Over my 48 years, I’ve done my fair share of travelling across these United States. I thought it would be an interesting experiment go look back at those trips to each of the 31 states I have visited (62% isn’t bad, is it?) and see if, and when, I may be returning. Working in alphabetical order, we continue today with the 16th state to be added to the Union: Tennessee.
State: Tennessee
Joined the Union: 1796
Visits: 3
I’ve made three visits to the Volunteer State, once for fun and twice to charge while heading somewhere else.
My first visit to Tennessee came in June of 2015 as part of a Mother’s Day gift of an Elvis-themed trip. Things got off to an early start on Saturday morning as we left home around 5 AM and headed south, rolling into Memphis around 2:00. Our first stop was the Memphis Zoo, where we ran into some pandas and other animals. After the zoo, we headed to our hotel for some relaxing in the pool, followed by dinner at a charming BBQ joint known as Corky’s, winners of multiple best BBQ awards. After a long day, it was time to call it a night.
Sunday morning got off to an early, if wet, start at Graceland, home, and eternal resting place, of Elvis Presley. Aside from the mansion, which is strangely small for what would be considered a mansion, there were a few other attractions to see, including a car museum and his 2 planes.
After lunch at Graceland (a fried peanut butter/banana sandwich, natch), it was time to visit Sun Studios, where Elvis made his first recordings. While waiting for our tour, we made a quick trip over to the Peabody Hotel, where they have trained ducks hanging out in the lobby, which is supposedly a thing. Back to Sun for the tour, which included the actual recording studio space, which is still in use at night. Following the tour, we headed across the border to Arkansas for dinner and the rest of the trip.
My next two stops in Tennessee came in 2021, when I needed to charge my car on the way to and back from Florida. Both times I was directed to the Dunkin’ Donuts in Manchester, Tennessee, where I was able to make use of the Superchargers while enjoying a nice treat.
Will I return? I would think so. At some point, I’d like to make it to Nashville and see what the vibe there is like.
