The cabins at Firefly Acres are by far our favorite place for you to stay because it's right next door, cute as a button and run by some of the nicest people on the face of the planet!  They also have a rental pavillion, so you can get married or have a family reunion and make cheese.  Wow!

 

Check out the Cookeville area about 25 minutes away which has chain hotels, a cute historic downtown area and some fun restaurants.

 

There is a campground, cabins & lodge at Fall Creek Falls State Park about 30 minutes away. Rock Island State Park has a campground & rental cabins also about 30 minutes away.

 

Lodging

 

 

 

Fall Creek Falls State Park-Consistently named the #1 State Park in Tennessee and ranked highly nationwide, Fall Creek Falls State Park is a beauty. Waterfalls galore, hiking trails for all abilities, a great golf course, a seven mile canyon rim drive and a new zip line through the tree canopy make this state park a must see for the outdoor ethusiast.

 

 

Burgess Falls State Park-A smaller beautiful state park with relatively easy waterfall walks that are great for kids and adults alike.

 

 

Appalachian Center for Craft-a nationally recognized fine craft school located near Smithville hosts public workshops, two annual events and has a great year round fine craft gallery. If you appreciate fine craft, this is a great stop.

 

 

Calfkiller Brewing Company-located outside Sparta, the Sergio Brothers make fine artisan craft beers and if you're nice, you might be able to get a tour of their unique brewery and enjoy artisan craft beers in their beer garden.

 

 

George Dickel & Jack Daniels Whisky Distilleries-both a little over an hour away, these Tennessee distilleries both offer interesting tours.  The Dickel tour is a little more low key while the Jack Daniels tour is pretty polished. We like and respect both but, honestly, we're pretty much a die hard Dickel family and have been known to get "Dickeled" at family events. We even created a cheese wheel marinated in Dickel. Yum!

 

 

Short Mountain Distillery-Yes, moonshine is legal now in Tennessee and these guys have come on strong...A fun tour combined with a visit to the quaint town of Woodbury and the Arts Center is a nice afternoon in the countryside.

 

 

Nashville, Knoxville & Chattanooga!  All about 90 minutes away, each city has it's own unique character. Nashville, the new "it" city, has country music galore. Chattanooga has a great kid friendly river front downtown walking area complete with the nationally recognized Chattanooga Aquarium, and Knoxville is the gateway to the Great Smoky Mountain National Park and the nearby popular Gatlinburg.

 

 

Cumberland County Playhouse-located in Crossville about 45 minutes away, the Playhouse is one of the oldest regional theatres in the Southeast providing year-round opportunities for attending plays and concerts. The intimate theater is family friendly and a great way to spend an evening or afternoon.

 

 

Golfing in Crossville-If golfing is your thing, the Crossville area has an abundance of golf courses to allow you to tee up. And Crossville is consistently named one of the best small town retirement communities in the country.

 

 

Fun Places to Visit

Special Events to Attend

First, don't forget the special events of  your life!  Do you have a birthday, anniversary, Valentines Day, or family reunion coming up? Think about either giving a Red Gable Cheese Workshop gift certificate or scheduling a private cheese class to celebrate!

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Bluegrass Underground at The Caverns-Year Round.  If you've seen Bluegrass Underground on PBS, you'll know the unique concert experience offered at their new location in The Caverns in Pelham, TN.  Concerts are held throughout the year in this almost acoustically perfect concert hall in a beautiful large cave located about a hour away.

 

 

World's Longest Yard Sale-From Alabama to Michigan-August 6-9, 2020. The path of the sale touches us about 30 miles south on the Highway 127 corridor. Filmed by HGTV each year, there is literally everything including the kitchen sink on this 690 mile yard sale from Gadsden, Alabama to Addison, Michigan! Shop til you drop and you will find bargains galore. Officially, the sale is Thursday-Sunday, but most vendors set up early in the week, so Wednesday is my favorite day to go. Prepare for hot weather and take a picnic but if you like to hunt for a deal, this is the event for you!

 

 

Smithville Fiddler's Jamboree-July 3-4, 2020. Nationally acclaimed fiddlers convene on the square in Smithville-about 45 minutes away for a three day weekend. Walk the courthouse square and listen to impromptu jam sessions. Watch everything from fiddlers, banjo and dulcimer players to buck dancer and cloggers on the main stage. And browse the craft & food booths to answer the burning question-what exactly is a fried whoopie pie? And this weekend has a three half day cheese class, so you will have plenty of time of make cheese and catch some music! 

 

 

Off the Beaten Path Art Tour  Smithville Area October 2020-Dates TBA   Because the nationally recognized Applachian Center for Craft is located in our region, a lot of very talented artists have settled in our area. This truly off the beaten path artist studio tour is a must go to for fine crafters. You can visit nationally recognized artist studios and purchase unique fine craft items.  A great way to kick off your Christmas shopping and tour the area during the fall leaf season.

 

 

Cookeville Art Walk  Early November Annually   Another great craft show offered by the many fine crafters that have settled in our area.