The visitor center is located in the Childen's Museum of Oak Ridge. To be honest, I was expecting…read moremore out of the visitor's center since a lot of the time there's a small associated museum or exhibits, but it was quite bare with only a small looping video. I liked the concept of the park in that you get to explore the community, but since the bus tour wasn't running with no plan or date when it would come back, it was hard to make a cohesive plan. I would say plan on visiting the K-25 history center + overlook and the American Museum of Science and Energy for sure, and then just wandering around the community looking at the placards. If you're into the stamps, there's a three part stamp (the rest of the parts are in Hanford, Washington and Los Alamos, New Mexico).

An off the beaten tract for typical visitors. Department of…read moreEnergy sponsors a bus tour. Make reservations on line and early. We went in a rainy day and it was still fabulous. Seeing up close the impact of the Atomic era was eye opening. So much More to the history besides the actual bombing. Take a day to do this historical site.

Bet you didn't know that Tennessee was once a major producer of freshwater pearls. And much of that…read morerich history lies right here in the city of Clinton right off the Clinch river. Take a second to look up the deets about southern Appalachian rivers and tributaries that brought Joseph Gossett, pearling, and eventually: the Norris Dam. Cool stuff. If you are visiting Clinton, come to this historical marker (and do something else besides antiquing). Have a picnic, take a stroll, hang out a bit. Appreciate. If you are looking for another reason to check out this place just ask the local Hoskins store. Because this spot is also the Hoskins-Lane Market Place Park. Owned by the Hoskins and given to the City. Yep, your little kiddos are playing hide and seek and going to the summer festival atop another layer of cool history. Well to learn more about all that, you'll have to get a milkshake at the still buzzing 85+ year old Hoskins drug store just down on Main street.

Today was amazing! We went to see a castle right here in Tennessee! Floyd "Junior" Banks built the…read morecastle out in Loudon County TN called the Greenback Castle or Fortress of Faith. He dedicated this castle to the Lord and encourages everyone to come out and see it for themselves. He never charges a fee to visit, but donations are very much appreciated. He was excited to meet us and take us for a tour. He is a fascinating gentleman with some really interesting stories. He built the castle himself with donated items over the past 30 years and still works on it. Junior told us he never used a level or measuring device, God guides him. He lives in a house nearby on the many acres of property. I highly recommend touring this incredible castle (AT YOUR OWN RISK) and spending some time listening to Junior. I immediately went on Amazon and bought 2 of his books because he was so intriguing. Fortress of Faith: Art, Science, and Divine Intervention at the Greenback Castle What In Another World Is Going On At The Greenback Castle?

(Not a restaurant) If you love the bizarre and unique visit…read morethe Greenback Castle. A retired old gentleman built this "art project " over 30+ years. And loves to greet people and explain the (mostly religious) meaning of all displays. Fun, weird, unique!

A beautiful day to take a brisk walk in the sunshine at this park. Plenty of adorable furry friends…read moreenjoy this park too. It is clean and it's full of history. What a nice place to explore.

This friendship bell was gifted to Oak Ridge from Japan as a sign of remembrance and peace between…read moreour two countries after the events of WWII and the Manhattan Project. Even those our connection has a dark history, the bell is meant to signify a brighter future. The bell itself is huge and very heavy, suspended in air with the ability for visitors to "ring" it. It is under a pavilion in the midst of Bissell Park, which has a great walking trail and a park/playground a short distance away behind the library. Worth a stop, in combination with the Children's Museum of OR, and the American Museum of Science and Energy, which both cover more history of the Manhattan Project and the creation of our small town.

Thanks to Google Maps (and my thorough trip itinerary planning), I had discovered the historic…read more(once a) "ghost town" of Elkmont. For America's most visited national park, it can be difficult to escape the crowds within the Great Smoky Mountains--yet Elkmont is one place to do just that! This Little River Valley was once home to a pioneer Appalachian community, a logging town, and later a resort community. To this day, old relics and abandoned buildings from the past remain--awaiting to be explored. The area was settled in the 1840s as the town of Little River when a logging company was formed. A railroad was later constructed to transport timber for the Little River Lumber Company. This eventually allowed the wealthy from Knoxville to visit what eventually became a resort town. When the Great Smoky Mountains National Park was was established in 1934, residents were given the option to sell their homes at full price and relocate, or sell to the National Park Service (NPS) for a discounted price allowing them to live there until they become deceased. By 1992, most of the homes remained vacant or with expired leases leading 70+ historic buildings into a state of deterioration. Thankfully the NPS decided to renovate and preserve 19 buildings in Elkmont for public visitation. You can now find the Elkmont Historic District with cabins along Jakes Creek Road that were completed around 1997. They attempted to keep the buildings in the closest original condition--even their exterior paint colors! Each cabin has information about the tenants and any unique features. Unfortunately, the cabins cannot be brought up to code for renting or staying inside. However, the largest lodge known as the Appalachian Club is available as an event venue. Continue to explore the Old Elkmont Cemetery up a rocky road near the beginning of Elkmont Road, or choose to hike the Jakes Creek or Little River Trails where you will venture past less discovered old chimneys, walls and tractors that still remain. Directions: Coming from Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge or Cherokee, turn to go west on Fighting Creek Gap Road toward Cade's Cove (turn off near the Sugarlands Visitor Center). After the Laurel Falls trailhead, watch for signs to Elkmont Campground. Follow Elkmont Road all the way til it becomes a loop drive at Jakes Creek Trail Trailhead.

Pretty neat location. Reminded us of a place back home that is still a resort for the wealthy…read more Warning to others who visit, make sure to stop at Sugarlands Visitor Center and get your park tag before going. We were hoping to hike more of the area but didn't know we needed a park tag for our vehicle

Easily drivable but better to walk the winding lanes and the short rises of this beautiful old…read morecemetery. Old Gray was founded in 1850 and is a classic example of the "park" style of cemetery, much like Hollywood in Richmond or Auburn near Boston. Starting with the beautiful entrance on Broadway, you need to also spot the classic stone wall perimeter. Note that the Knoxville National Cemetery has a separate entrance. Famous interments here include Confederate generals, US Congressmen and Senators, Knoxville mayors, Tennessee governors and even World War I pilot Charles McGhee Tyson who was the namesake for Knoxville's airport (the code is TYS). [Review 1185 of 2024 - 501 in Tennessee - 22208 overall]

Very cool, old cemetery. A lot of them date back to the early to mid 1800s but found at least one…read morewho's DOB was the late 1700s. So much history. Beautiful, well kept grounds. Peaceful and serene. Just please make sure you don't litter. Someone did leave a slurpy cup. I hope they didn't get any tapping on their bedroom window that night.

Part of the 20th century trend of making gas stations look like other things (see my 15000th…read morereview, the Shell Gas Station in Winston-Salem https://www.yelp.com/biz/shell-gas-station-winston-salem?hrid=JbBAsOl2ivCEs6IM2U48Tg), this one is made to look like an airplane. It's completely out of place as there is no airport anywhere in the vicinity and there aren't any airplane related businesses nearby. But that anachronism doesn't make it any less awesome! It was built in 1930 as a service station owned by Henry and Elmer Nickle. It was a full service station with fuel under the left wing and oil changes under the right wing. Back in the day, Highway 25 was a busy roadway but as time passed and I-75 was built, the motorists didn't come as often. In the 1960s it was a liquor store and then a produce store and then a bait shop before it was finally abandoned in 2000. Slated for demolition, the community rallied around the airplane and raised money from bake sales and tourism grants. It has since been recovered and restored to its original 1931 standards. It was barber shop for some time and now... I don't know what but it was being touched up when I stopped by. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004. It is easiest to access if you are heading south into Knoxville. Watch the traffic and pull into the neighboring used car lot, take your pictures, and be on your way. Perhaps it will be back as a business you can patronize. I could have used a haircut! [Review 18217 overall - 306 in Tennessee - 1739 of 2022.]

From the owner: I strive to give the best service to my customers read more

A lot of historical value.... but very small token of such a huge memorial to our historical…read morepast.... A must if you are in the area Tony and I visited this site in April 2014, and I had to bring my daughter Noel back here today, June 8th, Sunday to see a part of our PAST as Americans...I love history and I love sharing history and I am so very pleased that my daughter enjoys the history like I do...This is something we share deeply, a true bond..Our love for travel and history...I know that ONCE I am no longer on this earth, she will continue to travel and enjoy...and hopefully every time she sees something AMAZING with her eyes, she thinks of ME... Some history of the site: Monterey is a town in Putnam County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 2,850 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Cookeville, Tennessee Micropolitan Statistical Area. Around the beginning of the twentieth century, Monterey was a resort town that boasted seven hotels and drew summer people who came to enjoy the cool temperatures and mountain scenery. With the invention of the automobile, Monterey became less of a resort town. The hotels closed and the town's economy became dependent on railroad maintenance, coal mining, and logging. Standing Stone Monument The Standing Stone was a 13-foot (4.0 m)-tall rock that once stood upright on a sandstone ledge in the area. It was the legendary boundary between Cherokee and Shawnee territory and marked the Cherokee Tallonteeskee Trail. The 8-foot (2.4 m) remnant of this stone is preserved in Monterey, where a Standing Stone Celebration of Native American Heritage is held each October. If you are in the area, check it out !!!

Well worth the trip! The majestic stone stands in beautiful Monterey TN. This is a definite bucket…read morelist item. It was well worth the drive. Do not miss it!