On the surface, Southwest Tennessee is a collection of charming small towns, mom-and-pop eateries, courthouse squares and barbecue gems. Dig a little deeper and you’ll uncover the fascinating stories, people and places that have shaped American history and culture. It’s defined, in part, by the stories of the larger-than-life figures with ties to the area.

In Southwest Tennessee, you can learn of the railroad history of the area, stroll through the home of Railroad Legend Casey Jones, learn how President Andrew Jackson and frontiersman David Crockett are tied to the area. Get to know Walking Tall Legend Sheriff Buford Pusser of McNairy County, who famously fought crime along the Mississippi state line in the 1960s.

Explore the history of African-Americans in the South, with sites that tell the stories of slavery and war, early freedom and the blues culture and the struggle for civil [...]

In the early 1900’s Portland’s big industry was “strawberries.” In addition to the large number of farms and agricultural businesses growing the country’s finest berries, there was a crating factory, a fruit processing plant, a canning factory and a freezing facility producing strawberries for Breyers Ice Cream and other national brands.

During the peak of the strawberry business, Portland would ship out 30 railroad cars a day. Portland started hosting the Middle Tennessee Strawberry Festival in 1941 and that tradition continues today. Each year in mid-May the festival brings 40,000+ people together to celebrate the importance of the strawberry industry to Portland’s heritage.

Portland has become more industrialized over the past few decades, but we still have several local strawberry farmers who bring strawberries to sell at the Festival and have pick-your-own farms available in [...]

Located in East Tennessee, close to the Great Smoky Mountains, Morristown is the kind of place to spend a lot of time outdoors and has the perfect landscape for a disc golf course…or four. Known as Tennessee’s Disc Golf Capital™, you’ll find a course for every skill level. Which is why Morristown’s home to the annual Tennessee Disc Golf Championships, bringing 500+ competitors from 20+ states to town every June. Grab your discs and let’s explore them all!

Kiwanis Course at Wayne Hansard Park – This was the course that started it all. It opened in 2007 and remains a favorite to this day. This challenging 18-hole course is heavily wooded, which is part of the difficulty! The terrain is rocky and the elevation changes on each hole. A walking path weaves through, so be sure to look for any hikers in the area [...]