Fun Day Trip: Enjoy fall colors in Granville, TN!

Oct 20, 2013 at 02:17 pm by bryan


If you're looking for a day trip that gives you beautiful fall scenery and is nearby, try Granville! It's about an hour away, and lies between Carthage and Gainesboro. I went there with friends over the weekend, and thoroughly enjoyed stepping back to a slower paced time. 

This charming riverboat community of 600-plus residents has an abundance of water with the Cumberland River and inlets on three sides. It is in a valley, surrounded by rolling hills that are alive in the color of autumn.

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And right now, their first scarecrow festival is in progress. These are not your customary garden variety scarecrows, but instead pieces of art that adorn the ice cream parlor, old Sutton homestead, general store and more. They are even standing on street corners welcoming visitors. 

Since Granville is on the Cumberland River, this small town grew in the 1800's as the hub of produce and goods brought to the upper Cumberland Plateau and surrounding midstate via river boats. There were two steamboat landings there, and that made Granville a popular commerce town.

Another part of Granville' history is that it was the birthplace of U.S. Senator Albert Gore, Sr., the father of former Vice-President Al Gore.

The Sutton General Store is the centerpiece of Granville. This two story structure is structurally solid and full of history. It's where you'll enjoy a family style dinner, and be entertained by a bluegrass radio show. In fact, Uncle Jimmy Thompson, first Grand Ole Opry entertainer, was from Granville.

(L-R below) 1. Old log cabin behind the Sutton homestead and part of auto museum. Most of the attractions are open noon to 3:00PM on weekends.

Wilson Bank Chairman and CEO Randall Clemons (photo below) is a native of this quaint community, and begins the family style dinner in the general store with a story of the community's rich history. Just before dinner was served, Clemons leads the prayer. While the customers enjoyed home cooking, he kept the old time player piano full of memories.

The entire afternoon was relaxing and filled with walking through museums, old homes, the bank (below), general store, marina and more.  Even a game of checkers is awaiting you at the old store. 

Clemons explained that the historic part of Granville had been turned into a non-profit venture, and people who love history volunteer their time to run the store, give history tours, and keep the riverboat village alive. In fact, Clemons himself was putting in volunteer hours by helping Saturday evening in the Sutton General Store.

(L-R photos below) 1. You can walk Clover Street, the main business thoroughfare, without much worry of heavy traffic. 2. Inside the Sutton General Store are treats waiting to be explored.

The scarecrows are located throughout the community, and you can vote on your favorite one. (Photo Below L-R) Here are two of the settings in which scarecrows were used to add fun to Granville's history. First, this is the combination old time ice cream parlor, saloon and shoe shine stand.  Then a scarecrow washes dishes in the Sutton homestead while a visitor distracts her. 

This is a unique day trip that is made even better by a colorful fall.  Visit their website: http://granvilletn.com/

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