Small towns and bustling cities, romantic mountains, music that soothes the soul, home cooking, national parks and green valleys – Tennessee is a place that’s generous towards its visitors. Join the pilgrimage of Elvis Presley fans or step inside a bar and dance to the honky-tonk. Either way, you’ll find a part of Tennessee to fall in love with.
A land of music
Music fans have an assortment of riches to discover in the so-called Volunteer State’ In fact, a tour of the music sites is a great way to explore the state. Start in Graceland, the famous home of Elvis Presley. It might not be to everyone’s taste, but Memphis’s own legend lived in quintessentially ‘70s style here. Over the way is the superb visitor centre, which houses his car collection and even his two private jets.
There are two more must-sees in Memphis. Sun Studios is where Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, BB King and other pioneers recorded many of their greatest songs. The guided tour is an absolute must. Soul fans may prefer the Stax Museum of American Soul Music, once home to Wilson Pickett and Otis Redding.
In Nashville, there are yet more Elvis favourites and a lot more at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Delve into the roots of country music, admire Elvis’s gold-leaf piano or the legendary blue suede shoes of Carl Perkins. It’s an up-to-date and interactive place, that also sheds light on the letterpress tradition in the area – important in all the early flyers for country music artists.
The fight for civil rights
The south wasn’t always sunshine, smiles and sweet music. Many of the finest records were cut against a backdrop of struggle, racism and social tumult. You can learn more about this at the National Civil Rights Museum, which chronicles the fight for freedom by African-American people. It’s situated opposite the Lorraine Motel, the very place where Martin Luther King was assassinated in 1968.
Slow and low
One of Tennessee’s main attractions is its stately pace of life. Slow things right down in the Smoky Mountains, where the peaks are dressed in wisps of mist and waterfalls cascade down the rocks. You’ll come across the remains of old communities amidst the wildflowers of spring or the russet hues of fall.
The biodiversity is stunning, and the (deliberate) lack of cell phone coverage in the park encourages you to switch off and take things easy.
Another slow thing in Tennessee? The barbecue. Throughout the state, Tennesseans cook their meat slow and low in pits. Look out for Puckett’s in Nashville, once a grocery store but now a mini-chain of great restaurants where you can sample sublime barbecue delights while local musicians provide the atmosphere.
Get your fingers sticky on their cherry wood-smoked baby back ribs, beef brisket and genius Piggy Mac – pulled pork covered in mac ‘n’ cheese. Rent a car in Tennessee and you can note the changes in barbecue style across the state, all soundtracked by heavenly music.
