I make no secret of my love of small towns. A well-maintained row of storefronts that looks like it probably did several decades ago totally rings my chimes. The folks are friendly, and the food at all the local joints is always a grand slam home run, fully equipped with those wonderful "intangible" ingredients you find in a cookbook.

I've visited my fair share in every Kentucky border state through which I've traveled, and that most certainly includes Tennessee. In fact, I'd say the Volunteer State pretty expertly capitalizes on small town vibes. And two of their biggest tourism destinations are Pigeon Forge--population 6,342--and Gatlinburg--population 3,750.

Those tourist magnets, however, are not what you'd call "secrets." The town of Rogersville DOES self-proclaim as Tennessee's best kept secret, and I wanted to know why. As you'll learn, three PRESIDENTS learned the secret:

Let's take a look inside the Hale Springs Inn, where Presidents Jackson, A. Johnson, and Polk once got a little shut-eye:

Rogersville and Why It's Tennessee's 'Best Kept Secret'

Settled in 1775--a good 21 years before Tennessee statehood--Rogersville is home to some pretty historic sites. You've already taken a virtual tour of the beautiful Hale Springs Inn where presidents slept, but did you know Rogersville is home to Tennessee's first post office and its first printed newspaper, The Knoxville Gazette?

Additionally, the town's recently-wrapped "Heritage Days" is listed among the top twenty October events in the southeast.

Throw in tremendous local cuisine--as I said, that's always an earmark of small town America--and you DO have the makings of a great little getaway you never saw coming.

See Inside Johnny Cash's Sycamore Homestead in Tennessee - It's for Sale!

If you're a Johnny Cash fan, here’s a chance to own a piece of his history. Sycamore Homestead in Hendersonville, TN, is an authentic log cabin estate originally built for Cash himself, set on 5.8 serene acres. The property includes the main house, two guest homes, a barn, a tea room, and a smokehouse, all meticulously reconstructed from pre-Civil War logs. Known for his work with legends like Cash and Roy Orbison, master builder Braxton Dixon crafted this estate with historical authenticity. The main home offers over 3,000 square feet, five bathrooms, and could be perfect as an AirBnB, wedding venue, or a special family home. While I’m not near Tennessee, the photos of this place are tempting. 

Gallery Credit: Ashley S.

2024 UFO Sighting in Tennessee

At the time of writing, there have been 32 reports of UFOs spotted across Tennessee. Below you can see the location and date of each of those sightings as well as comments from the people who experienced them.

Gallery Credit: Kat Mykals