I was greeted by Jamie when we came in this past Wednesday morning who was extremely polite and…read morehelpful. She went above and beyond helping us map out our Nashville visit. She provided us a map and asked about everything I wanted to see. Then she helped me group the activities by areas/days. She sold us combo tickets for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Ryman Auditorium. She pulled up who was in concert at the Grand Ole Opry and when she found out we were interested in Vince Gill, confirmed there were still tickets. She advised us to go directly to the Ryman to purchase Grand Ole Opry tour tickets and to directly purchase Vince Gill tickets. She even told us where to park for free on our Bicentennial Park/Tennessee Capitol State Park/Tennessee Farmers Market day and gave us lunch recommendations. What a doll!!!

Before vacationing in Nashville, I watched YouTube livestreams. These livestreams gave me tours of…read moreNashville before seeing it live. When I was following along on these virtual walks, my eyes took in this towering landmark that looked like a radio tower. This towering landmark marked the end of the Honkey Tonk Highway stretch of Broadway. In real life I was going to see this. In June that happened plenty of times. This Nashville landmark is a 250-foot tall radio tower that pays homage to Nashville's rich radio history, especially WSM Country Music which has aired country music since 1925. It is a representation of Nashville's connection to music, much like the tower above the Country Music Hall of Fame. This landmark was a big part of the vacation. Kind of like the Eiffel Tower would be in Paris. Nearby I would take pictures of it up close and walking along Broadway, the Riverfront Park, Walk of Fame Park, and other spots I took distant pictures of it. This landmark radio tower is incorporated into the northeast corner of the Bridgestone Arena at Broadway and Rep. John Lewis Way. This corner is home to the Nashville Visitor Center. It is a rounded mostly glass structure serving as the base of the 250-foot tall radio tower. It also serves as a place to welcome people to Nashville, Tennessee. I went inside here a couple of times. I saw it as a place to get acquainted with and to remember Nashville. When I walked inside from the entrance at Rep. John Lewis Way, I saw a few interpretive kiosks and a wall of records. The windows opening up to Broadway and Rep. John Lewis Way brought in sufficient sunlight and views. In the center of the room is the information desk where the employees answer questions and ring up souvenirs. They were pretty helpful when I asked them about the Nashville Trolly. However, they did not know much about the landmark above them. It's interesting that I would learn about it from Google AI instead of from the Nashville Visiter's Center. Regardless they were friendly and enthusiastic about answering my questions. Surrounding the desk are souvenirs. In my opinion the gift shops on Broadway offer a far better selection. Beyond the rounded below the landmark radio tower, the Visitor Center extends into the Bridgestone Arena. In contrast to the well lit, modern, and Nashville themed room under the radio tower, this area feels like a waiting area in a bus terminal. I appears to double up as a ticketing area. This is where the seating, brochures, and restrooms are. I spent some time sitting here with my Dad, and Brother while cooling off on a humid Nashville afternoon. I am a fan of the Nashville Visitor Center landmark 250-foot tall radio tower that rises from the top. When I vacationed in Music City USA, it was a landmark that I gravitated to.

The staff was really nice and really we just needed some brochures or maybe a postcard (which are…read moregetting harder to find) to send off with a flat Stanley my friend was responsible for. In addition to information, they had tshirts and postcards for sale. Great spot for quick information.

THE VISITOR'S CENTER OF WILLIAMSON COUNTY!…read more This is a great place to stop first when visiting the area. You will want to obtain information about the area, (they cover all of Williamson County), so that you can plan accordingly. This is a nice little office that is warm and cozy. You can sit a spell in order to get your bearings. They have a large selection of souvenir clothing that included long and short sleeve tees, and zip-up hoodies. The tees start at $20 and are available in great colors such as black, navy, teal and red. Don't forget to pick up your maps and pamphlets. Toward the rear of the office you will see a huge wooden timeline of Williamson County with key events highlighted. It dates back to 1779 and covers the most significant event in the area's history, the Civil War. The ladies working during our visit were very kind and helpful and I am sure that they can point you in the right direction and even share a bit of the area's history.

Unexpected resource for Huntsville happenings, festivals, events, clubs, groups, and trends…read more Staffed by knowledgeable locals Lots of printed material available (flyers, magazines and such) with Q-codes, web links, and email addresses for the digital explorer

VISITORS ARE WELCOME HERE!…read more Yes, this center is a necessary stop on your visit to Huntsville when you are unfamiliar with the area. It is located in the historic section of the city and staffed by two lovely women who are eager to help you navigate your way around the city. They have tons of information available. My strategy is always to go straight to the printed information to gather what I can (I like to read), and then ask questions if necessary. My husband goes straight to the desk to ask questions because it's easy and he just likes talking to the receptionists. Whatever your strategy, you will be fine here! In addition to resources, you can also find souvenir tees and talk a selfie with their unique selfie machine. It allows you to choose your background (city landmarks), and then you can e-mail it to yourself. They also have a large open heart that you can also use to frame a photo and the ladies will be happy to assist you. You will notice that you are conveniently located to many of the landmarks and can easily walk from this point. Just walk outside and look to your left and you will see the historic depot. From there, other landmarks can be easily located, so get to steppin and enjoy your visit!

Alabama welcome center located off the expressway that garners a lot of attention for having the…read morespace rocket during our in front of the facility. For rest stops you won't get much cooler outside decor than an actual real life rocket. The grounds also feature a Vietnam memorial and a Korean War memorial. So lots of cool historical things to check out on the grounds. The inside features a visitors center and a separate section with a mens and woman's room. The visitors side had a lady greeter who was very nice and asked for family size and zip code so they can keep track of visitors. The rocket garners a lot of attention. The bathrooms were pretty rough but nothing out of the ordinary compared to a normal welcome center or rest stop. The vending machines were in a separate exterior hut type area to the left of the main entrance. Overall pretty cool rest stop that is memorable for the rocket and cool war memorials as well. Someone told me this is the most visited place in all of Alabama. Kinda cool if true.

This is a completely new facility, it took over two years to tear down the building, parking lots,…read moreand roads to reconstruct them all as brand new. That part is great. The restrooms are split in half where they can close half for cleaning and then switch to the other side. When they aren't cleaning, both sides used to be open. Now, they've gotten lazy and only half of the restrooms are ever open at once. So, when you have dozens of truckers and a lot of people in cars throughout the night, there sometimes is a line in the restrooms waiting for a toilet. There is a room with a lot of free travel information but it is locked up all night long. It's only open during 'bankers hours'. When the place is the busiest us when all of this information is locked up and inaccessible. It is unlike any other rest area in any other state - we've never seen all of this type of travel information locked up anywhere else. The locks on the toilet stalls are unusual. They have red and green blocks... From the outside they are very small and some of them aren't lined up or they are damaged. People can't always tell if they are available without looking for feet. From the inside, red means what? It is locked or unlocked? Safe or unsafe? If you check the lock before closing the door, there is no deadbolt to see moving... It's all internal to the door. On the inside, SOME of the stalls show a diagram of a locked padlock when it is in the red position and an unlocked symbol on the green. But some of them don't show the symbols or the red/green colors because these locks are junk and everything gets out of alignment. I've seen guys open the stall doors of occupied stalls many times because of these screwed up locks. Just the other day, a guy said it showed his door was locked but he got walked in on... You can't physically test them because turn the handle to open the door automatically unlocks the door in the process. So, yeah, for my job, I travel through here a few times every week. The next place to stop is more than 60 miles south. There is a bucees 30 miles south but you can't take trucks there.

Ms. Linda was so helpful! Professional and very knowledgeable about all the things we came to find…read more She had great tips about the museums and times, costs and how to pack all the sights in efficiently! So many ideas, well be back! Happy Traveling from Seattle, Washington

Stop by and check out what the Florence area has to offer. The lady inside is super friendly and…read moretalking with her really made our day. Some interesting exhibits, brochures, and in a great area to walk or bike outside. Definitely stop in if in the area.

I recently visited Fort Negley Park Visitor Center with an 89-year-old gentleman I work with…read morethrough Seniors Helping Seniors who has mobility and memory issues. Tracy, the Historic Site Director, was absolutely outstanding and is a true credit to Metro Parks. He went above and beyond, taking extra time to answer our questions, engage with us, and share his incredible knowledge of the site and its history in such a kind and thoughtful way. His patience, professionalism, and genuine care made the visit both enjoyable and meaningful for us. I highly recommend visiting the Fort Negley Park Visitor Center, especially because of the wonderful people who make the experience so special.

This was more of a moderate urban hike than a historical open air museum. It was interesting but…read more It a must see when visiting Nashville. The goats herding the pasture were pretty cool. Bring water and sunscreen.

My hubby is a bit of a history buff. We had been at the VA for a car show and just happened by this…read moreplace. We got lunch at In-N-Out then came back and used the shady picnic tables to relax and have a picnic. They have a smallish museum, in comparison to other National Park museums, but it is packed with facts and interesting artifacts. Outside there are trails to walk, and separate bike lanes. On a sunny day there are many shady areas to stop and enjoy the sights, sounds and fragrances!

As we were on the way to Bell buckle we had to go through Murphreesboro. So, why not visit a Civil…read moreWar site? The driving tour takes you to 6 different stops along the way. The drive is peaceful and there are a number of people who walk the trail or walk their dogs. The visitors center has knowledgeable rangers, a small museum, a film of the battle, and the gift shop. And let's not forget the clean restrooms, right? It's not a huge place but worth a stop for Civil War buffs.

They have done a great job cleaning up after the storm. My only complaint is that the outdoor…read moreclassroom has fallen into disrepair. The structure has tons of dry rot and the benches are too weak to sit on without fear of falling. If I had the funds or ability I would fix this problem myself. Otherwise the park is beautiful and a wonderful place to visit.

I had spent a good two hours outside, in hot, muggy conditions, partaking in the July 3rd…read morecelebrations at Fairview City Hall. I hopped in my car afterwards to drive around Fairview. I spotted a sign to Bowie Park, including its nature centre, and turned in to check it out. It is a beautiful park with majestic trees. It felt so much cooler simply driving in this park because the trees shielded you from the heat and provided some much needed relief. Bowie Park has over 700 acres of forest and lakes. It also has 17 miles of trails. You can essentially go biking, horseback riding, fishing, running, and walking in nature. Park hours are between 5 am and 10 pm. I am assuming that gates block your way into this park when it's closed. I thoroughly enjoyed my brief drive into the park. You can park your car and take advantage of doing a hike or whatever activity you feel like doing while connecting with nature. It was so hot that I wasn't feeling a hike. A touristy car ride was good and a nice change of pace. I found the nature centre. It's a place for visitors to learn more about the park. It has nature exhibits, brochures, and art. It features the Bowie museum, which shares the history of the Bowie family and their gifting the park to Fairview. This centre has classes throughout the year on learning about this park. It also has staff offices and public restrooms. This park was named after Dr. Evangeline Bowie. Her family had purchased this plot of land in the 1950's. It was eroded and in poor condition. It went through a transformation of being bulldozed and redesigned into the forest that exists today. It was not crowded on a Sunday afternoon when I was here. I'd love to return and take a walk when it's not scorching hot. It felt peaceful and relaxing while I was here during my car tour. It's such a gem. It was an unexpected, cool find. (320)

One of the best welcome centers we have been to-- and we have been to a lot!…read moreThe beautiful flowers outside makes the place look more like a botanical garden than a welcome center. The cut out of Dolly inside made us smile, as did the clean bathrooms. They had cute rocking chairs and a fire place and lots of books and brochures I saw people taking. They had a separate building with ice, vending machines and a coffee machine to purchase coffee. Lots of smiling faces due to the cleanliness!

Facilities clean/smelt good I heard an employee kindly…read moreaddress another person, sounded like he gave helpful information. Everywhere I looked there was info on how to be more vigilant and encouraged nonsmoking. Pet walk was nice and maintained. Always impressed with how welcome centers always have their employees maintain their spaces.

There is not a prettier road to drive down anywhere in this country. The Natchez Trace is a…read morestunning winding road filled with beautiful hills, turns, and gorgeous greenery! Bikes share the road here, so I ask everyone driving please go slow and remember to look out for them as with so many blind spots, it can make it difficult for cars and bikers alike. Tennessee perfected the 'scenic drive' with this one

Lovely drive just minutes from Nashville. If you like scenic drives, nature walks/hikes,…read morewaterfalls, etc., start driving down to Natchez! Hubby and I drove a good bit of this parkway while visiting Nashville for New Years. We stopped in Franklin and walked around Main St, drove through Leiper's Fork, visited the gravesite of Meriwether Lewis of Lewis and Clark and saw 2 waterfalls (Jackson Falls and Fall Hallow). We also stopped to walk a short trail to old limestone mines. Definitely worth a visit if you are in the area!