Trains, Plains and Automobiles: Hidden Gems Along Tennessee’s Music Highway

Tennessee is most defined by Nashville and Memphis, both abounding with rich musical legacies and museums dedicated to American history, science and the arts. The cities also offer lush green spaces and limitless outdoor activities as well as an eclectic assortment of restaurants featuring everything from barbecue and comfort food to contemporary bistro, ethnic and vegan fare. While Jackson and other nearby towns dotting I-40 (a.k.a. The Music Highway) between the bigger cities may be less familiar, many quirky gems hidden in plain sight collectively define what makes up a great American road trip.

Going into Training

The fulfillment of America’s “Manifest Destiny” (a term set in 1845 defining the expansion of the nation from coast to coast) is credited in part to the implementation of the railroad. On that score, Jonathan Luther “Casey” Jones, one of the most legendary figures in American railroad history, may be best known for how he died. However, the museum and engineer’s former homestead is dedicated to how he lived. Exhibits provide a fascinating view of life in America during the 19th century’s years of expansion. Another permanent exhibit focuses on how the railroads operated during the Civil War. The Old Country Store, across the way, fuels visitors up with a buffet of Southern specialties and a trainload of interesting souvenirs.

Getting Schooled

The Tina Turner Museum inside the Flagg Grove schoolhouse at the West Tennessee Delta Heritage Center may not be as lavish as Elvis Presley’s Graceland. However, what’s inside — her famous costumes, gold records and childhood mementos — tells one of America’s great rags-to-riches stories. The visual documentation of Tina’s life also provides an insightful look into life for African-Americans coming of age in the 1940s and early 1950s, and the young Anna Mae Bullock’s determination to rise above the day’s social and societal restrictions. The site is also home to the West Tennessee Music Museum, where fans will find more Elvis Presley memorabilia as well as items from fellow rock pioneer Carl Perkins, bluesman “Sleepy” John Estes and others.

Tina Turner Museum in Jackson. Photo: Elyse Glickman

Fired Up

The Grind Mac and Cheese Burger Bar in Martin is worth a detour off I-40 and a break from one’s diet for an adventurous and prolific menu of America’s favorite comfort foods, reinterpreted with recipes pushing the boundaries of flavor and presentation to delicious heights. Owners Alan, Mark and Lisa Laderman and their peppy staff members stretch the definition of “family restaurant” by creating an environment that transcends welcoming and warm that’s at once modern and nostalgic.

The Grind Food in Jackson, Tennessee. Photo: Elyse Glickman

Revved Up

From New York City to Los Angeles, car enthusiasts know there is no shortage of car museums with as many bells and whistles as the autos themselves. Rusty’s TV & Movie Car Museum in Jackson, meanwhile, is as down to Earth as owner/founder Rusty Robinson. Visitors can chat with the collector himself, and hear the stories behind his original acquisitions as well as his rebuilds of other landmark rides to build out the museum. Although it is open only Friday, Saturday and Sunday, it’s also one of the best roadside attractions with its $5 admission fee and owner’s knack for deft storytelling.

Rusty Car Museum, Jackson. Photo: Elyse Glickman

Looking Back

The Pinson Mounds Archaeological State Park is another example of a labor of love paving the way for a must-visit place that preserves history and culture for future generations. During the 1950s and 1960s, several residents banded together to convince the state to purchase the land to protect 15 Native American mounds used for burial and ceremonial purposes. Those efforts led to it becoming a Tennessee State Park in 1974, and later, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The park also features bike and walking paths, trail maps, guided tours, seasonal special events and a permanent museum with artifacts and a timeline of local Native American history housed by a structure replicating the Indian mounds.