Blessed with the beauty of the Great Smoky Mountains, rushing rivers, tumbling waterfalls and a host of big-city attractions, Tennessee has an abundance of destinations that are perfect for a quick weekend getaway. Whether you're seeking a romantic retreat filled with quiet moments with your significant other or family fun loaded with recreational adventures, the Volunteer State has plenty of options.
Downtown Chattanooga has enough attractions to fill a three-day weekend. Stay in a converted railroad car at the historic Chattanooga Choo Choo Hotel or at a circa-1909 StoneFort Inn, an urban boutique hotel on the former site of an important Civil War fortress. Among your free-time options are the wildlife wonders at the Tennessee Aquarium and Chattanooga Zoo, a century-old carousel at Coolidge Park, the Hunter Museum of American Art, a scenic stroll through the River Gallery Sculpture Garden, a horse-drawn carriage ride, or a dinner or sightseeing cruise aboard the Southern Belle Riverboat.
If music is your thing, Memphis is your spot. Whether it's the blues clubs on Beale Street, the Memphis Rock 'n' Soul Museum, Stax Museum of American Soul Music, the Gibson Guitar Factory or Elvis Presley's grave at Graceland, the city along the Mississippi River delivers. Other options include visiting the National Civil Rights Museum and the Orpheum Theatre or taking a 90-minute riverboat cruise of the mighty Mississippi aboard the Memphis Queen III. Watch the ducks' daily march at the Peabody, an elegant hotel just blocks from many of downtown's attractions, or stay at the Madison Hotel Memphis, where you can take in a colorful sunset and cocktail at the rooftop Twilight Sky Terrace.
The centerpiece at 26,000-acre Fall Creek Falls State Park in Pikeville is the 256-foot namesake waterfall, one of the highest in the eastern United States. Tennessee's largest and most-visited state park is home to several other cascades and more than 35 miles of hiking trails that wind through hardwood forests and along scenic gorges and mountain streams. Zoom down a zip line, visit the park stables for a horseback ride, play a round on the park's 18-hole golf course, rent a paddleboat or canoe, or cast a line for bass, bluegill or catfish on Fall Creek Lake. Overnight options include a 145-room inn on the lake, 30 rental cabins and more than 220 campsites for tents, trailers or RVs.
For a true getaway with magnificent mountain vistas, make the hike to LeConte Lodge near the summit of 6,593-foot-tall Mount LeConte in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The only way to get to the lodge is via several trails, the shortest of which is 5 miles and takes about four hours. LeConte, open from late March to late November, consists of seven one-room cabins and three larger multi-room lodges. Units do not have electricity but include covered porches with rocking chairs, kerosene lanterns, propane heaters and wash basins and buckets for sponge baths. Hearty, family-style breakfasts and dinners are served daily in the lodge dining room, and games and books may be checked out from the office. Be sure to pack plenty of clothing as even in summer, temperatures can dip into the 40s at night.
