For information on the state of Tennessee, contact the Tennessee Department of Tourism Development, P.O. Box 23170, Nashville, TN 37202 (tel. 800/836-6200 or 615/741-2158). Before heading to Music City, you can get more information on the city by contacting the Nashville Convention & Visitors Bureau, 150 Fourth Ave. N. (tel. 800/657-6910 or 615/259-4700).
For information on Memphis, contact the Memphis Convention & Visitors Bureau, 47 Union Ave., Memphis, TN 38103 (tel. 800/8-MEMPHIS or 901/543-5300). You can also get information online at www.memphistravel.com.
- The Memphis Flyer is Memphis' main arts and entertainment weekly: www.memphisflyer.com.
- The Commercial Appeal is Memphis's morning daily newspaper: www.commercialappeal.com.
Hey, Google, did you get my text message? -- It's bound to happen: The day you leave this guidebook back at the hotel for an unencumbered stroll down Beale Street, you'll forget the address of the lunch spot you had earmarked. If you're traveling with a mobile device, send a text message to tel. 466453 (GOOGLE) for a lightning-fast response. For instance, type "carnegie deli new york" and within 10 seconds you'll receive a text message with the address and phone number. This nifty trick works in a range of search categories: Look up weather ("weather philadelphia"), language translations ("translate goodbye in spanish"), currency conversions ("10 usd in pounds"), movie times ("harry potter 60605"), and more. If your search results are off, be more specific ("the abbey gay bar west hollywood"). For more tips and search options, see www.google.com/intl/en_us/mobile/sms/. Regular text message charges apply.
Pre-Departure Checklist
- Are there any special requirements for your destination? Vaccinations? Special visas, passports, or IDs? Detailed road maps? Bug repellents? Appropriate attire? If you're flying, are you carrying a current, government-issued ID, such as a driver's license or passport?
- Did you find out your daily ATM withdrawal limit?
- Do you have your credit card PIN numbers?
- To check in at a kiosk with an e-ticket, do you have the credit card you bought your ticket with or a frequent-flier card?
- If you purchased traveler's checks, have you recorded the check numbers, and stored the documentation separately from the checks?
- Did you bring ID cards that could entitle you to discounts, such as AAA and AARP cards, and student IDs?
- Did you leave a copy of your itinerary with someone at home?
- Do you need to book any theater, restaurant, or travel reservations in advance?
- Did you make sure your favorite attraction is open? Many mom-and-pop restaurants and lesser-known attractions in Tennessee have irregular hours, so always call ahead to make sure the place you plan to visit will be open.
Online Traveler's Toolbox
Veteran travelers usually carry some essential items to make their trips easier. Following is a selection of handy online tools to bookmark and use.
- Airplane Food (www.airlinemeals.net)
- Airplane Seating (www.seatguru.com; and www.airlinequality.com)
- Foreign Languages for Travelers (www.travlang.com)
- Maps (www.mapquest.com)
- Subway Navigator (www.subwaynavigator.com)
- Time and Date (www.timeanddate.com)
- Travel Warnings (http://travel.state.gov, www.fco.gov.uk/travel, www.voyage.gc.ca, www.dfat.gov.au/consular/advice)
- Universal Currency Converter (www.xe.com/ucc)
- Visa ATM Locator (www.visa.com), MasterCard ATM Locator (www.mastercard.com)
- Weather (www.intellicast.com and www.weather.com)
