Hey folks,

The family and I are on our way to Nashville next week on a follow-up job interview and looking at houses in Franklin. I'm taking the whole week off (Sat - Sat) and planned on doing an Eastern TN vacation as well.  We have a couple of days in Nashville, then to Sevierville/Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg, then maybe over the line to Franklin, NC.

Can y'all recommend some things to do, places to see starting East of Nashville?

Thanks in advance!!!

DFM

As far as Sevierville/PF/Gatlingburg, the biggest "attraction" there is the traffic, seriously. Personally, I don't get the draw but hey, as long as you leave your money and sales tax dollars here, I'm all for it.

As for Franklin, there isn't much there other than ruby mines and the Nantahala NF. Be aware, from Sevier county to just "over the line" is not a quick or direct route. As the crow flies it looks somewhat close but actually driving it is another thing altogether.

Fall Creek Falls state park
Burgess Falls state park
Rock Island state park.

See Sergeant York's home.

Definitely no traffic problems there!

these are good suggestions.   but if you like to hike, i would suggest hiking window cliffs, which is adjacent to burgess falls, just south of cookeville first.  5 miles round trip. the trail crosses a creek 9 times (18 round trip).  very beautiful, and feels good on a warm day.

i'd also skip sevierville/pigeon forge/gatlinburg.   go the back route into the GSMNP, and do the loop around cades cove, preferably on rental bikes or horses, hike to abrahms falls.  you'll still get your fill of traffic there.  but if you are a glutton for punishment, you can come back out through the tourist traps, buy pancakes and taffy, and fake indian souvenirs.  

there's a 70,000 acre park called windrock in oliver springs where you can rent atv/sxs and ride miles of jeep trails and worse through the woods, around the mountain.  easy to extreme difficulty.  you can camp on site

rafting on the ocoee is some of the best there is.   if you don't make it that far, you can canoe the caney fork, which is slow and peaceful

*I* would skip Gatlinburg altogether. As mentioned, nothing but traffic. Insane.

*I* would instead take the family to Chattanooga area instead. Lookout Mtn, Rock City, The Incline, Pointe Park & Chickamauga Battlefield are just some of the things to see. To me, history is always cool.

Moving slightly east to Polk Co, you have kayaking and rafting on two separate rivers, Ocoee & Hiwassee. The Ocoee is for the adventure minded via rafting. It's Class IV & V (I think) so you don't want to kayak it unless you've got some serious chops there.


My cousin. Yes, that's a wave of water over his head.  

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The Hiwassee River is Class III but only at one choke point. It has multiple 2-3 feet drops which are a blast in an unskirted kayak. Some folks rent tubes & simply float the river. Depends on your direction of adventure. You can rent inflatable kayaks, life jackets, paddles, etc all on site, so no worries.

Rolling up Hwy 315 to Tellico brings another adventure option. Tellico Falls is well worth the visit as is the trout fishing (if you fish). Doesn't have to be fly fishing either.

Nice scenery too.
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These falls are about 5 miles from my house as the crow flies. But it has to fly way up in the air as they're on top of Chilhowee Mtn.

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A side trip to Copperhill is always a good idea. Stand on one side of the road & you're in TN. Step 2 steps away & you're in GA. Also home of Bald River Brewery, damn good beer options. Several restaurants to choose from, beautiful scenery too.

Let me know if you need some further info.

Tour Cordell Hull dam.
Go to the fish hatchery at Dale Hollow dam

Dont know if they are open with the scamdemic going on.

If it's a 'must do' thing, Tuesday to Thursday is the best time to go.  Friday to Monday is when the traffic is at it's worst.

Same with Cades Cove.  Going on a Saturday, on a holiday weekend, is a really bad idea.

The loop road at Cades Cove has changed their schedule. It is closed to vehicle traffic on Wednesdays and Saturdays to accommodate bicycles only, FWIW. As always though with the GSMNP, check their website for closures before going.

https://www.wbir.com/article/entertainment/places/great-smoky-mountains-national-park/smokies-to-hold-vehicle-free-wednesdays-in-cades-cove-this-summer/51-bd0770b9-2ed7-4c4e-b9af-f6df5ad4f749

Driving in or flying in?  If driving, from where?

Driving in from Texas.  We have 3 kids: 8, 4, 2.  I think the rafting may be too much this trip, but the pictures y'all have posted are absolutely AMAZING!  Thanks for posting them!!!

Yeah, those ages cut out a lot of options, IMO.

Hiwassee does offer 4-5 man inflatable rafts which are impossible to flip. That would be a good option for the family, IMO. You can hire a guide or go on your own.

Rock City or the Lost Sea are both good for those ages too.

There's a climbing wall thing in downtown Chatt that caters to kids as well. Railroad museum might be cool for them as well?

There's also a hatchery in Tellico that kids can feed the trout in the growing tanks. Lotsa fun.

Bald River Brewery also has a lot of kids stuff for them to do while the adults taste test their products. They're family friendly, IOW.

Kids can also watch the rafters from the shore on the Ocoee at multiple places. Lots of things to do at the Olympic site on the Ocoee as well. Kid friendly there too. Aside from parking, it's also free.  

The Incline in Chatt might intrigue them as well.

I think there used to be a bouncy trampoline place in Chattanooga next to Southside Social.      If it's still open, they may like that.

We’re in Nashville (downtown) so can someone recommend a quiet place to eat for the family for tonight?  Everyone is tired and kiddos are amped up after the drive.  Thanks!

reply is probably a little late, but i rather doubt you will find many quiet places.   pretty much everywhere has music

We ended up Cracker Barreling it next to the Opry. Lol Good enough for us. Job interview tomorrow then looking at houses. What are the towns with good school districts north of Nashville that’s within commuting distance of downtown?

Any idea for the time you’re looking at for a daily commute?

I’m usually in the office around 7:30

Not what I was asking.

How MUCH time are you looking at for a commute? 30 min., 1 hour, etc.


ETA: The reason for my asking is that a lot of people have a drop dead time limit on their commute, which I understand. For example, "I won't drive more than 1 hour each way to work" type thing.

What is going to make it a bit trickier is the schools situation. You definitely don't want to do Davidson county unless you put them in private school.

Look at Fairview, tn West of Nashville in Williamson County for the best schools.  

Check out Sango/Exit 11 area of Clarksville.

I’d like to stay below an hour in traffic but it’s more important for good schools as my eldest has some special accommodation needs for school.

Sumner Co is a good choice, IMO. Avoid Cheatham like the fucking plague.