Arriving in Jackson via McKellar-Sipes Regional Airport sets you up perfectly, with surrounding cities and experiences a short drive away. Jackson sits between Memphis and Nashville in West Tennessee, a railroad town that gave the world rockabilly and the legend of engineer Casey Jones. The city is friendly and unpretentious, with a historic downtown, a strong barbecue tradition, and a lot of music history for a place its size. Carl Perkins called it home, and the sound still echoes.

Things worth doing around Jackson: - Visit Casey Jones Village and the home of the famous railroad engineer - Explore the International Rock-A-Billy Hall of Fame downtown - Catch a Jackson Rockabillys baseball game on a summer evening - Walk the boardwalk through the wetlands at Cypress Grove Nature Park - Climb the prehistoric earthworks at Pinson Mounds State Archaeological Park - Eat pulled pork with a side of white beans at a local barbecue joint - Browse the shops and murals of the restored downtown

Jackson is handy for day trips in every direction. Natchez Trace State Park and its lakes are 30 minutes east, Shiloh National Military Park and its Civil War battlefield are about an hour south, and Reelfoot Lake with its bald cypress and eagles is 90 minutes northwest. Memphis is about 90 minutes west and Nashville two hours east. Each August the Casey Jones Village hosts an old-time country music tribute. Come for the music, the barbecue, and the easygoing pace.