Tennessee River Trail Scenic Byway Campaign Wins National Award

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee River Trail Scenic Byway, threading through nine counties along the Tennessee River, recently blazed a new trail as the project team behind the marketing effort and audio tour won a prestigious “ADDY” in the recent awards competition.

With more than 60,000 entries annually, the ADDY Awards is the world’s largest advertising competition representing the true spirit of creative excellence by recognizing all forms of advertising from media of all types. The Tennessee River Trail Scenic Byway won a silver award in the Public Service Integrated Campaign category.

The Tennessee River Trail Scenic Byway is comprised of 440 miles of two lane roads meandering through picturesque countryside through nine counties along the eastern and western banks of the Tennessee River.  The Scenic Highways/Tennessee Parkways is part of the National Scenic Byways Program designed to recognize and showcase outstanding cultural, historical, archeological, recreational, natural and scenic resources along Tennessee’s public highways.   The program supports local and regional scenic highway organizations in their quest for National Byways funding and recognition.

Components in the award-winning marketing package include a website with downloadable maps, video clips and sample itineraries. A photo gallery provides unique perspectives on the region and showcases its rich environmental and cultural contributions. Lesson plans and a two-disc audio tour, hosted by Joe Elmore of Nashville Public Television’s Tennessee Crossroads, complete the program.

Themes in the audio tour include the Civil War (battles of Shiloh and Fort Donelson), culture and commerce, life on the river, musical traditions, recreation, and wildlife. Disc One covers approximately 70 sites and attractions along the Byway. Disc Two expands on selected Byway themes including Civil War stories, early settlers and music from the area.

The Tennessee River Trail Scenic Byway audio tour is available at the Tennessee State Museum (505 Deaderick St., Nashville, TN 37243, 615-741-2692) or through the Tennessee River Trails Association (TRTA) at 615-828-8848.

With an emphasis on educating tomorrow’s leaders about the history of the area, lesson plans that meet Tennessee state educational guidelines were also developed for middle school students and may be downloaded at www.driveanddiscover.com.

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