you made me go dig out my book,

"101 Things to do in Tennessee Before You Up and Die"

1. Groove to the blues on Beale St.
2. Make a pilgrimage to Graceland
3. Sing "Rocky Top" at the top of your lungs
4. Go hiking in the Smokies
5. Party on 2nd ave. in Nashville
6. skipped...
7. Raft the Ocoee
8. Go horseback riding through Shelby County
9. Have breakfast in bed at the Opryland Hotel
10. See the Parthenon in Nashville
11. Have lunch at the Hundred Oaks Castle in Winchester
12. Camp out on the infield at Bristol
13. Stroll the Walnut St. Bridge
14. Visit the giant pandas at the Memphis Zoo
15. Cruise the Mississippi on a riverboat
16. Master the art of fried chicken
17. Ride a Tennessee Walking Horse
18. Pay your respects at Shiloh
19. Sit half-court at a Grizzlies game
20. Eat at every Cracker Barrel in the State
21. Win the Jack Daniels Invitational BBQ
22. Do the caverns: Cumberland, Forbidden, Bristol
23. Raft the Nantahala
24. Tour the Country Music Hall of Fame
25. Sit in the front row of the Grand Ole Opry
26. Believe it or not at Ripley's in Gatlinburg
27. Cheer on the Lady Vols
28. Take in a concert at the Ryman Auditorium
29. Ogle the fish at the Tennessee Aquaraium
30. Step back in time at the Belle Meade Plantation
31. Visit Mud Island
32. Go skiing at Ober Gatlinburg
33. See a buffalo
34. Go to the top of the Sunsphere Tower in Knoxville
35. Run the bases after a Redbirds game
36. Find the Lost Sea
37. Have your picture taken next to the Eiffel Tower in Paris (Tennessee)
38. Listen to country music's greatest at the Wildhorse Saloon
39. Listen to country music's newest at the Bluebird Cafe
40. Follow the barns to see Rock City
41. Make par
42. Feel like a kid again on the Chattanooga Choo Choo
43. Take a ride on the Tennessee Valley Railroad
44. Drink apple cider on top of Signal Mountain
45. Tour Belmont Mansion
46. Wear gold to Vandyville
47. Buy pearls in Camden
48. Cuddle by the fire in a chalet in Gatlinburg
49. Fish at Loretta Lynn's ranch
50. Browse the World's Longest Yard Sale
51. Hike the Appalachian Trail
52. Do some more caverns: Bell Witch, Appalachian, Tuckaleechee
53. Plant a dogwood
54. Ride every ride at Dollywood
55. Try to stay dry at Ruby Falls
56. Stop and listen to the mockingbirds
57. See the Frist Center for Visual Arts
58. See the Pyramid in Memphis
59. Spend the night at Union Station hotel
60. Solve the "Murder at the Mansion" at Falcon Manor
61. Spot a country music star at Cool Springs Galleria
62. Drink tea and rock on the porch al day
63. Pan for gems
64. Take a horse drawn wagon ride around The Hermitage
65. Tour Memphis on the Main St. Trolley
66. Stay overnight at Raccoon Mountain Caverns
67. Cheer for the Titans
68. Grow an iris garden
69. Take a dinner cruise on the Southern Belle
70. Honk your horn in a mile long tunnel on your way to Cumberland Gap
71. Take a hayride through Cades Cove
72. Watch the sunset from Sharps Ridge
73. Spelunk at Cedars of Lebanon State Park
74. Bird watch at Big Sandy National Wildlife refuge
75. Let the screen door slam
76. See the Czech chandeliers in the Tennessee Theatre
77. Run barefoot for a summer
78. Square dance in a barn
79. Canoe the Elk River
80. See how a Gibson guitar is made
81. Go turkey hunting
82. Eat BBQ, mornin', noon and night
83. Cruise the Tennessee
84. Hike to Fall Creek Falls
85. Grow your own Christmas Tree
86. Learn to play the banjo
87. Do a few more caverns: Dunbar, Indian, Tipton-Haynes
88. See Davy Crockett's birthplace
89. Try every meat and three in the state
90. Celebrate bluegrass at the Tennessee State Jamboree
91. Indulge at a strawberry festival
92. Hang glide off Lookout Mountain
93. Place in the Country Music Marathon
94. Watch the Scopes Trial play in Dayton
95. Watch a civil war re-enactment
96. Tailgate at the Liberty Bowl
97. See Cheekwood Botanical Garden
98. Trace your ancestry
99. View the stars from Bays Mountain Planetarium
100. Salivate over a steak at the Stockyard Restaurant
101. Stand on a mountaintop and be glad. You're in Tennessee!

 

OK, so the above of course is a "campy" list of things to do, some legit, some funny, some are no longer around and tons of things weren't covered. Jack Daniels of course, and George Dickel are manufactured here as are Gibson and Gallagher guitars and Moon Pies. The Stockyard restaurant has closed, but Mere Bulle's is better. Roberts Western World is the best bar on Broadway. Stuff like that.

If you want to take some time and see Tennessee before you come, the PBS station here produces an outstanding program called Tennessee Crossroads. Take some time and preview some of these episodes. They do a far better job of giving you tips than any of locals can give

https://tennesseecrossroads.org/

 

Thanks all for the suggestions so far!

 

DEFINITELY a second recommendation for Mammoth Cave National Park near Bowling Green, KY.
Also, Smoky Mountain National Park near Knoxville, TN.
Blue Ridge Parkway is gorgeous but if you're on a tight timeline you won't want to try to ride the whole thing.
Natchez Trace is simply boring. It's a great "relief ride" for folks who want to escape traffic but if you're from Alberta, I suspect you already have all that you want.
I used to live near what is now known as the "Tail of the dragon". I remember it as an unpleasant road to ride...too many tight curves, cars speeding around corners, leaving their lane and wanting a piece of mine. It might be different or better now...my experience is from a long time ago, before it became some kind of "destination".
While you're in the Mid-South...EAT BARBEQUE every chance you get and enjoy the variety of styles and options offered. Be sure to get some Goat.
Have a "Slaw-Dog" in Kentucky with an Ale 81 to drink and a Moon Pie for desert.
ENJOY...!!!!

 

Definitely cross the Smokies & the Cherohala Skyway . 2 great rides .
I'll second that the Natchez Trace is a bore & the Dragon is not worth
the time on a sightseeing trip . Nothing to see . Pretty dangerous with
a passenger & loaded down . People are idiots on it .

 

That sucks about Patti's, great food.

Tennessee has some of the best roads our Alabama lottery money can buy. Heck their road shoulders are better than our roads in Bama. Of course, their football team sucks so everything is good.

We ride often up to Lynchburg and head East or West on 64 depending on the mood. Nice relaxing ride on good roads. Usually end up eating up at Monteagle at Jim Olivers. But, there is a place that people have been telling me about where Al Capone used to layover on some of his trips. I have not been there personally, but, have heard it is special.

To the west, we have toured the Natchez Trace starting in Nashville and stayed at the Commodore Hotel in Linden. Shiloh Battlefield was a very spiritual experience for me.

 

Head over to Chattanooga. Nice area around the river with plenty of restaurants, entertainment, etc.

We love the ride up around the Ocoee to the Smokies. Not a bad road in the whole area. You could spend everyday for weeks just riding a new road. My favorites have been mentioned above. Did not care for the Dragon, too dangerous.

 

I agree . You can't beat the ride along the Ocoee River & across the Smokies .
The Dragon is very dangerous & a whole lot of hype . It might be great on a
sport bike , but 2-up on a fully loaded touring bike it's no fun at all to me . I
live outside Chattanooga if you need any road suggestions . We ride all over
East TN .