New Mississippi River tourism trail announced AP

By ADRIAN SAINZ - Associated Press | AP – Fri, Sep 30, 2011

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Tourism officials on Friday launched the new Great River Road Trail, a self-guided driving tour covering 240 miles through six counties and several small towns in West Tennessee.

The trail is made up of existing tourist attractions along the Mississippi River, including museums, parks, historic homes, nature trails and Civil War sites.

About 60 markers will line the trail, suggesting that visitors exit their cars and spend money at the museums, restaurants and shops in Shelby, Tipton, Lauderdale, Dyer, Obion and Lake counties. The trail is connected to the Great River Road National Scenic Byway, a 10-state route starting in Minnesota and ending at the Gulf of Mexico.

"The new byway encompasses virtually everything that's touched the Mississippi River," said Regena Bearden, vice president of marketing at the Memphis Convention & Visitors Bureau. "Memphis visitors will be able to discover even more of our cultural gems for a truly authentic experience."

Officials hope the trail — the eighth of 16 self-guided driving tours in Tennessee — will add to the roughly $13 billion economic impact of tourism on the state.

They also acknowledge that the self-guided trails are an inexpensive way to spur tourism, mainly because the sites and attractions along them already exist. A $300,000 grant from the Tennessee Department of Transportation will pay for the markers. The only other expense is for making brochures detailing the different attractions and their locations.

"We have taken these 16 trails that are across the state and we have gone in, done the work for the visitor, and you have this wonderful trail full of hidden jewels that are going to bring people back to Tennessee," said Marty Mabry, the West Tennessee regional manager for the state's Department of Tourism Development.

The trail begins at the welcome center on Riverside Drive in Memphis, but visitors can choose to start their trip at any site along the trail. Visitors who stop at the welcome center in Memphis can pick up brochures, maps and coupons before driving out.

Stops along the trail include the Alex Haley Museum and Interpretive Center in Henning, which includes the childhood home of the author who wrote "Roots: The Saga of an American Family"; Memphis' Mud Island, which has several parks and a scale model of the lower Mississippi River; and Reelfoot Lake in northwest Tennessee, which is home to American bald eagles and some excellent fishing and hunting as well.

Well-known people also are honored along the trail, which includes the hometowns of world-renowned clown Emmett Kelly Jr. (Dyersburg), the late soul singer Isaac Hayes (Covington), and blues guitarist Sleepy John Estes (Ripley).

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The Great River Road National Scenic Byway and Trail: http://www.tntrailsandbyways.com