August 2010 Volume 2 Issue 7

Inside this issue: Special Attractions Lookout Mountain — Ocoee River Whitewater 2 world's steepest passenger rail- Rafting. way. The Tennessee Aquarium 2 On , 1863 the The Jack Daniel Distillery 3 Battle of Lookout Mountain — Lynchburg, Tennessee was fought on the slopes of The Elk & Bison Prairie 3 Lookout Mountain. The ma- at Land Between the jority of hand to hand combat Lakes. took place near Cravens' house about halfway to the summit. Elvis Presley’s Graceland 4 and the Heartbreak Hotel. Lookout Mountain’s unique shape and location can in some conditions cause a unique weather phenomenon. After The Case for Lookout Mountain is lo- and amazing natural dawn, fog will descend from Middle Tennessee: cated at the northwest cor- beauty. Lookout Mountain the cooler mountain top to the Attractions include three  No state income tax. ner of , the north- valley below and stop about east corner of , and top rated world famous halfway down. This interesting  Great property natural attractions that values. along the southern border natural occurrence took place showcase the natural  Low property taxes. of Tennessee near Chatta- the day of the battle and is the nooga. Lookout Mountain, beauty of Lookout Moun- reason for its romantic name,  Low auto and prop- along with tain and views of the Chat- Battle Above the Clouds. erty insurance rates. to the northwest, makes up tanooga Valley. Create  Great medical a large portion of the south- memories you'll treas- facilities. ernmost end of the Cum- ure! Visit Lookout  Four distinct berland Plateau. The sum- Mountain, and join in seasons with mild mit, called "High Point," is on the ―Lookout winters. at 2,392 feet above sea level. Mountains of Fun‖! The foothills of the moun- Trek through Rock tain extend into Chicka- City's natural wonders mauga and Chattanooga and "see seven states" National Military Park. views, tour , America's deep- Just minutes from down- est cave and largest town Chattanooga, TN, underground waterfall Lookout Mountain is the accessible to the pub- perfect destination for out lic, and ride the In- of the ordinary experiences cline Railway the Pa ge 2 Volume 2 Issue 7 Ocoee River Whitewater Rafting ends just below Ocoee commercial rafters annually. Several #2 Power plant - a factors have led to this popularity - 1) roughly 5 mile run. the water release means there will be After the Olympic enough water during times of drought kayak events in 1996 and 2) it is close to several large urban TVA began releasing areas including Atlanta, Birmingham, water into the Upper Nashville, Chattanooga and Knoxville. Section, beginning at Most of all though, the Ocoee is just Ocoee #3 Power fun. Dropping over 260 feet in five plant and ending at miles, there is little flat water on the the put-in for the Mid- whole river meaning nonstop action. dle Section. Many raf- There is water in the Middle Section for ters run both sections Whitewater rafting on the Ocoee River rafting 112 days/year. Of these, the together with a stop for lunch be- began in 1977 when TVA stopped divert- Upper Section runs 20 days, so the Full tween the two. ing the water to produce power and began River run is available only on those putting it back in the riverbed. That sec- The Ocoee has become one of the days. Before planning a trip, consult the tion of the Ocoee, now called the Middle most popular rafting rivers in the release schedule to make sure it is a Section, begins at Ocoee Dam #2 and country with approximately 200,000 rafting day. The Tennessee Aquarium fascinating animals. Inside ium educators also introduce the River Journey building, guests to dozens of other visitors are delighted by fei- species during hourly Animal sty river otters, colorful Encounter programs in both frogs, amazing turtles and Aquarium buildings. freshwater fish species such The Tennessee Aquarium as beautiful trout, giant cat- offers a wide variety of spe- fish and prehistoric-looking cial events each month. Pro- sturgeon. grams for children and adults While exploring Ocean Jour- are hosted on the Aquarium ney, guests experience tropi- campus, themed cruises are cal and marine habitats. Hya- offered aboard the River cinth macaws call out from a Gorge Explorer and there are lush rainforest as visitors opportunities to enjoy nature come face to face with big, hikes and kayak trips. The Tennessee Aquarium is screen. Ride the River Gorge toothy the highest rated aquarium in Explorer, the most thrilling sharks, beau- the USA and one of Amer- Chattanooga riverboat cruise. tiful butter- ica’s top ten tourist attrac- The TN Aquarium is ranked flies, playful tions for overall guest satis- #1 for Chattanooga attractions penguins, faction! Enjoy a remarkable and things to do in Chatta- mesmerizing journey with 10,000 animals. nooga TN. jellyfish and See 3D IMAX movies in the The Tennessee Aquarium is thousands of only Chattanooga movie home to a richly diverse living colorful reef theater with a six-story collection of the world’s most fish. Aquar- Volume 2 Issue 7 Pa ge 3

The Jack Daniel Distillery — Lynchburg, Tennessee

drop of Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Boarding House and a trip to the Sippin’ Whiskey is still made to- Lynchburg Hardware And General day. Store. If you want to explore all the sights in Lynchburg, take your time. Enjoyed around the world, made There’s plenty to see. in Lynchburg, Tennessee, the whiskey is matured in hand- crafted, white oak barrels. Per- sonally guided tours are a part of the ambiance. Lynchburg is the seat of Moore County, the smallest county in The Jack Daniel Distillery – the oldest Tennessee. Even though it’s home to registered distillery in the U.S. – is the Distillery, it’s a dry county and has where it all happens. It’s where Mr. Jack been ever since Prohibition. And while first crafted the recipe for Old No. 7. the Distillery may be the main attraction It’s where the pure, iron-free cave here, you don't want to miss other local spring water flows. And it’s where every favorites like lunch at Miss Mary Bobo’s The Elk & Bison Prairie at Land Between the Lakes gives visitors an up- grassland into the hardwood forest so close and personal prevalent today. look at the mam- At each stop, visitors are encouraged moth bison and the to look for evidence of wildlife: animal graceful elk. Exhib- tracks, animal rubs, and paths worn its dot the three- through the grass. mile trip through the prairie explain- Wildlife in the prairie is prevalent, and ing the significance includes such animals as elk, bison, of these animals wild turkey, coyote, skunk, rabbit, ra- along with the other coon, bobcat, bat, box turtle, eastern present native wild- kingsnake, quail, redtail hawk, and life. owl.

Located in western Tennessee and The Elk & Bison Prairie is open every- , Land Between the Lakes is day, 365 days a year, from dawn to dusk. the largest inland peninsula in the There is a small admission charge; more U.S.A. Originally created when the information can be obtained by calling Cumberland and Tennessee Rivers 1-800-LBL-7077. were impounded, it features over Consisting of over 700-acres, the Elk & 170,000 acres of forested & protected Bison Prairie offers sights and sounds of public land, and over 300 miles of un- this historic landscape. Accessible by developed shoreline. car, a winding road leads visitors to Located on the Trace near the Visitor's three interpretive stops where interactive Center, the Elk & Bison Prairie is a panels tell the story of centuries of must-see. The drive-through prairie change which transformed the native Retire to Tennessee Information Dear Friends, Donald Hackford This Newsletter is published as an educational service to you, as a Reliant Realty fellow retiree who may be interested in Middle Tennessee. 505 East Main Street The materials in this newsletter are provided for general information Hendersonville, TN 37077 purposes only. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of Phone: 615-537-2646 the information in this newsletter at the time of its inclusion but Office: 615-859-7150 Ext 544 neither I nor Retire To Tennessee Information guarantees the accu- E-mail: [email protected] racy of such information. We’re on the Web! You may end your subscription to this newsletter at any time you wish by emailing us at [email protected]. www.RetireTN.Info

Please feel free to contact me with any questions. Don Hackford

To ensure that you continue receiving our emails, please add us to your address book or safe list. Got this as a forward? Sign up Elvis Presley’s Graceland and the Heartbreak Hotel. Fashion King Exhibit. Also, Elvis Presley's Heartbreak you can find everything Elvis Hotel is a fashionable bou- in one of the Graceland gift tique hotel that takes its shops and enjoy lunch in one cues from the legendary of the on-site restaurants. hospitality and personal Stay across the street at Elvis style for which the King of Presley's Heartbreak Hotel. Rock & Roll was known.

Experience the birthplace of rock 'n' roll and discover first- hand how Elvis Presley became the most celebrated enter- tainer in the world. Graceland takes you on a one of a kind journey through Elvis' humble beginnings and rise to super- stardom, with up close and personal looks at the influence that forever changed our music, and our lives. Enjoy an audio -guided tour of Graceland Mansion. Then, visit the Elvis Auto Museum, the Sincerely Elvis Museum featuring an Elvis in Hollywood Exhibit, Elvis' custom jets and the Elvis Presley