(light music) - [Narrator] This program was made possible by contributions to your PBS station from viewers like you.

Thank you.

Wish You Were Here.

Produced under an agreement with the Upper Cumberland Development District and made possible in part through support from the United States Department of Agriculture.

(light music) - [Announcer] In the heart of Tennessee, there's a little slice of Heaven you've just gotta see.

(light music) Oh, man!

Wish You Were Here!

- Welcome to Wish You Were Here!

Adventures in Tennessee's Upper Cumberland.

I'm Katelyn Steakley and I'm excited to be your guide as we explore the natural beauty and unique culture of this stunning region.

Together, we'll explore the hidden treasures, breathtaking landscapes, and unique experiences that make the Upper Cumberland so exceptional.

Join us as we embark on an unforgettable adventure and meet with our field correspondents to uncover the best kept secrets of this stunning region.

Our journey of self discovery begins right here in a tranquil mountain oasis just outside the town of McMinnville, where visitors from all walks of life come to relax, reflect, and reconnect with nature.

Welcome to the Isha Institute for Inner-Sciences.

(light music) I'm here today with Alison Murry at the Isha Institute in McMinnville, Tennessee.

Thank you so much for having us.

- It's a pleasure to be here.

- [Katelyn] We are surrounded by the beautiful mountains of the Upper Cumberland.

Can you tell us more about the journey of how Isha became what it is today?

- So, this Isha Institute was established 17 years ago in response to a growing demand for our programs nationwide, but especially we wanted to be able to do more advanced level programs, longer programs, things like that, so we really needed our own space.

Sadhguru, our founder, had been coming to the US, at that time since 1997.

So, when we first started looking, we were looking for space with good weather, natural beauty, some place where we could establish a beautiful retreat and first program we ever did was in Tennessee, as I mentioned.

It was in Nashville, so this was a natural extension of what we'd already been doing.

This piece of property, when we found it, had just like all the natural features that we wanted.

Our property also is like a state park.

We have beautiful falls and bluffs and-- - Nature.

- Vistas, spectacular frogs.

(laughing) - [Katelyn] This property is absolutely beautiful.

I would love to hear about the property and about the architecture that we see here.

- We have about 18,000 acres, 70% of which we wanna keep for conservation actually.

Conservation is a big part of what Isha has been doing for the last 30 years.

We have a large global movement called Save Soil, which has largely been driven out of this center also.

In terms of architecture, you'll see the large dome there.

The way the architecture is done is also in keeping with nature.

You know, the cosmos itself is elliptical in shape and these structures, these dome shapes also support somebody in becoming meditative naturally.

- [Katelyn] Can you tell me just a little bit or give me the basic overview of what patrons can expect when they come here and what those programs look like.

- If you're coming just for the day, we have a daily schedule which involves free sessions that we offer.

They're like one hour modules that you can learn and take a practice home and do it on your own.

There are no costs for these and there's no cost for a day visit.

So you can just come.

You just check in our welcome center, let us know that you're here.

You'll get a day pass, like a little wristband to wear and you can visit the campus, go on a walk, spend time in nature, go through the sessions, sit in the meditation halls and just be here.

We also have meals.

So, we have a brunch and a supper.

We have two meals a day.

So, brunch is at 10 AM and available until three PM.

So you can kind of eat whenever's comfortable for you.

And then we have dinner at seven.

So, you can also purchase a meal.

That's for day visitors.

Then, we also have residential programs for those who want to go a little bit more in depth and learn a little bit more yoga, deeper meditation processes.

Those are are from beginner level to advanced.

So, those are usually on the weekends.

Sometimes they're a little bit longer, four or five days, so it may start on a Wednesday or a Thursday and stretch through Sunday like that.

We offer haute yoga which is a physical yoga that people are used to seeing in the studios around here and everywhere.

This haute yoga is the asanas or the physical postures that balance ones inner energies and bring a certain stability to the mind and motions and all those things.

And we offer kriya, which is using the breath, certain subtle postures of the hands called mudras and things to balance the energies of the system and then, we also offer meditation.

So, different types or methods of meditation.

- Alison, thank you so much for joining us today and telling us more about Isha.

I really appreciate it and I'm super excited to go and meet some of your other instructors and practice yoga.

- Well, we are so happy to have you.

(bright music) - A thriving hub for music, art, and community that began as a humble coffeehouse quickly blossomed into something extraordinary.

As you step inside, you'll be instantly immersed in the ambiance that pulses with creativity, accompanied by the soothing hum of the espresso machine.

Let's join field correspondent, Shan Stout, as she takes us on a journey to downtown Crossville where you will get a taste of a one-of-a-kind experience that is Grinder House Coffee Shop.

(upbeat music) - Hi Katelyn!

Wish you were here.

Guess where I am.

You're gonna be so jealous.

I am at Grinder House Coffee Shop in Crossville, Tennessee and I've got owner, Asa Reese.

Hi Asa!

- Welcome to Grinder House.

- I'm thrilled to be here.

It is my favorite time of day where I'm needing that pick me up and I hear that you are the place to get me caffeinated.

- Absolutely, absolutely.

We have kind of a traditional Italian espresso bar.

We knew that espresso wasn't gonna be the only thing we could do.

So, we do food.

Breakfast through lunch, breakfast all day long.

It's all made to order, scratch biscuits, scratch gravy.

Our drinks though, are based off of traditional espresso.

So, we pull those and mix it in a variety of ways with every flavor you can imagine.

- So, what would you consider your top seller or maybe your personal favorite?

What's a specialty drink that I could come in and order?

- Lattes or frapps are probably our top sellers.

Lattes and there's one that we came up with, which is a lavender vanilla.

- [Shan] Ohh, that sounds lovely.

- Which is really awesome.

We also do frappuccinos, which are our top seller.

- You have an unusual thing of being a coffee house, you also have the honor of being included in the Music Pathways marker program.

- [Asa] Absolutely.

So, we're on the Pathways.

We've earned our pick in 2018.

At the time, we were broadcasting our live music show every Friday night.

- Which we're sitting on the stage right now.

We're on the stage.

- Absolutely.

- This table goes away and it becomes a stage.

It was on internet FM radio.

We were reaching 55 countries around the world that were tuning in and listening to our show.

- [Shan] Oh my goodness, that's a broad audience.

- It's really broad.

It's from Australia, Japan, Korea, UK, Brazil, and they wrote back and said, "This is exactly what we think of as the Music Pathways," and so, we were awarded the pick in 2018.

- [Shan] That is such an honor.

- It really is.

- So impressive.

- It's really cool.

- Now, for people who wanna check it out, you livestream these performances.

- Yeah, we do.

There's about six different locations that you can find us.

Grinder House has its own.

Grinder House Coffee Shop channel on YouTube.

- All right now, this is not just a local place for people to land but we earlier saw a group from Spain!

You're getting people from all over.

- Absolutely, it's interesting.

Because we're between Knoxville and Nashville, so there's a lot of travel between the Smokies and Nashville.

They come through on I-40.

They see our signs on the attraction sign on the interstate and they come in to see Grinder House and get a coffee and have something to eat.

- You don't just sell your coffee here in shop, but you have bagged coffee.

So, tell us a little bit about that process.

- We do have bagged coffee and we've really struggled about becoming our own roaster.

We would like to roast our own coffee.

However, there's multiple coffee roasters in Tennessee and we like to utilize local businesses.

- [Shan] Yes and I love that.

- Yeah so, we get it blended for our own use and labeled for Grinder House and we can do some neat things because we work closely with local grocers.

We can ask them to tweak this or tweak that or we'd like to try a new blend.

- So, a very distinct flavor.

You're very particular.

- Absolutely.

- And if you taste their coffee, you're gonna know why.

Now, you guys need to understand we're right here, we're busy, this is always a hoppin' place, and I think it's time to try some coffee and maybe some food.

(upbeat music) - Whether you are seeking a day of relaxation, planning an unforgettable event, or just simply looking for a peaceful stay among nature, Waterloo Venue and Events welcomes you to this experience.

The true essence of this remarkable Upper Cumberland destination.

Join correspondent Matt Beal as he takes you on a journey just outside of Cookeville where we will discover all the natural beauty and southern charm this scenic river getaway has to offer.

(upbeat music) (water rushing) - Today, I am in the beautiful countryside just outside Cookeville, Tennessee at the Waterloo Venue and Events Center and I'm joined today by Waterloo owners and operators, Alice and Nathan Dabey.

Alice, Nathan, thank you so much for having us here today.

- So excited to have y'all here.

- [Matt] It's absolutely beautiful.

I had no idea that this place was here.

Tell us how you found this beautiful piece of property.

- Yeah, so we found this.

We came out for a music festival called Muddy Roots that happens a mile up the road and we came down here every day to swim in the river and we said this is a amazing piece of property and when we got back home, we started looking for land and this popped up on Land Watch and we said, "Is that Waterloo?

Nah, that can't be Waterloo.

That is Waterloo!"

- Explain to us what happens at Waterloo.

What can people expect when they come visit?

- [Alice] Yeah, so we've got a venue place which is primarily weddings, but we also do birthday parties.

We just did a homeschool kids dance party, which was a lot of fun.

We also have accommodations, a suite you can rent out, a tent in the trees that's available.

And then, in the summer, we also allow people to come for the day and just sit in the river and cool off, rent a float or we got some soft drinks and chips and just hang out and enjoy nature.

- [Matt] Now, when I think tent, I don't think about what's up there.

So, explain to me what we're talking about when we talk about tent camping in your version of it here.

- [Alice] Yeah, so it's more of, the new term is glamping.

So it's basically, it's camping without the hassle.

So you've got a real queen bed in there, all of your cooking supplies, so basically, you just need to bring your food, drink, maybe some clothes, and maybe a good book.

- [Matt] Right.

Well, because out here, it's undisturbed.

And you hear and see so many things.

What sort of wildlife do you see out here daily?

- Definitely birds, plethora of birds.

We've got bald eagles, great blue herons, we've got ospreys nesting, red tail hawks, and then of course, all the smaller ones.

The blue birds, the chickadees, the blue jays, you name it.

- But then, we met someone else who snuck up on me earlier.

Tell us who that is.

- Oh, we have a few goats on the property.

I'm not sure where he is now, but one of em that we named Kid Trouble.

He is actually one of our dogs as far as he's concerned.

So, he follows me around the property all day, not really ever too far.

- But he thinks he's a dog outside of the grazing on the hillsides.

- Absolutely, yep.

- And we are on Spring Creek?

Do I have that right?

- Yeah.

- [Matt] I had not heard of that either.

Tell me about Spring Creek.

- [Nathan] Well, Spring Creek is a designated state scenic river here in Tennessee and it has that designation due to its ecological importance to the wildlife that lives here on the river.

We are on a actual horseshoe here on our property and we have about 10 acres and 2100 feet of rivers running down the creek.

- [Matt] For folks looking to host their wedding here, they can have the wedding virtually anywhere on the property that suits them and their backdrop.

Do I understand that correctly?

- [Alice] Yep, absolutely.

- And there are so many beautiful ones to choose from.

And I understand this property looked very different then than now, so explain to us what you saw when you came here and what you did to make it what it is today.

- When we got here in 2018, it was a mess of broken and twisted trees covered in poison ivy and other sharp, thorny vines.

(laughs) - [Alice] It was basically an impenetrable jungle of could not see the river, - The entire - didn't even know a - 10 acres?

- [Alice] river was there.

- [Nathan] Yeah, you wouldn't even know a river was here standing next to it.

We didn't want to just come in and clear cut and bulldoze the whole property.

So, we have pretty much gone through by hand and removed all the leaning trees and tried to keep everything that was standing mostly straight.

- Yeah and to make a beautiful retreat.

We wanted the retreat for ourselves but the property was too beautiful not to share.

- We're grateful to you all for coming all the way across the country making Tennessee your home and sharing your home with us.

- Ah, it's such a pleasure having you guys here.

- Likewise.

(upbeat music) - Farmers cooperatives play a crucial role in rural communities by promoting sustainable farming practices and offering locally sourced, quality products.

They foster a sense of community engagement and empowerment connecting people to the source of their food and supporting local farmers and artisans.

Recently, field correspondent, Rafferty Cleary, had the opportunity to visit Sparta and step inside one business whose beliefs lie in the power of providing the community with wholesome and renewable foods.

The Farmers' Storehouse.

(upbeat bluegrass music) - We are hanging out in the beautiful, charming countryside of Sparta, Tennessee.

Farmers' Storehouse is our hangout spot today.

And found of this wonderful establishment, John Costanzo, joins us.

John, thank you for letting us hang out with you today.

- Oh, you're welcome.

It's a pleasure.

- This is a community driven business.

Bringing farmers and bakers together but it's a cooperative.

Explain the business model here.

- This actually all started out of need because ya know, a lot of our friends and family died of cancer and we didn't really trust the food industry.

We were just very concerned and so, we started looking to our neighbors to basically supply us with clean food and essentially, it started out in an effort to assist one of our neighbors and we started with one farmer and now we're at 65 farmers.

We're aiming for organic and beyond organic on all items and we're really amazed at how quickly it grew and it just started out as like a part-time effort but I think, ya know, many of us are gonna spend the rest of our lives doing this as, ya know, part of our life purpose.

- Mostly local farmers, bakers, is that correct?

- Yeah so, basically, out of the 65 farmers, the majority of them are coming out of the five counties surrounding us here in Tennessee and we also have nine bakers and for them, their standards are organic as well.

Not all grains can grow in this environment, right, so essentially, every grain has a genetic disposition to grow in different locations.

So you have to, you have to respect that design.

And I think that's what this whole place is about.

It's respecting God's design and because of that, ya know, we get to enjoy food that's healthier and gives us more energy and heals us.

- You hinted at it a little bit but let's elaborate a little bit more.

Sustainability, huge emphasis on that.

Natural farming methods, talk about your values and how they translate into the products that you all serve here.

- You know, the farmers we work with, we wanna be able to put back more in than we take out and we wanna, most importantly, make sure that whatever we're raising, we're raising it in God's design and so, respecting that animal or respecting the grain, basically growing it in a way that's in line with their genetic disposition and most importantly, not manipulating genetics in order to get the result we want.

- [Rafferty] Viewers can probably see the flour behind us, some grain, definitely the bakery.

There's all kinds of stuff in here.

Just tell our viewers what exactly they can find when they can come in beyond the flour, grain, and bakery items.

I think I saw elderberry coffee in here.

That is wild.

- [John] Yeah 'cause there's so many people involved.

There's so many amazing things coming into the shop.

We have four apiaries and we're getting a lot of local honey, a lot of raw, local honey, even with the comb.

We make a waffle pancake mix that's a seven grain blend and we incorporate buckwheat into it and we have all these things related to breakfast around that, like local jams and just anything that's like exotic and organic.

Ya know, we try to stock anything that we want in our home, we basically bring here.

- John, you all offer classes here at Farmers' Storehouse.

What are those classes and what will folks have the opportunity to do in those?

- It's all focused around either protecting, nourishing, or awakening our neighbors.

So, we talk a lot about ya know, critical issues in the ag and food industry and then, we talk about solutions and then we'll do like these events and parties in the evenings.

We have like a pizza and wine night, a pasta and wine night.

- Support local farmers.

Support your local community.

And party.

Farmers' Storehouse.

(laughing) John Costanzo, thank you so much for letting us spend some time with you.

- Thank you so much.

We appreciate it.

(upbeat bluegrass music) - Embarking on a lifelong mission to inspire young minds, two visionary teachers found themselves standing at the crossroads of their own dreams.

Fueled by a passion for authentic Italian cuisine, they ceased the opportunity to open an enchanting restaurant beckoning patrons to indulge in the flavors of Tuscany.

Fortunately for us, they chose to transform their dreams into reality right here in the Upper Cumberland.

Join field correspondent, Shan Stout, as she ventures to Hickman, Tennessee to uncover the irresistible charm and captivating tails behind the remarkable Tuscany Inn.

(light Italian music) - We are here in Hickman, Tennessee at the gorgeous Tuscany Inn and I am with inn keepers, Tamara Hassel and Esther Zaccone.

Hi ladies!

- Hi.

- Hi, welcome to Tuscany in Tennessee.

- Okay, now, of all the places in the United States that you could land, you chose this part of Tennessee.

Tell us why.

How did that happen?

- It's a big journey.

- Yes.

- I guess I could start out saying we, we lived in Tampa and we used to kinda, we were always doing hospitality.

We were always having people over from church.

I love to cook.

That was my passion.

And everybody liked to come over and I would always feed everybody and so, we've always, ya know, we're feeding and people were always staying with us, so we just kinda got the idea ya know, that we might when we retire, ya know, might wanna have like a inn or a B and B.

- And then we had friends who moved to Tennessee and we came to visit and we just fell in love with Tennessee and it was so much to the point where every time we would fly to Tennessee, as soon as we would fly over, like probably Nashville, it just got this feeling of this feels like home.

- [Shan] It was your destiny.

- [Tamara] It was our destiny.

- Yep, it felt like home.

- So, we just knew it - had to be here.

- We loved it.

- If someone wants to come and be a guest, tell us a little bit about what that would look like for them.

- Well, they would pull in and there's a guest parking space and the rooms are in the back.

And then we also bring a nice little welcome treat and it's a cannoli, homemade cannoli cream that we make.

- Okay, I'm bookin' my appointment right now.

(laughs) - And espresso and that's like the little welcome gift and then, they, depending on which room they choose, the grande has a private hot tub and it's a little bit more grand, grande.

And the piccolo is a nice little quaint room and they can come out under the gazebo.

They can go on the property at night, have a fire pit, go in the hot tub.

What's really good about here is it's a great place to unwind and relax.

A lot of people like to unplug and they really enjoy that.

So, that's kinda the whole premise of out here is a respite kind of place.

- And you also have these wonderful valets that met me at the door.

- Oh yeah, when you get here, - Yes, yeah.

- you will have your greeting committee.

- We have a greeting committee.

- Yes, yes, we have their adorable dogs at our feet right now and they're just low key.

They're enjoying all the sounds of nature as well.

It's putting them to sleep.

All right now, you've got your guests and they can come for an overnight stay or more.

But what if someone wants to come and just enjoy a taste of Italy.

Can they dine with you?

- [Tamara] We're kinda unique.

We're not really a restaurant.

We're more, we call it personalized private dining experience because we only do one group at a time.

We have two seatings, 5:00, 5:30 seating and 7:30 seating.

Esther probably makes the best chicken marsala I've ever had.

- Oh, I love chicken marsala.

- So, chicken marsala - is definitely one of her signatures and even like, some of our breakfast menus, we have things like Esther's famous cheese grits and the salad dressing, it's Esther's famous raspberry vinaigrette dressing.

- [Esther] I make a couple homemade things.

- She does make a couple of great things.

- People like, don't eat this out and they're like, did you ever think of bottling it?

I'm like well, not really but.

- [Shan] That's a dream for another day.

- Yes.

- I'm happy to see your journey.

I'm happy to share in this dream with you today and let's see a little bit more about what you do.

Let's hit the Inn some.

- Sounds good.

(upbeat Italian music) - This is your homemade marinara.

- This is my homemade, I just made this a little bit ago.

- Right.

- So now, I'll just show you and then I'll let you do it.

We just kinda layer it kinda like that.

Overlap it a little bit and there you go.

(chipper Italian music) - There ya have it, friends.

It's a little piece of Italy right here in the Upper Cumberland!

I wish you were here.

(cheering) (upbeat Italian music) - As our exploration of Isha comes to a close, we leave with a deep sense of tranquility and renewed vitality.

In a world filled with chaos and constant demands, Isha Institute stands as an oasis of peace and self discovery beckoning you to embark on a transformative journey.

Through its serene surroundings and immersive experiences.

Isha offers a profound opportunity to reconnect with yourself and nature.

What an incredible journey we've had today exploring the Upper Cumberland.

Thanks for joining us on Wish You Were Here!

Adventures in Tennessee's Upper Cumberland.

Until next time, keep exploring.

(upbeat music) - [Announcer] Wish You Were Here, produced under an agreement with the Upper Cumberland Development District and made possible in part through support from the United States Department of Agriculture.

(upbeat music) This program was made possible by contributions to your PBS station from viewers like you.

Thank you.