This program was made possible by contributions to your PBS station.

From viewers like you.

Thank you.

This project is funded by Putnam County with support from a grant provided by the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development.

In the heart of Tennessee, there's a little slice of heaven you've just got to see.

[♪♪] Oh, man.

Wish you were here.

Welcome to Wish You Were Here.

Adventures in Tennessee's Upper Cumberland.

I'm Shan Stout.

Your guide as we explore the scenic beauty, creative spirit, and welcoming communities that make this region of Middle Tennessee so very special.

Together, we'll uncover the Upper Cumberland's best kept secrets.

Celebrate local businesses and restaurants and meet the incredible people who bring these places to life.

Before we check in with our Wish You Were Here field correspondents let's begin today's journey in the countryside of Middle Tennessee.

After a full day of adventure, every traveler needs the perfect place to unwind.

And in Baxter, Tennessee, Hideout Hotels delivers relaxation with upscale style.

These modern, thoughtfully designed retreats offer privacy, comfort and a peaceful escape from everyday life while still being close to all the natural attractions across the Upper Cumberland.

Whether you're planning a romantic getaway, a weekend recharge or a quiet retreat, Hideout Hotels creates the perfect setting to slow down and appreciate the moment.

Tucked away in the forests of Baxter, Tennessee, there's a place where you can slow down, unplug, and step away from the busyness of everyday life.

It's a place to breathe easy and let nature do the talking.

This glamping hideaway gives you the comforts of home while surrounding you with a peaceful, rustic setting that makes you feel part of the outdoors without giving up anything.

So we're here with co-owner Jake Pence.

Hi, Jake.

Hi, Shan.

How are you?

Doing great.

Thank you so much for having us here at your beautiful Hideout Hotels.

Yeah, absolutely.

Thanks for coming out.

Tell us how you got into the short term rental business.

And how did Hideout Hotels come to be?

I graduated college from the University of Illinois, and I'd been working for some large real estate private equity companies.

And, you know, I decided I wanted to try to go recreate one of those companies versus working for one of them.

And, you know, ultimately, it kind of led us down the path to where we arrived at.

Hideout.

I had heard about the at the time, Sulfur Ridge Treehouse, which was out here.

And, I looked it up on Instagram and I'd seen that they'd try to sell it in the past.

So I just sent the owner a message saying, hey, if you ever, you know, wanted to sell, I'd be interested.

Like, let's have a conversation.

And, that night I was on the phone with the owner at the time, Susan Dyer.

And a couple of days later I was out here on site, and I think a week after that we had done our contract.

So, you know, we sort of felt like just from an investment standpoint, that people wanted to spend more time outside, that they wanted to focus on their mental health and wellness and that they wanted to stay in unique places.

And we just felt like this sort of embodied that.

For our long time viewers.

You're going to remember from a previous season, we did feature Sulfur Ridge Treehouse, which is a beautiful, Instagrammable tree house here in Tennessee.

But all of this was not here at the time.

So you saw all this beautiful land and you just said, hey, let's expand.

Yeah.

You know, the the tree house had kind of been the cornerstone of the project.

And, you know, we sort of think about this part of the property is kind of where a boutique hotel meets a campground is sort of the type of vibe that we're going for up here.

And, let us down the path to, you know, add all the different amenities that we've added.

And, you know, the guests that have come out here just seem to, seem to to really appreciate what we've been able to do.

And, it's been a bit of fun project for us.

So let's talk about all the things that you have, because this is a what I would consider a luxury style glamping vacation.

I mean, this is this is really, really nice.

Yeah.

This is a lot of people's preferred way to camp or, glamp as you mentioned it, for example, every cabin has its own hot tub.

It has its own fire pit.

We tried to angle the cabins in a way to where, you know, you could be in one hot tub and not be seen by someone in another hot tub, or not have to deal with noise.

I mentioned earlier kind of the theme of people want to focus on their, you know, their health and wellness.

And so, you know, we've got an eight person barrel sauna, we've got a cold plunge, we've got an outdoor shower, we've got a multi-purpose, sport court where you can play basketball or pickleball.

You know, my favorite part of the property?

We've got a little golf putting green out there with a little elevated chipping spot.

We also wanted to try to honor from the history of it, and those Shasta campers, we felt like they had a, just kind of a unique style to them that people appreciated.

So, you know, we converted one of them into a store where we've got all our merchandise, which I love.

It is the cutest gift shop of all time.

Yeah, it's an awesome little gift shop.

The other one we converted into a little library and game room.

We tried to just find a lot of different ways, to give people the option to where if they come here, they can stay on site the entire time, or they could go out to the community and have fun as well.

We try to make it easy on our guests.

So, before every guest arrives, we send them a survey.

So we try to get a feel for what they want to do.

And then we'll send out, you know, essentially a custom itinerary for them for their trip.

And that's something that people love.

We've we've had a great partnership with Ralph's Donuts, where we give all of our guests donuts before they arrive.

Vertical coffee.

We've got our own custom Hideout coffee blend that we give our guests.

You know, we've really tried to, embrace the community and provide the best guest experience that we can.

Well, Jake, thank you so much for taking time to show us your beautiful property today.

Do you care if we look around the grounds?

Yeah, let's do it.

[♪♪] So come out here and hide out for a while, leave the noise behind, and just enjoy the beauty that nature has to offer.

And don't worry, this trip to the woods doesn't mean sacrificing comfort.

Nestled in the historic town of Monterey, Tennessee, you will find a diverse trail of history along with unique shopping and dining experiences for everyone, including train lovers.

Whether you're meeting friends, browsing unique finds, or simply enjoying the moment, this is a place that embodies southern charm.

Field correspondent Jason Grider is meeting up with a long lost friend of ours, and is ready to discover a brand new Monterey treasure with some historic flair.

All aboard the South Wind Express.

Perched high in the hills of Putnam County, Tennessee, there's a town with mountain charm, deep roots, and a story waiting to be discovered.

Monterey offers sweeping views, a rich sense of history and that easygoing, small town feel that makes you want to stay awhile.

It's a place for the hilltops seem to kiss the sky, and where every turn invites you to explore just a little more.

Hey, I'm here in downtown Monterey with a face.

Wish You Were Here fans might know pretty well from season one through three it's Mr.

Rafferty Cleary.

In the flesh.

You are the one asking the questions and now you're getting the questions asked.

The tables have turned to my friend.

Pressure's on me now.

Yeah.

So, are you ready for some hard hitting Wish You Were Here questions?

Hit me with them.

All right, well, first off, there's, so many new businesses in Monterey.

If someone hadn't been here in a while or been here ever, what can they expect when they come?

The downtown area, which in Monterey the downtown area is the Commercial Avenue, area between Chestnut Street and Poplar Street.

So that corridor there and we've had the old golf drugstore building, which is now a boutique, an old grocery store, which is now a salon, a Mexican restaurant, Italian restaurant in town.

It's a vibrant area, which at one time, you know, ten, 15, 20 years ago wasn't so much.

And Saturday night, really, even on the weekday, anytime after 6 p.m., driving down Commercial Avenue, there's cars everywhere.

Oh, yeah.

And it's just, it's wonderful to see for little town.

Every town's got a personality around.

What what do you think the heart of Monterey is?

Original.

Original?

Yeah.

That strip that we just talked about hasn't changed much over time.

The landscape has stayed the same.

There's just been some changes to the businesses and buildings themselves.

It's very original.

They're pictures, along the buildings in downtown Monterey that are depicting what those businesses today looked like many years ago.

Right.

There's not a lot of change that you see versus those pictures in today.

Just just a nicer facelifts like I mentioned, but it's original.

Hey, tell me about the dining car.

I know you've been working hard on that for several years now, getting that ready for events or whatever.

So how's that?

And is it open?

It is open.

So far we've done birthday parties.

We've done Christmas parties.

And we're going to do a dessert theater.

So here you here have dinner theaters here and there, but this will be a dessert Everybody likes dessert better.

That's right.

This show is all about adventure and exploring and things like that.

And there's plenty of that right around here.

Tell us about some of that, some of the adventures and and the way you can explore Monterey and around.

The great thing about Monterey, we're naturally nice.

And what you get there, the outdoors is, is what we hope is the big attraction when folks come here.

So we've got a 300 acre park and, over the years, the town's made big investments out there, and it's got close to 15 miles of walking and mountain bike trails, a 90 acre lake, kayak rental opportunities, Bee Rock overlook, overlooks the calf killer River valley.

Beautiful.

I know I'm a little biased here.

I think one of the more beautiful overlooks in the state.

I just think that's the truth.

It really is.

It's It's breathtaking if no one's been there before.

We're very walkable town, too.

So obviously, the investments downtown, folks have the ability to get on foot.

Explore, what our town has to offer.

We've got a walking trail or rail trail in town that, it's connected to the point where you can go about three square miles on that trail itself.

And it all leads to the downtown area, to the museum, to the standing stone monument.

So we're very walkable.

And I think that's a big attraction not only to our local residents, but to visitors as well.

What do you think some might be surprised to hear about Monterey.

At one time, this town had seven hotels in operation at one time, which is remarkable.

We were a premier destination in the state of Tennessee.

And I'm a big dreamer.

I don't think we'll ever have seven hotels at the same time in this town.

But I do think we can get back to that tourist destination that we once held for so long in the 1900s, the efforts underway to get us back to there.

And, we're off to a good start and continuing to grow.

You can definitely tell when you drive down commercial.

So many great things are happening here in Monterey.

Dude.

Thanks for having us.

Thanks for coming.

Just remember, it's all downhill from here.

I'll remember that.

[♪♪] For your next adventure, come up to Monterey, Tennessee.

Spend the day enjoying the outdoors, browsing the shops, grabbing a bite to eat, or maybe doing all of it at your own pace.

[♪♪] If you've ever dreamed of sipping coffee while hanging out with cuddly farm friends, well, today's your lucky day.

In Crossville, Tennessee, Copper Chicks GOAT Soapery and Goat Cafe offers one of the most unique and joyful experiences in the Upper Cumberland.

From handcrafted goat milk soaps to cozy cafe treats.

This destination blends wellness, creativity and farm life into one unforgettable stop with the friendliest goats in Tennessee.

This adventure was too fun to miss, so I think I need to come along on this trip.

Let's see how this kid approved adventure unfolds.

[♪♪] As more people look for ways to live healthier, they're discovering the benefits of goat milk.

And the folks at Copper Chicks have built something special around just that.

The GOAT Soapery and Makery Cafe, offers natural handmade products alongside a cozy cafe serving up delicious food and drinks.

And don't let the name fool you.

There are no goats on the menu, though you might want to stick around long enough to find out what GOAT really stands for.

Hi everybody!

Okay, Mirlie couldn't be with us, so I'm filling in for her.

And we are at a great location in beautiful Crossville, Tennessee.

I'm here at Copper Chick Soapery.

My very first soapery.

And I'm thrilled to be here and learn all the behind the scenes stuff and hopefully see some adorably cuddly goats.

I'm here with owner Sonya Trembley.

Sonya, thank you so much for having us today.

Thank you so much for having me.

And thank you for joining us here at Copper Chicks GOAT Soapery and Makery and the GOAT Cafe.

All right.

So many questions.

This is my first soapery experience.

And already we're standing in this beautiful gift shop with so many things to see and buy.

How did you decide you know what?

We're going to start making goat soap?

Well, basically we had five children.

My husband and I, and I was a homeschool mom and we had some skin issues.

My oldest son was having allergies and skin problems and we couldn't figure out what it was.

So we started eliminating chemicals out of our normal every day.

And that started with a learning process of, hey, let's learn how to make our own bath and body products.

And all that led us to start making all of our own products.

So started with one thing, which was soap.

And then we just kept progressing into lotion And then we did, you know, laundry soap and room sprays and just anything that you would have in your house, getting rid of one chemical at a time and creating things that we felt were more natural and better and healthier.

Now let's talk about the goats.

How many goats do we have here?

Right now we have 23 goats.

And they're all female except for one.

We have one herd sire at this time.

And they're all actually bread and ready for a spring kitting this year.

And we also have added a miniature donkey and he is the goats best friend.

Does he have a name?

His name is Waffles.

Oh, well, that's, you know, fitting for the cafe, right?

Now, you've added and expanded a new addition that is really, really fun.

You've got the GOAT Cafe?

Yes, ma'am.

Now, let's just be clear.

The goats are not on the menu, so it's a different kind of goat cafe.

So what can a visitor expect to find when they come here?

Not just to shop, but to eat?

Yes.

So I did the goat Cafe.

We felt the Lord want us to add a place for community, for people to come and spend time together, enjoy building memories together and to see the goats in person.

So that way people would know that we're getting our milk for our every bar soap and lotion from our goat specifically, and that they can go out and pet them and love on them and give them, you know, the extra bonus of cuddles, you know, and they are giving us all this beautiful milk.

They get extra cuddles too.

My husband is an avid coffee drinker, and so we decided we were going to add the cafe when he had lost his job.

And it was a surprise.

But it was a good surprise.

And we have high quality coffee that we have roasted for us.

And we do all of our own sour dough from scratch baking.

Okay.

So what is your personal favorite thing on the menu?

My personal favorite thing on the menu is probably our sour dough chocolate chip cookie with our, iced vanilla chai with some pumpkin cold foam.

She got me a chocolate.

I mean, that was it.

Enough said.

Okay, the public already wants to know after seeing your sign It's not just GOAT, G.O.A.T It's an acronym.

So what does it stand for?

I was talking to the good Lord, and, we had wrote on the windows that it said GOAT Soaps,so that people would know what we had in our shop.

And as I was looking at the window and talking to the Lord, I said, oh God, you're over all things.

You've got this anyways.

And it hit me, I felt very strongly that God is over all things in my life, and if I just am willing to just have faith and trust Him and keep on working hard, that, you know He's got a bigger plan than me.

So we decided to put that on our logo as we added.

And at this new location to let people know that, you know, we love the Lord and we're trying to love people because God wants us to love people every day.

Well, we feel the love here, and we're just so excited to be able to see all that you have to offer.

My final question is who's the real boss?

You or the goats?

Oh, definitely the goats.

They run everything.

I got that sense.

When they say they need my attention, now I have to go.

I mean, I can't help it.

Well, I can't wait to meet the big bosses.

Do you mind if maybe we can tour the grounds, meet some of the people in charge or the animals in charge?

Right.

And, maybe visit the cafe.

Absolutely.

So take a trip to Crossville, Tennessee and stop in at Copper Chicks.

Enjoy a good cup of coffee and great meal.

And if you're lucky, maybe even get to pet a few goats while you're there.

They'll be glad to see you.

High atop the scenic hills of Spencer, Tennessee, sits a local favorite where good food meets breathtaking views.

It's the Ugly Mug Bar and Grill, with hearty comfort food, handcrafted drinks, and a relaxed mountain atmosphere, the Ugly Mug is the perfect place to refuel after exploring Fall Creek Falls and the beautiful surrounding area.

It's casual, it's welcoming, and it's full of local flavor, and right now, field correspondent Shaun Scantland is ready to dig in and see what's cooking at one of Spencer's most popular hangouts, [♪♪] High in the hills of Van Buren County, there's a place tucked away in the woods where good food, good music and good company come together.

With its rustic atmosphere and friendly feel, The Ugly Mug Bar and Grill is the kind of place where you can settle in, relax and feel right at home.

Hey y'all, I'm in gorgeous Spencer, Tennessee just a short drive from the breathtaking Fall Creek Falls State Park.

Now, after a long day of outdoor adventures, you're going to need a place to relax and recharge.

And I think I've found just the spot the Ugly Mug Bar and Grill.

And I'm here with owner Brad Taylor.

Thank you so much for having us, Brad.

Thank you.

Welcome to the Ugly Mug and Spencer.

Well, as you can tell by all the noise here, I think the whole town's here.

So for the few people that don't know about this place, let's get the secret out.

tell us, what is the Ugly Mug Bar and Grill?

Well, the Ugly Mug is a venture that, I've had in the back of my mind for many years.

Probably 20 years.

And, I was just waiting for my initial career to end and to find the right spot, the right location, the right community to do it.

And once I started calling Spencer home, many years ago, and, I saw an opportunity with a beautiful piece of property.

As you said, it's gorgeous up here.

Bought eight acres nestled right in the middle of the woods right off of highway 111.

And it started from the ground up.

I fell in love with the community, the people, the atmosphere, the weather.

It seemed like there was a perfect niche for something like this to happen, and to give not only the locals some place to go.

Have a good, bite to eat a couple of cold drinks, bring your kids, bring your dogs.

But I also wanted to give a destination for the people like you mentioned that.

Come here for the beautiful.

Activities that we have, whether it's kayaking, hiking, camping.

Being so close to Fall Creek Falls, you have a lot of hikers, a lot of outdoor adventures coming in here.

They need to recharge.

They they've spent all their calories They need to get that caloric intake back up.

What do you recommend them have to get recharged so they could be the trails again?

Well, our menu is is a bar and grill based, but we'd like to call it Elevated Bar and Grill.

We only work with beef tallow here.

I don't use any seed oil.

Everything is done, with beef tallow.

All of our burgers are phenomenal.

And the main reason for that is all of my meat here is outsourced within the state of Tennessee.

And I buy the whole shoulders.

They're ground daily.

So if you're biting into a burger here at the Ugly Mug, it was ground anywhere from 45 minutes to 2 or 3 hours before you're biting down on it.

And it makes a huge difference on the quality.

Our chicken wings.

We take a lot of pride in our chicken wings.

Our chicken wings are double fried in beef tallow thrown on the char broiler.

And, our soups are made from scratch.

All of our wing sauces are made from scratch.

And, honestly, it's just a matter of what your taste buds tell you.

You want to wash it down with, some craft beer?

We have a full bar here.

We can make any cocktail you like.

Or, of course, our ice tea is phenomenal as well.

We're not reinventing the wheel here.

There's a lot of places that you can compare the menu to, but honestly, you're going to find very few that put the effort into making it, a special burger or a special wing and, keeping it as local as we can.

A lot of my produce comes locally, obviously different times of the year availability is an issue.

But for the most part, it all comes locally.

When the sun goes down, You guys are just getting started, right?

So you got some, entertainment.

Can you tell us what happens when the sun goes down and the lights come on?

Yeah.

We, as you can tell, over in the corner there, I have, a stage that I put together.

I wanted to make it as convenient for musicians as possible.

It's set up where literally somebody could just either walk in with their own guitar, or I have my guitars up there.

You just plug it right in and you let her rip.

Music is always going on here, whether it's through the house stereo system or on that stage.

We had live music last night.

We have it tonight.

We have it tomorrow night.

During the summer and the fall.

It might even be 3 or 4 nights a week.

Obviously in the winter time, we're a little bit more consolidated.

The doors are closed.

The temperature is not conducive to my outdoor decks, but the fire pit is always going.

And, there's a lot, lot to do here with friends.

And you can even come by yourself and make some friends.

Brad, thank you again so much for having us.

Thank you for your time.

It's a pleasure having you here.

Thank you.

You're going to bite into some of this food or what?

Oh, yeah.

Yeah.

So, Shan, you're going to have to excuse me.

I'm about to go shove some Ugly Mug food into this ugly mug here.

Do you?

From burgers and pizza to wings and more, it's the perfect way to wrap up a day of exploring everything this part of the Upper Cumberland has to offer.

So come out to Van Buren County, Tennessee, take in the natural beauty, and finish the day with a meal at the Ugly Mug.

Looks like Shaun can vouch for it.

[♪♪] Charming small towns, unforgettable flavors, friendly goats, and peaceful places to rest.

Today's adventure has shown us how diverse and special the Upper Cumberland truly is.

From Monterey to Crossville, from Spencer to Baxter, four destinations, one unforgettable journey each stop reminding us that the heart of this region lives in its people, its creativity and its passion for welcoming visitors like family.

We hope today's journey inspires you to plan your own adventure and discover everything this beautiful part of Tennessee has to offer.

Thank you so much for traveling with us today.

I'm Shan Stout and until our next adventure, we'll be saving you a seat right here in the heart of Middle Tennessee.

Wish you were here!

[♪♪] Let's see how this improved adventure unfolds.

I slurred, I slurred the word!

Blew that one.

Do we need to do it shirtless now?

Is that what you want?

Is nothing for sure that we can shed it.

We can shed some.

I mean, it's all Velcro, a lot of support.

That's.

That's why I wore a vest.

This project is funded by Putnam County with support from a grant provided by the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development.

This program was made possible by contributions to your PBS station.

From viewers like you.

Thank you.