Tennessee and North Carolina present America's eclectic history

Possibly the greatest part of America’s history is that it culls inspiration and artifacts from all areas of the world, as well as its own land. Tennessee and North Carolina are states where this is particularly evident. However, the bits of geographical history in these states are presented in a more interactive fashion than just a simple stroll through a museum. Whether seeing a show, hiking through mountains, or touring elaborate estates, Tennessee and North Carolina make history come alive.

European Architecture can be found in the Biltmore Estate, Asheville, N.C. The 250-room house was built during the Gilded Age, from 1889 through 1895. The mansion is constructed in chateauesque-style, a type of French Renaissance architecture. This means that the structure of the house is ornate and elaborate, featuring towers and spires and mansard (four-corner, sloped) roofs. Outside, the gardens reflect the garden styles of English and French aristocratic estates.

 The building of the house was commissioned by the Vanderbilt family (specifically, youngest son George Washington Vanderbilt), themselves prominent figures of American history, having made a name for the family through several business enterprises in the railroad and steamboat industries. 

The house is comprised of three floors and a fully-furnished basement. Some of the 250 rooms are as common as dressing rooms and servants’ quarters; but some are more unique, such as the Raphael Room, decorated by engravings reminiscent of the Italian artist Raphael d’Urbino, and a Halloween room, so named because of the wall scenes painted on it by daughter Cornelia Cecil’s guests during the 1920s.  

Spend a day taking in the beauty of the Biltmore Estate. It’s open for tours year-round, so you can enjoy a concert on the lawn in the summer or the mansion’s ornamental Christmas decorations and snow-capped turrets in the winter. Also be sure to check out the estate’s winery in Antler Hill Village. The winery features red, white and rosé wines, as well as fresh grape juice for the under-21 crowd.  

America’s South and Wild West regions are represented in Dolly Parton’s Dixie Stampede, Pigeon Forge, Tenn. Country icon Parton lends her name to her hometown’s wild west revue. Even though Parton doesn’t appear in the show in person, audiences can still enjoy watching the horse riding competitions, singing and dancing, and performers dressed up as elaborately as characters from Gone with the Wind. And in true southern hospitality, you are, of course, fed richly while you enjoy the show. The meal includes a main entrée (can either be meat or vegetarian), sides, and dessert. The meal is meant to be eaten without utensils, so make sure your hands are clean (or sneak some utensils into your bag before you leave)!

The Cherokee Nation of Native Americans is established in the Great Smoky Mountain regions of Gatlinburg, Tenn., and Cherokee, N.C. Before European settlers, the Cherokees called this region their homeland. However, when Pres. Andrew Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act in the 1830s, many were forced to relocate to Oklahoma, and their journey would later be named the Trail of Tears (some, led by a renegade named Tsali, resisted removal and hid in outskirts of what is presently the national park). The trail covers more than 1200 miles from North Carolina through Oklahoma, encompassing nine states. This landmark event, as well as other important occurrences that shaped Cherokee history, is laid out in exhibits at the Museum of the Cherokee Indian in Cherokee, N.C.  

Cades Cove in the Tennessee section of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park had also been settled by Cherokees. Needing to cross the mountains into Tennessee from North Carolina in the 1700s, one of the two main trails the Cherokees traversed was through Cades Cove. The settlement was called “Tsiya’hi” and was named after its leader, Chief Kade. However, with the advent of European settlers and later forced removal, the Cherokees lost claim to the area by the early 1800s.

The Cove has since become a historical district, and one of the most popular attractions of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Now you can visit twelve historical structures found throughout the Cove, from cabins to churches to homes of influential settlers, all in an area that has seen action from the Civil War (this area of Tennessee saw a lot of abolitionist activity during that time) and the Prohibition era (the Baptist founders of the settlement had been opposed to the corn liquor production of the Cove’s Chestnut Flats area, and thus raided the production stills). So take a hike or a bike ride through the Cove and witness a well-preserved piece of nineteenth-century history.

Finally, visit Ober Gatlinburg Amusement Park and Ski Resort, which looks like it was modeled after a German ski resort in terms of building style and some of the shops. To get to the park, you must ride an aerial tramway (cable car) that departs from downtown Gatlinburg. While riding, you can get a great panoramic view of the mountains. If you love to ski, this is the only place in Tennessee to do it. Ober Gatlinburg has eight skiing trails and three chairlifts. Other snow-time activities include a snow tubing slide, a 30-minute chairlift ride (which also holds picturesque views worthy of a few snapshots), and an alpine slide that you can ride down if you do not care to sit through the entire chairlift course.

If it isn’t the ski season, or if skiing is not a preferable activity, Ober Gatlinburg still has lots to do. Outside there are numerous children’s rides (bumper cars and the like), a habitat where you can see black bears close up, and a lodge that contains indoor ice skating,  arcade games, various snack bars and treat shoppes, and a casual dining restaurant with more scenic views of the mountain. Because Ober Gatlinburg has so many year-round and all-ages friendly activities, it is a great day trip for the whole family if you are in the Great Smokies area of Tennesee.

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