Heading into or out of Nashville by car, there are plenty of unique things to explore, including scenic hills, historic battlefields, and a heck of a lot of whiskey. Try these adventures before or after you get your fill of Music City, or plan a day-trip from town if you’re staying for 4 or more days.

CONCERTS IN CAVES

About an hour outside Nashville and halfway to Chattanooga, you’ll find two of Tennessee’s most fascinating and unique music venues. The Caverns, located at the base of Monteagle Mountain (555 Charlie Roberts Rd., Pelham, TN; tel. 931/516-9724), is the new home of Bluegrass Underground, an Emmy Award–winning subterranean concert series that airs on PBS and features performances by bluegrass musicians such as Billy Strings and Trampled by Turtles. Previously, the series was housed in the nearby Cumberland Caverns Volcano Room (437 Cumberland Caverns Rd., McMinnville, TN; tel. 931/668-4396). Both are stunning venues in which to see live music, but there are key differences. The Caverns is more concert-goer friendly with permanent bathrooms, beer for sale, and a less difficult entry than Cumberland Caverns, which will be difficult or impossible to access for those with mobility issues. The Caverns, however, don’t offer quite the same secretive majesty of the Volcano Room, so weigh your options. They’ve also recently added onsite lodging in the form of rentable yurts and campgrounds, so you can now stay under the stars after you see the show.


DISTILLERY, WINE AND FOOD PILGRIMAGES

The first thing you need to know about Tennessee whiskey is this: All Tennessee whiskey is bourbon, but not all bourbon is Tennessee whiskey. Originally named for Bourbon County, Kentucky, where it was first distilled, bourbon is made the same way Tennessee whiskey is, but the latter is also charcoal-filtered, which is the crucial step that gives Tennessee sour mash whiskey its smooth, mellow flavor.

We highly recommend visits to the Jack Daniels Distillery in Lynchburg, George Dickel Tennessee Whiskey in Tullahoma, and the Nearest Green Distillery in Shelbyville. You can click on the links to read our reviews of them. While the tastings at the these distilleries are small enough that they won’t necessitate a designated driver, Mint Julep Tours offers several packages, if you don’t want to deal with driving.


If you visit Lynchburg to go to the Jack Daniels Distillery, make a reservation (weeks or even months in advance, mind you) to eat lunch at Miss Mary Bobo’s Boarding House Restaurant. The grand white antebellum-style mansion opened as a boardinghouse back in 1908. Today it serves family-style meals to whiskey-seeking pilgrims from all over the world. Incredibly well-versed and genial hosts join diners for lunch, giving them the history of the area and answering any questions as people serve themselves off giant Lazy Susans. As someone who grew up eating small-town Tennessee comfort food, I can confirm this is the authentic, soul-warming food the South is famous for, and the portions are also true to Southern style (read: enormous). But if you go on a day when they’re serving mac and cheese or roasted pork, consider yourself truly blessed. They also have the world’s best chess pie, a seemingly simple dessert made with eggs, sugar, and butter supposedly thrown together by a shorthanded cook on a whim. The name has two origin stories: One is that the word is “chest,” pronounced with a drawl and describing the fact that these pies contain so much sugar they can be stored in a pie chest rather than a refrigerator; the second is that the cook who created them was asked what she was baking and replied: “Jes pie.” Whatever you believe, believe this: Mary Bobo’s Jack-Daniel’s-whipped-cream-topped chess pie is a paragon of the art form.

Napa Valley it ain’t, but that’s not a bad thing as you'll find if you visit Arrington Vineyards (6211 Patton Rd., Arrington; tel. 615/395-0102). Country superstar Kix Brooks founded this winery in 2007, but despite that fact, the winery has a refined, rustic feel (and that snark is really unfair to ol’ Kix: as he’s part of the '90s country music vanguard and not part of our current pop-country affliction). Located less than an hour southeast of Nashville in the lovely rural countryside, Arrington offers views of neatly trimmed grapes in the arbors at the base of a hill, a log lodge with reasonably priced wine tastings, and a gift shop with gourmet picnic foods. Outdoor seating surrounds the lodge, offering calming views of distant farmlands, and free live jazz and bluegrass play on weekends. While the vibe is relaxed, Arrington is a popular bachelorette pilgrimage—you’re actually required to contact them in advance if you’re coming with 20 people or more—so go on weekdsays or early on weekends. Also, as with any Tennessee winery, know that many of the selections are as sweet as jam, so ask staff for the least sugary varieties if that’s a concern.

To get to the winery from Nashville, take I-65 S. to exit 65, go left on Hwy. 96 E. for 7.4 miles. Turn right at Cox Rd. and go 2 miles. Turn left at Patton Rd., and Arrington Vineyards is less than a mile on the right.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.