I came accross this earlier. I just thought it would be nice to share it with some of my Nashville 
friends since all of these are in easy driving distance from middlle Tennessee.
The Secretary of Transportation recognizes certain roads as National Scenic Byways based on one or more archeological, cultural, historic, natural, recreational and scenic qualities.
The 5 Byways Throughout the State the state of Tennessee are
- Cherohala Skyway: The Skyway offers the cultural heritage of the Cherokee tribe and early settlers in a grand forest environment in the Appalachian Mountains.
- East Tennessee Crossing: This route follows the original path of the Cherokee Warriors Path, the Wilderness Road across the Clinch Mountain and the Cumberland Gap, the Dixie Highway of the Civil War period and Thunder Road of moonshining lore.
- Great River Road: Throughout history, the Mississippi River influenced many lives: the Dakota, Chippewa and Hopewell cultures; early French voyagers; African-Americans seeking freedom on the Underground Railroad; and many more. Through its charming river towns and metropolitan cities, historic sites and cultural artifacts, today's Great River Road still links resources, people and history.
- Natchez Trace Parkway: Native Americans, Kaintuck boatmen, post riders, government officials and soldiers all moved across this trail, creating a vital link between the Mississippi Territory and the fledgling United States. Pass through forests, cypress swamps and farmland to meander through the rock-studded hills of Tennessee, cotton fields in Alabama, and Mississippi's marshes.
- Woodlands Trace: Running along a ridge of land between Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley, Woodlands Trace is a beautiful, easy drive in rolling terrain with opportunities to pull off and explore on your own or at developed interpretive facilities. This outdoor setting includes the seasonal splendors of nature, with blossoming trees and flowers, a green canopy, brilliant fall foliage, and the open view in the forest in the winter.
