Bluff City, TN: Backyard Terrors Dinosaur Park

Brace yourselves, folks. I am about to introduce you to the most exciting and fun thing you can do in Tennessee for zero dollars (BUT... you should definitely donate money to this awesome destination). Backyard Terrors Dinosaur Park is an attraction of jurassic proportions that sits nestled in the creator's backyard. "Backyard?" you ask. Yes, his backyard. Don't let that fool you; this park is MAJOR fun and could easily take up a few hours of your time.

When we drove up to Backyard Terrors, there wasn't a soul in site (most likely because we went close to closing time). As soon as we stepped through the Jurassic Park-like entrance, we knew that we were in for a treat. The dinosaurs inside of Backyard Terrors are not only impressive, they are incredibly lifelike. More so than the dinosaurs we paid high prices to see at other attractions. If I take into consideration that this is the art of one person with a passion for dinosaurs, I might have to label Backyard Terrors one of the most spectacular attractions I've ever been to. 

Realistic dinosaurs are around every corner, and there is definitely no shortage of them. If you're into learning while vacationing, you're in luck! Each dinosaur is accompanied with info for you to increase your knowledge of the prehistoric. 

There are not one, but TWO dark walk-throughs with animatronics. One features feisty raptors, and the other is all about terrifying water-dwelling creatures. You can check out footage from both displays in our video!

After checking out the dinosaurs in the main area, we trekked through the Mesozoic Nature Trail in absolute AWE of the grandeur of this place. 

For the little ones (or the little ones at heart), there is a fossil dig area where you can take on the role of archeologist. 

 The cherry on top is the gift shop, where I picked up one of the coolest patches on this planet. To this day, Ben still resents me for buying the last patch. Like the other areas of the park, there aren't any employees to be found in the gift shop. The entire attraction is purely self-guided.

Since it is the holiday season, you might consider donating to Backyard Terrors' Go Fund Me page! I cannot imagine a world where this place doesn't exist to bring free fun to dino lovers of all ages.

Paducah, KY

Cassidy: I once picked up a brochure for Paducah, and it has stayed in the back of my mind ever since. At the spur of the moment, Ben and I hopped in my car and drove there to see what type of adventure awaited. 

Cassidy: After arriving in Paducah, our first stop was the Midtown Market to pick up some sandwiches for lunch. Ben and I both opted for the Johnny Appleseed sandwich: turkey, apples, white cheddar, bacon, lettuce (or lack thereof, if you're me), and poppyseed dressing on sourdough. 

Ben: If you haven't had a sandwich with fruit on it before you need to stop what you're doing and eat one immediately.

Cassidy: I am a big advocate for fruit on sandwiches. 

Ben: On guard is this green-eyed box office boy. He watches over the town of Paducah. The locals swear that they have seen him move around town after dark. He's always back in the same spot come sunrise, but in a slightly different position from the day before.

Cassidy: And here we have a completely made-up legend from Benjamin Neal. But really, this green-eyed box office boy did watch over my car while we explored Paducah. 

Ben: Down on the waterfront there is a very large flood wall and on the other side of the wall are...

Ben: A lot of very well done murals.

Ben: Each mural is intricately painted and it's definitely worth checking out all of them.

Cassidy: Tucked away in downtown Paducah sits the Maiden Alley Cinema. I can guarantee this spot would be my local hangout if I was a resident Kentuckian. According to their website, this little gem screens independent films (they were getting ready to start showing Anomalisa the day after we went) and hosts special events. Since there weren't any movies showing while we were there, I had to admire the theater from afar. 

Ben: Why does this town have such an awesome nickname as the "atomic city?" Well because in 1950 the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission chose this town as the site for a new uranium enrichment plant.

Cassidy: Since we went to Paducah on St. Patrick's Day, naturally we had to visit a park to go four leaf-clover hunting. We didn't find any clovers; however, the real luck came when we scored some awesome deals at the Dippin' Dots Treatery. I stuck to my trusty mint chocolate chip dots (which were half-off for St. Patrick's Day), and Ben tried out a cotton candy Dippin' Dots milkshake. Both were A+. 

Ben: In fact... the Dippin' Dots headquarters is in Paducah.

Ben: There's also a very cool old Coca-Cola plant in town that is now a brewery, a tea shop, and apparently a place to do yoga on the second floor. The building has some great architecture on the inside and looks really good on camera. 

Cassidy: When in doubt, take photos in front of a wooden wall. 

Ben: For dinner we decided to eat at Bob's (Home Of The Fiesta Burger).

Cassidy: If you know me, you know that I absolutely live for places like this. Bob's Drive-In serves classic Americana fare with a twist. Their "fiesta" burger is smothered in chili, and it is as glorious as it sounds. 

Ben: This was really a great place. The employees were nice and the food was just what we wanted. It's a little drive-in fast food restaurant (very similar to sonic, but a lot more retro). There was plenty of outdoor seating and a little playground off to the side. Also, this place looks perfect on camera.

Cassidy: Oddly enough, this is the first time I've ever been to a non-chain "drive-in" type restaurant. It is set up exactly like Sonic, where you can order from your car or at the front. 

Ben: We both ordered a classic Bob's Fiesta Burger to chow down on in Cassidy's car (it came with a side of fries). We were starting to wish that we lived in Paducah to be closer to this beautiful roadside drive-in.