Two things I like to do before venturing into new terretory is to look up the "weird" and "unusual" attractions in that location we'll be in.
It all started years ago when I discovered the "Weird America" books, and I purchased the "Weird Indiana" (I'm from Indiana) and I was very surprised to discover that several items I simply took for granted around my home area were in the book and I was surprised that others found them to be "oddities" or "weird." To me, they were just things I grew up with.
The other thing I enjoy looking up are haunted "things" or paranormal activity locations in the area we're traveling to. Ghost sightings, UFO sightings, and paranormal activity can be very interesting.
Then, when in the area, we will go visit those sites if they are not too far out of our way.
With that said, here's a couple links for Tennessee you may find, either frustrating or helpful. This one is pretty inclusive for different sites to visit. It's an awesome list. You can get lost looking this stuff up for days:
Tennessee Tourist Attractions.
Here's a list for paranormal / ghosts / UFO:
7 scariest places in Tennessee,
Tennessee Paranormal, and here's one for the UFO enthusiasts (you'll love this one)...
Click here, Signal Mountain, Tennessee.
Hopefully, that will get you started. Have fun thinking, traveling, and exploring "outside the box."