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Paddles, Peaks, and Possibility: The River Towns Quietly Becoming Tennessee's Outdoor Playgrounds

Paddles, Peaks, and Possibility: The River Towns Quietly Becoming Tennessee's Outdoor Playgrounds

From the bluffs above the Hiwassee to the calm stretches of the Duck River, a handful of Tennessee's lesser-known riverside communities are rewriting their own stories — and drawing serious outdoor adventurers in the process. Forget the overcrowded trailheads of Moab or the pricy ski-town vibes of Colorado. Tennessee's got something different brewing along its waterways, and the people building it there are just getting started.

Beyond Biscuits and Gravy: The Chefs Putting Unexpected Tennessee Towns on the Culinary Map

Beyond Biscuits and Gravy: The Chefs Putting Unexpected Tennessee Towns on the Culinary Map

Southern food has always had soul, but a new generation of Tennessee chefs is proving it can have swagger too. From a reimagined Appalachian kitchen in Jonesborough to a farm-driven restaurant tucked into the hills outside of Cookeville, these nationally recognized culinary talents are building something remarkable — and they're doing it without leaving home.

Coming Home on Purpose: Meet the Tennesseans Trading City Life for Small-Town Roots

Coming Home on Purpose: Meet the Tennesseans Trading City Life for Small-Town Roots

Something unexpected has been happening across Tennessee's smaller communities — the people who left are coming back, and this time they're staying. Fueled by remote work flexibility and a hard reset on what matters, young professionals are trading city apartments for hometown front porches, and in the process, they're reshaping the towns they grew up in. We talked to four of them about why they left, why they returned, and what they found when they got here.