Terrific Things to See and Do in Middle Tennessee

Does it ever seem to you like all you ever do is work? It's the office or the shop for your job, school for your studies, obligations to the Church and civic organizations and then the yard and the house need taken care of on your "time off." We've got Blackberries, cell phones, email and instant messaging that instead of making our lives easier have become the instruments that keep us tied to the things that place excessive demands on our personal resources and time.

Do you remember when people could drive down the road without talking on the phone? It wasn't all that long ago that mail took a couple days to reach its destination and a couple more days were required to get a reply. On the weekends and in between the phone calls and letters, it seems people had the time to stop and smell the roses or just be lazy for awhile. They could simply get in the car and go for a little ride.

It was often those rides that gave people a place and time to get away from the hustle and bustle of the real world, even if it was for just a short while. Believe it or not, this method of decompression is still possible. All it takes is the self-discipline to turn off the cell phone and Blackberry, step away from the computer and get in the car and go!

Go where? Well depending on what your idea of fun and relaxation are, chances are good there's something nearby. And Middle Tennessee is chock full of history, scenery sand entertainment.

First of all, there're countless things to see and do that will remind you of the rich and varied history Middle Tennessee has seen. Less than 25 minutes west of I-65 near Columbia is an access to one of the most unique national parks in the country. Natchez Trace, which is nearly 450 miles long and only a couple hundred feet wide in many places, was used as a main migration or travel route for people of the area since before the birth of Christ.

Near Columbia on the Natchez Trace you'll find the Gordon house; which is one of the few remaining stands. It served as a lodging place for travelers as well as offered a ferry to cross the Duck River. About 30 minutes south of the Gordon House near Hohenwald is where Merriwether Lewis departed on his final expedition and died in 1809, just a couple years after completing the Lewis and Clark Expedition. If you've got the time and are interested, less than two hours Southwest of Merriwether Lewis, you can visit some ancient Indian burial and ceremonial grounds that date back to between 1 and 200 A.D. About 100 miles south of Columbia you can visit either Bear Creek or Pharr Mounds.

Depending on how long you want to get away, the Natchez Trace offers many options. The best thing about it is you will not have cellular phone service on much of the scenic parkway.

In Northern Middle Tennessee, Lake Dale Hollow is less than two hours from Nashville in the opposite direction of the Natchez Trace. Straddling the Kentucky/Tennessee border near Livingston, Tennessee, Dale Hollow offers just about everything. There's jet skiing, fishing and water skiing, or a family or group of friends can rent a houseboat and find a hidden cove to drop anchor in and just relax.

Lake Dale Hollow boasts 620 miles of shoreline and covers nearly 228,000 acres of world class fishing waters. There are cabin rentals, campgrounds and motels available, as well as plenty of restaurants and 13 marinas on the banks of the lake. And finally, where I stayed when I visited the lake last year, in Celine, Tennessee, there was no cell phone access and we were not disturbed by a single phone call.

If you are a lover of the finest in Tennessee whiskey and would like to find out what makes it the best there is, why not take a drive to Lynchville, Tennessee and visit the Jack Daniels Distillery. It's only an hour or so South of Nashville or North of Chattanooga and offers tours daily. If for some reason you just can't get away from home (if you're on house arrest) then do the next best thing and grab that jug of sippin' whiskey out of your stash and take a guided virtual tour of the distillery by visiting their web site.

Sites of historic battlefields, antebellum homes, more caves than anywhere in the country, race tracks, museums, and Music City, U.S.A. are all within just a couple hours of any where in Middle Tennessee. So what's keeping you from getting away from the monotonous pressures of everyday life? Turn of the cell phone, leave the laptop at home and get away from it all, even if it's just for a half day. There are plenty of places and things that can recharge your batteries and improve your attitude and they're located Middle Tennessee.