• See where critics claim that the blues were born, on Beale Street (website: www.bealestreet.com) in Memphis. A legendary piece published by the ‘Father of the Blues,’ W C Handy, in 1912, successfully proclaimed its power and authenticity. Beale Street includes restaurants, gift shops, boutiques, parks and nightclubs, as well as the Beale Street Police Museum and A Schwab’s Dry Goods Store, a small department store which has been in the same family since 1876 and still offers old-fashioned bargains.

• Head to 'Music City USA' – Nashville. The centre of Nashville’s music industry is Music Row, around Division and Demonbreun streets. Spanning an entire city block, the Country Music Hall of Fame (website: www.countrymusichalloffame.com) is located in the revitalised entertainment district of central Nashville.

• Journey on The Delta, an indoor, quarter-mile river, complete with four 25-passenger flatboats featured inside Nashville's award-winning Opryland Hotel and Convention Center (website: www.gaylordhotels.com/gaylordopryland).

• View the process of bourbon-making at the famous Jack Daniel Distillery (website: www.jackdaniels.com/tour), 120km (75 miles) southeast of Nashville. Much insight into Mister Jack’s famous distilling process is offered during the daily guided tours.

• Hear good ole country music at the Grand Ole Opry (website: www.opry.com) in Nashville. The opry is the setting for the nation’s longest-running live radio show, which moved here in 1976 (the original setting, Ryman, has been renovated and is also open to the public) and is the place to hear country music on Friday and Saturday nights.

• View denizens of the deep at the Tennessee Aquarium (website: www.tennis.org) in Chattanooga. The aquarium houses one of the world’s largest collections of freshwater marine life.

• Ride the Incline, also in Chattanooga, which propels its passengers up a stomach-churning gradient of 72.7° – the world’s record-holding, steepest passenger railway. The journey is worthwhile, especially on a clear day, when the territories of seven states are visible from Lookout Mountain (website: www.lookoutmountain.com).

• Try the authentic tastes of Appalachia at the Farmer’s Market, 24km (15 miles) from downtown Knoxville. The pavilion sells local produce, plants, jams, jellies, arts and crafts.

• Take a trip to Gatlinburg (website: www.gatlinburg.com). At the base of the Great Smoky Mountains, Gatlinburg offers miniature golf courses, haunted houses, restaurants, the Ripley's Aquarium, and more.

• Experience the Great Smoky Mountains (website: www.nps.gov/grsm). The largest wilderness area in the USA, this national park extends over half a million acres of the Appalachian Mountains, bordered by North Carolina and the Tennessee valleys. The park is home to bears, white-tailed deer, wild turkeys and more than 1,500 species of flowering plants. Conifer forests are to be found at elevations of more than 1,800m (6,000ft). The mountains are beautiful in all seasons, but perhaps the best time to see them is in October when they are showered in colour. The park has three visitor centres, Cades Cove, Oconaluftee Visitor Centre and Sugarlands. There are also 10 campgrounds, each with tent sites, trailer space, water and tables. There are over 1,400km (900 miles) of hiking trails and 270km (170 miles) of road throughout the park. Rangers at the visitor centres can assist with trip planning.

• Spend the day at Dollywood (website: www.dollywood.com). Die-hard country fans will want to visit this all-American attraction in the Tennessee hills, created by the Queen of Country herself – Dolly Parton. The park’s newest attraction is Timber Tower, the first and only ride of its kind in North America.

• Stay in Pigeon Forge (website: www.mypigeonforge.com). In addition to Dollywood, miniature raceways, arcades, Boyds Bear Country (where you can make your own bear), major shopping outlet malls and more are available. The city celebrates the culture of the East Tennessee mountains and you will find craftspeople demonstrating their skills and selling their wares.

See Contact Addresses for further tourist information.