Two major travel highways run right through Humphreys County, making it an excellent side stop for any family road trip vacation along the way. This little slice of southern heaven is also only a couple hours’ drive away from either Nashville or Memphis, depending on which direction you’re headed. Whether you’re just wanting to get out of town for the weekend or mapping points of interest along your family’s quest to cross the country, Humphreys County is a pretty ideal spot for a variety of reasons. Unique lodging, delicious food, and Loretta Lynn! Bookmark this page to remember ideas for your next family trip.
Unique Lodging
The family trips we remember from our childhood were always in the same type of hotel room: two double beds in the same room with a shared bathroom. Sometimes sleeping in the bathtub because of a parent’s snoring? While that’s always an option for nostalgia’s sake, there are much better choices out there!
What better way to entice the kids into excitement for a family trip than by telling them you’ve booked an overnight stay with The Flying Ham?! We’re not talking about seeing pigs fly, but rather the canned ham-shaped campers of days long past. They’ve all been updated but left the old-fashioned flair intact in each camper. They have three different campers that all come fully stocked with the linens and dishes you might need for a luxury glamping experience. There are two 16-foot campers that offer a single and a double bed, while the 19-foot camper has a full front bed, an L-shaped twin rear bed, and a half-twin to accommodate bigger families.
If you’re new to surviving in the great outdoors completely unplugged, you can start slowly and rent a glamping tent! They’ll even deliver and set it up for you for free if your spot is within 30 miles of Nashville, and even then, it’s just $1.50/mile. They even have generators if you can’t live without electricity either. Their glamping tents offer an Insta-worthy vacation compromise for those with differing tastes in vacation destinations. Open and roomy, they’re also a perfect option for one of the many music festivals that happen nearby throughout the year.
Whether you pick one of the vintage campers or a glamping tent, there are several fantastic camping spots around Humphreys County to settle down for the weekend. Loretta Lynn’s Ranch has fully powered RV spots at their KOA campground as well as primitive camping spots. There’s also Bones Canoe & Campground in Hurricane Mills and Buffalo River Campground in Waverly.
Another unique lodging option called Rock N’ Refuge is a family-run farm. You’ll find a sizable garden and orchard with plenty of horses, cows, and goats to keep the kids enthralled. They also have listings on AirBnB that would be ideal for any family vacation to Humphreys County. The proprietors live onsite, so they’re there for anything you may need, but will otherwise leave you to enjoy your weekend in peace.
For those with a love of J.R.R. Tolkien’s writings, Rock ‘N Refuge also has a Hobbit Hole that could sleep up to four guests with the queen bed and pullout couch. If a treehouse is more up your alley, they’ve got that, too! There’s also a cabin on the creek that would be perfect for a weekend away from the hustle of the big city. For bigger families, they even have a Farm Retreat listing that can sleep up to sixteen! When you want to give your family a nature-based weekend getaway that covers all the bases, you’ll find it all at Rock N’ Refuge
If your entire purpose for coming to Humphreys County is to visit and explore the estate-like ranch of the incomparable Loretta Lynn, you’ll be happy to know there are plenty of cabins, power-connected RV spots, and primitive camping options onsite. There are laundry and shower facilities as well as fire pits, a swimming pool, and tube and kayak rentals. You could extend your weekend trip in Humphreys County to a month-long vacation on the Loretta Lynn Ranch and would always have something to do.
Speaking of Loretta Lynn
She’s arguably the biggest thing to come out of Humphreys County, so of course it makes sense to memorialize her and her successes at her Hurricane Mills ranch. As mentioned above, there are many different events and activities at the Ranch. They’ll be sure to provide all the entertainment and cultural stimulation you need to keep the whole family happy!
With five uniquely different museums to peruse, you’ll find everything from Native American artifacts as an homage to her Cherokee heritage to a collection of dolls and gifts she has received from her many fans over the years. Experience what life was like all those years ago as a coal miner’s daughter in Loretta’s Frontier Homestead and check out over 400 different artifacts such as cookery, clothing, and primitive tools like they used back then.
Western Town is where all the action is. It’s set on top of the waterfall of the historic grist mill and boasts of a fantastic view over Hurricane Creek. The guided tours start here, and you can also purchase souvenirs like jams and jellies or t-shirts and replica guitars from the variety of gift shops!
The grounds of and around Loretta Lynn’s Ranch are filled with other options like tubing and kayaking. It’s the perfect place for picnics and cookouts while playing cornhole with the kids. Weekend trips like this with the kids is what Humphreys County is all about.
Fantastic Feasts and Where to Find Them
When going on vacation, the last thing you want to do is eat at the same restaurants and get the same dishes you can at home. Forgo the chain restaurants and fast food. Vacation is the time to splurge on your food budget, and lucky for you, Humphreys County has plenty of unique casual and fine dining options that are sure to please even the pickiest of eaters.
You can’t go wrong with pizza, and while, yes, it’s something you can get when you’re at home, you can’t get Bella Blak pizza at home. Their menu offers never-fail options like authentic New York-style pizza or hot wings, but from Thursday through Sunday, you can also catch dishes like steak au poivre and shrimp scampi off their specialty menu. Finish it off with New York-style cheesecake or a decadent molten lava cake for dessert.
There’s nothing better than a delicious steak dinner while you’re on vacation, and you can find that in two different locations at Jen’s Steak and Seafood. Top-notch, mouthwatering dishes of jumbo shrimp, lobster tail, snow crab, and even swordfish are rare finds in a small-town restaurant. Be sure to give their signature 20-ounce ribeye a shot if you think you can handle it!
We can’t finish off the fabulous feasts without a mention of Loretta Lynn’s Kitchen and their scrumptious homestyle cooking. Dishes like country fried steak and pot roast with potatoes are sure to get your belly growling. Unfortunately, the buffet is temporarily closed during the pandemic, but either way, you’re likely going to need a looser pair of pants after you’re done eating!
Your weekend family trip to Humphreys County is sure to be a success if you use any one of these ideas on your vacation itinerary. We recommend trying to hit each and every one of them to get the true Humphreys County experience.
ITINERARY POINTS OF INTEREST
The Flying Ham
For a more unique camping experience, The Flying Ham offers 3 vintage-style campers as well as glamping bell tents for rent that they would be more than happy to come setup for you at your favorite Humphreys County camping spot.
Rock ‘N Refuge
As you travel Bold Springs Road toward McEwen, you may just catch a glimpse of Rock ‘N Refuge, a family-owned farm and lodging operation with unique options like a treehouse and even a hobbit house!
Hurricane Mills
Hurricane Mills is a small community centered around Loretta Lynn’s Ranch.
Loretta Lynn’s Ranch
One of the largest tourist spots in the state, Loretta Lynn’s Ranch caters to the lovers of the outdoors with hundreds of camping spots and hosts several events and concerts on over 6000 acres.
Bone’s Canoe and Campground
Bone’s is a family-run primitive camping and canoe rental business that would be a prime spot for a fun and active family camping trip.
Buffalo River Campground
This Waverly campground also offers canoes and kayaks with various canoeing trips available during the year.
Western Town
Set on top of the waterfall of the historic grist mill, Western Town at The Ranch boasts of a fantastic view over Hurricane Creek.
Bella Blak
Bringing the Big Apple taste to small town life, the daily menu at Bella Blak offers up New York-style pizzas, hot wings, subs, pastas, salads, and more while their Thursday through Sunday specialty menu includes savory dishes like steak au poivre, shrimp scampi, and chicken marsala.
Jen’s Steak and Seafood
With two different locations in Humphreys County to serve you, Jen’s is a small-town American, family-style restaurant where you’re invited to “sit long, talk much, and laugh often.” Enjoy USDA certified steaks cut and trimmed right in the kitchen as well as seafood favorites like jumbo shrimp, lobster tail, snow crab legs, swordfish, catfish, and much more.
Loretta Lynn’s Kitchen
Featuring good ol’ country cooking and a friendly, casual environment, Loretta Lynn’s Kitchen serves up down-home dishes like country fried steak, pot roast, potatoes, greens, creamed corn, mac ‘n cheese, and southern style biscuits. Although the buffet is currently closed due to Covid-19, they are still offering their same delicious home style cooking for a nice sit-down family dinner.