Our Favorite Places Thus Far (Updated) TOP 5

 Hey Y'all!

This is a bit of a filler blog, because while we've been places we've liked nothing so far has beat these five.

Honorable mention to the latest museums, we really enjoyed them all. Both Jonesborough, and Greeneville TN are awesome (Lost State of Franklin) and we highly recommend them too. 

 We've been fortunate to have seen quite a few sights these past few months, here's our top 5!

 There were so many cool things, and places coming up with just five favorites was harder than expected. Working from 5, and in order we'll start with...

5) Athens Veterans Museum-

Welcome to the Alabama Veterans Museum and Archives. Located in Athens Alabama, we are proud to be a part of our military history with a large exhibit center, guided tours provided by local veterans, gift shop, meeting facilities, monthly coffee call and much more.

The Alabama Veterans Museum & Archives collection contains an impressive display of artifacts from the Revolutionary War until present day. Visitors can walk among the actual uniforms, medals, photos and weapons; hear stories and experiences about the nation’s wars from men and women who were actually there. With over 10,000 visitors last year, the Alabama Veterans Museum & Archives has become a vital part of Athens Alabama, not only do we draw the local public to our museum to educate and teach of the sacrifices what it takes to keep our country free, we have visitors from all over the United States and other countries.
​

​Donations of precious military artifacts are received continually from veterans and their families who wish to see them preserved for future generations, we consider it an honor to do this. In order to continue to preserve, maintain and grow, our facility needs to expand.

We really enjoyed our tour, and our veteran guide. He was a wealth of knowledge about the various pieces in the museum. Our favorite, aside from the tour itself, was probably the assortment of vehicles outside.

4) Incline Railway-

The Incline Railway has daily departures from the lower or upper stations. Tickets are available for purchase at either station or online.

When you are ready for a ride up America’s Most Amazing Mile we are here with open arms and smiles to greet you! We look forward to bringing the history and beautiful views to our passengers aboard our brand new railcars!

The first Incline up Lookout Mountain opened in 1887. It ran from the 38th Street area in St. Elmo to just below the Point. The second Incline, engineered by John Crass, opened November 16, 1895, and is the Incline that is still in operation today. The success of the second Incline was the primary reason that the first Incline closed in 1899.

Lookout Mountain has been a popular tourist destination in Tennessee and Georgia for centuries. Over the years, several businessmen have built hotels on the mountain to allow visitors to experience its attractions and breathtaking views.

We did this one on a Sunday, a bit later in the day, so it wasn't busy at all. We rode up with about 5 other people, and down with less than 10. We took lots of pictures from the various overlooks, and enjoyed the view. We also walked to Point Park, but didn't have enough time left in the day to justify the admission price.

3) Mayfield Dairy Factory Tour-

For over 100 years, Mayfield has been delighting Southern families with our wholesome milk and world-famous ice cream. And although times have changed, our approach remains the same. Farm from the heart. Accept no shortcuts. And always take care of your community. That’s the Mayfield Way.

It was 1910 when the Mayfield family purchased 45 Jersey cows and began delivering milk to customers in their hometown of Athens, Tennessee. Little did they know that — four generations later — this family milk and ice cream business would become one of the Southeast’s favorite dairy brands. Today, Mayfield is owned by a dairy farm cooperative, so you can still taste the family pride in every glass.

We were pleasantly surprised with the size of our ice creams at the end of this tour! It was very neat to learn the history of the company and the Mayfield family. Our favorite part though was seeing the packaging, and the milk jugs being made.

2) Carnton House-

Carnton, built in 1826, was one of the premier farms in Middle Tennessee. On November 30, 1864, the home and the McGavock who lived there found themselves in the middle of one of the most dramatic events of the Civil War.

The tour of the house was fantastic, and the grounds are massive. We spent the better part of the morning here, ate lunch, then went to Carter House. (That was neat too, but not near as informative.) We could have easily done the day here alone, exploring the grounds. Our tour guide for the house was clearly a history buff, and did a great job of telling the history of the house, the families, and the Civil War battle that happened almost in their back yard. We've done enough of the tours in Franklin to say if you can only do one, it should be this one.

1) Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge-

Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge is rich in wildlife and recreation opportunities. Thousands of people come to the refuge each year to enjoy solitude, to commune with nature, and to share the joys of wildlife and being outdoors with family and friends. The refuge Visitor Center and Observation Building are located near each other and should be your priority stop when visiting the refuge for the first time.

Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1938 as a wintering area for ducks, geese and other migratory birds. Today, the refuge attracts thousands of wintering waterfowl and cranes each year. The refuge is also a winter home to the endangered whooping crane who first arrived in 2004.

Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge was established as a refuge and breeding ground for migratory birds and other wildlife.  A diversity of habitat types provide excellent feeding, resting, and roosting sites for wintering waterfowl and Sandhill Cranes , as well as nesting sites for neotropical migrant birds and many species of resident wildlife.

We went out to Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge not really knowing what we'd see as neither of us had ever been to a wildlife refuge before. So we planned to just walk one of the trails. We ended up spending the entire day. The visitors center is full of interactive displays, a gift shop, maps, and a short film. We then went on one of the trails where we saw frogs, and snapping turtles. From the various viewing places (one of which was two stories, and we spent over an hour in there) we saw all types of waterfowl, snakes, other birds, and so many more plants and animals. We ate a picnic lunch here at the picnic shelter, and then walked another trail before leaving for the day.

What's your favorite travel destination? Share in the comments below.

Thanks,

The Outlands