Author: Benjamin Strickland

A good craft find feels even better when it was headed for the trash. One Tennessee shop is giving unwanted creative supplies another chance through…

Sleeping in has consequences when a bakery only gives you four hours to make your move. This Tennessee spot opens for a short morning window,…

If you grew up taking road trips, you probably remember the restaurants almost as clearly as the destinations. The good ones became landmarks of their…

Seeing a bald eagle in the wild usually means looking high into the sky and hoping for a lucky glimpse. At one Tennessee sanctuary, you…

College costs can make even the most exciting acceptance letter feel a little intimidating. For some Tennessee families, though, one public university is making that…

Barbecue rankings are where friendships get tested. Ask ten people in Knoxville where to find the best ribs, brisket, or pulled pork and you may…

Some recipes earn their place by refusing to change. One Tennessee candy kitchen has been making taffy with the same recipe since 1950, keeping a…

Daylight makes this Tennessee park look peaceful enough. Forested ridges, quiet trails, and still water set the scene for a calm afternoon outside. Then the…

Smoke curling out behind a roadside restaurant is still one of the best signs you can see in a small Tennessee town. It usually means…

Holiday baking gets a lot easier when the pantry is already stocked with the good stuff. Across Tennessee, country markets make that part of the…

A road that cuts straight through a wall of rock is already unusual. One that locals call the world’s shortest tunnel is even harder to…

One bite of crispy pork and garlicky plantains can completely change your lunch plans. This Tennessee kitchen brings Puerto Rican comfort food to the table…

Fall gets a lot more interesting when one afternoon includes a corn maze, pumpkins, and rows of sunflowers stretching toward the horizon. This Tennessee festival…

Southern food gets serious when the biscuits are warm, the chicken is crisp, and the sides taste like somebody actually cared about them. Middle Tennessee…

A quilt can start with a few pieces of fabric and end up inspiring an entire trip. At one Tennessee arts school, quilting workshops bring…

Cleveland might not be the first Tennessee city that comes to mind when you start planning a great meal, and that is exactly why eating…

Few things make a fall weekend feel more exciting than a riverfront lined with artists, food vendors, and live music. Tennessee gets exactly that when…

Retirement gets a lot more appealing when your monthly budget leaves room for more than just rent. Tennessee has several waterfront towns where slower mornings,…

Some seafood meals just hit better when they come with paper baskets, crowded tables, and a menu regulars barely need to read. Tennessee serves up…

There is something different about a grocery store where the family name has been part of the sign for generations. Tennessee still has markets like…

Fall weekends hit differently when the mountains are glowing, the air smells like kettle corn, and hundreds of makers are showing off what they do…

What makes a country cooking restaurant worth driving across Tennessee for? Maybe it is fried chicken with a crackly crust, cornbread still warm in the…

A day spent chasing waterfalls has a funny way of making dinner feel urgent. Around Cookeville, Tennessee, that usually means muddy shoes, tired legs, and…

What happens when small towns start adding homes, businesses, and new residents faster than people expect? Upper Cumberland is giving Tennessee a pretty clear answer….

Some lake places become part of the family calendar without anyone ever formally deciding it. Summer after summer, Tennessee families return for boat rides, fishing…

The smell of warm bread can do a lot of convincing before a single bite is taken. East Tennessee still has country stores where the…

What if some of Knoxville’s most memorable meals are hiding behind the plainest storefronts? That is part of the fun here. A tiny dining room,…

Early mornings feel better when the river is doing most of the talking. One peaceful Tennessee trail gives walkers a shady path, gentle water views,…

September changes the mood fast when piles of pumpkins start showing up beside country roads. Suddenly, it feels like fall is calling your name, and…

September has a special kind of energy. Summer is starting to loosen its grip, pumpkins are showing up again, and weekend plans suddenly sound better…

Jellyfish in Tennessee sound like the start of a joke, but one quiet lake has actually had them drifting through the water. Tiny, clear, and…

Retirement sounds a lot better when the view includes water and the monthly bills do not eat up your whole budget. That is exactly why…

Not every outdoor adventure needs to leave your legs begging for mercy. Tennessee has scenic walks where the distance stays short but the reward still…

There is a big difference between grabbing a sandwich and driving somewhere specifically for one. Tennessee has Italian delis where that difference becomes obvious after…

A full grocery cart should not feel like a financial decision. Yet for a lot of families, every trip through the checkout line seems to…

Some restaurants could move to another city and barely change a thing. This one feels tied to East Tennessee down to the vegetables on the…

Ever walk into a country market for one thing and leave wondering how your arms got so full? That is the danger at this Sevierville,…

Sometimes the best summer plan is the one that barely counts as a plan. Find a patio, order something good, and stay until nobody feels…

What if summer did not have to feel like a battle with the heat? High in the mountains, this Tennessee community keeps things surprisingly comfortable…

Memphis, Tennessee does not mess around when it comes to steak. Locals grow up with strong opinions on where to eat one, and they defend…

Ever wonder how things actually get made? Tennessee has answers, and you can watch it happen in real time. Across the state, artisans, makers, and…

There are barbecue plates, and then there are the ones that make you wonder where the rest of the table space went. This Tennessee smokehouse…

Pickled beets shouldn’t be the reason someone plans their whole weekend around a grocery run, but here in Tennessee, they are. This market built a…

Ask people about their favorite Italian restaurant and things can get surprisingly serious. Everyone has opinions about sauce, pizza crust, meatballs, lasagna, and exactly how…

The lights come on, the midway starts buzzing, and suddenly staying for just an hour feels impossible. This Tennessee county fair still delivers the kind…

What would you do if a scoop of dirt turned into a handful of real gemstones? At one Tennessee attraction, that possibility makes every trip…

Mountain views and a great steak dinner? Tennessee somehow manages to deliver both at the same table. This lodge restaurant built its menu for people…

Ever walked into a thrift store planning to stay ten minutes and left three hours later? Knoxville has a whole lineup of them ready to…

Hot summer days feel a lot better when cool water is only a short drive away. Tennessee has a swim spot where families can splash,…

A regular weekend can only handle so many errands before it starts begging for a little chaos, a little color, and something hot from a…

What if dinner came with the sound of rushing water just beyond your table? At this Tennessee restaurant, hearty Southern cooking shares the spotlight with…

Ever wanted to build your own bouquet with flowers you cut yourself? Tennessee has a farm making that possible every weekend this summer. Rows of…

A quick grocery stop becomes a full country market adventure when every aisle has something worth slowing down for. Tennessee knows how to do these…

Music history settles into certain cities the way weather settles into a valley, completely and without any intention of leaving. This quiet Tennessee delta city…

Fried chicken should come with a little swagger. Tennessee gets that. This trail is built for the kind of crispy, juicy, pass-the-napkins cooking that makes…

Have you ever walked into a fabric store for one small thing and somehow lost an entire afternoon? That could easily happen at this Tennessee…

Warm bread breaks apart in steaming layers before anyone even sits down to eat. Recipes here pass through generations, and nothing about the taste comes…

Breakfast can take control of the whole day when biscuits, seasoned potatoes, hearty omelets, and scratch-made desserts all land on one menu. Tennessee turns a…

A quick stop can turn into an afternoon of comics, collectibles, games, and one very hard-to-ignore display case. Tennessee gives fans a playful break where…

A quick shopping trip can turn into an entire weekend before you even realize how much there is to see. This massive Tennessee mall brings…