There's much to see and do on the outskirts of majestic Smoky Mountain National Park, where strip malls and fast-food joints compete with quaint historic towns. So when you tire of bargain shopping in Pigeon Forge's outlet malls or scaling the pedestrian-friendly cliffs of Rock City near Chattanooga, get out and explore the rural countryside, where time seems to stand still.
Where the Wild Things Go Hike: "THE SWIFTEST TRAVELER IS HE THAT GOES AFOOT," wrote wayfaring exemplar Henry David Thoreau. These treks put the pleasure back into going pedestrian. Source: Outside
Park Places National parks often get the drive-by treatment: Vacationing families cruise in for the day, climb out of the minivan at a few major vistas, and then high-tail it out for the night. These lodges, in five of America's most revered parks, will guarentee you linger. Source: Outside
A Meeting at Shiloh The Civil War was almost a year old when Unionand Confederate armies clashed in Tennessee.The result was a bloody preview of the years to come.
Along the Devil's Backbone The Natchez trace once provided the best route through Mississippi to Tennessee--if you could avoid its rouges, rascals and cold-blooded killers.
