15 Incredible Weekend Getaways You Absolutely Must Take From Nashville
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Meghan Kraft
Author
Nashville is centrally located, making it a fantastic place to travel TO as well as a wonderful spot to travel from. Despite our rolling hills and quirky city pockets, sometimes a Nashvillian just has to roam. We’re from the beautiful south, after all! We have wanderlust in our blood, and any one of these great day trips are perfect for a day out or an extended weekend. Happy trailblazing!
Chattanooga is a great place to visit if you're looking for a great hike, trip to the Tennessee Aquarium or a couple of bridges to cross, by bike or on foot. We love our southern Tennessee town, and opportunities for day trips are boundless. Walk the Walnut Street Bridge, if you can! The views are beautiful.
Uh, yes. Dollywood. Who doesn't love our resident celebrity, Dolly, and her namesake of a theme park? There are constantly shows running across the whole of the park, and the rides are great for the younger set. All in all, a great ticket to adventure.
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Learn how the ever iconic Jack Daniel's whiskey is made and the history behind the fiery liquor. Lynchburg is a beautiful place, tucked in amongst the greenery of middle Tennessee and great for adults who are looking for a night out.
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Yep - we're taking you to Kentucky. If you feel the need to break out of Nashville AND Tennessee limits, then take the three hour drive to Kentucky's most enjoyable river town. We'd recommend their taco scene and a walk along the water, finishing the day with a jaunt down Bardstown Road.
At roughly two hours from Nashville, Sewanee is home to the University of the South and a great place to hike and enjoy the gorgeous defining nature of Tennessee. Take a hike down the stunning Sewanee Perimeter Trail and experience the freestanding Natural Bridge formed by a sinkhole.
Known for their Bluegrass Underground show and show caves located in McMinnville, Cumberland Caverns is a popular field trip spot as well as an exploratory date for those adventurous couples. The national landmark is the second longest cave in Tennessee and is listed as one of the longest in the world.
Holiday World is only two and a half hours from Nashville, right on over in Indiana. It's great if you're a fan of wooden roller coasters, free sunscreen and all sorts of free soda. Really! The soda is free! The park is broken up into different areas that represent certain annual holidays, like Halloween and Christmas. Who wouldn't love to relive their favorite holiday with a neat roller coaster?
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Take a drive down the Natchez-Trace Parkway in the fall, it stretches from Tennessee through to Mississippi and traipses through some of the most beautiful natural areas our state has to offer. Roll those windows down and turn the music UP - the whole road is a movie scene.
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Loretta Lynn's ranch is a popular tourist attraction, for its picturesque beauty, her claims of paranormal activity and her country music honed popularity itself. The small community has a post office as well as a couple of businesses, and the AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship has been hosted here since 1982.
Franklin is chock full of fun hotels, bed and breakfasts and fantastic restaurants. Why wouldn't you want to take a vacation, just a couple minutes from home? Wander downtown, get pampered at your B&B and maybe make it out to Leipers Fork for some live music at Puckett's.
Memphis, anyone? Try some barbecue and Rendezvous or Central BBQ, take a walk down the ever-iconic Beale Street or find yourself on a humble visit to the Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel. Memphis may get a bad rap, but we know you'll never regret a visit.
Located in Warren County, you can hike or camp through the park to your hearts content in the midst of springtime. Located at the headwaters of Center Hill Lake, the 883 acre park has scenic overlooks, stunning gorges and limestone paths. You'll get a true education on the extent of Tennessee's beauty.
Located in Kentucky and not even ninety minutes from Music City, you can go on a tour through Mammoth's long cave system that consists of chambers and subterranean passageways. The ever-famous Gothic Avenue is covered in signatures, left by 19th century visitors, and you can also visit the sinkholes of Cedar Sink. We'd say the expansive park is worth a couple of visits, so you may want to visit during the summer and winter, too.
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Hey there, Missouri! Did you know that Missouri is the only other state that shares our "most neighborly" claim? St. Louis is a quiet midwestern town that's home to the iconic Arch as well as Busch Stadium and a pretty fabulous cluster of Italian eateries on, "The Hill." We'd also recommend a trip to the Fox Theatre if you have the chance, the historic theater plays host to quite a few great Broadway shows.
The Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area straddles both Tennessee and Kentucky, spanned by bridges and state lines. It has been recognized as a recreational area since 1963 and boasts more than 170,000 acres of the great wide open. You can visit wetlands, forests or even just open areas of beautifully conserved nature. It actually has one of the largest areas of underdeveloped forest in the whole of the eastern United States.
How many would you visit? You headed out of state, or learning more about Tennessee? Either way, we’d love to tag along! While you’re out, try to find The Crazy One-Of-A-Kind Store You’ll Only Find In Tennessee, shall we?
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