Traveling is not just a leisure activity, but also an excellent way to promote health and wellness. Exploring new places, cultures, and cuisines can bring significant physical, mental, and emotional benefits. In this post, we will discuss My Town’s Top Six Health Benefits of Travel.
1. Reduces Stress And Anxiety
Traveling allows you to take a break from your daily routine and escape from the stressors of everyday life. It can help reduce stress and anxiety, boost your mood, and improve your overall mental health. According to a study conducted by the Global Commission on Aging and Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies, travel can also help reduce the risk of depression.
2. Promotes Physical Activity
Traveling often involves a lot of walking, hiking, and exploring new places, which promotes physical activity. It can help you burn calories, build endurance, and strengthen your muscles. You can also try out new outdoor activities, such as skiing, surfing, or rock climbing, which can challenge you physically and mentally. Personally, I love to try new activities when I travel to small towns. For me, it’s part of the experience.
3. Boosts Immune System
Travel exposes you to new environments, climates, and bacteria, which can help boost your immune system. Your body is exposed to new germs, which can help strengthen your immune system and reduce your risk of getting sick. This is a great benefit that because of the cation surrounding travel the last few years has been overlooked.
4. Improves Sleep Quality
Traveling can help improve your sleep quality by regulating your circadian rhythm. When you travel to a new time zone, your body adjusts to the new schedule, helping you get a better night’s sleep. Additionally, being in a new environment and away from your daily stressors can help you relax and sleep better. If you are having trouble sleeping now- taking the time to get out of your “stress zone” will help to naturally regulate your circadian rhythm. You may even continue to sleep better when you return home!
5. Enhances Creativity
Traveling can help stimulate your creativity by exposing you to new ideas, cultures, and perspectives. When you travel, you may be exposed to different art, architecture, music, and literature, which can inspire you to think differently and come up with new ideas. This is one of the most important reasons to travel for me. Truly, when I am stimulating my creativity, I am at my best. If you would like to hear the podcast on this article Click Here.
5. Boosts Happiness and Satisfaction
Traveling can boost your happiness and satisfaction by providing you with new experiences, learning opportunities, and social connections. According to a study published in the journal Applied Research in Quality of Life, people who travel are happier and more satisfied with their lives than those who do not. Enough said right??
In conclusion, traveling can bring a multitude of physical, mental, and emotional health benefits. So, if you have been putting off that trip, it’s time to pack your bags and hit the road!
A Note From My Town
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The idyllic small town of Granville, Tennessee, is one that we’ve wanted to visit for many years. Why, you ask? Well, it’s the hometown of both of my husband’s grandparents, and it conjures the nostalgia of times gone by!
From Bustling – to Bust – to Bustling Again!
You’ll find Granville an hour east of Nashville, nestled on the banks of the Cumberland River. From the early 1800s until 1920, Granville was a thriving riverboat town and farming area. However, by the mid-1900s, when the Cordell Hull Dam was built, much of the once profitable farmland was buried underwater. Residents left to find better economic opportunities, and Granville became a near ghost town.
Around the year 2000, a group of volunteers united with the vision of making Granville a destination city and preserving the story of this riverboat farming community. It’s a testament to the town’s southern hospitality that this committed force of 200 volunteers maintains the town’s operations and its many museums.
Highlights & Suggestions For Exploring Granville
Granville’s historic center is contained to a three-by-two-block radius at the tip of a peninsula surrounded by the Cumberland River and its tributaries. Over ten museums, a smattering of retail shops, and a small restaurant are available to tour.
Start your day by purchasing a ticket at the Sutton General Store. The $7 admission fee gives you access to all of the museums mentioned above. It’s important to note that historic Granville has limited hours. The facilities are open Wednesday – Saturday from 10 AM to 3 PM (5 PM on Saturdays).
Below is a list of the museum sights you might want to see. Your ticket includes guided tours of the Sutton Homestead and the Pioneer Village & Car Museum. All other museum facilities are self-guided, although several have volunteers on hand to provide demonstrations, etc.
- Sutton General Store
- Sutton Homestead
- Granville Museum
- Pioneer Village and Car Museum
- Farm to Table Agriculture Museum
- Daniel Barber Shop and Post Office Museum
- Clemons Car Museum
- Mayberry – I Love Lucy Museum
- Whiskey Decanter Museum
- Whistle Stop Saloon and Ice Cream Museum
- Tennessee Quilt & Textile Museum
The Sutton General Store & Homestead
While we did not have time to tour every one of the above locations, a few places stood out as favorites. The Sutton General Store is a two-story gem that boasts many fixtures that are original to the early 20th century. The first floor offers a variety of merchandise, including cookbooks, food items, and small toys, while the 2nd level features an Artisans’ Gallery of handmade goods. It’s a great spot to pick up a souvenir or two! You can also grab lunch here or even see a live bluegrass show – see details on food & lodging below.
The Sutton Homestead is one of the venues where you will receive a guided tour with your ticket. This home features many of the original furnishings and memorabilia of the Sutton family and one-time owners of the Sutton General Store. We were thrilled to come across a quilt displayed here that features the surnames of both of my husband’s great-grandparents!
The Granville Museum
The Granville Museum beautifully preserves the memories and artifacts of the residents of Granville. Photos abound, helping paint a vivid portrait of what life was like here when riverboats ruled in rural Tennessee. You’ll also find displays dedicated to the military service of Granville residents, popular fashions, the history of education in the area, and more. If, like us, you have family from the region, extensive genealogy records are available here.
Time Saver Attractions
The remaining museums your ticket provides access to are small and quick to visit. We enjoyed the Post Office Museum with its original letter boxes, and the demonstration at Granville Broom Works was really interesting. We were sad to learn that the Whistle Stop Saloon and Ice Cream Museum doesn’t actually sell ice cream, but fear not, you can get your fill of it down the street at the General Store
A Mayberry Town
Granville refers to itself as Tennessee’s Mayberry town, but I found this to be a bit confusing. We understood that the “real” Mayberry is located in North Carolina. While I’m sure the Mayberry and I Love Lucy museums here are a hit with many, the town has such an important and active history that I’d love to see them veer away from gimmicks and maintain the focus on Granville & its residents.
Granville Food & Lodging
Stop for a hearty Meat & 3 Lunch at the Sutton General Store during your historic Granville tour. The menu is small but delicious, filling, and very reasonably priced.
If you are in town on a Saturday night, call ahead for tickets to the weekly taping of Tennessee’s #1 live bluegrass radio show. You can select an option that includes dinner or an option for the music program only. This is sure to be an incredibly rare and memorable vacation activity! CLICK HERE TO VIEW YOUTUBE VIDEO.
While a handful of B&Bs are in the historic downtown, just a mile outside of Granville, you will find the Wildwood Resort & Marina. This newer complex offers lakeside lodging, boating facilities, dining, live music, and more. It makes a great base for those wishing to spend a weekend in the country.
Why Visit Granville
Towns like Granville are becoming harder and harder to find. This charming little spot in the country makes for a perfect, relaxing day trip from party-hearty Nashville. For nature lovers, it’s well worth spending a bit more time. Enjoy life along the river, hike, catch a few fish, and restore your soul. Granville will be there to welcome you!
Writer Bio
Betsy Ramsey is passionate about travel and has explored everything from small towns to large urban centers. On her blog, Nattygal.com, Betsy shares details of her travels, including city guides, hotel and restaurant reviews, and sample itineraries.
Based in Cleveland, Ohio, Betsy loves helping others maximize their travel experiences at home and abroad. She does this with a mission of being committed to Cultivating a Life of Less Stuff and More Substance. On Natty Gal, that mission manifests itself in posts about mindful fashion, tips for simplifying your life and household, creating a fulfilling lifestyle, and high-low travel experiences (both foreign & domestic). Join Betsy on the journey to a simpler, more meaningful life!
Follow Betsy at Nattygal.com or on social media: @nattygaldot.com, Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest.
I am a travel entrepreneur, writer, podcaster, and founder of the My Town Travels, Travel Small Towns & My Town Today platforms. As a lover of small towns, travel junkie, and small-town foodie, I work with small towns to showcase their unique attributes, experiences, and businesses on our Websites, Additional Article Sites, Podcasts, and to our Social Media Audience to tell their unique stories. Click Here for full Bio.
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