Reservations

Luxury Travel

Reservations

Luxury Travel

Get to know Tennessee, USA

Get to know Tennessee, USA

This is a feature from Issue 14 of Charitable Traveller. Click to read more from this issue.

What's it all about?

As the home of Elvis Presley, Dolly Parton and Jack Daniels, Tennessee is known and loved for its legendary music scene and excellent whiskeys. But venture beyond the live music venues and distilleries and you’ll discover some equally epic countryside – first and foremost the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, but also the Blue Ridge Mountains and the flat and fertile plains of the Mississippi River. Add in the cities of Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville and Gatlinburg, and the state has it all.

Music is everywhere

Music doesn’t just play in the background in Tennessee, it takes to the front of the stage, grabs hold of the mic and turns everything up to 10.
In Knoxville, a radio show broadcasts from the visitors’ centre with live music artists regularly dropping in; it’s free to go in and listen. In Nashville, head to the Bluebird Cafe and the Listening Room Cafe for some of the finest live music, while in Memphis it’s got to be Lafayette’s Music Room. And don’t miss the Nightfall Music Series in Chattanooga – free live music every Friday night from May to August.

Civil Rights Trail

Follow the paths and hear the stories of the foot soldiers who led the charge for equality among all races in the United States on the U.S. Civil Rights Trail as it makes its way through Memphis and Nashville. Both cities played a significant role in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 60s, and include such attractions as the National Civil Rights Museum, Clayborn Temple, the Civil Rights Room at the Nashville Public Library and Fisk University.

The Great Outdoors

Mountain ranges, forested plateaus and wide river valleys make for a fabulously diverse playground. In Chattanooga, rent bikes to cycle along the Tennessee Riverpark, and in Knoxville hike the miles of natural trails through the Ijams Nature Centre and the Quarries. The Anakeesta Theme Park in the Gatlinburg Mountains is full of zip lines, treetop adventures and mountain coaster, while the Great Smoky Mountains National Park has a section of the Appalachian Trail – spot bears, deer and elk from the trails.

Family Fun

Dollywood, the Dolly Parton-themed amusement park in Pigeon Forge is a must for all ages, with rollercoasters, festivals and shows plus a waterpark. In Chattanooga, head to Lookout Mountain and the Incline Railway, or venture into the Fairyland Caverns and mine for gems, and round off the day with a sightseeing river cruise on the Southern Belle Riverboat. Over in Sevierville, Skyland Ranch has the Horizon Skyride, the Wild Stallion coaster and a miniature animal encounter, plus lots of food trucks for the grown ups.

Iconic Food

If you ask the people of Tennessee what they’re most passionate about, good food comes a very close second to good music. Reigning supreme over the state is mouth-watering barbecue – in many glorious forms. Will you go dry-rubbed or sauce-slathered, or even half-and-half? Next on the menu is Nashville’s hot chicken, where Hattie B’s and Prince’s Hot Chicken vie for the best fried chicken in the city. For something sweet, it has to be the buttermilk biscuits at the Loveless Cafe in Nashville.

Whiskey Trails in Tennessee

Tastings and Tunes

Pick your way through the entwined history of whiskey makers and music on a trail flowing through the mountains of East Tennessee for the twang of bluegrass to the cradle of country music in Knoxville before landing in Memphis for the blues and rock ’n’ roll.

East Tennessee

Not only the home to bluegrass, East TN is also the home of “bootleg liquor”. Among East TN’s foothills are 10 distilleries; allow a week to start in Chattanooga and head north up into the Great Smoky Mountains.

Middle Tennessee

A wonderful contrast with some of the world’s most recognisable alcohol brands sitting next to some of Tennessee’s smallest craft distillers, in Middle Tennessee you’ll find cool, urban hangouts in downtown Nashville, eclectic Americana-styled honky tonks and simple
sheds tucked away in the hills and forests.

REady to explore Tennessee for yourself?

Book your next trip to Tennessee with Charitable Travel, and trust our team of travel experts to plan your perfect break. Plus, you can donate 5% of your holiday price to the charity of your choice every time you book with us! 

This is a feature from Issue 14 of Charitable Traveller.