Music, Mystery, Wine, and War

A Circle Nashville Tour

Day One

When you arrive in historic Franklin, start out with lunch in one of the restaurants in The Factory at Franklin, an historic former stove works factory that has become a dining, entertainment and shopping complex. Spend a few minutes shopping after lunch in the wonderful shops located in the circa-1929 buildings.

Tour the The Carter House, which served as the Federal Command Post during the Battle of Franklin. Hear the moving, heroic and tragic stories of one of the Civil War’s fiercest and most important battles.

Step into Robert Hicks’ New York Times bestseller The Widow of the South at historic Carnton Plantation; this impressive antebellum mansion served as a field hospital after the Battle of Franklin. The restored home includes adjacent gardens, slave quarters, and a Confederate Cemetery that is the final resting place of nearly 1,500 soldiers.

”Franklin on Foot” is a terrific way to enjoy one of the most beautiful downtowns in the South and get a first-hand look at the important—and sometimes gruesome—history of this delightful historic community. Take your pick of guided daytime or after-dark historic tours, Widow of the South tours, and ghost tours.

Take a break for dinner and shopping in some of the many unique restaurants and specialty shops in the15-block Historic Downtown Franklin.

Day Two

Take a Country Stars Home Tour and drive by the homes of such household names as Johnny and June Carter Cash, Marty Stuart, Connie Smith, Ricky Skaggs, Billy Walker, Oak Ridge Boy William Lee Golden, and Roy Orbison.

Trinity Music City, USA, USA is a place to spend a few hours or a whole day with films, shopping, and free tours of the broadcasting studios of Trinity Broadcasting Network and country music legend’s Conway Twitty’s original garden and estates, now part of the Trinity complex. Have lunch overlooking the gardens of Trinity.

Wynnewood, built in 1828, is the next stop to see where the Wynne family fed breakfast to Col. John Hunt Morgan and his Raiders on the lawn. Enjoy the tour of Tennessee’s largest 19th-century log structure built as a stage coach Inn on the Avery Trace in Castalian Springs.

Just down the road, enjoy the beautiful gardens and home of Historic Cragfont, the home of General James Winchester, built in 1798. Enjoy the mysterious stories of past inhabitants as told by the caretakers of over 25 years.

Meet Grand Ole Opry Star Stu Phillips at Long Hollow Winery in Goodlettsville. Taste Stu’s excellent Tennessee wines, jellies and cheeses, tour his winery and tap your toes to a medley of famous tunes at the daily performances.

Finish the day with a frontier dinner at Historic Rock Castle, one of the most important structures of the early years of Tennessee. Experience an 18th-century dinner at the Pavilion on the grounds of Rock Castle, featuring period food; afterwards tour this historic home built on the shores of beautiful Old Hickory Lake.

Day Three

You may need additional luggage for all the souvenirs you’ve bought. Stop by the Hartmann Factory Store in Lebanon. Tour the original luggage factory and shop in their outlet store.

While you’re in Lebanon, dash around the Nashville Superspeedway banked oval 1.33- mile track.

Now that you’ve worked up an appetite, have a delicious lunch at Cedarvine Manor, an elegant 1800’s home that was once a convalescent home for Civil War veterans. Depart for Murfreesboro.

Experience the gracious living of the Old South in Oaklands Historic House Museum, an elegant Italianate mansion that was caught in the crossfire of the Civil War. Oaklands was the site of a number of important historic events and saw a parade of important historical figures go in and out its doors.

The 600-acre Stones River National Battlefield was the site of one of the Civil War’s bloodiest and most important battles. Eighty-one thousand soldiers fought in that 1863 battle, often called Hell’s Half Acre.

Pick up your spirits with dinner and a swing dancing performance at the Historic Carriage Lane Inn & Reception House.

Day Four

Follow the cedar-lined lane in Smyrna back to the early 1800’s, where you will hear the story of Civil War legend Sam Davis, tour the Sam Davis Home and Museum, view a riveting video and visit the new museum.

Catch a glimpse into the rich history of the Murfreesboro through interactive displays, exhibits and guided tours at the Rutherford County Courthouse & East Main Street Historic District and Heritage Center in downtown Murfreesboro. Lunch in a beautifully decorated historic house, taste some of Murfreesboro’s best homemade dishes. Depart for Clarksville.

Customs House Museum & Cultural Center, Tennessee’s second largest general history museum and one of the region’s most photographed buildings has more than 35,000 square feet of science, history, and fine art, plus model trains and special events. End the day in patriotic style with a USO Dinner Show featuring the sounds of the Clarksville Canteen. Delight to the sounds of yesteryear while feasting on a family style dinner.

Day Five

Tour The Fort Campbell Military Base – home of the famed 101st Airborne Division’s Screaming Eagles. Tour the The 101st Airborne Division's Don F. Pratt Memorial Museum and have a demonstration by the Military Police K-9 training instructors.

Visit Beachaven Vineyards & Winery, the state’s largest winery, known for its multiple award winning wines and champagnes. After a tour of the champagne cellar, taste some of the product. Stick around for jazz on the lawn, which has become a warm weather tradition.

See if you can spot the ghost of Mrs. Smith on the widow’s walk of the beautiful antebellum Smith-Trahern Mansion. Enjoy a sumptuous Southern-style lunch and take in the fabulous architectural details while you are there.

Now you’ve come almost full circle, and it’s time to head into Nashville proper for another trip.

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