The Ultimate Tennessee Travel Guide
Tennessee: Mostly known for the Great Smoky Mountains, Tennessee is home to several other awe-inspiring attractions! My favorite is Ruby Falls, an underground waterfall; it’s incredible and a must-see in Tennessee. Here is my Tennessee travel guide outlining major Tennessee attractions!
To make it easy for you to navigate the content, I have organized my Tennessee travel guide into two sections. (1) A brief introduction to Tennessee, a little history, some geography, commute, and weather. (2) Major Tennessee attractions, if you wish, you can skip the introduction and move on to the next section, Tennessee Attractions.
History: Tennessee joined the union as the 16th state on June 1st, 1796. The state was named after the Little Tennessee River, originally called “Tanasi.” The state’s nickname, the Volunteer State, is to honor the thousands of Tennesseans who voluntarily enlisted to fight int The Battle of New Orleans. Music is one of Tennessee’s significant traditions and attractions. Nashville has numerous recording studios and is known as the “Country Music Capital of the World.”
Geography: Tennessee is bordered by Kentucky and Virginia on the north and by North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi, on the south. On the east, Tennessee is bordered by North Carolina. On the west, Tennessee is bordered by Missouri and Arkansas. Tennessee is home to one of the most popular and most visited National Parks in the nation, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Getting There
Flight: Nashville International Airport (BNA), Memphis International Airport (MEM), Knoxville Airport (TYS), and Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport (CHA) are the major airports in Tennessee.
Drive: If you live in any of the neighboring states, you could drive to Tennessee.
Train: Amtrak offers a rail service called City of New Orleans connecting – Chicago, Memphis, and New Orleans.
Climate: Summers are hot and humid in Tennessee, with the average daily temperatures above 90°F. Winters range from mild to cold, with average low temperatures in the range of 22°F – 33°F. Spring is warm, and Autumn is relatively dry and pleasant. Check current weather conditions in Tennessee.
Time zone: Central Daylight Time UTC-5
Getting around: Renting a car is a good idea, but you would find public transportation in most of the counties in Tennessee – Nashville MTA, Music City Star Commuter train, and other regional services.
Best Places To Visit in Tennessee
It is known to be the most visited National Park in the US. It is home to several scenic vistas, historic buildings, scenic drives, cascading waterfalls, roaming wildlife, wildflowers, and hiking trails.
It is the nation’s tallest underground waterfall that is open to the public. The spectacular waterfall was accidentally discovered by Leo Lambert, a cave enthusiast, deep within Lookout Mountain.
Rock City, located atop Lookout Mountain, around six miles from downtown Chattanooga, is a small unique, and quaint place featuring rock formations, gardens, and breathtaking panoramic views.
The Incline Railway in Lookout Mountain is said to be one of the steepest passenger railways in the world, climbing through the beautiful Lookout Mountain, is also known as “America’s Most Amazing Mile.”
Is a theme park, named after its co-owner and country superstar Dolly Parton. Besides the typical thrill rides, Dollywood features some traditional crafts and music of the Smoky Mountain area.
Gatlinburg, a quaint mountain town in eastern Tennessee, popularly known as a gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, but there is a lot to see and do in Gatlinburg and a must-visit.
