TENNESSEE FUN FACT: Following the American Revolution, the area now known as Tennessee separated from North
Carolina in 1784 after citizens revolted for lack of proper legislative
representation. They formed their own state named "Franklin" for patriot
Ben Franklin. Following a decade of political squabbling -- with no bloodshed -- Tennessee (an old Indian name for "river bend") finally joined the Union as a separate state in
1796.
Like a
number of Southern states, Tennessee was split in its loyalties during the Civil
War but joined the Confederacy and was the scene of extensive and decisive battles
including those at Shiloh and Nashville. Today, other
historical points of interest include the boyhood
home of frontier explorer Davy Crockett, and the Andrew
Jackson home near Nashville.
Of course, one of Tennessee's most popular attractions remains the incredibly scenic views and recreation to be found in and around Great
Smoky Mountains National Park,
Major spots
for summer fun vacations also include the
amusement park at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, first-rate country music shows at the Grand
Ole Opry in Nashville, family fun at the Tennessee
Aquarium in Chattanooga, and Elvis Presley's Graceland
Mansion in Memphis.
Top attractions in Tennessee include scenic tours around the Great Smokey Mountains (left); trips
to Dollywood
in Pigeon Forge (middle); and paying homage to Elvis at Graceland in Memphis (right).
Kid-friendly Tennessee
From east
to west, family-friendly fun in Tennessee naturally begins in Great
Smoky Mountains National Park with stops at world famous Dollywood
as well as the spectacularly beautiful Cade's
Cove driving loop in Pigeon Forge.
In central
Tennessee, major must-see's in Chattanooga include the nationally
top-rated Tennessee
Aquarium, home to more than 10,000 denizens of both land and
sea in state-of-the-art exhibits, as well as the aquarium-sponsored
2-hour tour aboard the River Gorge Explorer.
For toddlers
and younger kids, the very popular Creative
Discovery Museum also offers exhibits, hands-on activities
and other fun stuff for children 1-8.
Meanwhile, fun for the whole
family awaits at Lookout
Mountain offering great views of Chattanooga and the entire
river valley, visits to awesome waterfalls, and special events
scheduled throughout the year.
Of course,
moms and dads visiting Nashville will also find it to be Tennessee's entertainment capitol for
kids as well, with a visit to the Nashville
Zoo offering a menagerie of animals from all over the world
in natural-looking habitats along with activities, shows and events
going on throughout the year.
With toddlers
in tow, more Nashville hot spots for family fun await at Imaginarium
Children's Adventure Museum providing interactive fun and games;
while older kids will enjoy a trip to the Adventure
Science Center with interesting exhibits as well as awesome
laser and planetarium shows.
Ending our
tour in Memphis, there is pop history galore on exhibit for Elvis
fans young and old at world famous Graceland,
with an entire day of family-friendly attractions at Memphis
Pink Palace Museum and Planetarium including an IMAX theater,
the Sharpe Planetarium, and The Lichterman Nature Center. And
no visit to Memphis would be complete without a visit to the Memphis
Zoo to see thousands of different mammals ranging from panda
bears to spider monkeys including a tropical bird house, an aquarium
and butterfly garden.
Sorry. No liquor served.
DID YOU KNOW? Tennessee Travel Fun Facts
. • There is no sampling the merchandize during a tour of the Jack Daniel's distillery in Lynchburg, TN. It lies in the middle of a completely dry county with the sale and consumption of liquor strictly prohibited.
• Sweet! Tennessee is the original home of Mountain Dew, Moonpies, and cotton candy.
• The Lost Sea in Sweetwater is the largest underground lake in the United States.
More information about Tennessee travel & tourism around the Web:
Explore
Tennessee - The State's Offiical Travel Planning Web Site - Fun, easy-to-use travel guide with a "top tenn" list
of things to see throughout the state all searchable by keyword,
region, or area of interest - including nature & outdoors,
music & art, sports & recreation, history & heritage,
with pictures and video presentations.
Upper
Cumberland Tourism Association - Nature in all its glory for a Tennessee
mountain getaway, including where to go and what to see, festivals & special
events, photo gallery, maps & directions.
Visit Chattanooga - A virtual tour of the city with photos & information on major attractions,
hotels, dining, shopping, current weather, vacation packages.
Memphis
Travel Information - Insider feature stories, detailed guides on what
to do and see (besides Graceland), tips on hotels & restaurants, picture gallery and event calendar, from Lonely Planet.com
Nashville
Key Magazine, the Nashville Visitors Guide - The digital
edition of the magazine covering entertainment in depth with a
current event roster, kid-friendly fun, local restaurants &
attractions, photo gallery, related links.