Take a Drive through the Cotton Junction Trail

The Cotton Junction route relives music's biggest moments and global music heritage with dynamic music stops. Begin your trail at the legendary Sun Studio in Memphis. Known as the "birthplace of rock n' roll," the studio holds a stacked record of genres and musical icons. On your 40-minute guided tour, you will have opportunity to hear the stories of B.B. King, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins and Roy Orbison. Stand in exact spot where Elvis first recorded his voice and hear the soundtracks that put Memphis on the map.

The Cotton Junction Trail highlights struggles and accomplishments with iconic roadside views and in-depth museum offerings, including the National Civil Rights Museum. Make an unforgettable visit to the award-winning, National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis. Located at the Lorraine Motel, where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated; the museum honors the journey of Black Americans in a continuing quest for equality and justice. Exhibits will take you through 5 centuries of history and a typical visit ranges from 1.5 to 2 hours.

Opened in 1869, the grand Peabody Memphis is known as the "South's Grand Hotel" and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. While the atmosphere showcases the modern cosmopolitan scene of Memphis, the Peabody still celebrates their "Blues City" roots. Experience the famed hospitality and witness the five resident Mallard ducks that march through the lobby daily at 11 AM and 5 PM. Guests can also enjoy fine dining, a visit to the Feather's Spa, and any number of seasonal or ongoing events.

Learn more about the birth of rock and soul at this must-see in Memphis. The Memphis Rock ‘N’ Soul Museum’s exhibit was researched and developed by the Smithsonian Institution and traces the origins of America’s musical genres of rock ‘n’ roll and soul music’s roots from the Blues. The museum is fully ADA accessible with ample room in the pathways as well as accessible restrooms.

Although West Tennessee is known for its unbeatable Memphis-style Barbeque, Gus’s World-Famous Fried Chicken should be a must-stop on your edible bucket list. What began as a full-service mom-and-pop in the small town of Mason, the establishment has since spread like wildfire, with 30 locations from Los Angeles to Little Rock. While the menu remains mostly the same, this is the original spot that began with the Bonner family’s 1953 recipe.

The West Tennessee Delta Heritage Center houses multiple museums under one roof – Tina Turner Museum at Flagg Grove School, Sleepy John Estes Home, West Tennessee Music, West Tennessee Cotton and the Hatchie River Room. The Queen of Rock ’n’ Roll’s museum is housed in her former one-room schoolhouse transported from nearby Nutbush with costumes and memorabilia from Turner’s remarkable career. Self-guided tours of the center are free of charge.

Get back to nature with a tour of Century Farm Winery, so named because the land has been farmed by one family for more than 150 years. In addition to grapes, the farm grows cotton and corn-- showing a representation of what an active farm would have looked like in 1900s. Guests are welcomed for wine tastings in the Tasting Room, with the opportunity to try 5 award-winning wines for $5. Visit on Saturday evenings for the complimentary Voices in the Vineyard concert series (May through September). 

For more farm fun, visit the West Tennessee Agricultural Museum, with life-size displays depicting the daily challenges settlers faced in forging new territory. Learn more about the region’s rural roots with guided tours through exhibits showcasing equipment, photos, paintings, and historical artifacts of the agricultural practices of West Tennessee. The museum includes a one-room schoolhouse and blacksmith shop. Admission to the museum is free.

The abundant foliage and wildlife make Big Cypress Tree State Park popular with bird-watchers. The park is named for the largest bald cypress tree in the United States, which lived on the land for more than 1,350 years before being struck by lightning in 1976. With many other bald cypress, yellow poplar and dogwood trees, the park features a paved tree identification trail and a 1,142-foot-long boardwalk trail into the seasonally flooded hardwood bottomland forest.

Find out what makes Trenton, Tennessee so “tea-rific” with a stop at the whimsical Teapot Museum. Housed at Trenton City Hall, the exhibit is recognized as the World’s Largest Collection of porcelain veilleuses-theieres, ornate works of art often called night-light teapots with most dating from 1750 to 1860.