ashields

There are definitely a lot of options for day trips or long weekends from Nashville. You do need to take driving times into consideration. Check out www.mapquest.com for info. For day trips, driving along part of the Natchez Trace, going to Franklin or Lynchburg to the distillery are all great ideas. If you decide to go to Memphis, I wouldn't make it more than a 1 night stay.

You could drive to Memphis one morning (easy directions but not a lot along the way), go to Graceland, see the ducks come down/go up the elevator at the Peabody hotel, go across the street and have ribs at the Rendevouz (best ribs in the world, IMO), and check out Beale Street at night. The next morning, you could drive around Mud Island in the Mississippi river and check and see if any art exhibits are in town. Then drive back to Nashville in the afternoon.

If you're going to the Smokies, I wouldn't recommend staying right in Gatlinburg or Pigeon Forge. They are both huge tourist traps. Stay in the mountains around them. There are lots of B&Bs in the area.

If you wanted to head south of Nashville, you could stop off in Chatanooga, see the Aquarium there, then head on to Atlanta. Or you could change direction and go to Huntsville, AL for the NASA space museum there, though there really isn't a lot else to do there.

TinaL80

Thank you all for your replies , you have been really helpful.

We have changed out hotel arrangements, we are now staying in Chattanooga & the Smoky Mountains as well - we will be staying in Nashville for 6 days in total. (The car hire for the two weeks is a lot cheaper than we expected gt;).

Thanks again.

Tina x

starrsville

I'm glad to hear about your change in plans. You will enjoy the trip so much.

Have you made arrangements in Chattanooga yet? I stayed at the original (renovated) motor court outside Rock City on Lookout Mountain recently. It's been restored to a nice inn. You may want to consider that for one of your nights in Chattanooga. It's the Chanticleer Inn and the website is www.stayatchanticleer.com.

starrsville

Tina,
A couple of ideas for your drive from Nashville to Chattanooga.

Get off the interstate at Murfreesboro and drive through the countryside to Christiana and eat "home cooking" at Miller's Grocery. Drive a bit further south and stop at Bell Buckle, TN for some antique shops and "the best ice cream in Tennessee" at Bluebird Antiques and Ice Cream Parlor. Both are very small (tiny) towns and will give you a taste of the country South. You may also want to go by the Jack Daniels Distillery.

happytourist

You might be interested in a little bit of British history in Tennessee: the historical village of Rugby in Morgan County. "Time stands still at Rugby, Tennessee - the restored Victorian village founded in 1880 by British author and social reformer, Thomas Hughes. It was to be a cooperative, class-free, agricultural community for younger sons of English gentry and others wishing to start life anew in America. At its peak, some 350 people lived in the colony. More than 70 buildings of Victorian design graced the East Tennessee townscape. This would-be Utopia survives today as both a living community and a fascinating historic site, unspoiled by modern development. Twenty original buildings still stand at the southern edge of the Big South Fork National Park, surrounded by rugged river gorges." We were there last year and toured the church, library (complete with all of its original Victorian-era books), etc.

Also, you might enjoy the atomic energy museums in Oak Ridge and the Museum of Appalachia north of Knoxville.