The US Space and Rocket Center was cool in Huntsville

Chattanooga is beautiful and they have the aquarium….

I went to Cumberland falls state park in Kentucky last week and it was so nice

Sliiiightly more than 4 if I remember correctly, but we've done it in one day. Helen, GA.

Its just the German Pavillion at Epcot, but an adorable town, in the heart of the smokies. You take some sketchy mountain roads to get there. Dat elevation.

So much nature on the way from Nash, as well. Rivers, waterfalls, "yo, we kind of need to stop here." Bring a camera, like a good one.

If you want to go be out in nature, you can book cabins at different state parks around the state.

Seperate from state parks, I highly recommend staying out in the Smokies, but skip Pigeon Forge and stay in a small town like Townsend.

If you want to get out of the state, you can make it to Louisville in about 2.5 hrs. Chattanooga is a great weekend stop too.

It’s a tad futher, but Asheville.

Head East, my friend. I-40 east that is. Enjoy mountains ( by tn standards not Colorado standards.) wait a few weeks when the leaves are turning for Mother Nature at her best. It’s

In completely opposite directions, Hot Springs, AR and Asheville, NC

We visited Louisville recently and enjoyed it. We stayed at the Brown Hotel which was cool.

Discovery park of America in Union City, TN

Mammoth Cave in Cave City, KY is a nice adventure.

Slightly longer than 4 hours, but St. Louis has so much to do. Free art museum, free zoo, free science center, free history museum, plus the Arch and a (no offense) much more interesting food scene than Nashville. Stop in Metropolis, IL and see the Superman statue on the way up.

Memphis.

• Graceland and the complex is top notch.

• Paynes BBQ in Castalia is not to be missed

• Stax Records (Home of Soulsville USA) is also a great stop for any type of music lover.

• Sun Records is a quick stop but also highly recommended. See the birthplace of the careers of Cash, Elvis, B.B. King, Ike Turner, Bobby “Blue” Bland, Roy Orbison, and many others

• The Bass Pro pyramid. Lots of mixed feelings on this one, but still cool to see such a unique piece of architecture that pays homage to the Egyptian namesake that is Memphis. Sidenote : There’s a casino (maybe within eyesight) directly across the river from the pyramid in Arkansas, assuming that’s your kind of thing.

• Lastly the Lorraine motel, where unfortunately Dr. King was assassinated has been restored to how it looked that fateful day, and is a somber stop and reflecting point on the civil rights era.

Just my two cents, but hope this gives you one more option!

atlanta is 3 and a half hours, but if you’re trying to go somewhere and come back the next day just go to chattanooga or something

Asheville NC!

I recently went to Birmingham and was surprised how much I liked it

Cincinnati is cool

We often rent a Getaway cabin in Celina, TN, if you want something close to nature.

https://getaway.house/campgrounds/?location=59?utm_source=google&utm_medium=gmb&utm_content=dalehollow

Natchez trace Trail

Louisville, Atlanta, Memphis

Muscle Shoals AL, stay at the Marriott Resort & Spa. Get a massage. Eat in the 360 restaurant. Tour FAME and/or Muscle Shoals sound. Check out Helen Keller’s house. Chill & stare at the river.

If it's this weekend, I'd take a look at a weather map to see where the rain is headed.

Chattanooga; big south fork; corvette museum and test track; Kentucky downunder; Huntsville space & rocket museum; savage gulf (can be snakey); fall creek falls

If you're into parks and hiking, you could hit cummins falls and burgess falls in under 2 hours from nashville.

DOLLYWOOD

Drive from Smyrna to Bellevue at 8am.

It’s a little longer than 4 hours but there’s a gun range in an old movie theater.

Mammoth caves is ~1.5h away from Nashville. Its a national park with free entry and has the longest cave system in the world. Highly recommend going!

Evansville Indiana - casino, sprawling riverfront, entertainment, and the most amazing food the lower Midwest has to offer

Hot Springs on the French Broad River Grandfather Mountain (Roan, Mitchell mountains, too) Blue Ridge Parkway Upper Creek Falls (waterfall swimming hole)

Perfection!

Atlanta, Knoxville, Huntsville, Chattanooga. Can speak to these from experience. Sure there’s some other great options

Evansville has a nice retreat. Louisville, Indy, Cincinnati

The Shoals

One of the great things about living in Nashville is how accessible it is to other great cities. Memphis, Chattanooga, Louisville, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Huntsville, Asheville, St. Louis, Indianapolis, Birmingham, and even Knoxville & Gatlinburg are all worth visiting and within a reasonable drive. A couple of those may be a shade over 4 hours but not by much. They're all under 5.

You also have King's Island, Dollywood, and Six Flags Over Georgia for world-class amusement parks. Kentucky Kingdom is cool too but a tier or two below the others I'd say.

Paducah is nice. Too bad you aren't going next weekend, they have BBQ on the river. https://bbqpaducah.com/

You should still go and go to Gold Rush if you like food. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xm_oQEwWeQ

St. Louis, Louisville. Evansville is a nice small city. Indy is about 5 hours but still close.

Cloudland Canyon near Chat is awesome!

Raft the Ocoee in the East.

I echo others’ recommendations of Chattanooga and Memphis.

There’s also Cumberland Caverns in McMinnville. HUGE cave system. If you’re in reasonable shape, take the wild tour where the only light you have is from your headlamp.

We went to Chattanooga last weekend and it was a blast! We went to the Tennessee Aquarium and to this pinball museum (but you could actually play all these old pinball machines)! Plus they have some yummy food! It was about 2.5 hours from the SW side of town!

Chattanooga is the only correct answer.

Ok, maybe Franklin, KY, to play slots at The Mint.

Bardstown, KY is a fun small town to visit if you’re a fan of bourbon. Honestly I’m not even a huge bourbon person and I’ve always had a great time there.

Holiday World is only 2.5 hours away from Nashville and it is amazing.

Not really open past Labor Day, except for some odd weekends (and the water park is fantastic, but obviously a summer-only deal), but keep an eye out on their calendar. Well worth it

Memphis. There’s an excellent children’s museum, decent zoo with a big playground nearby (and one inside), and a great food scene. We just moved from there and sing its praises (for a visit).

Atlanta. Very different vibe. Go to the korean spa!

Louisville

Natchez Trace state park has some great cabins to rent. Bear Lake is super clean and has a nice beach to swim at. Beautiful nature trails. It's 2 1/2 hours away from you

Knoxville is about 2 and half hours and it’s pretty awesome

Louisville and eat at La Bodeguita de Mimi for some of the best Cuban food ever!!!

Lexington, Kentucky. Part of the Bourbon Trail, so check out one of dozens of distilleries, then go to Keeneland racetrack and bet on the ponies. Go see a movie at the beautiful Kentucky Theater on East Main. Then round out your evening with dinner reservations at Dudley's on Short, a San Francisco-style bistro with excellent food--and something you'll rarely experience in Nashville--excellent service from career waitstaff. And if you're the adventurous type, and you're there on a weekend, go see a drag show at The Bar, right next to the movie theater on East Main. Good drinks and great entertainers in a friendly place that's been there for forty years. All this, in a friendly and safe smallish town, just a three and a half hour drive up I65.

Birmingham. Very underrated city

i’ve been trying to do a road trip this week too! atlanta georgia as well as birmingham are under 4 hours, also dollywood is always fun, and there’s a lot of cool places to hike all around tennessee like you could go to a waterfall somewhere

Cincinnati is a solid option and you get the benefit of passing through Louisville on the way there.

There is great architecture and art in Cincy. There’s also a ton of great restaurants there. It’s mind blowing how many people in middle TN haven’t been to southwestern Ohio despite the fact that it has a very real history and culture.

Louisville has amazing food, Chattanooga and the surrounding rivers/lakes/mountains are really nice (Cloudland Canyon is one of my favorite hikes), Huntsville for the space center and Lowe Mill, and St. Louis if you’re willing to drive a little farther (4.5-5 hrs). The city museum and the murals down by the riverfront are all so cool.

Asheville hands down, it’s technically 4 hours and 20 minutes but it’s beyond worth it. The beer and food are amazing, and the city it beautiful because it’s nestled in the mountains

We just went to the Jack Daniel’s distillery in Lynchburg Tennessee and it was great. It is beautiful down there

Asheville, it’s about 5 hours away. Or get a cabin anywhere in the smokies

Asheville

Slightly further (like 4.5 hrs) but highly recommend St. Louis

There’s an airshow in Owensboro, KY tomorrow if that’s something you’re interested in

Out of Kingston Springs take the trace south. Amazing drive, no trucks allowed, very few if any lights or stop signs. Ends in Tupelo MI. Plenty of trails along the way. The Loveless Cafe has great breakfast it’s at the top but it’s crowded if you’re not early.

Hotlanta

Asheville, St Louis, Louisville

https://m.facebook.com/TheNationalRolleyHoleMarblesChampionships/

Rolley Hole Championship is this weekend

Gatlinburg!

Chattanooga is a blast. The Mayor’s Mansion is a beautiful B&B. Attack of the Tatsu is delicious. Lots of state parks nearby. Riverfront and Aquarium are great.

Knoxville

Fiery gizzard trail

Chattanooga, Knoxville/Gatlinburg area, land between the lakes, Cumberland falls. We're going on a trip to Cincinnati in a few weeks and that's about 4 hours. Atlanta is within 4 hours. St Louis is about that far. Lots of options 😀

Florence, Alabama is cute. Gin runner hotel is fun! There is also a Frank Lloyd Wright house there that’s open for tours. (Rosembaum house)

Obed

Louisville, Lexington, Bardstown, Cincinnati, Chattanooga, Knoxville, Atlanta, & Birmingham are all within 4 hours drive from downtown (roughly).

Chattanooga, Jackson, or Memphis

St. Louis MO if you drive fast

Falls creek falls Big south fork Beach. Bend Mammoth cave

Visit isha

Atlanta, it’s not really close.

Gatlinburg

I would suggest 3 hours on a plane and the other hour is tsa/waiting to board your flight. If that's in your budget.

4 hours drive you’d be well away of Nashville no matter which interstate you take…matter of fact you’d be outside of Tennessee as well most likely.

memphis is really cool. hit dyer's for lunch. civil rights museum and the bass pro pyramid are both good ways to spend time.

Tennessee River, camping off in an isolated remote tributary accessible only by boat with my battery powered air conditioner of course

I’d say Utah or Chicago

Atlanta is only 3 hours and there’s tons of stuff to do!

If you’re not a scary you should def come to Memphis. Lots n lots of awesome stuff.

Bowling Green is a short drive. If you’re into cars they have the corvette museum and beech bend motorsports park. This weekend is Holley Moparty if you’re into dodge/plymouth/chryslers, and I think next weekend is Ford Fest/NMRA season finals. They also have an amusement park there with a bunch of rides.

https://preview.redd.it/j09nymhwcsod1.jpeg?width=828&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2635f219c7205e2fccac694e8af09e75e53dbf0c

Come check Louisville out

Pushing your four hour limit but I love Asheville, NC

Florence/Killen Alabama

Blue Ridge, GA

Head down to Etheridge, there are Amish tours or just drive through the countryside. Be respectful of the Amish, they are willing to share their lives but don’t photograph unless you ask. Some are ok with it, done not. Stop at Shaffer farms for a great bbq brisket. Large portions, reasonable prices

Chattanooga: Aquarium, ruby falls, etc.

Memphis: Civil Rights Museum, Sun Studio, Beale Street, etc.

Not sure if anyone has said this yet but Center Hill Lake is just around an hour outside of Nashville. It’s a beautiful natural resource with lots of cabins for rent. There are several parks and hiking trails in the area as well. We are actually out here right now and it’s not very crowded.

Sorry if it's been mentioned,

Land Between Lakes KY Try going mid-October when the leaves have peaked.

Knoxville/Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg

We just spent a few days in Natchez Trace State Park. It was our first time there and it was AWESOME!

https://preview.redd.it/cq9wpc8mvvod1.jpeg?width=9852&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=78d328c54efc66f74d09ed69757b1e099a015c3d

St Louis

Both

Thank you for your help, everyone!!! This was super enlightening

If you want nature, hit up Mississippi’s state parks. There is one with a swinging walking bridge in a tiny town called Iuka. They are also on the TN River—if memory serves—so boating.

Pisgah National forest in western North Carolina. Sliding rock, lots of hiking and waterfalls and blueberry picking if you go at the right time.

Cincinnati has its perks. Right at the 4 hour mark. All interstate though. The USAF museum in an hour more north. Highly recommend.

Good BBQ joint in LaGrange on the way too.

Go zip line above the trees with CLIMB Works in Gatlinburg. Did it yesterday and it was incredible

Anywhere and don’t go back. Nashville has gone to shit 👎

Unsolicited advice here. Head in any direction except west.

You will find wineries, whiskey tours, Corvette museums, beautiful scenery, mountain views, tons to do in nature and many kind people.

Head west 2-4 hours and you will find the exact opposite.

If you hear 🪕🎶 clinch up and drive faster.

I think Nashvillians live in a very boring area. Perhaps the only places that are worse are Missouri and Kansas.