well versed not only on the history of Miss Bobo’s but on Lynchburg in general.

DOLLYWOOD

Dolly Parton, who hails from Sevierville, is a favorite in this neck of the woods. She also ensured that a lot of the locals would have permanent employment at her own theme park located in Pigeon Forge. If your kids have already been to the likes of Disneyland, they may roll their eyes and proclaim this venue to be “lame” in terms of pulse-pounding, gut-wrenching rides and special effects. On the other hand, you can’t beat the number of live music performances, stick to your ribs cooking, and a good place to buy local crafts.

MEMPHIS ROCK AND ROLL MUSEUM

Memphis has alternatively been nicknamed the Home of the Blues and the Birthplace of Rock ‘n’ Roll. It wasn’t just Elvis who left his mark on the nation but also B.B. King, Jerry Lee Lewis and countless others. Their accomplishments are enshrined in the expansive galleries of the Memphis Rock and Roll Museum. Fans can enjoy an audio gallery of their favorite musicians, stroll amongst artifacts and musical instruments, and buy recordings in the gift shop. They will also learn such trivia as the fact that W.C. Handy penned “The Memphis Blues” in 1909, a piece believed to be the first blues rendition ever set down on paper.

GOLFING WITH HILLBILLIES & T-REXES

Miniature golf is huge in Tennessee, especially Gatlinburg. Don’t come here expecting quaint little castles and windmills, though. The obstacles in your path at these courses are going to be outhouses, pterodactyls, caves, moonshiners’ shacks, and brontosaurus tails. The photo ops alone will be a silly addition to your family scrapbook.

THE PEABODY DUCKS

At 11 and 5 every day, the place to be in Memphis is the lobby of the Peabody Hotel. This pricey venue—the priciest in the city, in fact—is home to the Peabody Ducks. This wacky—or rather, quacky—tradition had been going for over 70 years and involves the laying of a red carpet upon which waddle the royal residents. Life is pretty good for these guys, who have their own penthouse, their own elevator, and their own splendidly garbed Duck Master. To the strains of a John Phillip Sousa march, they make their appearance, splash around in the duck fountain, then call it a day. Not a bad gig, especially since they never have to worry about ending up on a dinner plate.