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Post by fredfreddy44 on Apr 10, 2025 2:20:44 GMT
My life's plan is to visit all 50 states and I have 34 states down and this upcoming trip will knock off another 5 (TN, AR, MS, KY, AL).
Husband and I are going on a Tennessee road trip next month. We are staying two nights in Memphis and then 7 nights near Cookeville TN. From Cookeville we plan to do a lot of day trips including Mammoth Caves (already booked), Knoxville (Sunsphere is #1 for us Simpsons fans), and a ride on the Tennessee Valley RR out of/near Chattanooga (already booked).
Anyway, I would love ideas or must sees for Nashville, Knoxville, Huntsville, Memphis, and/or Chattanooga and anything else local around Cookeville. We won't be seeing Graceland but do want to see as much air and space stuff in Huntsville as possible (my dad worked for the aerospace industry for 35 years.)
Thanks for any input.
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mamallama
Full Member
Posts: 196
Sept 14, 2018 7:30:33 GMT
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Post by mamallama on Apr 10, 2025 4:45:23 GMT
I lived in Huntsville for 5 years. The space stuff is a must see! When I was there many years ago they did a bus tour where they took you on Redstone Arsenal and showed you the stuff they were doing for the space program there as well.
We also made some day trips to Opryland from Huntsville. And once traveled to Helen Keller’s Home. I can’t tell you how far apart everything is because I was there in middle/high school.
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Post by rymeswithpurple on Apr 10, 2025 14:40:48 GMT
Can I come with? DH had always said he wanted to go to Tennessee and now he's not too sure. I have a handful of similar items on what I thought we might see (including the Sunsphere), especially because we were going to take two weeks to drive from VA and make a loop of sorts. Here's what my list has... (and I realize we may not have seen all of these if we ever go, but I wanted to get everything on a list because that's the crazy person in me).
Chattanooga
Classic Arcade Pinball Museum
Lookout Mountain Incline Railway
National Medal of Honor Heritage Center
Ruby Falls
Franklin
Combo ticket option: Carnton Plantation, Carter House, Rippavilla Plantation (actually in Spring Hill)
Lotz House
The Dave Ramsey Show
Memphis
Bass Pro Shops at the Pyramid
Beale Street
Burkle Estate
Elmwood Cemetery
Graceland
Memphis Music Hall of Fame
Memphis Rock 'N' Soul Museum
Museum of Science & History
National Civil Rights Museum
Stax Museum of American Soul Music
Sun Studio
Woodruff-Fontaine House Museum
Nashville
Belle Meade Historic Site
Centennial Park
Cheekwood
Country Music Hall of Fame
Fort Negley
Grand Ole Opry (I got a behind the scenes tour through a work visit and it's very cool!)
Hatch Show Print
Johnny Cash Museum
Ryman Auditorium
Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame
Tennessee State Capitol
Tennessee State Museum
Travellers Rest Plantation
Other Sites and Cities
Tennessee Safari Park (Alamo)
Andrew Johnson National Historic Site (Greeneville)
Abraham Lincoln Library and Museum (Harrogate)
Alex Haley Museum and Interpretive Center (Henning)
Andrew Jackson's Hermitage (Hermitage)
Battles for Chattanooga Museum (Lookout Mountain)
Stones River National Battlefield (Murfreesboro)
Historic Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary (Petros)
Sweetwater Valley Farm (Philadelphia)
Alcatraz East Crime Museum (Pigeon Forge)
Titanic Museum (Pigeon Forge)
General Longstreet Museum (Russellville)
Shiloh National Military Park (Shiloh)
Lodge Museum of Cast Iron (South Pittsburg)
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River
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,627
Jun 26, 2014 15:26:04 GMT
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Post by River on Apr 10, 2025 14:49:52 GMT
I work in Huntsville and I'd say the space and rocket center is an absolute must! There's also the botanical gardens and they always have stuff going on. If you have young kids, there's the Early Works Science Museum.
Have fun and enjoy the south!
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Post by littlemama on Apr 10, 2025 16:34:37 GMT
Go to Cummins Falls. It is in Gainesboro, TN, which is close to Cookeville. Wear good shoes and be prepared for a descent.
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CeeScraps
Pearl Clutcher
~~occupied entertaining my brain~~
Posts: 4,063 
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Post by CeeScraps on Apr 10, 2025 19:55:30 GMT
If you're close to Townsend make sure to at least take a drive through Cades Cove. It it in the Smokey Mountains. Such an amazing trip.
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Post by gracieplusthree on Apr 11, 2025 15:15:37 GMT
Knoxville has a great zoo if you're into zoos. Wear good shoes though, it's hilly..
Chattanooga also has a nice zoo,but small and they have a really nice aquarium downtown too.. The water steps downtown are nice and theres a military cemetary downtown as well.
Since you mentioned trains, Etowah has a train that does rides, I'm totally losing the name(and live in same county) I'm sure it could be googled. It's seasonal though and I'm not sure when it starts up. Etowah is about halfway from Chatt and Knox though isn't right off I75,.
If you just want a quaint cute town Sweetwater is between Knoxville and Chattanooga right on I75. Is a cute small town, fountain, flowers, ice cream shop etc. Lazy Beagle is nice place to eat with ice cream shop within walking distance, antiques etc. If timing is right for a stop for lunch or something. There's also a cheese making farm near with tours and fantastic cheese, but I guess you'd likely not have a good way to store it.
The Lost Sea adventure is nice and just a bit from the actual town of Sweetwater. Is a underground cavern with a lake in it. Pretty cool, also requires good shoes.
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Post by kristi on Apr 11, 2025 18:44:23 GMT
The Civil Rights Museum across from the Lorraine Motel (where Dr. King was assassinated) in Memphis is very powerful. I highly recommend going.
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