A view from the Tennessee Central Railway Museum train to from Nashville to Watertown. Photo: Adam Tamburin/Axios
If you're interested in train travel but don't want to shell out for a big out-of-town vacation, there is a local option: Tennessee Central Railway Museum's round-trip ride from Nashville to Watertown in Wilson County.
The six-hour journey includes a stop for lunch on the Watertown town square. You can be back home in time for dinner.
The intrigue: The rides are often organized around a theme. The July 18 ride includes a murder mystery show, Aug. 1 is a wine tasting ride and Sept. 5 merges a wine tasting with live bluegrass music.
There are tours later this year centered around autumnal leaf-peeping and a Christmastime "Santa Express."
💠Adam's take: I tried a murder mystery/wine tasing ride earlier this month, and it was a blast. I enjoyed getting to know my fellow passengers and it was a nice way to visit small-town Tennessee, too.
