NPS Adventures 2026: Obed Wild & Scenic River

I am not one for checking out scenic rivers per se but when there is one along our route it was a no brainer to stop. I was figuring it would be a quick stop for a stamp and we'd be on our way. However, sometimes these NPS stops don't always go as planned. 

Obed Wild & Scenic River Visitor Center is located in Wartburg, TN. The actual river is out of town. The visitor center is open 9-5 daily. There is not much in the visitor center but the rangers were very helpful. They gave us a few places to view the river. They also suggest another National River to check out but it was out of the way. 

We decided first to check out the Nemo Bridge. It used to be a railroad bridge back in the day. It now is bike and walking trail crossing the Obed River. I did not walk the bridge but we saw views of the river and the bridge. Maybe one day I will be back to actually walk across the bridge.

We planned on doing a short hike the Lily Bluff Overlook Trail. We never found the overlook. We got to the right area but I don't think we followed the road far enough. 

We did find a trail head though. From the looks of it was the Bridge Trail which was a .5 mile round one way trail that was moderate to strenuous. We actually had shoes on for this one. We made it about 1/4 of the way before turning around. It would have eventually led us to the overlook I think. 

Despite our mishap with the Lily Bluff Overlook Trail, we still got to see the river and it was gorgeous.

If you ever find yourself on the back roads of Tennessee between Knoxville and Louisville, check out Obed Wild and Scenic River. It's worth the detour.

Next time maybe we will take the detour to check out Big Fork South National River. 

There are  400+ National Park Sites across the US and I've now been to 66 of them. Stay to tuned to see which one is number 6-7. 

NPS Adventures 2026: Manhattan Project K-25 History Center

 The last time we went through Knoxville, I wanted to stop at the Manhattan Project NPS but we didn't have any time. This time I made sure we had a chance to visit at least one of the sites throughout the Knoxville Area. There are many locations including several museums. I gave the hubby the option which museum we were going to visit. We decided on K-25 History Center.

K-25 was one of the gaseous diffusion plant that helped create the atomic bomb during WWII. It was a mile long building where they diffused the uranium. It is located really in the middle of nowhere on the outskirts of Oak Park. 

K-25 is not really a museum. It is really just a display of history of K-25 on the second floor of this building. 

There is a model of the entire mile long complex.

There are videos, timelines, and diagrams that explained how their diffused the uranium.

You can look out the windows and view the outline of the complex that has since been knocked down. 

It is not that exciting of a place in the typical museum sense. However the science and history lessons presented through video are fascinating. When I saw what little there was too see I was disappointed but it was actually worth our time. I was glad I still went in with an opened mind.

There is still a lot of places we have not seen of the Oak Park Manhattan Project, including the Y-12 plant (which I need to figure out how to actually get a tour of). I know we will continue to knock them off as we find ourselves in the Knoxville area. If you are ever in the Knoxville Area the Manhattan Project sites are worth checking out. 

Stay tuned to find out which Manhattan Project we visit next in the next few years. 

4777. Go to Little Debbie Park in Collegedale

 Several people tagged me or sent me a link about the Little Debbie Park near Chattanooga even before going to Tennessee was even on our radar. I added it to the bucket list. When it was time to plan our trip, I decided to add Little Debbie Park as a stop on the way to Gatlinburg from Chattanooga.

Little Debbie Park is located in Collegedale about 25 minutes from downtown Chattanooga up I-75. It is less than 10 minute from I-75. It is open dawn to dusk. 

There is plenty of parking. We parked on the west side of the park which is only back in angle parking. I am so glad the hubby was driving. I would drove over to the east side of the park where there is a normal parking lot. 

The park is themed around the Little Debbie Snack Cakes and Treats. There are sculptures scattered around the park of their famous treats.. Christmas trees, Oatmeal Cream Pies, Nutty Buddies, and Brownies. You can climb on some of them. The hubby stayed in the car so I couldn't get fun pictures.

At the north end of the park, there is the history of Little Debbie and a statue of Little Debbie.

The park includes a huge playground. If Stacy was with me, we would have had a blast playing. 

The best part there are huge adult size swings with shade scattered around the playground so parents can sit and swing while the kiddos play. 

There are also a walking trail. 

It is a great park to check out for the Little Debbie theme but ever better for the actual playground. If you are ever in the Chattanooga area and need to burn off steam or check out something fun, go check out Little Debbie Park. 

4786. Take the Incline Railway up to the top of Lookout Mountain in Chattanooga

 I wanted to go to the top of Lookout Mountain. I wasn't sure if the hubby could do the incline railway because of how steep it was. On the other hand, I wasn't sure if he would be able to drive to the top either. This was going to be the lesser of two evils situation. He said he should be able to handle the incline railway.

Lookout Mountain Incline Railway has been carrying passengers up and down Lookout Mountain for over 125 years. It is known as America's Most Amazing Mile. Lookout Mountain Incline Railway is open daily 9-6 (7 on weekends). It is closed on Mondays during the off season. It is $22/person to ride the incline railway. Parking in the lot by Lookout Mountain Incline Railway is $3 for 3 hours. It is small lot and there is other public parking within walking distance. We got lucky and were able to park in the lot adjacent to the incline railway.

Lookout Mountain Incline Railway takes about 10 minutes to get to the top. It is fairly easy ride. Until the last 1/3 and then you hit a grade of 72.7% which is 17.3% degrees away from being completely vertical. The hubby did not like that part at all. He did well with the rest. I'll be honest, that last section was a bit steep. 

Once we got to the top of Lookout Mountain, we walked to Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park. We did not going to Point Park because of the additional fee. We looked through the stone fence and saw into the grounds. I saw a cannon. I was good. 

Before we boarded the railway to head back down, we went up to the observation deck. What a gorgeous view. It is said you can see 6 or 7 states. It was quite hazy so didn't get to see them all. The hubby had issues with the observation deck and I didn't a chance to go all the way to the top. 

We wanted to check out the engine room but didn't find it. I suppose we had to take the elevator. 

The ride down was a piece of cake. At one point we passed the other car that is heading up the mountain (just as we did on the way up). That's always fun.

I'm glad we had enough time to ride the Lookout Mountain Incline Railway. It was definitely worth the experience. Even if you don't like heights, you should be able to handle this ride. The hubby did.  

26 in 2026 -- Take a New Train Ride -- Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum

 When our spring training plans were no longer feasible, Tennessee became the new vacation spot. I saw that Chattanooga had a train museum with train rides that actually was open year round. It was an easy selling point to the hubby when I told him I found him a train ride.

Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum is located in Chattanooga. It is open daily 9:30-5. They have a daily train ride for $26/adult. It is a 65 minute train ride which is the longest train ride we've been on yet.

When we arrived at the museum, we had some to explore before our train left. We walked the yard but could not go in any of the trains. That was disappointed. 

We boarded the train. We opted for the last car. It was a diesel engine so it would be quiet at the back of the train. 

We went through a Pre-Civil War Tunnel that was a tight squeeze. The walls of the tunnel was about an inch from the train. It was a very cool tunnel.

When we got to the East Chattanooga Depot, we got a turntable demonstration. The museum has a 1911 turntable and we watched how they turned the locomotive around so we don't have to do the return trip backwards. The hubby was impressed. He loves roundhouses and turntables. 

We also go to see the restoration shop and their steam engine. 

Once we got back to the museum, we opted not to check out the display as it was uphill. 

If you are ever in Chattanooga and enjoy trains, definitely check out the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum. It is definitely worth the 90 minutes journey. 

4478. Go to Stones River National Battlefield in Murfreesboro

 Someone posted in one of my Facebook groups that they stopped at Stones River National Battlefield in Tennessee on their way to Florida. I realized it wasn't that much of a detour and actually helped us by-pass Nashville. We really didn't want to get stuck in Nashville traffic on a Friday afternoon. The only problem was going to be timing. I wasn't sure if we'd get there before it closed. On paper it looked good possible, especially after we changed our travel plans due to weather, but you never know.

Stones River National Battlefield is a Civil War Battlefield located about half hour southeast of Nashville. The Visitor Center is open 9-5 and the Park Tour Road is open 8-5. 

As we were driving to the Visitor Center, I noticed the road was part of the Trail of Tears which means the Trail of Tears goes almost through the battlefield. I did get my Trail of Tears stamp.  Even though we didn't spend much time on that road, it was a still a piece of history I was able to briefly visit. One day I hope to explore more. 

After checking out the visitor center, we were short on time. So we drove over to the cemetery which I really wanted to see. A tree from the windstorm earlier in the day fell over but didn't do any damage.

We then drove over to stop 2 on the Park Tour Road to see the Slaughter Pen which was the big battle. There is a nice trail (short) trail through the slaughter pen but due to time constraints I briefly checked it out and snapped a few pictures.

We did not get the full experience of the battle field and that's okay. Maybe another trip. We made use of the time we had. The hubby got a stretch break and I got another passport stamp. It was a much better experience than I expected as I am not one to seek out battlefields. I did manage to do the things I wanted: See the cemetery, the Slaughter Pen, and a cannon. It was a good stop.

If you are in the area check it out. It's not that far off the beaten path and you can explore as little or as much as you want. Even the displays in the Visitor Center are very informative.