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Articles by Tom Adkinson
Tennessee antiques shop spins for vinyl record treasure hunters
The sign for Buried Treasures along Highway 100 includes a big acknowledgement that vinyl records are inside the antiques and collectibles store. Image by Tom Adkinson FAIRVIEW, Tenn. – “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure” could be the marketing slogan at a rural antique store about 25 miles west of Nashville, but perhaps not for the expected reason.
TN Traveler: Tiny Clay County holds big reasons to explore Upper Cumberland
Fall foliage emerges as morning fog lingers in a Clay County hollow behind a marina on Dale Hollow Lake. TOM ADKINSON CELINA – Tiny Clay County, and even tinier Celina, are deceptive. They are small, but they hold big surprises and are ripe for exploring the Tennessee countryside on a crisp autumn day. Clay County (ranking 84th out of Tennessee’s 95 counties in square miles) hugs the Kentucky line northeast of Nashville.
Simple design, complex messages define Gateway Arch in St. Louis
The Gateway Arch instantly became the internationally recognized landmark of St. Louis when it was completed in 1965. Image by Burt Remis/Explore St. Louis ST. LOUIS – You could go to Manhattan and not see the Statue of Liberty, but it is impossible to visit downtown St. Louis and not see the Gateway Arch. It’s that big. The massive piece of public art reaches 630 feet into the Missouri sky; it also measures 630 feet wide at its base.
Ecusta Trail delivers easy rides in the mountains of North Carolina
A mural in downtown Hendersonville marks the start of the Ecusta Trail, which eventually will stretch 19 miles to Brevard. Image by Craig Distl HENDERSONVILLE, N.C. – The thought of a bicycle ride in mountainous Western North Carolina is daunting . . . with one exception. That’s the fundamentally flat Ecusta Trail, a rails-to-trails project whose initial trailhead is in Hendersonville, about 25 miles and one county south of its better-known neighbor of Asheville.
Quiet strolls around North Carolina’s Lake Junaluska
LAKE JUNALUSKA, N.C. – Many visitors to Western North Carolina come for strenuous mountain hikes up and down the region’s famous tree-shrouded and undulating ridges. Some stretch beyond 6,000 feet in elevation. Those trails are numerous, but gentler routes are few because flat land is scarce in these parts. That’s what makes Lake Junaluska so appealing for anyone seeking a less challenging way to commune with nature.
Combo theater-hotel with Greek immigrant’s backstory fuels Vermont town’s cultural vitality
The Latchis Theatre earns its “Greco Deco” designation with signs of the zodiac on the ceiling and statues of Greek gods along the walls. Image by Tom Adkinson BRATTLEBORO, Vt. – The four-story building at Main Street and Flat Street captures the essence of Brattleboro.
Bad photos in Iceland? Hard to imagine.
ON THE ROAD IN ICELAND – It may be possible to take bad photos in Iceland, but you would have to try hard – really, really hard – not to come away from this glacier-covered volcanic rock in the North Atlantic without photos that will impress friends, family and strangers. Strangers, too? Yes, because you will be so impressed with your own photos that you will find ways to show them off to people you don’t know. Icelandair used that premise for a mid-year promotion in 2026.
TN Traveler: Murfreesboro radio station helps keep Nashville on the musical map
Nashville singer/songwriter Claudia Nygaard visits with Craig Havighurst, an occasional host on “Finally Friday,” during her set. TOM ADKINSON When out-of-town friends and relatives visit me in Nashville, they almost always ask where they can enjoy live music.
Your room at the Skáld Akureyri comes with poetry lessons
Hotel owner Magnea Hjalmarsdottir pauses with one of the many poetry books in the public spaces of the Skáld Akureyri. Image by Tom Adkinson AKUREYRI, Iceland – Poetry comes in many forms – sonnets, sagas, free verse, even bawdy limericks. At Akureyri in Iceland’s north, it comes in the form of a hotel. The hotel’s very name, Skáld, sets the tone. “Skáld” is the Icelandic word for poet. The hotel opened in mid-2026 in Hilton’s Curio Collection.
Warm, Welcoming Vibes in South Carolina
South Carolina is relatively small — in terms of size, it ranks 40th out of the 50 U.S. states — but it punches above its weight. It packs a wallop with places to explore, activities to enjoy and food to eat. Here are five destinations for Palmetto State tours, including three on the coast, one in the middle of the state and one (almost) in the mountains.
Brattleboro Vermont, a vibrant New England town
BRATTLEBORO, Vt. – In another economic era, Brattleboro was a typical New England industrial town (bookbinding and the manufacturing of pipe organs make it famous), but the mills are long gone, and the town morphed into a creative community of artists and makers, independent restaurateurs, musicians and specialty retailers.
Eagle Scout event planned
TOM ADKINSON Main Street Media “Once an Eagle Scout, always an Eagle Scout.” That slogan is the inspiration for the Gathering of Eagles, a first-time social event for adult Eagle Scouts to connect across Middle Tennessee. The Gathering of Eagles is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 17 at Jasper’s restaurant (1918 West End Ave. in Nashville). It is open to Eagle Scouts regardless of where they earned Scouting’s highest rank.
TN Traveler: Read Rock City: Travel book explores stories behind iconic barns
A big roof – or a big side – and a strategic roadside location were the fundamentals when Clark Byers searched for barns to paint. LEONARD GARRISON CHATTANOOGA – At one point, more than 900 See Rock City barns dotted the landscape in the Southeast and Midwest. The number today is about 40. No one knows the exact number because they are privately owned. Some are doted on. Others are on their way to desolation. Each has a story.
First Americans Museum prompts quiet contemplation of immigration
“The sun sits low on the western horizon behind the First Americans Museum and the skyline of Oklahoma City. Image by Lori Duckworth OKLAHOMA CITY – A visit to the First Americans Museum in Oklahoma City casts America’s current preoccupation with immigration in a peculiar light. The perspective of this multi-faceted museum is from the 39 Native American tribes in modern-day Oklahoma. All but four of those tribes are not here of their own choice.
Looking at Oklahoma City from ground level, not 30,000 feet
Looking at Oklahoma City from ground level, not 30,000 feet By Tom Adkinson August 28, 2026 “Kicks 66” is Oklahoma City’s newest landmark. The 35-foot-tall boot statue is near the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum. Image from Visit OKC OKLAHOMA CITY – A 2016 National Geographic article explained that “flyover country” is a term that, while often used dismissively now, originated as a simple description of the middle of the country when transcontinental air travel began.
TN Traveler: Springfield tobacco warehouse holds tons of rescued treasure
Doc Keys greets visitors at Doc’s Architectural Salvage in Springfield in the entrance filled with clocks, a light fixture from a 1928 Chicago movie palace and an Ionic column. TOM ADKINSON SPRINGFIELD –– Doc Keys jokingly calls himself a junkman, and you might agree when you step inside his business –– but only for a moment. Doc’s Architectural Salvage may look disorganized, but it is no “Sanford and Son” operation.
Maine fishing guide helps an old dog learn new flyrod tricks
Maine fishing guide Andy Skrivanich demonstrates that the physics of a fly rod mean more to a long cast than does the strength of the angler. Image by Tom Adkinson DAMARISCOTTA, Maine – Andy Skrivanich isn’t an animal trainer, but he can teach an old dog new tricks. Skrivanich is a fishing guide on Maine’s rivers, ponds and coastal waters, and he certainly taught me some new tricks.
Chinook copter veteran delivers a taste of Jamaica to Fort Campbell region
Andral Dawkins, once a crew chief on an Army Chinook helicopter, became an ambassador for Jamaican food at his own restaurant. Image by Tom Adkinson CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Just as you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, you shouldn’t judge a restaurant by its front door. A restaurant named Jamrok near the Army’s Fort Campbell is proof positive of that. The all-you-can-eat Jamrok Caribbean Buffet is tucked into an unassuming strip mall between a Piggy Wiggly grocery store and a tattoo parlor.
TN Traveler: Renaissance Shoals and GunRunner Boutique hotels add sparkle to Muscle Shoals music scene
Luxury resort and boutique property add sparkle to Muscle Shoals music scene TOM ADKINSON With only 10 rooms, the public spaces at the GunRunner are never crowded and offer locations for quiet conversations. TOM ADKINSON THE SHOALS, Ala.
Beatlemania Returns to Knoxville As 1964...The Tribute
Audiences can experience the excitement of an early Beatles concert when 1964...The Tribute comes to the historic Tennessee Theatre on Friday, August 21, 2026, at 8:00 p.m. For more than four decades, 1964...The Tribute has transported audiences back to the height of Beatlemania, meticulously recreating the sound, appearance, and atmosphere of the Beatles during their legendary touring years.
Cougars and bears and lynx, oh my!
Roosevelt elk, found only in the Pacific Northwest, graze contentedly along a path that human-carrying trams use to explore the attraction’s interior. Image by Tom Adkinson EATONVILLE, Wash. –In just a few hours, the Northwest Trek Wildlife Park in the forested foothills of the Cascade Mountains outside Tacoma can deliver the CliffNotes version of a multi-day expedition into the Pacific Northwest wilderness.
TN Traveler: Fort Campbell’s Wings of Liberty Museum showcases soldiers’ worldwide military service
Gliders such as this one carried troops into the early hours of D-Day in 1944. This aircraft hangs above a museum activity space. TOM ADKINSON CLARKSVILLE – The Army’s Fort Campbell certainly isn’t a top-secret installation. It sprawls across 105,000 acres of Tennessee and Kentucky, butts up against Clarksville and affects the region in myriad ways. As of this spring, Fort Campbell boasts a new influence on the community — tourism.
Take your photos quickly at a drive-through zoo/safari
ALAMO, Tenn. – Close-up photos of animals aren’t guaranteed at traditional zoos, but they are a breeze at drive-through attractions such as the Tennessee Safari Park between Nashville and Memphis. Sometimes, extreme close-ups are possible, as when a hungry ostrich sticks its long neck into the passenger cabin of your vehicle in search of one more mouthful of food.
TN Traveler: Army veteran takes Clarksville visitors on Jamaican culinary tours Original
Andral Dawkins went from crew chief on an Army Chinook helicopter to ambassador for Jamaican food at his own restaurant in Clarksville. TOM ADKINSON CLARKSVILLE – About the only things most people know about food from Jamaica is “jerk chicken, and it’s spicy,” according to Andral Dawkins, a native of the Caribbean island nation and now a U.S. citizen, U.S. Army veteran and restaurateur.
Tampa’s Columbia Restaurant maintains century-old recipe for success
With a skylight overhead and a mezzanine and a sculpture for accents, the El Patio Dining Room is a popular space in the Columbia Restaurant. Image by Tom Adkinson TAMPA, Fla. – The Columbia Restaurant in the Ybor City section of Tampa has been fine-tuning its recipe for success for more than 120 years. The recipe starts with numerous dishes with Spanish and Cuban accents, folds in a beautiful setting, adds dashes of history and hospitality, and garnishes everything with a dash of showmanship.
One man’s dream becomes wheel of good fortune for nonprofits
FRANKLIN, Tenn. – More than 30 years ago, Oregon woodworker and artist Ken Means made a rocking horse for his children for Christmas. Then, he made more rocking horses and later progressed to making full-sized carousel animals. He had no plans for a carousel, but he kept building colorful and whimsical animals – horses, a tiger, a toad, a giraffe, even a rooster and a donkey.
TN Traveler: Tennessee Safari Park offers 2,800 animals and a drive on the wild side
Feed flies down the gullet of an aggressively feeding ostrich at the Tennessee Safari Park. TOM ADKINSON ALAMO – The big lesson you learn at the Tennessee Safari Park is what animals you would never invite to a dinner party at your house. Ostriches are simply messy, camels are dauntingly big, bison are photogenic but quite pushy and llamas insist on bringing their friends.
This Alabama boutique hotel was once a pawn shop and a car dealership
This Alabama boutique hotel was once a pawn shop and a car dealership By Tom Adkinson June 26, 2026 The GunRunner Hotel has plenty of North Alabama stories to tell, but its exterior is understated and unassuming. Image by Tom Adkinson FLORENCE, Ala. – Some of the GunRunner Hotel’s repeat guests play a parlor game – they want to see how long it takes to stay overnight in all of the boutique property’s highly themed suites. The challenge is availability.
Fowling
Eight pins down, two to go in the aftermath of a good throw in a Fowling Warehouse. Image by Tom Adkinson HAMTRAMCK, Mich. – When you score in the delightfully peculiar sport of fowling, you don’t know whether to holler “Strike!” or “Touchdown!” or “BONK!” Fowling is the illegitimate offspring of a union between football and bowling. “F” from football, “owling” from bowling.
On a date with Kate on Moosehead Lake, Maine’s largest
Captain Matt Kane, one of three on the Katahdin’s staff, offers a mild smile after parallel parking the 102-foot-long excursion boat. Image by Tom Adkinson GREENVILLE, Maine – More than 4 million people troop through the coastal wonders of Maine’s Acadia National Park every year, but there’s a substantially less-visited area approximately three hours’ drive inland that holds a special treat – an excursion on a historic boat well into its second century of operation.
TN Traveler: Around and around on Franklin’s Carousel of Dreams
Windwalker, the proud steed with the blue saddle and golden mane, is the lead horse on the Carousel of Dreams. PHOTO BY TREELINE BAMBOO PHOTOGRAPHY Only a curmudgeon of the first order could suppress a smile when the Carousel of Dreams’ organ music erupts and its colorful menagerie of boldly colorful tigers, toads, horses and giraffes begin their merry circular dance.
Depression-era bequest put small Maine town on path to artistic fame
A Farnsworth Museum visitor assesses a painting while Jamie Wyeth’s image of a wild ram awaits her around the corner. Image by Tom Adkinson ROCKLAND, Maine – Small towns often hold big treasures. Consider tiny Rockland and the Farnsworth Museum.
A Mississippi Sampler
Mississippi is an evening of blues music, a history lesson, a treasure hunt for antiques and odd gifts, a place to explore the heavens, a plate full of seafood and barbecue, and more than any one tour itinerary can handle. Here’s a collection of reasons to explore the Magnolia State. Popular Demand The Mississippi Arts + Entertainment Experience in Meridian — known as The MAX — distills Mississippi’s creative juices and serves up a powerful cocktail.
Putting wind in your sails on a Maine windjammer cruise
The century-old windjammer schooner Ladona glides past the Owls Head community on Penobscot Bay. Image by Tom Adkinson ROCKLAND, Maine – A few gigantic oceangoing passenger ships list Maine on their itineraries, but being aboard a vessel carrying almost as many passengers as a cruise port has residents doesn’t give you a true Maine maritime experience.
Pausing on Memorial Day before summer’s frivolity begins
The statue, sometimes called the Iwo Jima Statue – but formally named the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial – in Arlington, Va., is one of America’s most visible and poignant places to reflect on the multitudes of service members who gave their lives for their country. The memorial, located just outside Arlington National Cemetery, is based on an award-winning photo of six Marines raising the American flag on the Pacific island of Iwo Jima on Feb. 23, 1945, during World War II.
TN Traveler: Two splashing paddlewheelers boost Nashville’s river fleet
Standing at the edge of Riverfront Park before the picturesque paddlewheeler is Troy Manthey, 59, who got his river pilot’s license when he was 18 and already working in his family’s riverboat business in New Orleans.
Indiana’s Pigeon River delivers a great paddling experience
A flotilla of bundled-up paddlers is ready to slide into northeastern Indiana’s Pigeon River for a chilly morning float trip. Image by Jessica Linder MONGO, Ind. – “Heck, no! I’m NOT going on our kayak float tomorrow!” That was the stand I took when the next morning’s temperature was going to be 42 degrees – and even before I learned about the outfitter’s Rule of 120.
Circling the Square: Two soldiers, many stories in downtown Franklin
A street-level statue titled “March to Freedom” is just outside the courthouse where 300 formerly enslaved men joined the Union Army. PHOTO BY NATHAN ZUCKER/VISIT FRANKLIN (One in a series of occasional features about exploring town squares.) FRANKLIN – Statues of two Civil War soldiers in Franklin’s town square tell enough stories to fill a library. One represents the formerly enslaved men who joined the Union army’s U.S. Colored Troops, and the other represents soldiers in the Confederate army.
Ohio River’s ‘hidden’ waterfall holds 390-million-year-old treasures
A reminder of the Falls of the Ohio cascades behind a statue of explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. Image by Tom Adkinson CLARKSVILLE, Ind. – The route to Indiana’s Falls of the Ohio State Park takes you through neighborhoods of modest homes. to a spot notable in American history, and finally to a destination to see evidence of life 390 million years ago. Toss in opportunities for a woodland walk, birding, and picnicking, and this is a park with an abundance of selling points.
Why Buffalo Bill Cody is an art ambassador for St. Petersburg, Florida
Why Buffalo Bill Cody is an art ambassador for St. Petersburg, Florida By Tom Adkinson May 1, 2026 A bronze sculpture of Buffalo Bill Cody awaits your arrival at the James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art in St. Petersburg. Image by Tom Adkinson ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – A life-sized bronze statue of Buffalo Bill Cody perches on a bench as the permanent greeter at the James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art in downtown St. Petersburg, just waiting for you to sit with him and take a selfie.
Al’s Place is a Florida food experience worth risking a U-turn
Al’s Place . . . a Florida food experience worth risking a U-turn By Tom Adkinson Apr 24, 2026 Al’s Place wins no architectural awards, but the simple sign and a leftover parade float can catch your eye from the highway. Image by Tom Adkinson LAKES WALES, Fla. – Al’s Place barely was a blur in my peripheral vision as I zipped down U.S. 27 in central Florida. However, it was lunchtime, and the outlines of a knife, a fork, and a spoon on its modest roadside sign must have registered subliminally.
Circling the Square: Tennessee food, surprising shopping and a great pawnshop in Manchester
The 1871 Coffee County Courthouse now houses the Coffee County Historical Society’s museum and is the center of a vibrant town square in Manchester. TOM ADKINSON (One in a series of occasional features about exploring town squares.) MANCHESTER – The Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival’s lineup of big-time performing artists draws national attention to Manchester for a few days every June, but the laid-back vibes around Manchester’s town square warrant consideration all year long.
Ukrainian couple brings international flair to remote corner of Tennessee with flavorful bakery
Olena Kostanyan shows off a tray of pistachio and chocolate macarons, one of the many variations of the classic cookie she bakes. Image by Tom Adkinson UNION CITY, Tenn. – Most leisure visitors to Northwest Tennessee come for two reasons – to see bald eagles and to catch crappie in Reelfoot Lake, Tennessee’s only major lake not created by the Tennessee Valley Authority or the Army Corps of Engineers.
Tampa Riverwalk sets a high bar for how to make a waterfront appealing
Walkers, joggers, and cyclists enjoy time in the outdoors along the Hillsborough River on the downtown Tampa Riverwalk. Image by Tom Adkinson TAMPA, Fla. – Communities with waterfronts of any description could take lessons from Tampa about turning a narrow parcel of land into a major asset for everyone – local citizens and visitors alike. Tampa accomplished that goal with a lively 2.6-mile-long ribbon called the Tampa Riverwalk. The Tampa Riverwalk is a treasure in the heart of the city.
Arkansas is a Natural
Arkansas borders six other states — Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma and Missouri — making it a destination accessible from all directions. Its mountains, rivers and open spaces helped it earn the nickname of “The Natural State,” and its people make it appealing through their music, good food and beautiful art, both folk and fine.
Old Florida at Lone Cabbage Fish Camp
The parking lot sign for Twister Air Boat Rides and Lone Cabbage Fish Camp lives up to their kitschy “Old Florida” heritage. Image by Tom Adkinson COCOA, Fla. – When Dennis Inman cranks up his big-block Chevy, you need ear protection because that roaring engine isn’t under the hood of a giant pickup truck.
Fish are on invitation list for party time at Hubbard’s Marina in Florida
A hefty stringer of Key West grunts, grey snappers and one hogfish put a big smile on this party boat angler. Image by Tom Adkinson MADEIRA BEACH, Fla. – Seekers of good times gravitate to one kind of party boat for music, drinks and frivolity, while anglers gravitate to a different kind of party boat – one whose goal is a virtual certainty of landing a bunch of fish to fillet. Hubbard’s Marina in Madeira Beach in the middle of St. Petersburg has catered to the latter crowd for almost 100 years.
TN Traveler: Treasure hunting awaits at Unclaimed Baggage in nearby corner of Alabama
Unclaimed Baggage Center’s unassuming entrance leads to a destination for treasure hunting that covers a city block. TOM ADKINSON SCOTTSBORO, Ala. – The only time an airline lost one of my bags, it would have been OK if the airline had never found it.
Going to ‘Cow Camp’ at Florida’s Lake Kissimmee State Park
Lake Kissimmee State Park ranger Anne Reynolds is one of several rangers who take on the personas of cow hunters from the 1870s. Image by Tom Adkinson LAKE WALES, Fla. – Calling someone a Florida cracker can be a compliment, a slur or a job description. At Lake Kissimmee State Park’s “Cow Camp,” it’s definitely a job description. “Cow Camp” is the name of a living history program at the 6,000-acre state park in the middle of Florida south of Orlando and east of Tampa.
Tarpon Springs, where sponges are all-important
TARPON SPRINGS, Fla. – The visitor industry in this Gulf of Mexico community north of St. Petersburg is built on a solid foundation of immigrant history and a modern façade of kitsch. The combination means you can enjoy both sets of vibes or even ignore one if you choose. Greek sponge divers who arrived in the early 1900s laid the town’s foundation.
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