Tennessee Filled with Back-To-School Weekend Getaway Ideas
Nashville, TN (PRWEB) July 30, 2013 -- Summer fun doesn’t have to end with the toll of the school bell. Tennessee is chock-full of weekend retreats and day trips for families when planning last-minute summer jaunts. From museums and outdoor adventures to history and shopping, Tennessee has families covered for back-to-school weekend getaways.
WEST
Be sure to visit the “H2Oh! Splash” exhibit open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. until Sept. 2 at The Children’s Museum of Memphis. The garden-themed exhibit has over 7,700 square feet of water fun with over 40 sprayers which include turtle, crab, snail water jelly sprayers, streams and much more. A water organ shaped like a whale is the centerpiece of the park as well. Dinosaurs, fossils, Civil War history and a replica of the first self-service grocery store in the country, Clarence Saunders’ Piggly Wiggly can be experienced at the Pink Palace Family of Museum in Memphis, Tenn. Stroll through the Coon Creek Science Center, one of the most important fossil sites in North America as it has preserved Cretaceous marine shells and vertebrate for 70 million years.
Children will enjoy walking through The Riverwalk at Mud Island River Park and Museum in Memphis, Tenn. The walk is an exact scale model for the Lower Mississippi River flowing from the Ohio River to the Gulf of Mexico. Mud Island River Park also features swan, river dragon and pirate ship river boats, a monorail which showcases great views of downtown Memphis, the Mississippi River and Mud Island.
See over 400 animals of 80 different species at the Tennessee Safari Park in Alamo, Tenn. Visitors are welcome to feed, pet and photograph the animals through the drive-thru safari tour. Hillcrest Farm was started in 1867 as an agricultural farm but quickly became an animal preservation in 1967 starting with the first herd of buffalo owned in Tennessee. Animals like the red kangaroo, reticulated giraffe, fallow deer, dromedary camel and miniature zebu make their homes at the park. The safari park is open every day. Tickets are $12 for adults and $8 for children 12 years old and younger.
MIDDLE
The Harpeth River beckons to be tamed with a canoe or kayak ride with Foggy Bottom Canoe and Kayak Rentals in Kingston Springs, Tenn. Trips range from one hour to five hours and cost from $32-$38 per canoe and $29 per kayak. The Harpeth River runs over 100 rural miles of Class 1 floating. Lose a few hours, a day or a week along the river as visitors can feel free to load up their canoes with picnic lunches, coolers, inner tubes and whatever else they desire to make a day one the river one to remember.
Visitors can enjoy the climbs and crawls of Cumberland Caverns in Tennessee’s Largest Show Cave and U.S. National Natural Landmark in McMinnville, Tenn. Daytime spelunking adventures include unusual sites and formations, tight squeezes and muddy messes. Spend a night 500 feet underground as Cumberland Caverns offers overnight spelunking tours throughout the year. Brag about conquering Rocky Topper, an opportunity for a first-time spelunker to get a taste of untamed underground through Rocky Top’s “Devil’s Quarry,” “Lemon Squeezer” and “Bubble Gum Alley.”
From suspended bridges, 10 zip lines and Tarzan jumps found in Treetop Adventure Park and more than one million gallons of water that gushes from thrilling water rides, a wave pool and lazy river, Nashville Shores Lakeside Resort is a must-visit before summer waves goodbye. Located on the shores of Percy Priest Lake in Nashville, Tenn., Nashville Shores is a resort of endless fun and also offers lake view cabins for rent and RV campsites. Visitors can also rent jet-skis and pontoon boats or dock their own boats for relaxing fun on the river.
EAST
Rated by locals and visitors as one of the best things to do in Chattanooga, the Tennessee Aquarium is the top-rated aquarium in America. Visitors can marvel at 10,000 animals including the new baby Macaroni penguin, the first baby penguin of 2013 for the aquarium. Visitors will love the Great White Shark 3D movie now playing in the IMAX 3D Movie Theater where they can get close to the iconic predator, the Great White Shark.
Restaurants, attractions, shopping and the new 200-foot-high observation wheel, The Great Smoky Mountain Wheel can all be found at The Island in Pigeon Forge. A must-see attraction, The Great Smoky Mountain Wheel has been called the “Best View of Scenic Smoky Mountains” by Cabin Fever and stands as one of the tallest attractions east of the Mississippi. It features 42, all-glass gondolas that seat up to eight guests. Experience the night ride which features a 24,000 square feet LED Light Show. A carousel, music, Arcade City, The Euro-Bungy Dome and more can also be found at The Island in Pigeon Forge.
Ride the largest zip line in Northeast Tennessee at The Stickley Farm in Bluff City, Tenn. The zip line is more than 1,000 feet long and 40 feet high and is perfect for those who want an adrenaline-inducing adventure. An all-day pass is $35 with individual line tickets $15 and any additional zips for $5. The zip line is located two miles south of the world’s fastest half-mile, Bristol Motor Speedway.
To plan your next vacation sweet spot explore tnvacation.com and join other Tennessee travelers following us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and YouTube.
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Amanda Stravinsky, Tennessee Dept. of Tourist Development, http://press.tnvacation.com/, +1 (615) 532-7822, [email protected]
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