Highway 19E Is the Most Underrated Road Trip

Growing up in the mountains of North Carolina, I lived close to Highway 19E, a stretch of road that begins a short distance north of Asheville and ends in Bluff City, Tennessee. At first glance, 19E is a practical country road. It’s the sort of expanse travel writer William Least Heat-Moon might have called a “blue highway,” one of America’s old back roads marked in blue on the maps and almanacs travelers used before the era of apps. For those who know where to look, the road is like a multipurpose tool. Although it’s little known outside of the region, the 60-mile stretch connects as much natural diversity as any locale in southern Appalachia.

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State tourism director: Outdoor assets, low population density offer region leg up in attracting visitors, new residents


Northeast Tennessee’s scenic beauty, outdoor recreation opportunities and low population density position its tourism industry well to recover from the COVID-19 downturn, the state’s Commissoner of Tourist Development said. “When you take counties like Washington, Sullivan, along with Sevier and all of the beauty with our lakes, with our rivers, with our mountains, we really do have an advantage,” Mark Ezell told News Channel 11. “Especially when people are wanting to drive instead of fly. So a lot of folks in this nation can get to Northeast and East Tennessee to enjoy the great outdoors.”

    Fall Foliage Watch – Tennessee Style

    Fall Foliage Watch – Tennessee Style

    Fall Foliage Watch – Tennessee Style can take you back to the days of Daniel Boone and Davy Crockett when they trekked the Cumberland ridge on foot as frontiersmen exploring this vast wilderness and often commenting of the spectacular beauty and wonder that Tennessee had to offer especially during each fall season. When I personally witness the change of colors of the leaves each autumn season in Tennessee, it always brings me a sense of divine appreciation.

    Most people think of New England as the main destination to see the fall foliage, but there are other states that offer top quality views of colored leaves fall. Tennessee is just one state, with the Great Smoky Mountains National Park offering numerous autumn foliage tourism opportunities. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is known internationally by tourist as the “most visited National Park in North America,” and offers an impressive view of the changing colors of trees that are settled an amazing 11,482 feet above sea level.

    Typically beginning towards early to mid October each fall season, eastern Tennessee offers the first fall foliage view, with the western part of the state doing the same at the end of October and sometimes towards the beginning of November. There are more than 400 species of trees there that feature brightly colored leaves throughout the fall.

     

    Tennessee River Fall River Cruise

    For a more romantic autumn Fall Foliage tour, get on board the Tennessee River Fall Cruise. The Tennessee River in an area known as the Tennessee Grand Canyon. Visitors see a variety of autumn colors found in the trees around the canyon. The captain of the tour boat also provides a narrative about the Native American history of the area. There are binoculars on board to narrow your viewing pleasure of both fall foliage and wildlife. The boat moves at a snail’s pace so visitors don’t miss anything. The tour also includes a full barbecue dinner for all guests.

    Did I mention that Chattanooga Tennessee offers several awesome fall foliage steamboat excursions too? The Fall Colors in the Scenic City you must see to believe!

    Tennessee Central Railroad’s Fall Foliage Excursion

    The Tennessee Central Railroad Museum offers its customers the opportunity to see the colorful leaves across the state from an authentic rail environment. With large windows made for sightseeing, this excursion train also has air conditioning, luxury seating, and additional activities on board. Departing Cookeville, Tennessee the fall foliage excursion is a 180-mile round-trip which travels through the Tennessee countryside for flashes of fall color, as well as brief stopovers at some of the smaller towns in the state, like Watertown and Monterey.

    Did I mention that Chattanooga Tennessee offers several awesome fall foliage train excursions too? The Fall Colors in the Scenic City you must see to believe!

    Smoky Mountain Fall Foliage

    Visiting tourist simply marvel each fall season at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The always colorful Smoky Mountain Foliage offers visitors the opportunity to see the stunning colors of autumn present in this mountainous region that stretches across eastern Tennessee. There are always local guides who spend typically three hours with each visitor group, providing some informative narrative about the local area, the fall foliage best observation points for scenic views and the history associated with the Smoky Mountain range itself.

    One of the best observation points for your fall foliage viewing pleasure is the tour stop at Newfound Gap, which serves as a marker for the North Carolina and Tennessee state line. It offers visitors the chance to see scenic fall foliage well above the tree line.

    Fall Foliage Photography Quick Tips

    Basic guidelines of landscape photography can be applied correctly to the image of fall foliage to enhance the myriad of warm reds as well as oranges on the nature canvas out there.

    Many types of fall foliage or autumn leaves photos are shot from the trees at a distance, creating a thin carpet of different colors against the earth and the sky. Never hesitate to approach the trees or even to photograph a colorful tree from an unusual angle, for example under the branches of the trees.

    Lastly, try adding a different but related theme to the photos for soft or strong contrast. For example, you could place a squirrel near the viewer with a colorful spot behind it in the foreground. However, if you cannot get so close to the squirrel or any other wildlife subject, just select a nearby house, stream, barn, fence post or tree that speaks to you.

    Middle Tennessee Offers Stunning Fall Colors

    In Middle Tennessee, one has to take a visit to the historically famous Natchez Trace Parkway. It’s a scenic roadway that begins just west of Nashville and extends hundreds of miles deep into Mississippi. Although it typically doesn’t last very long, each fall the leaves turn their autumn colors and the look is spectacular.

    All around Middle Tennessee you can witness the splendor of fall colors from within Nashville itself, to the surrounding communities of Brentwood, Franklin, Leiper’s Fork, Nolensville, Murfreesboro, Lebanon, Mt Juliet, Hermitage, Old Hickory, Hendersonville and Gallatin.

    It’s from Nashville that you can head north to Ashland City and Clarksville to see the wonder or go south a few hours to Chattanooga for a fall foliage experience like you haver never seen. In fact, Chattanooga has everything when it comes to viewing fall colors from hiking, going by Riverboat or even by Train… Chattanooga really has you covered for any option.

    Like I mentioned earlier, timing is critical in seeing fall colors at their absolute peak in Tennessee. Once it hits… the spectacular colors don’t last that very long.

    From Dollywood Theme Park in Pigeon Forge to the east, or to Elvis’s Graceland Mansion in Memphis to the west, Tennessee offers several locations like Chattanooga and other places of interest from all over the state to catch the fall color season. You just need to be ready to enjoy and savor it when it comes your way.

    Fall Foliage Watch – Tennessee Style is really a special event each fall season to embrace and behold.


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