Kick-It Picks Things to Do in Tennessee
The stops worth the drive — and the truth about the ones that aren't.
Tennessee isn't one state you can do in a weekend — it's three. The mountains of the east, the music and whiskey of the middle, the blues and barbecue of the west. Three stars on the flag, three different countries, and most people only ever see one. These are the picks worth driving all three for.
Regions: East · Middle · West
Everything below is a Kick-It Pick — the entries we’d grab you by the collar for. Each one is pulled from Kick the Bucket List: Tennessee, our 120-stop field guide, and each carries a blunt Bucket Rating so you know what’s non-negotiable and what to skip. Prices and hours drift; we stamp every page with the date we checked it and fix what changes.
The Big Ten
Lose Yourself in the Great Smoky Mountains
Non-negotiableStand in the Jungle Room at Graceland
Non-negotiableHear the Opry at the Mother Church
Non-negotiableStand Where Rock and Roll Was Born
Non-negotiableThe Great Outdoors
Oddities
Eats
Sweat for the Original Hot Chicken
Non-negotiableEat the Biscuits That Built a Legend
Non-negotiableFind the Ribs Down the Alley
Non-negotiableBurn for the World's Best Fried Chicken
Non-negotiableTake On Nashville Hot Chicken
Non-negotiablePair a MoonPie with an RC Cola
Non-negotiableBar-Hop Lower Broadway
Non-negotiableRoad Trips
Small Towns
Month by Month
Late May–June: See the Fireflies Flash in Unison
Non-negotiableJune: Get in the Crowd at CMA Fest
Non-negotiableSeptember: Get Loud at the Last Great Colosseum
Non-negotiableNovember: Sing "Rocky Top" With 100,000 People
Non-negotiableGet all 120 in Kick the Bucket List: Tennessee
These are the marquee Kick-It Picks. The book has 120 — adventures, eats, road trips, and the small towns worth the detour — each with a checkbox, a date line, and a Bucket Rating. Fill it in. Score yourself.
See the Tennessee book →