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Current Issue Winter 2011 |
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Book It
| Published: August 2011 |
| Tennessee Off the Beaten Path |
Tennessee Off the Beaten Path, 9th Ed.
by Jackie Sheckler Finch
224 pages
ISBN: 076275057X
When I think of the Volunteer State, I picture idyllic thoroughbred farms, national battlefields, driving through the clouds in the Smoky Mountains, and the ever-popular Graceland. Tennessee tourism officials have done a fine job exploring these and other interesting aspects of their state at http://www.tnvacation.com/, but there also exists a nicely-written book which provides more personalized observations about Tennessee.
Jackie Sheckler Finch’s travel guide, Tennessee Off the Beaten Path carries us along old stagecoach roads, scenic highways, and mountain trails with running commentary about stops along the way. To accomplish this efficiently, she separates the state into five regions and examines each individually. There are Daniel Boone’s The First Frontier; The Mountainous East with its primeval forests; the western boundary of the Tennessee Valley called Plateaus and Valleys; distilleries and music centers of The Heartland; and The Western Plains, where Alex Haley and Elvis lived and played. The author also makes detours into crossroad communities with nonsensical names like Bell Buckle (Home of the annual Moon Pie and RC Cola Festival). Her main focus is state history and the people who were, and are, major contributors to its heritage. This makes for a good read, and visitors who enjoy learning about local customs and folklore will glean good, useful information about their intended destinations.
The book contains easy maps, practical contact information, and amusing anecdotes. It also includes admission fees, hours of operation, information about bed-and-breakfast inns, and other details. There are features covering the Hillbilly Golf Course in Gatlinburg, Al Capone’s bullet-proof car in Pigeon Forge, and the cowboy church in Nashville where a hat is passed in lieu of an offering plate. The sites she has chosen to highlight are mostly a reflection of the legacies and traditions which gave Tennessee its reputation, such as Bristol, the home of Tennessee Ernie Ford, the Carter family, and Jimmie Rodgers. This is not simply a book about country music, though. Modern cities and pastimes are included, but primary emphasis is on the little things you didn’t know, the local restaurants, the colorful stories, helpful hints.
The blistering heat of summer gives travelers a perfect excuse to flee to the cool hills of Tennessee in search of respite and refreshment. But first, read Tennessee Off the Beaten Path so you’ll know what memorable treasures await you.
by Jackie Sheckler Finch
224 pages
ISBN: 076275057X
When I think of the Volunteer State, I picture idyllic thoroughbred farms, national battlefields, driving through the clouds in the Smoky Mountains, and the ever-popular Graceland. Tennessee tourism officials have done a fine job exploring these and other interesting aspects of their state at http://www.tnvacation.com/, but there also exists a nicely-written book which provides more personalized observations about Tennessee.
Jackie Sheckler Finch’s travel guide, Tennessee Off the Beaten Path carries us along old stagecoach roads, scenic highways, and mountain trails with running commentary about stops along the way. To accomplish this efficiently, she separates the state into five regions and examines each individually. There are Daniel Boone’s The First Frontier; The Mountainous East with its primeval forests; the western boundary of the Tennessee Valley called Plateaus and Valleys; distilleries and music centers of The Heartland; and The Western Plains, where Alex Haley and Elvis lived and played. The author also makes detours into crossroad communities with nonsensical names like Bell Buckle (Home of the annual Moon Pie and RC Cola Festival). Her main focus is state history and the people who were, and are, major contributors to its heritage. This makes for a good read, and visitors who enjoy learning about local customs and folklore will glean good, useful information about their intended destinations.
The book contains easy maps, practical contact information, and amusing anecdotes. It also includes admission fees, hours of operation, information about bed-and-breakfast inns, and other details. There are features covering the Hillbilly Golf Course in Gatlinburg, Al Capone’s bullet-proof car in Pigeon Forge, and the cowboy church in Nashville where a hat is passed in lieu of an offering plate. The sites she has chosen to highlight are mostly a reflection of the legacies and traditions which gave Tennessee its reputation, such as Bristol, the home of Tennessee Ernie Ford, the Carter family, and Jimmie Rodgers. This is not simply a book about country music, though. Modern cities and pastimes are included, but primary emphasis is on the little things you didn’t know, the local restaurants, the colorful stories, helpful hints.
The blistering heat of summer gives travelers a perfect excuse to flee to the cool hills of Tennessee in search of respite and refreshment. But first, read Tennessee Off the Beaten Path so you’ll know what memorable treasures await you.
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