Exciting Reasons Why You Have To Visit Monterey, Tennessee

 

Monterey, Tennessee: “Where The Hilltops Kiss The Sky”

 

Is Monterey a good place to stop and explore?

Definitely! Most travelers driving through Tennessee on Interstate 40 often overlook Monterey. Monterey is easy to miss since it has two exits and no visible signs of downtown from the interstate.  Don’t let this fool you! This quiet mountain town has a rich history with much to see and do. Visiting Monterey leads to a great experience as you explore nature and the past.  Whistling Willie might even find you If you are lucky enough.    

 

 

What To See In Monterey, Tennessee

 

Monterey Depot Museum

 

 

 

Your first stop should be a visit to downtown at the Monterey Depot Museum.  Here, you can speak with Julie Bohannon, the Monterey cultural administrator.  You should allow enough time for browsing.

 

 

 

Admission to the museum is free and it is open Monday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

 

 

Bee Rock Overlook

 

 

You will have magnificent views for miles of the Calfkiller River Valley and Stamps Hollow at Bee Rock Overlook.  The overlook is a peaceful place to connect with nature. Hemlock and pine trees will surround you along with native Mountain Laurel and rhododendron along the edges.  Another great idea would be to bring a picnic and your hammock to slow down and relax for a while.   

 

 

Bee Rock’s name came from the legend that Native Americans would gather honey from hives below the cliff.  It is a sandstone outcrop belonging to the Crab Orchard Mountains Group. Not only known for its stunning view, but people have also been coming here for years to rock climb, rappel, and bird watching.  Surprisingly, we have lived in this area for many years but have just recently found out about this historic and little-known place. 

Until recently, this privately owned land needed permission to access the area. The owner donated the land as a conservation easement then gave it to the Town of Monterey to use as a public park.  This summer the town began preparing the park for public use.

After you have seen the views just imagine how this would look in each season.

 

 

This could also be a nice place to get out and move around as a nice break from driving.  Maybe, like a natural rest area since it’s right off the interstate.

 

 

What You Need To Know About Bee Rock Overlook

 

To get to Bee Rock Overlook take I-40 to exit 300 in Monterey then go south.  Right off the exit, you will see Bee Rock Road. Take this until you get to the Garden Inn at the end of the road.  This is the parking area, small but adequate. The trail starts on the right side of an old blue building and continues past it.  It’s an easy trail that mostly was an old road. 

*IMPORTANT* Park here but only park on the right side of the road.  Keep in mind large vehicles and trailers might have a difficult time turning around. 

 

The trail is an easy half-mile walk that almost anyone can do in about five to 10 minutes.  Even though the trail is well worn and straight, it does have one small section at the end with a few rock steps to navigate. You can easily navigate this section by carefully walking over or around the rock. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Of course, use your judgment when visiting for your safety and well-being.  Although this is a nice overlook, it also has a cliff that drops straight down. This is a natural area and does not have any guardrails or protection for your safety so enjoy it at your own risk.  You should also consider this if deciding to bring children or pets.

The park is open from daylight to dusk with no camping allowed. 

 

 

 

Meadow Creek Park

 

 

Monterey now has an exciting new 283-acre city park five miles east of town on Highway 62.  It’s already a popular destination for water activities like kayaking, non-motorized boating, and fishing on the 90-acre lake.  

 

TWRA stocks this lake and local volunteers have been busy creating aquatic habitat structures to make fishing even better than before.  

Although it has been a favorite place for locals, Monterey is developing a recreational infrastructure for everyone to enjoy. Perdue Farms gave the town a 20,000 dollar donation to build ten miles of hiking and mountain biking trails.  They also donated trail-building tools. Access Fund, a climbing advocacy fund, has also made donations to build trails so getting to the climbing cliff will be easier for everyone.  Local Southern Off Road Bicycle Association volunteers have also been busy building a mountain biking trail.

Meadow Creek Park is also an excellent place to watch wildlife.  Don’t miss out on the chance to explore the scenic beauty of this park while visiting Monterey.

 

 

The Rich History Of Monterey, Tennessee

 

 

Monterey was first named Standing Stone.  Standing Stone was a large rock formation on the Native American trail that was used as a border between the Cherokee and Shawnee. Settlers moving west later used this trail. The only remaining part of the rock has been preserved and stands beside the library.  

Cumberland Mountain Coal Company later bought the area to use as a hub for the booming coal and timber operations.  After this, in 1893 they renamed the town Monterey, meaning “Mountain Of The King” in Spanish. Most of the coal and timber was coming from an area a few miles north known as Wilder. Monterey became the hub of activity since this was the only flat spot on the mountain. Quickly, this new town of Monterey needed services to support the railroad industry.

 

 

Monterey Starts Growing

 

 

As the town grew it needed places for business travelers to stay and eat.  Hotels, supporting businesses, and restaurants started opening. Word started getting out about Monterey as more people visited.  Tourists rapidly started coming to this newly discovered mountain town. Hotels were built just for the tourism industry. Tourists and railroad business travel increased so rapidly that eight hotels were built in Monterey.  Just the Imperial Hotel catered to the railroad business travelers and others just traveling through. The others were for Monterey tourism.

 

As a result of the new railroad, business travelers started spreading the word about this new town in the mountains.  Monterey, Tennessee blossomed into a popular resort town from its mineral waters, nice hotels, cooler weather, fine dining, and many other upper-class amenities. Tourists from hotter areas like Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville, Atlanta, and Chattanooga enjoyed traveling by train to this cooler climate and pampered lifestyle. Besides, since the railroads could never complete a direct route from Nashville to Knoxville, Monterey was a natural overnight stay.  Before the Civil War, traveling to Nashville from Knoxville would take you to Chattanooga. This worked out perfectly to showcase the town and boost the local economy.

 

 

General John Wilder and Dora Lee

 

 

Union General John T. Wilder and his wife Dr. Dora Lee Wilder lived right by the depot on S Holly Street. The white house is beside the Monterey Coop and is still occupied, you’ll love the big porch off to the side. He built this house before he married Dora Lee as well as several other houses in Tennessee and a vacation house in Florida. He also built the Imperial Hotel to serve the needs of his businesses in the area. 

 

In the Civil War General Wilder served mostly in Tennessee.  While in Indiana, he demanded his troops buy a special rifle that shot seven continuous rounds without reloading before bringing his troops to Tennessee.  His local Indiana bank loaned each soldier the money to buy them. Unbelievably, each one signed their promissory note of thirty-five dollars, the equivalent of over seven hundred dollars by today’s standards.  The initial request for these rifles was denied by the Union government. Embarrassed, the Union government agreed to pay for them after they heard about the bank financing.

History shows how well this decision paid off.  His troops won several battles even though they were significantly outnumbered. One of the main reasons was the traditional confederate musket had to be reloaded after each shot. 

He met Dora Lee, his nurse, at a stay in a Knoxville hospital where she worked.  They married soon after and then moved to his Monterey home. He later died and she inherited the Imperial Hotel where she continued to operate it.  She also became Tennessee’s first woman to pass the state medical exam.   

 

I would recommend looking deeper into both of them because you’ll find how they helped shape Monterey into the town it is today.   

 

 

Automobiles drove tourists away from Monterey, Tennessee

 

The automobile is a big part of Monterey’s decline.  Cars became more affordable because production was increasing along with more efficient methods to build them.  People were able to travel and explore new areas like never before. Train travel would only take you to where train tracks led. People enjoyed their new independence and wanted to see more on their own since highway travel created many more exciting new travel destinations.  

Monterey experienced its pinnacle of greatness in the early 1900s.  The railroad sustained the economy as the tourists slowly started exploring other places.  Hotels faded away one at a time leaving the Imperial as the only one left to service the railroad passengers and travelers.  Passenger train service finally ended in 1958.   

 

 

The Imperial Hotel

 

 

The Imperial Hotel gained a reputation as one of the finest hotels in between Nashville and Knoxville. Adding to this reputation was an exclusive dining room with a top-rated chef worth boasting about.

 

In 1909 the Imperial Hotel opened for railroad customers with the business traveler in mind.  It had thirty rooms inside three stories, a fine parlor, and a superior dining room. The Imperial Hotel also had amenities that residents in this rural Appalachian region didn’t have in their own homes. Steam heat, running water, and indoor plumbing, just to name a few.

Sadly, the Imperial Hotel is the only hotel building left.  The rest were either abandoned, demolished, or destroyed by fire since they were built out of wood.

 

 

Whistling Willie

 

 

Whistling Willie has earned a reputation as the Monterey Depot’s most famous hair-raising visitor. For some reason, he is always near the middle of the depot when he first makes his presence known. This is where the old office was here before the depot was rebuilt.

Two security contractors had the first encounter with Whistling Willie right after the depot was rebuilt.  While they were installing security cameras in the front they were talking with Julie Bohannon, the Monterey Cultural Administrator.  Both of the contractors heard someone whistling but Julie said there wasn’t anyone else in the building. All three of them checked the whole building but it was empty. 

In another instance, at closing time a guest was talking with Dale Welch at the front desk when they heard whistling and a noise in the back.  She then saw a shadow in the hallway by the old school desk. She noticed it getting closer until it stood right beside her, but there was no one else in the building.

Whistling Willie has been more active when something related to the military is involved.  Two mannequins with different military uniforms were displayed in separate corners of the museum right after the new Monterey Depot opened.  Two uniforms had recently been donated to the museum and this was their first day to be displayed. Both of them were found lying flat on the floor the next morning.  Surprisingly, the staff didn’t find anything else out of place.   

 

Whistling Willie has become the most famous ghost in Monterey, Tennessee.

Whistling Willie only seems to whistle the two most popular lines of the Marines’ Hymn.  This is how it sounds, will you listen for him? 

 

 

Yearly Events In Monterey, Tennessee

 

 

Spring On The Mountain is in early May each year. You will find food trucks, arts and crafts, music, and much more.

Standing Stone Days have a cruise in and a parade in addition to food trucks, arts and crafts, music.

 

 

Nashville To Monterey Train Excursions

 

 

For a one of a kind experience, the Tennessee Central Railway Museum has offered round-trip excursions from Nashville to Monterey.  This is a service just for Spring On The Mountain and Standing Stone Days. Even though the TCRM makes many fun excursions to other Tennessee towns, this is their longest excursion trip at 216 round trip miles that takes about eleven hours. Check the schedule or call for more information.  The train did not visit Monterey in 2019 and I’m not sure what the schedule is for 2020.

 

Imagine passing through small towns, rolling Tennessee hills, and farms as onlookers come out to watch the train go by.  Before the train starts the incline into the hills it will follow the Caney Fork River for beautiful river scenery. You probably will even see people sitting on their porches right next to the track.

A shuttle has taken visitors to the downtown festival area after arriving in Monterey.  Along with browsing the festival, you will have time to eat lunch and shop from the food and craft vendors.  Usually, about 2:00 is when the train boards for the ride back to Nashville. Hopefully, if the weather cooperates, a magnificent sunset will welcome you back to Nashville as the train rumbles through the gentle countryside back to the city.  Watching the orange sun hover then gently kiss the day goodbye will allow you to peacefully replay the day’s experiences.

 

 

Where To Stay In Monterey, Tennessee

 

 

Bethel Inn and Suites has rooms with two queen beds, one king bed, and spacious king suites.  Along with an exceptionally clean hotel, the staff is courteous, helpful, and friendly.  

 

They have a pool if you have children that need to get some energy out. They also have a conference room that can hold 148 people.

The Bethel Inn And Suites would also be a nice choice when you visit Tennessee for this popular event.

 

 

Don’t Miss Laurel Mountain Bakery In Monterey

 

 

Laurel Mountain Bakery is a place you don’t want to miss while visiting Monterey, Tennessee.  David and Elizabeth Willis own and run their bakery along with their eight children.  

 

Laurel Mountain Bakery specializes in sourdough bread in a variety of flavors. Each loaf is made with a sourdough mother starter that has been used for twenty-five years.  Flavors available are Original, Savory Herb, Jalapeño Cheddar, and Rosemary Thyme. We are looking forward to trying the Pepperoni Mozzarella flavor!   

 

 

French bakers first brought sourdough to America during the gold rush days in San Francisco.  

Did you know Sourdough Sam is the San Francisco 49ers mascot?

Although their specialty is sourdough bread, the cinnamon rolls, raisin bread, pies, and cookies will tempt you to take some extra home.  Pie flavors are Cherry, Peach, Pecan, Apple, and Blueberry. Blueberry is available in the summer months.

 

Laurel Mountain Bakery delivers its products to other markets too. You can find them in Hendersonville Produce, Green Door Gourmet in Nashville, Nashville Farmers Market, Skyline Medical Center in Nashville, 1806 Grocery in Livingston, The Broastery in Cookeville, and The Downtown Green Market in Cookeville.

In the summer look for them at the White House Farmers Market and Vanderbilt Medical Farmers Market in downtown Nashville.

 

 

 

Don’t Wait As Long As We Did To Enjoy Monterey

 

 

Although we have driven through Monterey for many years, we have a new appreciation of its rich history. Now, the town is a special place for us along with new friends we will always remember and talk about. Monterey is a place you should highlight and visit for an experience you won’t forget.