Tennessee
When you think of Tennessee, it’s likely you’d think ‘the country music capital of the world’, and you wouldn’t be wrong. But there’s a lot more to Tennessee than that. In the east, there’s the incredible Great Smoky Mountains, a National Park and UNESCO World Heritage site and the 2,180 mile long Appalachian Trail that passes through Tennessee for hiking, biking or kayaking. In the west, there’s Memphis, Graceland and Beale Street. And in the middle, Music City and the Cumberland River.
But no matter where you go, there are a few things you can’t avoid. Music, for starters, and not just country music. Memphis, ”Home of the Blues” still has the original Sun Studios where Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis and, more recently, U2 have recorded. In Nashville you can’t throw a rock without hitting a guitar player there. The list is endless – Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, Chet Atkins. But Nashville has become a mecca for musicians of all stripes – it’s now home to Jack White’s Third Man records, G.E.D. Soul Records, and more. Visit the Grand Ole Opry (in fancier, new digs) or watch a variety of acts (Vince Gill to Elvis Costello to Santana) at the Grand Ole Opry’s former home, Ryman Auditorium. If you head out east, get ready for a big dose of fine, Appalachian bluegrass.
No matter where you end up, you can count on some southern hospitality, and some really good food. Too many places to count on two hands, from fine dining in the Gulch of Nashville, to massively-good BBQ, like Nashville’s Loveless Café or Charlie Vergo’s Rendezvous in Memphis. Those BBQ ribs might be more famous than Elvis!
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