8 Reasons Tennessee Should End Up on Your Bucket List | Teen Ink

8 Reasons Tennessee Should End Up on Your Bucket List

January 8, 2017
By Anonymous

Everybody has heard of the great state of Tennessee. What people don’t know is everything that there is to do while  visiting.

1) Grand Ole Opry/Ryman
The Grand Ole Opry in Nashville is the heart and soul of music city. Everybody who wants to make it big in country music, wants to make it their goal to sing on the Opry stage. The Grand Ole Opry has a tour where you can see  the artists dressing rooms, the back stage and the mail room where the stars letters, and packages arrive.You also get to stand on the oak circle in the middle of the Opry stage. This is the spot where countless artists of all genres stand, and introduce new material or covers of songs to the cheerful audience. The tour is definitely worth your time and money. The Ryman is in downtown Nashville, which was the original Grand Ole Opry.

 
2) Pigeon Forge
Pigeon Forge is in the eastern part of Tennessee. It is most known for the world renowned Dollywood. Dolly Parton started the theme park in 1986. It’s a family friendly amusement park that has rides, shows, restaurants and more. There is fun for the whole family!!!!!!!!!! Dollywood has tons of opportunities for everyone who visits. There are also a few exhibits that gives a synopsis of Dolly’s life. More specifically, about her country music rise to stardom. It shows pictures of her family, and a replica of the house she grew up in. Dollywood is a place where you can have fun, fun, and more fun!

  
3) Great Smoky Mountains
The Smokey mountains are not far from Dollywood. The Smoky Mountains span over a huge portion of Tennessee. There are countless trails you can hike on, which is great for some stress free walking. There are more rigorous trails to hike if you want to get a good workout. There is a visitors center just before you enter the National Park. They have maps of where all the trails are and other nature related information. Waterfalls and little ponds of water is something you see a lot while hiking through the mountains. This park is different than other National Parks. This park is unique to all the animals, and plants that live there.

    
4) The Hermitage
This is the estate where President Andrew Jackson lived for a time in his life. At the Hermitage there is a walking tour, where you see the house he lived in and where his slaves worked and lived. There is also a tour guide dressed in period costume,(Costumes they wore during that period of time).That give a very informative talk about the Jackson family.  There is also a pretty garden beside the gravesite where General Jackson and his wife are buried. The museum on the property is well worth your time venturing in and taking a look. It has a lot of artifacts from his time living there. Including a lot of his personal items such as his uniform, swords, and other memorabilia. Be prepared to stay the whole day as there is so much to take see and learn about.



5)Tootsies/Legends
These bars are where they play some pretty rocking music for hours on end. When going to Nashville, it should be  mandatory  that you have to see at least some form of live music. If you don’t, it would be like going to a Brewer game and not tailgating. The bands don’t just play country music. You could possibly  hear some pop songs or rock tunes. Nashville is a versatile city, where people who have different tastes in music can enjoy the atmosphere that downtown has to offer. If  they wanted only country fans to visit, they would have called it country city. Tootsies is an iconic place where a lot of successful artists get their start. It is a bar jammed packed with memorabilia on every section of the wall. Tootsies is usually pretty crowded, so the bar called Legends is the way to go. Legends is more of a family friendly bar to visit. A lot of parents bring their kids during the day to hear some great music.
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6) Broadway
Broadway is known as the heart of Nashville. The Country Music Hall of Fame is located in this iconic part of downtown Nashville. The Country Music Hall of Fame is a museum that has memorabilia of country artists. Including the clothes they wore to award shows, instruments, and awards they have received. This museum is so fun to walk through!There are numerous exhibits to see and read about how they started in the music business. The museum is arranged by decade. They have artists from the late 1800s in the beginning, and artists such as Carrie Underwood, and Brad Paisley at the end of the museum. It is a place where you could possibly spend a good day in a half in. The Country Music Hall of Fame is interesting if you like learning more about country music.


  
7) General Jackson
The General Jackson is a boat where you have a gourmet meal and see an exciting show. The dinner show features all different types of music. You can also go to an afternoon performance and just watch the show. Drifting down the river, butlers serve your dinner, while the sound of enticing music sounds in your ears. The boat is a beauty in itself. It travels along the scenic Cumberland River. 

 
8) Opry Mills/Opryland Hotel
When staying in Nashville, you should stay at the Opryland Hotel. It is an extravagant hotel with numerous restaurants, an olympic size pool, many souvenir shops, and palm trees galore. You can also take a boat ride down the man made river inside the hotel.  Opry Mills is the main mall in Nashville. It's a miniature version of the Mall of America. You can find pretty much anything you are looking for. It is also a great spot for getting some more souvenirs from Nashville.


The author's comments:

I choose this to write this piece because i wanted people to understand all the different types of places to visit in Tennessee. Most people associate Tenneessee with country music, and thats all. Nashville and country music is a big part of the state, but i wanted to introoduce to those nearsighted people that it is so much more.


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