News | Think Tennessee

Wish The King At Memphis On His Grand Birthday Bash

How can a trip to the capital of country music in the world, Nashville, called complete unless you visit Memphis and pay homage to the King of pop – Elvis Presley? Memphis will celebrate Elvis Presley’s birthday from 6 January to 9 January. This is an annual tribute to the most popular character in the history of pop. From heaven or from the alien planet to which he was kidnapped, one hope Elvis gets the best wishes of his most loyal fans.

Well, if you are a fan of Elvis, then you ought to make sure you are present in Memphis on these days to enjoy the birthday celebrations. The agenda of the event involves a birthday proclamation ceremony, a reception where inside information about Elvis Presley will be shown and of course, an Elvis dance party.

It goes without saying that landing up in the well known and easily recognizable attire of the King of pop will get you good cheer without any difficulty. Apart from this, there will be conversations on Elvis, live entertainment and pop concerts dedicated to Elvis Presley.

The phenomenon that Elvis created can be understood by identifying the large number of fans supporting Elvis despite so many years of his death. The birthday celebration is not just the celebration of a single individual. Rather, it is a celebration of the way of life for music fans that Elvis has created.

Irrespective of whether your kids know about Elvis or not, you should make them a part of his heritage by dropping in on the celebration. Of course, Memphis is a big city and has many other sites and attractions to offer. You can convert it into a grand holiday to sign off the festival is season by coming to Memphis with your family and having a good time.

Filed Under: News, Travel Tagged With: Elvis Presley, Graceland, Memphis Tennessee

Why Did Tennessee Shift From The Union To The Confederates In The Civil War

Although more battles were fought in the state of Virginia, Tennessee was the place where the most vicious battles of the American civil war were fought. A reading of the history of Tennessee’s decision to secede for the union is very interesting. For a very long time, the state remained in favor of working within the union.

East Tennessee was always in favor of abolition of slavery because the people living there did not own many slaves. However, the situation was different in west and east Tennessee. In the ultimate vote that decided that the state ought to secede from the union, east voted firmly against the proposal while west voted firmly in favor. However, the swing came as a result of east Tennessee voting firmly in favor of secession.

It is said that the call for 75,000 troops and the attack on fort Sumter created more problems as individuals who were still ambivalent about the idea of secession and supporting the Confederate found themselves taking a stance against the Republicans. The state was the last to secede from the union and the resulting American civil war saw use of its cities and its rivers by both sides to defeat the opponent.

The state recognizes the lessons learnt from the American civil war and has ensured that the lessons of history are not forgotten. From television shows to museums and trail guides -there are many resources that help individuals understand the civil war, its causes, and its consequences better.

Any student of American history cannot avoid a visit to Tennessee to understand how opponent sides fought against each other for ideas that they taught was superior. After so many years since the civil war, it is possible to analyze the issues in a cool and composed manner without giving in to the emotions that earlier used to sound the topic.

Filed Under: Events, News Tagged With: American Civil War, East Tennessee, Tennessee, United States

Despite Secession, Tennessee Was Amalgamated Very Quickly During Reconstruction

Tennessee was the only state that had seceded from the Union but still escaped a military governor during the Reconstruction period. This was primarily because the state had ratified the 14th Amendment to the Constitution which prohibited human beings from being treated as property.

Further, the Supreme Court of the state had clearly stated that blacks were citizens and could not be discriminated against. This led to a huge backlash from all those in Tennessee who still supported the Confederate movement. It was to be many decades before the Confederate moment could finally fizzle out and the Republican notion would gain strength.

However, the state was the last to secede from the Union and the first to be amalgamated with it again. Despite being the location of many battles, the civil war did not leave any long term effect on the state as far as its relation with the federation was concerned.

The state was also the location of the last major battle between the Union and the Confederates. The larger army of the Union literary demolished the army at Nashville and led to the recapture of Memphis. The state was highly valued by both Union and Confederates because of the large number of water bodies that acted as transportation route for troops. Further, the city was of strategic importance and the state was used as a recruiting ground for the army.

The North had established a strong support base with a Federal government that enabled it to carry out espionage activities and even gorilla warfare against the supporters of the South.

Post reconstruction, the issue of black rights and whether the blacks could legally be treated as equal to whites continued to fester until the civil rights movement finally put the issue at rest and America decided that blacks and whites would continue to be treated as equals.

Filed Under: Government, News Tagged With: Confederate States of America, Tennessee, Union (American Civil War)

Want To Celebrate New Year Without Spoiling Your Sleep? Visit Tennessee

The Creative Discovery Museum in the city of Chattanooga in Tennessee has come up with a fantastic idea to ensure that each and every child and individual who cannot stay up late on New Year’s eve can enjoy New Year celebrations. The event has simply decided that New Year shall be formally inaugurated at 12 in the afternoon instead of 12 in the morning.

Needless to say, there are better ways to celebrate the New Year than at 12 in the morning when half the world is asleep and the other half is trying to break the extreme cold and chill. On the other hand, inviting the New Year in a park with all your friends, relatives and community members surrounding you in bright daylight and warmth makes a lot more sense.

If you happen to be in Tennessee and in and around the city of Chattanooga during New Year, it makes sense to go ahead and give this place a visit. The creative discovery museum is going to be a very fun place to be.

It is essential to understand that vacation is a time when you de-stress and relax. By going in for something so wacky and unheard of during your vacations, you certainly will be having more fun. Of course, it really does not matter when you declare that the New Year has officially begun. By doing it on a community level, the museum has ensured that people have a good time.

Hence, apart from the traditional benefits like lots of clean air, communion with the nature and lots of country music, you can also spend your time in the state of Tennessee doing things that will bring fond memories and a warm smile on your face. Travel and tourism apart, it is also a great opportunity for people to celebrate the New Year twice-once at midnight and the other at noon.

Filed Under: Entertainment, News Tagged With: Chattanooga Tennessee, Creative Discovery Museum, Tennessee

Why People Settled In Tennessee? The Answer Is A Money Spinner For The State Today

: Image via Wikipedia

Mankind has never been very imaginative when it came to new settlements. People settled in new places either for security or a better life. Tennessee saw human settlements for the first time simply because it was a very fertile place and people discovered that they could grow enough for their needs and for the needs of their community without any difficulty.

Agriculture is the primary reason why Tennessee was populated and it continues to remain a major reason even today. In such a scenario, it is impossible to understand and assimilate the local culture and heritage of Tennessee unless you are prepared to walk in to the rural areas.

It is natural to feel that tourism and travel in rural Tennessee may not be an enjoyable experience. A person who is habituated to a steady and stable life may feel that the lack of facilities in rural areas will be very difficult to overcome. Well, you may not enjoy five star experiences in rural Tennessee but you certainly will enjoy something that will make all previous experiences seem irrelevant.

How about a bed and breakfast accommodation where the host plucks fresh fruits and vegetables from the farm and prepares dishes for the breakfast? What if you have the freedom of not just ordering your favorite dish of the menu but also picking the ingredients from the farms so that the food is prepared fresh in front of you?

Healthy eating cannot become any healthier than this. Once you get used to the idea of rural bread and breakfast, you will never go back to the boring routine of restaurants and hotels.

It is often said that the real Tennessee lies in the rural areas and that any traveler wishing to get in touch with the roots must live in rural Tennessee. Thankfully, good connectivity means that you can quickly travel to an urban center and drop in to the nearest McDonalds for happy meals.

Filed Under: News Tagged With: McDonalds, Rural area, Tennessee

Agritourism – A Unique Tennessee Innovation To Improve State Popularity

A trip to Tennessee is not just about music, fun and food. It is also about getting better understanding of who you are and where your strengths lie. Tennessee has come up with the concept of agri-tourism. People are so used to eating artificially processed food that they have forgotten how good natural food really tastes.

Rural Tennessee is a hub of old fashioned agriculture where there still exist century farms in the state. As the name suggests, these are farms that have been passed from one generation of a family to another and the chain has continued unbroken for more than a 100 years. To imagine a family doing nothing but farming for 100 years at a stretch is unbelievable.

The sheer weight of experience and knowledge is sufficient to come up with the best produced in the world. Well, Tennessee has decided that this is an asset that it should exploit. That is the reason why it is showcasing agri-tourism as one of its biggest strengths.

Any tourist walking in to the state of Tennessee can skip the big hotels and land up straight in its farms where he or she will be treated to an experience of the lifetime. From fresh fruits and vegetables to the tastiest dishes prepared in the most simple American manner-Tennessee offers it all.

In a tribute to the hospitality of the state of Tennessee, the guests are permitted to walk right into the farms and pluck the vegetables themselves. They can choose berries for their desert and pluck them and participate in the preparation process as well.

For a lawyer or a professional with no experience of fun and joy during office hours, to work in a farm and to have fun even as preparing food is certainly going to be a different experience.

Filed Under: Government, News Tagged With: Agritourism, Tennessee, United States

Love Eating Meat? Tennessee Is A Great Place To Enjoy Healthy Non Veg Food

: Image via Wikipedia

Who says that you cannot enjoy the benefits of Agri-tourism in Tennessee if you are a non-vegetarian? Enjoying good quality non-vegetarian food is even more difficult when you are on the move. Different cultures have different approach towards cooking meat. However, it is important to source the meat from good quality sources.

This is where most restaurants and eateries fail. Meat is stored until it is equivalent of hard rubber and is cooked. The end result may be made appetizing with the help of spices but it would offer zero nutritional value.

In the natural farms of Tennessee, you can collect eggs and choose your meat personally. There are different restaurants and eateries that are certified organic and which make use of fresh produce on a daily basis. The combination of fresh meat and fresh vegetables is going to result in a delicious meal.

It is advantages to choose a holiday where you are assured of good quality food. Once you have taken care of food, your family will have a good time automatically and will enjoy the sights and sounds. On the other hand, eating food cooked outside can quickly become a monotonous affair and this can pull down the overall fun and joy in the holiday in Tennessee.

From opting for cabins and cottages where you can cook your own food by purchasing fresh produce directly from farm festivals and events to opting for organic restaurants-there are many options available for vacationers in Tennessee.

The best part is that you need not spend a lot of money because rural economy is always going to be cheaper than urban holidays. You will not miss out on the real sights and sounds of Tennessee because access to various events and attractions in the state can be enjoyed by making use of the wonderful transportation facilities. With the help of internet, you can identify restaurants that cater to your needs and plan your trip accordingly.

Filed Under: Entertainment, News Tagged With: Cooking, Meat, Tennessee