1. Great Smoky Mountains National Park
With more than 522,000 acres of forest, mountains, waterfalls and wildlife stretching across Tennessee and North Carolina, Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most heavily visited national park in the U.S. The park boasts 850 miles of backcountry trails and features about 70 miles of the Appalachian Trail. The 5-mile round-trip Rainbow Falls Trail is one of top hikes: A challenging walk along LeConte Creek is followed by several miles sprinkled with foot bridges. Hikers up to the challenge are rewarded with views of the 80-foot-high Rainbow Falls – and, if you time your visit for a sunny afternoon, you may see a rainbow (hence, the waterfall’s name) in the mist. Another popular hike takes adventurers on a steep climb up to the summit of Chimney Tops for sweeping mountain views. And not to be missed is Clingmans Dome, the highest point in the park – and in Tennessee – at more than 6,600 feet in elevation; a 7-mile drive to the parking area combines with a 0.5-mile hike to reach the top.
2. Memphis
Known to many as the birthplace of both blues and rock ‘n’ roll, Memphis is all about music. Top-rated attractions include Beale Street (where live music venues abound), the Memphis Music Hall of Fame, the Stax Museum of American Soul Music, the Memphis Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum, Graceland, Sun Studio and more. Sun Studio visitors say that the former recording studio, though small, packs in a lot of information, and listening to the old music clips from legends like Elvis and Jerry Lee Lewis is priceless.