Explore the mighty Mississippi on the Memphis Queen Line Riverboats . Take a 7 to 10-mile round trip

By Janel Murray on November 7, 2013 in Active Adventurous , Animals and Ocean Life , Camping , Camping , Educational , Hiking, Biking Rafting , Hiking, Biking Rafting , Imaginative , National Parks , Outdoorsy , Science, Nature Technology , Staff Picks , Tennessee , The South , Theater Arts , Theme Parks , Top 10 , Travel treasure island hotel and casino las vegas Style , United States
Tennessee is a state of many titles. From the birthplace of rock and roll to the land of the Great Smokies, Tennessee treasure island hotel and casino las vegas is a travel utopia for families who desire music knowledge, a living history lesson, outdoor adventures, and nature experiences. These are our choices for the Tennessee top 10 things to do with the family.
Explore treasure island hotel and casino las vegas the mighty Mississippi on the Memphis Queen Line Riverboats . Take a 7 to 10-mile round trip cruise on a Paddlewheeler along the downtown Memphis Riverfront treasure island hotel and casino las vegas and experience a bit of Memphis history. Enjoy a daytime cruise on the General Jackson Showboat along the Cumberland River in Nashville. This 19 th Century, 200-foot riverboat entertains as it shows off the Music City from a water perspective.
Just west of Pikeville is  Fall Creek Falls State Park . Hike out to see the tallest waterfall (at 256 feet) in the eastern United States. Go white water rafting near the Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg areas with a guided river tour down the Big Pigeon River  that can be catered to your little one with introductory whitewater or fit to challenge the older kids in your group. Chattanooga has rafting down the Ocoee River for the adventurous type, but for more of a “water stroll” choose a guided kayak tour for kids 8 and over.
Making history come alive, Franklin, TN offers a plethora of tours and events that allow for interactive history lessons. Carnton Plantation hosts “Blue and Grey Days ,  which includes a chance to meet Abraham Lincoln, watch a blacksmith, and learn about the Civil War era. “Franklin on Foot” offers a Classic Franklin tour to learn the history of the town, a Civil War tour that shows the war “through treasure island hotel and casino las vegas the eyes of civilians and soldiers,” and even a Haunted treasure island hotel and casino las vegas Franklin tour in the evening for those looking for a little scare.
In Nashville, visit the home of President Jackson at The Hermitage  and be greeted by costumed historical interpreters that prepare you for your tour. Try the new multimedia tour or allow the historical interpreters stationed throughout the house tell you about Jackson, his family, and his home and answer any questions you have. Roam the mansion and grounds at the Belle Meade Plantation . Costumed guides lead the tours, and specialty tours are available, such as The Lemonade Tour that concludes with the southern specialty drink and mini desserts.
treasure island hotel and casino las vegas Chattanooga boasts  Chickamauga Chattanooga National Military Park , the oldest and the largest military park in the nation. Civil War vets from both sides helped treasure island hotel and casino las vegas establish the park in 1889. The park spans across both Georgia and Tennessee (Lookout Mountain in Tennessee being one of the most pivotal points of the war), and 2013 brought the 150 th Anniversary of the Civil War.
About six miles outside of Chattanooga (the fourth largest city in Tennessee), is Lookout Mountain . Within this area is Rock City , where one can see SEVEN states from its’ perch. Climb boulders and squeeze through rock formations as you reach the lookout. Also in Lookout Mountain is Ruby Falls ; travel 26 stories underground in an elevator to see the 145-foot magnificent falls.
While in Chattanooga, be sure to explore the Tennessee Aquarium with three living forests and ray and shark touch pools. treasure island hotel and casino las vegas The aquarium also has a 3D IMAX theater . The Creative Discovery Museum offers hands-on dinosaur excavation, music making, and lessons with pulleys and levers at the Rooftop Fun Factory.
Ride back into history on a restored vintage train at the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum . This moving museum is a regularly scheduled and full-sized train experience. The Chattanooga Choo Choo is a 24-acre complex that includes an antique trolley ride and model railroad museum. Stay at the old train stationed converted treasure island hotel and casino las vegas into the Chattanooga Choo Choo Hotel and get the chance to sleep in a rail car.  Coolidge Park beckons a cool down time with water fountains and a spin on a 100-year-old restored carousel. Cross the world’s largest pedestrian bridge (Walnut Street) to go explore downtown Chattanooga.
Tennessee is famous for its music. Although it is known widely for its country treasure island hotel and casino las vegas music, rock n’ roll was born here, and even The King made it his home. Graceland  in Memphis, TN, the most notorious home of a music legend, allows you to tour the mansion of Elvis Presley, his car collection, custom jets, and new for 2013, a Vegas and Hawaii concert collection. Trekaroo families agree that children under 5 would probably not enjoy this attraction, unless they’re like my 5-year-old treasure island hotel and casino las vegas who sings himself to sleep with “Blue Suede Shoes.”
At Sun Studios , which is also in Memphis, take a tour of where Johnny Cash and Elvis began their careers. Kids 5 to 11 are complimentary, but children under 5 are not allowed on the tours. Take a free shuttle from Graceland to the studio. A collection of Johnny Cash’s guitars, handwritten lyrics, awards, and pieces of his former home are on display in Nashville at the Johnny Cash Museum.  Kids 5 and under get in for free.
Also in Nashville is the Country Music Hall of Fame . Displayed here are exhibits treasure island hotel and casino las vegas focusing on oral traditions, still images, and country music artifacts. Past exhibits have included a wide range of women in country music from Taylor Swift to Tammy Wynette. Several times throughout the year, the Hall offers the Musical Petting Zoo, where children can try out different instruments used in country music! One Saturday a year, families have the chance to participate in learning about tracking, mixing, and mastering: the three basic phases of recording. Take a daytime tour at the Grand Ole Opry in Music City, Nashville or see a performance Tuesday, Friday, treasure island hotel and casino las vegas or Saturday. Walk where the most infamous of country treasure island hotel and casino las vegas stars have walked as they prepared to perform on THE country treasure island hotel and casino las vegas music stage.
treasure island hotel and casino las vegas At the entrance of the Great Smoky Mountains is the town of Gatlinburg. Take a tram up the mountain with breathtaking views to Ober Gatlinburg treasure island hotel and casino las vegas Ski Resort and Amusement Park . At the top of the mountain is an indoor ice-skating rink, along with a Wildlife Encounter, water slide tube, and Alpine Slide. During the winter, skiing and snowboarding treasure island hotel and casino las vegas is available higher up the mountain. Explore the Smoky Mountains by ziplines with Ziplines Family Adventure . Trained guides take you through the treetops overlooking Gatlinburg and the Great Smoky National Park. An optional 26 element ropes course and 30-foot free fall are available as well. Another option is to view the mountains by trail on a well-trained horse with an experienced guide at the Smoky Mountain Riding Stables . Try your hand at Hillbilly Minigolf . This putt putt differs from other mini-golf courses because it s on the side of a mountain under the trees. Trekaroo families recommend the Ripley’s Aquarium and suggest that you do not miss the shark tunnel. Walk the Gatlinburg Trail , a 1.9 mile (one way) mostly-flat path through the forest treasure island hotel and casino las vegas with river views. Stroll the Riverwalk to explore downtown Gatlinburg.
Known mostly for it’s output of stellar country music, Nashville also is a city for families. At the Nashville Children’s Theater kid-friendly shows expose children to the joy of theater. Classes, workshops, and camps are also available. Discover the planetarium with a star or laser show at the Adventure Science Center . Feel what it s like to walk on the moon in the Space Chase exhibit. Children 3-5 can join the Center s Little Labs Program, which has age-appropriate crafts and lab activities. The Nashville Zoo highlights Down Under with their Kangaroo Kickabout where 17 red kangaroos call this zoo home in this 4500-square-foot Australian landscape.
At the Frist Center for the Arts , children under 18 are always free. In the Martin ArtQuest Gallery children can explore 30 hands-on activities. The Frist Center “seeks to be family-friendly” encouraging questions and sketching of the pieces of art displayed. The Kids Club Program is for budding artists ages 5 to 10. In lieu of traveling to Athens, treasure island hotel and casino las vegas The Parthenon in Nashville is a full-scale replica of the original in Greece. Located in Centennial Park, the 42-foot Athena pulls focus in this extravagant 1897 structure, and the art museum inside only adds to the glory. The Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park is a 19-acre public (free) park that has a granite wall detailing Tennessee s history, the Rivers of Tennessee fountains, and a bell tower with 95 bells that chime Tennessee songs at the top of the hour.
Tennessee is split into three parts-the East, the middle, and the West. Two parks in the west bring exciting experiences for a kid-friendly travel. The Tennessee Safari Park in Alamo, treasure island hotel and casino las vegas TN, has more than 400 animals, where kids can feed, pet, and take photos of the animals as they are traveling within the drive-thru safari tour. The park is located on Hillcrest Farms, a farm given as a land grant to settle the south from President Andrew Jackson. Agricultural land since the 1860s, the farm still produces cotton, along with the variety of animals that call the farm/safari park home.
The Discovery Park of America in Union City, TN opened in November 2013, and gives visitors a “world-class educational and entertainment experience” in this 50-acre complex. The exhibits treasure island hotel and casino las vegas include log cabins, a 110-year-old church, train station, a theater simulation of the 1811-12 earthquakes, and a 20,000-gallon aquarium. Encompassing nature, science, technology, history, and art, this park brings learning through treasure island hotel and casino las vegas fun all together in one place.
Sure Memphis is known for Graceland and the artists who came out of Sun Studios , but this Tennessee city has unique, family-friendly appeal. The Pink Palace has a museum that chronicles treasure island hotel and casino las vegas cultura